xvii+184pp, illustrations in text. On new Years Eve in 1843, Rhode island texile manufacturer Amasa Sprague was shot and beaten to death. Within two days, three Irish immigrant brothers - Nicholas, John, and William Gordon - were arrested and charged with murder. A graphic reconstruction of the crime, the social background of antagonism towards the Irish-Catholic immigrants, the trial and fate of those accused - one being hanged. The theory is also put forward that the victim's brother may have been involved, his motive being to take over the family business. An unusual and notorious case. Bibliography and Index.

True Crime Criminology Murder Forensic Homicide Americana American History