Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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.

Reviewed by Andrea Stuckey

As any good crime historian, Schechter doesn't report to his readers "just another murder story" but delves into the deceptively innocent life of his main focus: young, estranged and exceedingly talented Roland Molineux.

Roland's father, Edward Leslie Molineux, as a Civil War veteran was a highly respected individual, and as a father, was deeply loving and devoted to his family. As his son made his way up in New York's society ladder, a difficult feat for the son of a paint company owner, his pride was inflated with every step up Roland took. Not only was Roland an aspiring chemist, but also a top athlete in New York's elite Knickerbocker Athletic Club. Jealousy and his competitive nature proved to be his downfall.

After spending his time with an assortment of women, Roland finally decided on a wife, an equally ambitious woman by the name of Blanche Chesebrough. When Roland found the director of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club, Harry Cornish, was becoming a rival for his wife's affection, Roland used his knowledge in chemistry, and his accessibility to his father's painting business to create a bromo-seltzer poison which he sent anonymously to Cornish through the mail. Amazingly, Cornish survived, though two others fell victim in what would become the murder case of the century.

Schechter makes top work of his novel, researching everything possible about the case, leaving no holes in the case from front to back cover. He even uses the rapidly emerging (during the late 1800s) yellow journalistic style to result in a brilliant end product. With the amount of information Schechter recovered in his research--though some of the characters' extended personal history could have been neglected--this book should have read like a text book, however, his style proved to be as suspenseful and gripping as a fictional crime thriller.

Roland, as the main subject, was captured as a seemingly innocent young man outwardly, though you are given insight to his true nature as a snake ready to strike at any threat coming his way. Right up to the end, Schechter's audience can anticipate the junior Molineux's fate, though bets could be placed and won, negating a predictable ending.

Armchair Interviews says: If you like fascinatingly chilling book, this is for you.

The book provides and excellent description of Victorian life and the Victorian mindset, but I was unable to shake the mind-boggling Victorian habit of actually TAKING some unidentified medicine that someone you don't know sent you in the mail. Schechter explores a world of pomp and priviledge, obsessed with the surface appearance of propriety, but secretly seething with sexual scandals and murderous grudges. This trial marked the beginning of the media circus that subsequent murder trials from Lizzie Borden to OJ Simpson would become, as the outwardly respectable defendent's sordid affairs and violent, cold-blooded nature was dug up by the police and media as much to shock and titillate the public as to achieve justice.

Over the past two decades, Harold Schechter has resurrected the stories of many prominent moral monsters from America's past, corrected the numerous myths that have grown up around them, replaced those myths with more fascinating facts, and then related them in compelling narratives that are also scholarly, sensitive, and keenly written.

In resurrecting the crazy story of crazy Roland Molineux and his bizarre journey into murder and in and out of justice, Schechter has written his masterpiece. No question, hands down.

A classic of true crime, and of biography and history. It will be around for many decades to come.

I feel repetitive starting my reviews of turn of the century true crime novels the same way, but I think it is necessary. I often find myself drawn to this genre of novel (Devil in the White City, Sin in the Second City, The First Family, etc..) and have found what makes them successful for me; an interesting topic, engaging characters, and a sense for the era in which the book is taking place.

To say that The Devil's Gentleman succeeds on all levels would not be doing the work justice. The book revolves around the son of a famous Civil War General who is accused of murder by poisoning. From the introduction to the characters to the trial to the epilogue the tome weaves a complicated tapestry of individual motive, conflict, and justice painted against the backdrop of life in and around New York City in the early 1900's.

The book succeeds for me because of the extensive research on the topic providing insight into the minds of the antagonists and protagonists in a way that few of these books accomplish. I felt compelled to keep reading on to see what would happen next from the motive of the crime, to the poisoning, to the trial. I had a hard time putting the book down. I wasn't as compelled to continue on since reading what I consider to be the vanguard of these novels, Devil in the White City.

If you are at all interested in true crime novels, New York's history, or just a good story you will not be disappointed with this book. I highly recommend it and plan on adding the author to my must read list.

I stumbled across this book in the library and am so glad I picked it up. Having never heard of Roland Molineux before (and not knowing much about Yellow Journalism), I had no idea what to expect, but I was not disappointed. This is a story of greed, lust, and exploitation, all disguised under a prim Victorian facade. Chapters are short and to the point, and make for much page-turning suspense. I wish the author had been able to include more than two photographs of the people spoken of in the books, or even more images of the New York papers with their sensational headlines, as I feel that it would have added to the experience. That is but a small quibble, though; this book is a wonderful true-crime story, and it was fascinating to see how today's explosive media saturation began.

I accidentally came across this book at the library. It is a fascinating look at one of the most famous murder trials of the early 20th century, extremely well-written and involving. Even those who do not like "that sort of book" will enjoy this one. The people involved are brought to life by the author's talents, and the research behind the book is thorough and definitive. Absorbing and informative.

Thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Schecter's book from cover to cover. Purchased after reading a review, possibly in the New York Times Book Review. Book might have benefited from a more compelling jacket image. I would not have picked this book up had I not read the review. Also kept wanting to see more pictures of the characters but I realize that availability of archival images may have played a part. Great story, well told.