Come listen to a true tale of the past inside the place where it happened on Sunday afternoon, April 21st. The Historical Society is sponsoring a book talk by crime historian, Alex Hortis, at 3 pm in the Old Courthouse, 123 Grand Street. Inside those same walls, when the building was new, a murder trial took place that captured the attention of the nation. A woman named Polly Bodine was tried for killing her sister-in-law and her baby niece down on Staten Island. Two New York City trials had resulted in hung juries and so the last trial was moved to a new jurisdiction, the Hudson Valley, and to the bright new courthouse in Newburgh. Here, our lawyers showed more skill and our jurors more care. Yet, the firestorm of press coverage nearly overwhelmed our little 1840’s village. Tabloid journalism was being born and Polly’s story mirrors the endless splashy coverage of today’s sensational news.
Mr. Hortis’ book, The Witch of New York: The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice, will be available for sale in collaboration with Angie Venezia, owner/operator of Golden Hour Books, Newburgh’s fine new independent bookstore.
Admission is free.