LET THE HATCHET FALL WHERE IT MAY Helen Jewett, a sophisticated prostitute, was murdered in 1836 in an upscale brothel in New York City. David Tuck, consumed by his estranged sister’s murder, moved to New York to learn why she became a harlot—and to find justice.
At her highly publicized trial, the judge deemed unreliable the first-hand testimony of promiscuous women. Helen’s killer, a man from a higher class in society, was never convicted. The brutal murder of this well-educated courtesan affected the way journalists reported the news—sensational, opinionated, and often full of lies. The contradictions written about Helen Jewett led readers to believe the most creative reporter. Her story splashed across the front pages of newspapers and penny presses in several major cities for years to come. At the time, her death contributed to turning New York City into the prostitution capital of the United States. Will justice be served? |