Relive the heart-wrenching story of one of the most famous crimes in New Yorks history; the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette at Big Moose Lake. Made famous by a media frenzy fueled by the sensational newspaper reporting of 1906, this crime of the century seeped into the American culture. The story of Chester and Grace was the inspiration for Theodore Dreisers novel An American Tragedy and the Hollywood movie A Place in the Sun. Brownell and Enos deliver a fascinating day-by-day account of the events leading to the death of Grace Brown, the media hyped, sensational trial of Chester Gillette, and the cultural immortalization of an Adirondack Tragedy.
"Murder in the Adirondacks is the true story of the Chester Gillette - Grace Brown murder case, which was the basis for Theodore Dreiser's classic novel An American Tragedy and the movie "A Place in the Sun" with Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Although the trial in Herkimer, New York was front page news throughout the nation in 1906 and millions of words have been written about Dreiser's novel, this book is the first complete account of the fascinating facts behind the fiction. Gillette, a former prep school student and railroad brakeman, was the nephew of the owner of a skirt factory in Cortland, New York, where he met Grace Brown, the daughter of a Chenango County farmer. Soon after Grace discovered she was pregnant with Gillette's child in 1906, they left on a trip to the Adirondacks. Grace thought it was to be a wedding trip, but Gillette was planning murder, not matrimony. At Big Moose Lake in Herkimer County, Gillette rented a boat and took Grace to a deserted section of the lake called Punky Bay. She ended up at the bottom of the lake and Gillette escaped to Inlet, where he was arrested three days later. The spectators at Gillette's trial sobbed when the district attorney read Grace's letters, but Gillette sat quietly and chewed gum until it was his turn to testify. Then he said Grace jumped out of the boat and committed suicide. The jury didn't believe him and he was sentenced to die in the electric chair in Auburn. Gillette's mother waged a campaign that led all the way to the governor's mansion in Albany and a last minute attempt to save her son's life. By the 1980s, the fiction had overpowered the facts and many people accepted Dreiser's novel as the true story. This book sets the record straight. Meticulously researched, it relies on the original courtroom testimony and the 1906-1908 newspaper articles. It contains letters, documents and photographs that have never before been made public. Facts about Gillette's early life and his family are revealed here for the first time anywhere. After 80 years, readers can finally find out what really happened at Big Moose Lake in 1906. The true story of Upstate New York's most famous murder case can finally be told."--Back cover
Big Moose Lake in the Adirondacks is the lively and well documented story of the growth of the lake side community made famous by the incident that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. The rich history of the lake unfolds with stories of its early residents, hunters, and guides—Jim Higby, Billy Dutton, Henry Covey, and Bill Dartin—the late 1870s, of the lake's ownership by William Seward Webb, of the construction of the first private camp—Club Camp—in 1878, and the coming of hotels and resorts beginning in 1880 with the construction of Camp Crag. From a time when a telephone number was a simple "8F6" and the "pickle boat" brought supplies to camp, to more recent stories of exuberant waterskiing and motorboat regattas, the book includes a detailed history and descriptions of the camps and resorts on the lake, persons and celebrities who made the lake their year-round or seasonal home—including actress Minnie Maddern Fiske and artist David Milne—natural disasters and political events, recreation, and the work of the Big Moose Property Owners Association. This is the story of Big Moose Lake brought to life by more than 275 family photographs, antique postcards, and previously unpublished memoirs, oral histories, diary entries, and the personal correspondence of the men and women who settled the area and of those who call it home.
"Dreiser was a controversial figure in his time, not only because of his literary efforts, which included publication of the brutal and heartbreaking An American Tragedy in 1925, but also because of his personal life, which featured numerous sexual liaisons, included membership in the communist party, merited a 180-page FBI file, and ended in Hollywood. The Last Titan paints a full portrait of the mature Dreiser between the two world wars - through the roaring twenties, the stock market crash, and the Depression - and describes his contact with important figures, from Emma Goldman and H.L. Mencken to two presidents Roosevelt. Tracing Dreiser's literary roots to Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, and especially Whitman, Loving adds a dimension to the writer's thought that has not been fully explored, and reshapes our understanding of his tremendous contribution to American literature in what will surely become the standard biography of one of America's best novelists."--BOOK JACKET.
Since films were first produced, adapted works have predominantly borrowed primarily from traditional texts, such as novels and plays. Likewise, the study of film adaptations has also been fairly traditional, rarely venturing beyond a comparison of the source material to its often less revered counterpart. Redefining Adaptation Studies breaks new ground in showing the range of possibilities that transcend the literature/film paradigm. These essays focus on the idea of 'adaptation' and what it means in different socio-political contexts. Above all, this collection shows how cultural and political factors determine the meaning of the term and its potential for developing new approaches to learning. The contributors to this volume look at adaptation in different contexts and develop new ways to approach adaptation, not just as a literature-through-film issue but as something which can be used to develop other skills, such as creative writing and personal and social skills. Aimed at teachers in high schools and universities at the under- and postgraduate levels, this volume not only suggests how 'adaptation' might be used in different disciplines, but how it might improve the learning experience for teachers and students alike.
The Adirondack Park is a huge and diverse region that has earned a special place in the hearts of millions who live and visit its mountains and lakes, vistas and views, and natural and man-made attractions. There are many books that list the major sites, well-trodden trails, and “tourist traps” of the Adirondack region. Out There Adirondacks is a guide to everything else: the unusual, historic, strange, often-passed-by and sometimes-haunted destinations that locals only whisper about. In this fun and fascinating tour of the Adirondacks off-the-beaten-path, author Larry Weill showcases over 100 lesser-known destinations inside and close to The Blue Line, including: Haunted Pine Grove Cemetery The Burial Plot of the Area’s Earliest Double-Agent Famous Tales from the State’s Oldest Courthouse The Ruins of the Old Piseco Tannery The Great Adirondack Frying Pan Toss The Ghosts of Nine Corner Lake Adirondack French Louie’s Cave The Bloody Pond The Spot Where Teddy Roosevelt Became President Whitehall’s Sasquatch Calling Festival The Moss Lake Rebellion of 1975 … and many more. Bursting with photographs and insider tips, Out There Adirondacks is the perfect book for first-time Park visitors and lifelong Adirondack residents alike.
From Jack Henry Abbott, who stabbed a waiter through the heart for not allowing him to use the toilet, to the "Zodiac," an unknown California serial killer who may have murdered as many as 37 people, this reference work details 280 of the most famous murder cases of the twentieth century. Each entry contains, when applicable, birth and death dates, aliases, occupation, location of the murders, weapons used, number of victims, and the time period when the killings occurred. Films, plays, television shows, videos and audio programs based on or inspired by the case are then cited, followed by a brief overview of the murder case and a bibliography of English-language works related to it.
Clyde Griffith’s parents are poor street-preachers, but Clyde doesn’t “believe,” and finds their work demeaning. At fifteen he gets a job and starts to ease out of their lives, eventually landing in some trouble that causes him to flee the town where they live. Two years later, Clyde meets his well-off uncle, who owns a large factory in upstate New York. Clyde talks his way into a job at the factory, and soon finds himself supervising a roomful of women. All alone, generally shunned by his uncle’s family, and starved for companionship, he breaks the factory’s rules and begins a relationship with a young woman who works for him. But Clyde has visions of marrying a high-society woman, and fortune smiles on him in the form of the daughter of one of his uncle’s neighbors. Soon Clyde finds himself in a love triangle of his own making, and one from which he seems incapable of extracting himself. A newspaperman before he became a novelist, Theodore Dreiser collected crime stories for years of young men in relationships with young women of poorer means, where the young men found a richer, prettier girl who would go with him, and often took extreme measures to escape from the first girl. An American Tragedy, based on one of the most infamous of those real-life stories, is a study in lazy ambition, the very real class system in America, and how easy it is to drift into evil. It is populated with poor people who desire nothing more than to be rich, rich people whose only concern is to keep up with their neighbors and not be associated with the “wrong element,” and elements of both who care far more about appearances than reality. It offers further evidence that the world may be very different from 100 years ago, but the people in it are very much the same. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.
Delve into the dark and compelling world of Theodore Dreiser’s "An American Tragedy." This seminal novel offers a searing exploration of ambition, morality, and the quest for the American Dream through the harrowing story of Clyde Griffiths. As you navigate the tumultuous life of Clyde, a young man driven by the desire for wealth and social status, witness his rise and fall in a society where success often comes at a profound personal cost. Dreiser's unflinching narrative reveals the complexities of a world where ethical choices are overshadowed by the pursuit of material gain. But here’s the question that will grip your mind: How far will one man go to achieve his dreams, and what are the moral consequences of his actions in the relentless quest for success? Experience Dreiser’s masterful storytelling, where every decision and consequence is meticulously explored, painting a vivid picture of the American landscape and the darker side of human ambition. The novel's intricate plot and psychological depth offer a profound commentary on the ethical dilemmas faced by those who strive for greatness in a society driven by competition. Are you prepared to confront the moral and existential challenges that define the pursuit of the American Dream? Engage with a narrative that is both a gripping drama and a critical examination of societal values. "An American Tragedy" is not just a story of individual ambition; it’s a powerful reflection on the cost of pursuing success at any price. Don’t just read a novel; immerse yourself in a story that challenges your perceptions of morality and ambition. Will you accompany Clyde on his tragic journey and reflect on the price of his dreams? Secure your copy of "An American Tragedy" today, and let Dreiser’s incisive prose and gripping story immerse you in a profound exploration of ambition and its consequences. This is more than a book; it’s a journey into the heart of human aspiration and its dark underpinnings.
