369: Polly Bodine: The Witch of New York w/ Alex Hortis

369: Polly Bodine: The Witch of New York w/ Alex Hortis

Author: Blue Ewe Media December 6, 2024 Duration: 1:19:06
On Christmas night, December 25, 1843, in a serene village on Staten Island, shocked neighbors discovered the burnt remains of twenty-four-year-old mother Emeline Houseman and her infant daughter, Ann Eliza. In a perverse nativity, someone bludgeoned to death a mother and child in their home—and then covered up the crime with hellfire. When an ambitious district attorney charges Polly Bodine (Emelin’s sister-in-law) with a double homicide, the new “penny press” explodes. Polly is a perfect media villain: she’s a separated wife who drinks gin, commits adultery, and has had multiple abortions. Between June 1844 and April 1846, the nation was enthralled by her three trials—in Staten Island, Manhattan, and Newburgh—for the “Christmas murders.” My guest is Alex Hortis, author of "The Witch of New York: The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice." He shares with us some of the incredible twists and turns in this absolutely fascinating case. The author's website: https://alexhortis.com/ Register here for the author's online "History of the New York Mafia Class", through The Gotham Center for New York City History (Starting 1/29/2025): https://www.gothamcenter.org/gothamed-january/history-of-the-new-york-mafia Visit https://strawberry.me/notorious for 20% off your first month's membership! Support the show and ditch overpriced wireless with Mint Mobile’s deal and get 3 months of premium wireless service for 15 bucks a month! https://www.mintmobile.com/notorious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step back in time and explore the darkest corners of the past with Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast. This isn't just another crime show; it's a deep dive into the historical context that shaped infamous acts and the figures behind them. From the ruthless gangsters of the Prohibition era to the chilling methods of Victorian-era murderers, each episode unpacks a story rooted in its specific moment in history. Host Erik Rivenes acts as your guide, conducting thoughtful interviews with authors and historians who have dedicated years to researching their subjects. These conversations move beyond sensational headlines to deliver nuanced narratives filled with detail and scholarly accuracy. You'll hear about forgotten tragedies, legendary outlaws, and societal disasters, all presented with a focus on understanding the why and how within the framework of the past. Tune in for a compelling blend of education and narrative, where every story is a piece of historical truth, often more fascinating and complex than fiction. This podcast from Blue Ewe Media connects the dots between crime and history, offering a rich, thoroughly researched listening experience for anyone curious about the shadows cast across different centuries.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
406:  The Murder of Jujube Heiress Ruth Quinn w/ Taylor Kiland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
The small Southern California island of Coronado rarely makes news for violent crime. But in the spring of 1975, World War II widow and retired librarian Ruth Quinn was murdered, execution-style, in her cottage. Her deat…
MoNo Encore: The Murder of Dr. W.D. Broadhurst w/ Patrick Gallagher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:56
(Orig pub date: 2/15/22) In October of 1946, a chiropractor and rancher named Willis "W.D." Broadhurst was beaten with a wrench and finished off with a shotgun on a lonely eastern Oregon road. Investigators would soon ac…
405:  A History of Eugenics in America w/ Mark A. Torres [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:20
In the early twentieth century, eugenics captivated scientists and the public alike, giving researchers license to exploit the infirm, the mentally ill, prisoners, Native communities and many others considered "defective…
404:  Gunfighter Clay Allison w/ Donna Blake Birchell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:47
Clay Allison was both liked and loathed in his lifetime, embodying the contradictions of the American frontier. He could show moments of kindness for the downtrodden, but also carried deep hatred for Northerners and Blac…
403: The Madman of Crystal Beach w/ M.F. Gross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:49
In the sultry summer of 1949, a sleepy Florida beach town was rocked to its core. A brutal home invasion, a shocking murder, and a desperate, month-long manhunt captivated and terrified an entire region. At the center of…
402: The Reno Redfield Heist w/ Gavin Schmitt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:40
The 1952 burglary of eccentric multi-millionaire LaVere Redfield’s mansion in Reno, Nevada was the largest of its time, but also a comedy of errors. "Masterminded" by a French-Canadian woman with a questionable relations…
401:  The First Forensic Hanging w/ Summer Strevens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:42
The First Forensic Hanging: The Toxic Truth That Killed Mary Blandy by Summer Strevens tells the story of Mary Blandy, executed in 1752 for poisoning her father Frances Blandy with arsenic. Her trial was the first in Bri…
MoNo Encore: The Bermondsey Horror w/ Gavin Whitehead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:42
(Orig pub date: 2/3/24) On August 17th, 1849, London police officers made a grisly discovery at the home of George and Maria (born Marie de Roux) Manning. Her former beau, Patrick O'Connor, had been buried under the floo…
400: The Legend of Belle Starr w/ Michael Wallis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:39
Myra Maibelle Shirley, better known as Belle Starr, was one of the most notorious female outlaws of the Old West (if you believe period newspapers, anyway). My guest, bestselling and award-winning author Michael Wallis,…
399:  The Life & Crimes of Robert Spears w/ Jerry Jamison [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:18
"Doctor" Robert Spears was arguably one of the greatest con artists of the twentieth century, and very likely a mass murderer. In thirty nine years of grift, he had 25 aliases, 28 arrests in 20 cities, and was imprisoned…