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    Murder on the Mountain
    Crime, Passion, and Punishment in Gilded Age New Jersey

    Peter J. Wosh (Author), Patricia L. Schall (Author)

    9781978829145

    Hardback, published 15 April 2022

    232 pages, 18 b&w images
    22.9 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.426 kg


    "Drawing on fascinating and impressive archival research, Wosh and Schall demonstrate how a local tragedy,  involving three marginal characters, can shine a light on larger historical trends in the United States. Written in an engaging and accessible style, with a depth and breadth of research that will appeal to many readers." 

    — Cara Robertson, author of The Trial of Lizzie Borden

    "Murder on the Mountain brings to life the closing of jail cells doors, the drama of the courtroom, and the changing landscape of late nineteenth century New Jersey. This insightful analysis of an all-but-forgotten killing will change the way you think about Newark, West Orange, and the Garden State in the Gilded Age."
    — Robert W. Snyder, professor emeritus, Rutgers University

    Margaret Klem and John Meierhofer were Bavarian immigrants who arrived in New Jersey in the 1850s, got married, and started a small farm in West Orange. When John returned from the Civil War, he was a changed man, neglecting his work and beating his wife. Margaret was left to manage the farm and endure the suspicion of neighbors, who gossiped about her alleged affairs. Then one day in 1879, John turned up dead with a bullet in the back of his head. Margaret and her farmhand, Dutch immigrant Frank Lammens, were accused of the crime, and both went to the gallows, making Margaret the last woman to be executed by the state of New Jersey. 
     
    Was Margaret the calculating murderess and adulteress portrayed by the press? Or was she a battered wife pushed to the edge? Or was she, as she claimed to the end, innocent? Murder on the Mountain considers all sides of this fascinating and mysterious true crime story. In turn, it examines why this murder trial became front-page news, as it resonated with public discussions about capital punishment, mental health, anti-immigrant sentiment, domestic violence, and women's independence. This is a gripping and thought-provoking study of a murder that shocked the nation.

    Chapter One: The Gallows
    Chapter Two: Communities
    Chapter Three: Murder
    Chapter Four: Trial
    Chapter Five: Jail
    Chapter Six: Aftermath
     
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