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True Crime Chronicles
True Crime Chronicles, Volume One: Serial Killers, Outlaws, And Justice ... Real Crime Stories From The 1800s
What do Wyatt Earp, Belle Gunness, Big Foot the Renegade, Billy the Kid, and Dr. H.H. Holmes, and The Black Hand have in common?
They were all subjects of true crime newspaper reporting in the 1800s, and now these stories and that of many others are brought together in their original form in a two-volume set: TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES: Serial Killers, Outlaws, and Justice … Real Crime Stories From The 1800s.
Compiled and commented on by New York Times bestselling author Mike Rothmiller, these classic works of journalism resurrect astonishing stories that will take the reader back to when these horrific tales mesmerized a nation. Some may find these articles and their descriptions of people and crimes shocking by today’s standards, but they are representative of the most colorful true crime stories of the day.
TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES, Volume One, includes stories about Belle Gunness, who had a penchant for killing men and feeding them to her hogs, Dr. Holmes and his “murder castle,” The Bloody Benders, and Amelia Dyer, the “baby farmer,” the darker side of Wyatt Earp, and the forerunners of the American Mafia, “The Black Hand.” Imagine yourself accompanying these reporters visiting the crime scenes, interviewing witnesses, and penning the stories of murder, lynchings, evil, and swift frontier justice.
They were all subjects of true crime newspaper reporting in the 1800s, and now these stories and that of many others are brought together in their original form in a two-volume set: TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES: Serial Killers, Outlaws, and Justice … Real Crime Stories From The 1800s.
Compiled and commented on by New York Times bestselling author Mike Rothmiller, these classic works of journalism resurrect astonishing stories that will take the reader back to when these horrific tales mesmerized a nation. Some may find these articles and their descriptions of people and crimes shocking by today’s standards, but they are representative of the most colorful true crime stories of the day.
TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES, Volume One, includes stories about Belle Gunness, who had a penchant for killing men and feeding them to her hogs, Dr. Holmes and his “murder castle,” The Bloody Benders, and Amelia Dyer, the “baby farmer,” the darker side of Wyatt Earp, and the forerunners of the American Mafia, “The Black Hand.” Imagine yourself accompanying these reporters visiting the crime scenes, interviewing witnesses, and penning the stories of murder, lynchings, evil, and swift frontier justice.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 4, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A collection of newspaper articles from the 19 century detailing infamous crimes. The most interesting to me were the stories of the Bender Clan and that of the renegade known as Bigfoot.
Apparently, public horse whippings were not uncommon, either.
A good look at crimes at those times.
A collection of newspaper articles from the 19 century detailing infamous crimes. The most interesting to me were the stories of the Bender Clan and that of the renegade known as Bigfoot.
Apparently, public horse whippings were not uncommon, either.
A good look at crimes at those times.
October 12, 2020
Trigger Warning: Murder, Violence, Graphic Imagery
Did you know that people could get executed for swimming in the 17th century? Did you know of the sadistic serial killer, Belle Gunness, who owned a murder farm? Or the ruthless serial killer H. Holmes who owned a murder factory? What about the infamous Bigfoot the Renegade who was known to have killed thousands of people and who was almost impossible to catch, even on horseback? If any of these stories fascinate you, True Crime Chronicles : Volume One is the book for you. This enthralling read with appalling events, which includes actual newspaper articles from the time the crimes took place, will have you gaping at the screen, disgusted to the core, but still longing for more.
The book starts with recounts of several serial killers. We are first introduced to Belle Gunness, the woman who was known to chloroform her guests in their sleep and then chop their heads off with an axe. Her mysterious disappearance is still an unsolved mystery. We are then taken through H. Holmes and his dreaded murder factory with death shafts, airless rooms, human bones in the cellar, a crematory, and other shocking things. After that, we are taken through the journey of The Bloody Benders, a family of serial killers who invited guests over for a traditional "Bed and Breakfast" and then brutally murdered them with a hammer and a knife. Their disappearance is another mystery. But professional serial killers weren't the only murderers. Certain baby farmers were known to adopt babies, get the amount for their care, and brutally murder them. Such a murderer was Amelia Dyer, known to strangle and drown the babies she was entrusted with. Sometimes, murders were conducted for different reasons. Lynching of accused criminals, especially African Americans was a widespread practice in America. Oftentimes, prisoners were taken out of their cells and lynched. The mobs, who thought they could take justice into their own hands, often had one thing in common: prejudice. Among them were people who blamed the abolition of slavery for causing financial distress in the United States.
But if you think that criminals only existed in the general public, you're wrong. Between 1692 and 1693, many people faced trials on charges of "practicing devil magic" or "witchcraft." These people had their hands and feet tied together and were thrown into a river. If they succeeded in staying up for a long time, they were accused of witchcraft and promptly executed. To reiterate the first sentence of this paragraph, the story of the Earp family and Doc Holliday comes into question. Though portrayed by the media as honorable lawmen bringing desperados to justice, they were, in reality, thieves and bandits, who even had rivalries with other criminals gangs. There was no shortage of gangs during the 1800s. One such gang was the Dalton Gang, known to commit train and bank robberies. Ultimately, a double bank robbery brought about their end since the citizens of Coffeyville, Kansas caught on. And of course, the Snake Indians. They were a band of robbers, known for their hatred of white people. They were known to murder entire groups of immigrants and rob them. The most prominent among them was an alarmingly huge man, known as Bigfoot. Though he travelled on foot, he was still faster than those on horseback, as proven by a group of men who tried to chase him. A group of Sicilan immigrants, The Black Hand were another gang, known to blackmail people into giving them money, mentioning and providing dire consequences if the individuals did not pay. Lastly, we are taken through the shocking and strange assassination of James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States. He was shot in public by a failed lawyer, Giteau, who was considered to be insane by all those who knew him.
Yes, a lot of the mentioned events were triggering and disturbing. Yes, they make me not want to leave my room at 2:00 AM to get water for fear that Belle Gunness is waiting by the refrigerator with drugs and an axe. But the stories recounted were fascinating and insightful. They gave room to a lot of analysis and thought. I was particularly fascinated by the insight I gained into the way news was reported in the 19th century and before. The way the reporters did not have a filter. Moreover, the author shed light on how openly and freely racist the reporters could be. How racist slurs that are unacceptable today were thrown around freely back then. It provided a valuable insight into how things have changed and allowed for different interpretations of events that occurred.
At some points in the book, I felt that the author provided us with too much information. Not in the sense that it was disturbing, but in the sense that it got boring at some instances. A number of news articles mentioned the same things and at some points, I just wished to skip to the next criminal. However, that could be because I was not particularly interested in some of the details given. Other than this miniscule issue, the book was well-compiled, well rounded up, well thought out, and well-explained in the author commentary.
Release Date: October 13th, 2020
Did you know that people could get executed for swimming in the 17th century? Did you know of the sadistic serial killer, Belle Gunness, who owned a murder farm? Or the ruthless serial killer H. Holmes who owned a murder factory? What about the infamous Bigfoot the Renegade who was known to have killed thousands of people and who was almost impossible to catch, even on horseback? If any of these stories fascinate you, True Crime Chronicles : Volume One is the book for you. This enthralling read with appalling events, which includes actual newspaper articles from the time the crimes took place, will have you gaping at the screen, disgusted to the core, but still longing for more.
The book starts with recounts of several serial killers. We are first introduced to Belle Gunness, the woman who was known to chloroform her guests in their sleep and then chop their heads off with an axe. Her mysterious disappearance is still an unsolved mystery. We are then taken through H. Holmes and his dreaded murder factory with death shafts, airless rooms, human bones in the cellar, a crematory, and other shocking things. After that, we are taken through the journey of The Bloody Benders, a family of serial killers who invited guests over for a traditional "Bed and Breakfast" and then brutally murdered them with a hammer and a knife. Their disappearance is another mystery. But professional serial killers weren't the only murderers. Certain baby farmers were known to adopt babies, get the amount for their care, and brutally murder them. Such a murderer was Amelia Dyer, known to strangle and drown the babies she was entrusted with. Sometimes, murders were conducted for different reasons. Lynching of accused criminals, especially African Americans was a widespread practice in America. Oftentimes, prisoners were taken out of their cells and lynched. The mobs, who thought they could take justice into their own hands, often had one thing in common: prejudice. Among them were people who blamed the abolition of slavery for causing financial distress in the United States.
But if you think that criminals only existed in the general public, you're wrong. Between 1692 and 1693, many people faced trials on charges of "practicing devil magic" or "witchcraft." These people had their hands and feet tied together and were thrown into a river. If they succeeded in staying up for a long time, they were accused of witchcraft and promptly executed. To reiterate the first sentence of this paragraph, the story of the Earp family and Doc Holliday comes into question. Though portrayed by the media as honorable lawmen bringing desperados to justice, they were, in reality, thieves and bandits, who even had rivalries with other criminals gangs. There was no shortage of gangs during the 1800s. One such gang was the Dalton Gang, known to commit train and bank robberies. Ultimately, a double bank robbery brought about their end since the citizens of Coffeyville, Kansas caught on. And of course, the Snake Indians. They were a band of robbers, known for their hatred of white people. They were known to murder entire groups of immigrants and rob them. The most prominent among them was an alarmingly huge man, known as Bigfoot. Though he travelled on foot, he was still faster than those on horseback, as proven by a group of men who tried to chase him. A group of Sicilan immigrants, The Black Hand were another gang, known to blackmail people into giving them money, mentioning and providing dire consequences if the individuals did not pay. Lastly, we are taken through the shocking and strange assassination of James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States. He was shot in public by a failed lawyer, Giteau, who was considered to be insane by all those who knew him.
Yes, a lot of the mentioned events were triggering and disturbing. Yes, they make me not want to leave my room at 2:00 AM to get water for fear that Belle Gunness is waiting by the refrigerator with drugs and an axe. But the stories recounted were fascinating and insightful. They gave room to a lot of analysis and thought. I was particularly fascinated by the insight I gained into the way news was reported in the 19th century and before. The way the reporters did not have a filter. Moreover, the author shed light on how openly and freely racist the reporters could be. How racist slurs that are unacceptable today were thrown around freely back then. It provided a valuable insight into how things have changed and allowed for different interpretations of events that occurred.
At some points in the book, I felt that the author provided us with too much information. Not in the sense that it was disturbing, but in the sense that it got boring at some instances. A number of news articles mentioned the same things and at some points, I just wished to skip to the next criminal. However, that could be because I was not particularly interested in some of the details given. Other than this miniscule issue, the book was well-compiled, well rounded up, well thought out, and well-explained in the author commentary.
Release Date: October 13th, 2020
October 28, 2020
I'm not much for a whole lot of history... but when you add true stories of crime with it, that's when it changes everything. These are really informative and interesting stories of what happen. Really will have you wandering about what goes through a person's mind and how times have changed.
January 5, 2021
Disclaimer - I received an advance copy of this book for free, and am leaving this impartial review voluntarily.
I didn’t exactly know what to expect from this book, as the blub clearly described it as a compilation and review of how the press (primarily local newspapers) had covered various crimes. But while society has changed considerably over the last 100-150 years, human nature for the most part has not. Curiosity decided it for me.
In each crime the author includes not only verbatim copies of press coverage from the days and weeks immediately surrounding the event, but also a brief synopsis (sometimes before and sometimes after) of the crime as law enforcement currently understands it. The more-flamboyant language in some of those articles would NEVER fly today in terms of pre-conviction coverage. I can’t say I was all that shocked about it though, as at the time those crimes were committed “innocent until proven guilty” and “guilt beyond a reasonable doubt” were interpreted differently than they are today. The trials back then often were less about guilt versus innocence, and more about degree of culpability and from that how severe the sentence would be. Today that kind of sensational coverage would at least result in a change of venue, and perhaps even be cause for a mistrial (based on inability to get a fair trial due to prejudicial coverage having tainted the jury pool).
Since true crime is a bit of a guilty fascination for me, this combination of that plus me being a history buff made this book hard for me to put down. Society changes, but human nature (including the cruel and dangerous parts of it) does not.
Summary -- 4 stars out of 5. It would have been 5 stars, but I kind of wished that the author had been more in-depth as to the summary section on each crime. For those crimes where the crime had been solved, a little more follow-up (including a little bit more of the trials and sentencing) would have been nice. As it is you are sometimes left feeling like you missed something,
I didn’t exactly know what to expect from this book, as the blub clearly described it as a compilation and review of how the press (primarily local newspapers) had covered various crimes. But while society has changed considerably over the last 100-150 years, human nature for the most part has not. Curiosity decided it for me.
In each crime the author includes not only verbatim copies of press coverage from the days and weeks immediately surrounding the event, but also a brief synopsis (sometimes before and sometimes after) of the crime as law enforcement currently understands it. The more-flamboyant language in some of those articles would NEVER fly today in terms of pre-conviction coverage. I can’t say I was all that shocked about it though, as at the time those crimes were committed “innocent until proven guilty” and “guilt beyond a reasonable doubt” were interpreted differently than they are today. The trials back then often were less about guilt versus innocence, and more about degree of culpability and from that how severe the sentence would be. Today that kind of sensational coverage would at least result in a change of venue, and perhaps even be cause for a mistrial (based on inability to get a fair trial due to prejudicial coverage having tainted the jury pool).
Since true crime is a bit of a guilty fascination for me, this combination of that plus me being a history buff made this book hard for me to put down. Society changes, but human nature (including the cruel and dangerous parts of it) does not.
Summary -- 4 stars out of 5. It would have been 5 stars, but I kind of wished that the author had been more in-depth as to the summary section on each crime. For those crimes where the crime had been solved, a little more follow-up (including a little bit more of the trials and sentencing) would have been nice. As it is you are sometimes left feeling like you missed something,
January 25, 2021
A Crime and Crimean for Everyone’s Taste
The book is a great collection of criminals and criminal acts that runs the gamut from serial killers to a political assassin. The format of the book was an editor’s introduction to the crime and criminals explaining the societal reaction and then copies of the newspapers’ coverage of the events.
The Bender Family was one of the most notorious group of serial killers that were never caught and I wonder if they were the inspiration for Futurama’s character Bender, the robot. The “heroic” lawman, Wyatt Earp is shown to be actually involved in robbing stagecoaches and a murderer of people, he suspected had been involved in hurting and murdering members of his family. The assassination of President Garfield and his assassin Charles J. Guiteau is covered in great detail including Garfield’s long period of suffering. In today’s medical environment Garfield would have survived and not died due infection and incompetent medical care. The lynching of African Americans was also covered which the editor rightfully described as a “Blot” on our history as a nation.
A fascinating and interesting read, if you like true crime stories.
The book is a great collection of criminals and criminal acts that runs the gamut from serial killers to a political assassin. The format of the book was an editor’s introduction to the crime and criminals explaining the societal reaction and then copies of the newspapers’ coverage of the events.
The Bender Family was one of the most notorious group of serial killers that were never caught and I wonder if they were the inspiration for Futurama’s character Bender, the robot. The “heroic” lawman, Wyatt Earp is shown to be actually involved in robbing stagecoaches and a murderer of people, he suspected had been involved in hurting and murdering members of his family. The assassination of President Garfield and his assassin Charles J. Guiteau is covered in great detail including Garfield’s long period of suffering. In today’s medical environment Garfield would have survived and not died due infection and incompetent medical care. The lynching of African Americans was also covered which the editor rightfully described as a “Blot” on our history as a nation.
A fascinating and interesting read, if you like true crime stories.
October 15, 2020
Of An Era Gone By.
True crime Chronicles,
If you are interested in history then you will enjoy reading the book.
The book is taken from newspaper clippings in the 1800s and the author has chosen to keep the words printed by the newspaper with the Miss spells Errors and the words used during the era.
The crimes are truly shocking, and they are committed by both men and women.
I found the book fascinating from a history point of view. The only reason I gave it a 3 star was because the book just did not engage me as much as other books have. The book is not my preferred style but if you are a history buff then you will certainly appreciate it. This is just my personal opinion and did not take away the hard work that the author put into researching and documenting this book.
Many thanks Wildblue Press for the free voucher.
True crime Chronicles,
If you are interested in history then you will enjoy reading the book.
The book is taken from newspaper clippings in the 1800s and the author has chosen to keep the words printed by the newspaper with the Miss spells Errors and the words used during the era.
The crimes are truly shocking, and they are committed by both men and women.
I found the book fascinating from a history point of view. The only reason I gave it a 3 star was because the book just did not engage me as much as other books have. The book is not my preferred style but if you are a history buff then you will certainly appreciate it. This is just my personal opinion and did not take away the hard work that the author put into researching and documenting this book.
Many thanks Wildblue Press for the free voucher.
October 13, 2020
Interesting read
Rothmiller pens an interesting and informative title in TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES: Serial Killers, Outlaws, And Justice... Real Crime Stories From The 1800s. It's not just learning about the "bad guy" but going back in history to show that some themes of killing and just plain being a criminal hasn't changed. This is the first book of this author's that I've read. I enjoyed reading and learning about these real crime stories, as I am a big fan of true crime. I can't explain my fascination, but I like it just the same. I was anxious to read this book, and I learned a lot, and found out a lot of things I didn't know, and read about outlaws I never heard of. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
Rothmiller pens an interesting and informative title in TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES: Serial Killers, Outlaws, And Justice... Real Crime Stories From The 1800s. It's not just learning about the "bad guy" but going back in history to show that some themes of killing and just plain being a criminal hasn't changed. This is the first book of this author's that I've read. I enjoyed reading and learning about these real crime stories, as I am a big fan of true crime. I can't explain my fascination, but I like it just the same. I was anxious to read this book, and I learned a lot, and found out a lot of things I didn't know, and read about outlaws I never heard of. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
December 20, 2020
All my favorite genres start with historical but my all-time favorite genre is historical crime I love it! This is the second book in The True Crime Chronicle series. It’s a Book I didn’t no was coming out, but I am so glad it did.From serial killers to lynchings the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to the wild west, but my favorite chapter was the one on short news stories. I really think this author brings a fresh look at all crimes and it’s one I thoroughly enjoyed and wish I could’ve given it more than five stars. I highly recommend this book if you like true crime and especially historical true crime the new absolutely love this book. I received this book from book sirens and I am leaving this review absolutely voluntarily. I loved this book!
October 22, 2020
The True Crime Chronicles was, not what I was expecting. I enjoyed reading through the different stories that were presented from journalists of long ago. For the book, I was thinking that there would be more from the authors perspective, not just an introduction and then the articles.
Overall, I did enjoy the read, because as a historian, I know how valuable those insights are. Primary sources are the best way to go! But in reading the book, I would have loved some more insight from the author, and felt like there was so much that was missing.
Interesting stories, great journalism, and fun reads.. catch this book now!
Overall, I did enjoy the read, because as a historian, I know how valuable those insights are. Primary sources are the best way to go! But in reading the book, I would have loved some more insight from the author, and felt like there was so much that was missing.
Interesting stories, great journalism, and fun reads.. catch this book now!
January 7, 2021
Eternal Fight Against Crime!
The author has collected accounts of brutal and sensational crime, lynching, punishment, and witch-hunting in and connected to the United States. Most accounts included are from American newspaper accounts, but a few are from European sources.
Basically his book should inform young people and those ignorant of history, that crime in America is not new, and that the battle against it is eternal!
Some accounts of handling of rapists by the victim’s community, family, and/or friends do, perhaps, indicate that repeated rapes on an individual’s part didn’t happen as often as at present!
♥️✝️🐑✡️♥️
The author has collected accounts of brutal and sensational crime, lynching, punishment, and witch-hunting in and connected to the United States. Most accounts included are from American newspaper accounts, but a few are from European sources.
Basically his book should inform young people and those ignorant of history, that crime in America is not new, and that the battle against it is eternal!
Some accounts of handling of rapists by the victim’s community, family, and/or friends do, perhaps, indicate that repeated rapes on an individual’s part didn’t happen as often as at present!
♥️✝️🐑✡️♥️
February 19, 2021
I had just recently read books on two of the killers so skipped those stories, though I may have missed new information or perspective by doing so. I found HH Holmes the most fascinating, there is a lot, a whole lot, about the old west, that does not particularly interest me but it was well written and researched. The early mob is here too.
October 20, 2020
I liked that the author used information from the original newspapers. A lot of the criminals were from the the late 1800's to the early 1900's which made it more interesting.
February 3, 2021
Interesting stories.
I enjoyed reading many of the crime stories enclosed in this book. Many details were unknown to me . A good read for a crime or history buff.
I enjoyed reading many of the crime stories enclosed in this book. Many details were unknown to me . A good read for a crime or history buff.
January 16, 2022
Just okay. I've certainly read better when it comes to history and serial killers.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews