The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century [Paperback]

Harold Schechter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

From renowned true-crime historian Harold Schechter comes the riveting exploration of a notorious New York City murder in the 1890s, the fascinating forensic science of an earlier time, and the grisly court case that became a tabloid spectacle.

The wayward son of a revered Civil War general, Roland Molineux enjoyed good looks, status, and fortune–hardly the qualities of a prime suspect in a series of shocking, merciless cyanide killings. Molineux’s subsequent indictment for murder led to two explosive trials and a sex-infused scandal that shocked the nation. Bringing to life Manhattan’s Gilded Age, Schechter captures all the colors of the tumultuous legal proceedings, gathering his own evidence and tackling subjects no one dared address at the time–all in hopes of answering a tantalizing question: What powerfully dark motives could drive the wealthy scion of an eminent New York family to murder?


Praise for The Devil's Gentleman:

“A heady tale of sin, sex, jealousy and revenge in sepia-toned Manhattan.”
–The New York Times

“A dark chronicle of ghoulish revenge [and] journalistic sensationalism . . . [a] well-wrought anatomy of a murder and portrait of an age.”
–The Wall Street Journal

“Schechter peppers his account of one of America’s earliest media circuses with peacock characters and deliciously tawdry details. . . . For scandal sweet tooths, this one’s a beaut.”
–Entertainment Weekly

“In the hands of an artist and historian as gifted as Schechter, the material becomes a superbly evocative reconstruction of the fascinating period in American life that gave birth to our media-crazed society.”
–Bomb magazine

“Well told and powerfully written . . . Through newspaper accounts of the day and memoirs of the principals . . . Schechter brings [a crime] to vivid life.”
–San Antonio Express-News

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. True-crime historian Schechter (co-author, The A-Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers) delivers a thrilling account of a murder case that rocked Manhattan at the turn of the 20th century. Roland Molineux, a socially ambitious chemist,was a proud member of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club, where he was considered a talented but snooty sportsman, repeatedly instigating spats with the club's athletic director, Harry Cornish. Pursuing women with the same determination he brought to sports, Roland doggedly wooed Blanche Chesebrough, an equally ambitious young woman with operatic aspirations. But when one of Molineux's romantic competitors, Henry Barnet, died, Cornish was poisoned (he survived) and his landlady died, Roland topped the list of suspects. The ensuing investigation and sensational trial became one of the costliest in New York State history. Schechter expertly weaves a rich historical tapestry—exploring everything from the birth of yellow journalism to the history of poison as a murder weapon—without sacrificing a novelistic sense of character, pacing and suspense. The result is a riveting tale of murder, seduction and tabloid journalism run rampant in a New York not so different from today's. B&w photos. (Oct)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Advance praise for The Devil’s Gentleman

“A thrilling account of a murder case that rocked Manhattan at the turn of the 20th century . . . Schechter expertly weaves a rich historical tapestry–exploring everything from the birth of ‘yellow’ journalism to the history of poison as a murder weapon–without sacrificing a novelistic sense of character, pacing and suspense. The result is a riveting tale of murder, seduction and tabloid journalism run rampant in a New York not so different from today’s.”
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for the true-crime books of Harold Schechter

“The scholarship is both genuine and fascinating.”
–The Boston Book Review, on The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers

“Top-drawer true-crime.”
–Booklist, on Deviant

“Reads like fiction but it’s chillingly real.”
–The Philadelphia Inquirer, on Deranged

“Riveting . . . brilliantly detailed . . . Schechter has done his usual sterling job in resurrecting this amazing tale.”
–Caleb Carr, on Depraved


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345476808
• ISBN-13: 978-0345476807
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harold Schechter is a professor of American literature and culture. Renowned for his true-crime writing, he is the author of the nonfiction books Fatal, Fiend, Bestial, Deviant, Deranged, Depraved, and, with David Everitt, The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. He is also the author of Nevermore and The Hum Bug, the acclaimed historical novels featuring Edgar Allan Poe. He lives in New York State.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes you CAN Judge A Book By Its Cover, December 13, 2007

By 

C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

I have never heard of author Harold Schechter much less read one of his books. I picked up this book because I like to read about New York and saw an impressive photo of the Flatiron building on the cover. I guess I was judging a book by its cover. Once I started reading I had difficulty putting it down. It's a cliche to say so, but this is a real page turner. The murder case involving the defendant Roland Molineux, son of a very respected Civil War General involving poison sent through the mail closed out the 19th century and ushered in the 20th century. The case involved very prominent people and the yellow journalists had a field day trying to outdo one another in providing their readers with juicy tidbits of those involved. Author Schechter provides vivid detail of the main characters such as the defendants parents, his wife, and a surviving individual who was a victim of the poisoning. Two people died and Roland Molineux was convicted and sent to death row at Sing Sing. I don't want to elaborate beyond this and ruin the ending for you, but the author provides us with his opinion on the ultimate verdict in the notes at the back of the book. I got a real feel of what New York City was like just prior to the turn of the 20th century. We are also told of what the future held for each of those involved. I throughly enjoyed this book, and have ordered two additional copies for friends along with a different volume for myself by this author. This book definitely deserves a place in your library especially if you enjoy crime books.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Schechter's Best, November 9, 2007

By 

Laura James (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

This is my new favorite Harold Schechter book. It is a bit of a departure from his earlier true crime stories: the story is as complex, but not as gory, as some of his other books. He has chosen his subject well. The book features a murder story that was a genuine puzzle and it also reflects access to a rich assortment of unique resources - diaries, letters, vast newspaper coverage, transcripts and family records. This is an intelligent, literary, well researched account of a baffling mystery and a standout in the true crime genre.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascintating look at a trial of the century, November 10, 2007

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

The Devil's Gentleman by Harold Schechter is the story of Roland Molineux, who in 1900 was accused of murdering a woman and attempting to murder another man through poison because of jealousy. Molineux, the son of a Civil War hero, was a profligate who brought nothing but shame to his father's proud name. He lived the high life in New York City at the turn of the 20th century with a mistress, drugs, and lots of money. He worked as a chemist at a paint company, so he had access to the rare poison used in the case. Kathryn Adams died as a result of taking poisoned bromo-seltzer that had been sent to Harry Cornish, the director of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club. Molineux and Cornish had clashed repeatedly at the club, and Molineux eventually resigned in disgust. Another man, Henry Barnet, also died after taking poisoned bromo-seltzer that had been mysteriously sent to him through the mail. Barnet had been a rival for the affections of Molineux's wife Blanche Chesebrough. Molineux was tried in the "trial of the century" and spent time of death row, but the ending is a surprise. I love "trial of the century" books from the late Victorian-early Edwardian period. Trials that shook society and brought the press out as yellow as they could get. This book is one of the best I've read. Schechter manages not to commit the sin that so many authors of these books commits: he doesn't tell you the outcome in the introduction, opening chapter or flap of the book. Suspense is allowed to build. Schechter lays the evidence without bias out for the reader and allows them to come to their own conclusion. The case ended ambiguously, and Schechter offers his opinion, but not until the very end, thank goodness. He includes great detail about other poisoning cases of the day, yellow journalism, and how the old boys club mentality of New York effected the outcome. My only question: why wasn't Molineux tried for Barnet's death and what was found at the autopsy? In spite of that, this is a great read, enthralling, well-written, and thoroughly researched.