The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That

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

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 fortuneâ‚¬â€œhardly the qualities of a prime suspect in a series of shocking, merciless cyanide killings. Molineuxâ‚¬s subsequent indictment for murder led to two explosive trials and a sex-infused scandal that shocked the nation. Bringing to life Manhattanâ‚¬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 timeâ‚¬â€œall 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:

â‚¬Å“A heady tale of sin, sex, jealousy and revenge in sepia-toned Manhattan.â‚¬Â
â‚¬â€œThe New York Times

â‚¬Å“A dark chronicle of ghoulish revenge [and] journalistic sensationalism . . . [a] well-wrought anatomy of a murder and portrait of an age.â‚¬Â
â‚¬â€œThe Wall Street Journal

â‚¬Å“Schechter peppers his account of one of Americaâ‚¬s earliest media circuses with peacock characters and deliciously tawdry details. . . . For scandal sweet tooths, this oneâ‚¬s a beaut.â‚¬Â
â‚¬â€œEntertainment Weekly

â‚¬Å“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.â‚¬Â
â‚¬â€œBomb magazine

â‚¬Å“Well told and powerfully written . . . Through newspaper accounts of the day and memoirs of the principals . . . Schechter brings [a crime] to vivid life.â‚¬Â
â‚¬â€œSan Antonio Express-News
Country USA
Brand BALLANTINE GROUP
Manufacturer Random House Publishing Group
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber illustrations
Color Cream
ReleaseDate 2008-09-30
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780345476807

Country	USA
Brand	BALLANTINE GROUP
Manufacturer	Random House Publishing Group
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	illustrations
Color	Cream
ReleaseDate	2008-09-30
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780345476807

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

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