Murder at the Brown Palace: A True Story of Seduction & Betrayal [Paperback]

Dick Kreck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2003

Seduction, murder, and mayhem in the courtroom—a true Law and Order tale, as gripping today as it was 100 years ago!

On May 24, 1991, one of the most notorious murders in Denver's history occurred. The riveting tale involves high society, adultery, drugs, multiple murders, and more, all set in Denver's grand old hotel, the Brown Palace.

At the center of the storm was the seductively beautiful Denver socialite Isabel Springer. Little id ambitious John W. Spring, wealthy Denver businessman and politician, know that lovely Isabel, 20 years his junior, had been feeding the romantic fire of an out-of-town suitor at the same time she had become cozy with a man he regarded as a friend and business partner.

Flirtation and romantic promises all culminated in a barroom confrontation, followed by two of the most lurid trials in Colorado history. This tragic story of a crime of passion is one readers won't be able to put down.

Murder at the Brown Palace was on the Denver Post best-seller list for 22 weeks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fascinating portrayal of Denver, its society, and four tragic characters at a certain moment in our history. It is a must for any collection of Denver history." —Colorado Libraries

"Kreck has woven a riveting tale of murder and deception. This intriguing page-turner is impossible to put down." —The Bloomsbury Review

"Flirtation and romantic promises all culminated in a barroom confrontation, followed by two of the most lurid court trails in Colorado history." —Westword

ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award, Honorable Mention

Finalist for the 2004 Colorado Book Awards

About the Author

Dick Kreck retired from The Denver Post after 38 years as an editor and columnist. He previously worked at the San Francisco Examiner and the Los Angeles Times. Dick Kreck has written other books, including Colorado's Scenic Railroads, Denver in Flames, Anton Woode: The Boy Murderer, and Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing (March 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555914632
• ISBN-13: 978-1555914639
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #602,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read!, August 6, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder at the Brown Palace: A True Story of Seduction & Betrayal (Paperback)

Senior columnist Dick Kreck is a journalist with the Denver Post. He has also worked with the San Francisco Examiner and the Los Angeles Times. He has two previous books to his credit, Colorado's Scenic Railroads and Denver in Flames.

Murder at the Brown Palace chronicles one of the most famous high society murders of the twentieth century. The Brown Palace is one of Denver's grand old hotels, and the principals of the case were all of a free-wheeling social set. In the middle, and probably the cause of the murder was Isabelle Springer, who was married to would-be politician and wealthy Denver businessman John W. Springer. Not content to be a proper social wife, the narcissistic Isabelle enticed two men, and then set up a showdown which ended in two tragic deaths. Unfortunately for Frank Henwood, the killer, Denver was trying to gain a dignified reputation and had no sympathy for the cause of the shooting:

"That the said Sylvester L. von Phul came to his death by gunshot wounds having been fired by Frank H. Henwood in the City and Country of Denver in the state of Colorado about 11:35 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, 1911, in the barroom of the Brown Palace Hotel at Seventeenth and Broadway; and we further find the said Sylvester L. von Phul died at St. Luke's Hospital about 11:30 a.m. May 25, 1911, and we further find that said shots were fired with felonious intent."

Dick Kreck, no doubt, went to great lengths to reenact the events leading up to the shooting. Although he presents the facts in an impartial vein, Frank Henwood was obviously led on by Isabelle Springer, as was Sylvester L. von Phul. The irony of the situation is that neither man really wanted to murder the other...but both men acted and reacted passionately to create a chain of events from which both of their lives, and two innocent bystanders' would be ruined. Kreck gives a wonderful historical overview of the politics at that time which would prove to be rigid and unforgiving towards Henwood. Another twist to the story is that John W. Springer really did not blame Henwood for what happened, although the public was not as forgiving. Kreck not only is a dogged historian, but he is faithful to the attitudes and trends of the time, giving the reader a unique perspective on this woeful tale. An excellent read!

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sex, Lies, and Stationary., August 27, 2006

By 

E. Richard Glazier (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder at the Brown Palace: A True Story of Seduction & Betrayal (Paperback)

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

With the seemingly disproportionate amount of salacious news stemming from Colorado over the past few years (see CU, JonBenet, Columbine, AFA, Kobe...), each with their corresponding legal and journalistic blunders, it's perhaps equal parts refreshing and frustrating to know that this isn't new. Denver Post columnist Dick Kreck paints a rich and detailed picture of the `scene' in Denver and the West during the otts and teens of the last century. That scene included media obsession with scandal, a rouge legal system, DA improprieties, criminal celebrity, right wing 'values' politics, adultery, murder, money.... Sound like that could be the otts of this century in Colorado?

This is a great read, and Kreck has left no stone unturned in his quest for accuracy and detail. Anyone interested in knowing what Denver was like 100 years ago, and in many ways how we got to where we are today, should read this book- or just anyone who loves good murder mystery or courtroom drama!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great story of betrayal and truth, June 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder at the Brown Palace: A True Story of Seduction & Betrayal (Paperback)

i found this book intresting. it shows a side of denver that is not seen sometimes. this book gives a look at a man who believe he was innocent and tries with two trials to prove it and recieves a unthinkable twist when he recieves a worse sentence. this book is wonderful for anyone intrested in colorado and murders.