Ep 280 The Weeks Murder Trial

Summary

In this intriguing episode of Footnoting History, Kristin delves into the infamous Weeks Murder Trial. The case revolves around the mysterious murder of Elma Sands, whose body was found in a New York City well in 1799. Levi Weeks was the accused, defended by historical giants Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The trial, notorious for being one of the first fully documented cases in America, unveils courtroom drama, societal upheaval, and personal grievances among the defense. Kristin explores every aspect of this captivating trial, from the characters involved to its lasting mystery and historical significance.

Highlights

• Elma Sands' body was discovered in a well, kickstarting a major murder trial in early 1800 America. 😲
• Levi Weeks, the accused, was defended by none other than Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. 🎩
• The trial was one of the first fully documented in the United States, setting a precedent for legal proceedings. 📚
• Despite being acquitted, Levi Weeks' reputation suffered, and suspicions about his involvement lingered perpetually. 🤨
• The case received massive media coverage, pioneering the American obsession with true crime stories. 📰
• Richard Croucher, a secondary suspect, later committed crimes reinforcing suspicions about his involvement in Elma’s murder. 🚔

Key Takeaways

• The Weeks Murder Trial captivated New York City and the entire country, marking a significant moment in American legal history. 📜
• Defended by the likes of Hamilton and Burr, Levi Weeks' trial was rich in drama both inside and outside the courtroom. 🎭
• Despite the 'not guilty' verdict, the mystery surrounding Elma Sands' murder persisted, fueling urban legends and speculation. 🕵️‍♂️
• Levi Weeks’ trial was a spectacle of its time, highlighting the societal fascination with crime and justice. ⚖️
• The final outcome didn't erase doubts, leading many to continue speculating on the truth behind the crime for years. 🤔
• The Manhattan Well, the crime scene, remains a historic site, still existing beneath the bustling streets of modern New York. 🏙️

Overview

The Weeks Murder Trial is steeped in mystery and historical intrigue, taking place in the bustling city of New York at the onset of the 19th century. The trial's key figure, Levi Weeks, found himself at the center of attention, accused of murdering Elma Sands whose body was tragically discovered at the bottom of a well. In a dramatic legal battle, Weeks was defended by two titans of American history: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, both of whom found themselves in unexpected collaboration before their infamous duel, making the courtroom saga particularly captivating.

This was not just another legal case; it was a spectacle that laid the groundwork for the true crime genre in America. With newspapers reporting every detail and pamphlets circulating, the public's thirst for scandal was palpable. As Elma Sands’ character and life were dissected, Levi Weeks faced intense scrutiny amid this sensational media storm. Despite the eventual 'not guilty' verdict, the court proceedings left a trail of questions, and many remained unconvinced of Weeks' innocence, sparking debates that would linger for years.

Even today, the mystery persists, underscored by a lingering sense of injustice and curiosity. The well in which Elma Sands was discovered still exists, concealed beneath the urban landscape of modern Soho—a silent witness to a city's unsolved case. The narrative, steeped in historical drama, continues to fascinate historians and true crime aficionados alike, illustrating the old adage that the best stories are indeed hidden in the footnotes of history.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction and Episode Theme This chapter introduces the episode's theme, focusing on the murder trial of Elma Sands at the turn of the 19th century in New York City. It highlights the historical significance of the trial, known as the week's murder trial, and the involvement of prominent figures like Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The chapter sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the case throughout the episode.
• 01:00 - 03:00: Historical Context of the Week's Murder Trial The chapter delves into the historical significance of a particular murder trial, which is noted for being the first fully documented murder case in the United States, marking a milestone in the history of true crime in the country. The narrator intriguingly mentions how murder mysteries seem to attract them and hints at the importance and unique nature of this case within the true crime genre.
• 03:00 - 04:30: The Disappearance of Elma Sands The chapter titled 'The Disappearance of Elma Sands' focuses on the mystery surrounding the vanishing of a woman named Elma Sands. The narrative appears to be shared in a podcast or audio format, as there's a mention of a captioned version available on YouTube and the website footnotinghistory.com. The discussion promises insights into Elma's story, the involvement of Levi Weeks, and his notable defense team comprised of prominent early American figures. Additionally, there might be visual content such as images related to the case available for viewing.
• 04:30 - 06:00: Initial Suspicions and Public Speculation The chapter titled 'Initial Suspicions and Public Speculation' opens with a reference to an infamous location in Manhattan, which listeners are encouraged to explore further on the episode's website. The narrator acknowledges the limitations of time in sharing the full breadth of the story and provides a trigger warning due to the sensitive nature of the content, which includes themes of violence, sexual abuse, and self-harm. The chapter sets the stage for a deeper exploration of these serious issues, inviting the audience to engage thoughtfully with the material presented.
• 06:00 - 08:00: Profile of Elma Sands The chapter delves into the mysterious and gruesome murder of Elma Sands, highlighting various newspaper reports from early 1800. It mentions the speculation around her being secretly married the evening she was killed on December 22, 1799. Despite numerous theories and reports, the true events of that night remain unknown.
• 08:00 - 10:00: Profile of Levi Weeks The chapter delves into the character profile of Levi Weeks. It highlights how various people during the time claimed to know the truth about a certain murder, which had become the talk of New York City. The chapter also touches on how these individuals, often without real knowledge of the situation, were involved in the drama surrounding the event, with some using it as a means to sell newspapers. The murder and its ensuing controversy had a strong grip on the city's public discourse.
• 10:00 - 13:00: The Week's Murder Trial Coverage The chapter titled "The Week's Murder Trial Coverage" delves into the details surrounding the mysterious case known as the Manhattan Well Mystery. It all began on the night of December 22nd, 1799, when a young woman named Alma Sands, sometimes referred to as Elmore or Guyoma, left her cousin's boarding house located at 208 Greenwich Street in Manhattan around 8 PM and never returned. The case garnered significant attention and became a prominent example of early American true crime, filled with speculation and intrigue surrounding the disappearance and subsequent events.
• 13:00 - 16:00: The Defense Team: Notable Lawyers The chapter begins with the case of a missing person named Elma, who had been missing for 11 days before being found. On January 2, 1800, a group of men, including one of her relatives, discovered her last worn clothing near an abandoned well in Menards Meadow. This location, once rural, is now a part of Manhattan's Soho neighborhood. The well was being investigated after a piece of clothing associated with her was found by a boy, providing a lead in the investigation.
• 16:00 - 21:00: The Clash Between Burr and Hamilton The chapter titled 'The Clash Between Burr and Hamilton' seems to be discussing a historical or dramatic event involving a group of men investigating a suspicious death. The body of a woman named Doma was found at the bottom of a well, showing signs of drowning and physical trauma like bruises and scratches. Suspicion quickly fell on Levi Weeks, who was notably the brother of an influential figure. This suggests the chapter might delve into mysterious or criminal circumstances around Doma's death and possibly explore themes of power, influence, and justice.
• 21:00 - 23:30: Verdict and Aftermath of the Trial The chapter discusses a New York carpenter and builder named Ezra, who was involved in a case concerning a body found in the Manhattan well. Ezra, who was staying at his cousin Elma's boarding house, was taken to identify the body and subsequently to the notorious Bridewell prison. The Bridewell prison, a key location in the chapter, has been rebuilt and renamed over the years but remains the site of the Manhattan Detention.
• 23:30 - 26:30: Suspicions on Richard Croucher The chapter delves into suspicions surrounding Richard Croucher, yet it's noted that the narrative quickly takes a turn focusing on individuals at a complex at 125 Water Street in lower Manhattan. Here, the facts become contested as rumors and speculations arise around a person named Levi and his association with a woman named Alma. Allegations suggested that Alma was indulging too much in opiates, was secretly meeting Levi late at night, and that their relationship had progressed to an engagement, with further speculation that Alma might be pregnant.
• 26:30 - 30:00: Richard Croucher's Criminal History The chapter delves into Richard Croucher's criminal history, with a specific focus on the night of December 22nd when Elma, known for frequent illnesses but not drug abuse, was seen sleighing without bells. The coroner confirmed Elma was not pregnant, and Levi denied any romantic involvement. Despite uncertainty about who was in the sleigh, the chapter uses source material to infer aspects of Elma's character.
• 30:00 - 31:00: Conclusion and Legacy of the Trial The chapter titled 'Conclusion and Legacy of the Trial' explores the familial connections of the individuals involved in a historical trial. Key figures include Alma Sans, a young woman and cousin to Catherine Ring, who co-ran a boarding house with her husband, Elias. Alma lived with the Rings and was closely connected to Catherine Ring and her sister Hope Sans. All three women were in their early to mid-20s and originally hailed from Cornwall, New York, a town roughly 60 miles from New York City. Their relationships and roles in the community were pivotal in the context of the trial discussed in this chapter.

Ep 280 The Weeks Murder Trial Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 at the very turn of the 19th century a young woman's body was found at the bottom of a New York City well Elma Sands had been murdered and a young man stood on trial for his life his defense team none other than brothel's Livingston Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr find out what happened in the murder trial of the new century known as the week's murder trial this week on footnoting history [Music] hello footnoting history friends it's Kristin here back with another murder mystery for you that's kind of in my
• 00:30 - 01:00 thing lately for some reason these murder mysteries keep finding me I don't know why and I'm not gonna pull on that thread all I know is you're going to love this one especially if you like the True Crime genre which arguably this case was the Advent of in the United States because the week's murder trial has been described by historians as the first fully documented murder case and the history of the new United States
• 01:00 - 01:30 remember if you'd like a captioned version of this episode if you're wondering how names and places are spelled or if it helps you retain information by seeing the words on the screen and honestly that helps me sometimes remember that you can find a captioned version on our YouTube channel or on our website footnotinghistory.com and if you'd like to read more about Alma Sans Levi weeks and his Dynamic defense Trio of prominent early Americans or even a picture of the
• 01:30 - 02:00 infamous Manhattan well you can find it on our website under the further reading for this episode I have a feeling you're gonna want to hear more than I can tell you in this short time that we're together I do also want to pause to mention that this case contains discussion of violence sexual abuse and self-harm Please be aware and do what's best for you and so let's begin
• 02:00 - 02:30 horrid Murder By the hands of a lover wrote The Independent gazetteer on January 26 1800 she was that evening to be privately married claypool's American Daily Advertiser had written some weeks before which was really remarkable considering that even to this day no one knows for sure what happened to Alma Sands the night of December 22nd 1799. I mean they definitely had their ideas
• 02:30 - 03:00 I know I have mine I don't really have a hat in the ring I just have opinions and if you know me you know I have a lot of them but some people at the time claim to know the truth to deflect suspicion from themselves most were just caught up in the drama many did it to sell newspapers which they did the murder gripped the city of New York and it was all anyone could talk about stuff I said to say that there was wild
• 03:00 - 03:30 speculation about the unfortunate guyoma Sans who mostly went by Alma sometimes is Elmore but here's what we do know the Undisputed facts of the case that would become known as the week's murder trial or the Manhattan well mystery on the night of December 22nd 1799 a little after 8 o'clock Elma Sands left her cousin's boarding house at 208 Greenwich Street in Manhattan never to return
• 03:30 - 04:00 alive she was missing for 11 days until on January 2nd 1800 when a group of men one of whom was elma's relative investigated and abandoned well-enlist Menards Meadow lisbonar's Meadow was an area of rural Manhattan today located in the Soho neighborhood which is hardly the countryside now but it was then a piece of clothing thought to be worn by Elma on the night she was last seen had been found at the well by a boy
• 04:00 - 04:30 whose family lived in the general area and so the group of men went to drag the bottom of the well with poles and a net and they found DOMA she was not in good shape the coroner's inquest would determine that the cause of death was drowning but she did have several bruises and scratches a suspect was immediately named Levi weeks who was the brother of a prominent
• 04:30 - 05:00 Carpenter and builder in New York named Ezra weeks Levi was a border at elma's cousin's boarding house and he was taken straight to the Manhattan well and made to identify the body and from there he was taken to the infamous Bridewell prison it's since been rebuilt and renamed a few times but the site is still the location of the Manhattan Detention
• 05:00 - 05:30 complex at 125 Water Street in lower Manhattan from here the facts of the case cease being Undisputed a lot of people were convinced it was Levi but they were also speculating about Alma too there was talk of Elmo being a little too fond of opiates that she was sneaking around in the middle of the night with the young Levi weeks that they were engaged that she was pregnant
• 05:30 - 06:00 that she was gallivanting around town in a sleigh without bells on the night of December 22nd Elma was known for being sick a lot of the time but her relatives wouldn't say she abused any drugs the coroner's inquest found that Elma was not pregnant and Levi denied a romantic relationship and no one could ever really say who was in the slave for sure but there are some things that we can learn about Alma based on the source material
• 06:00 - 06:30 so she was young tragically Young Alma Sans was the cousin of Catherine ring who ran the boarding house with her husband Elias hope Sans was Catherine Ring's sister and along with the Rings for children she also lived at The Boarding House the Sands were originally from Cornwall New York which is about 60 miles up the Hudson River the three women Catherine hope and Alma were pretty close in age in their early to mid-20s and at the trial Catherine
• 06:30 - 07:00 said that she considered Elma like a sister that Elmo was quote very Lively open and free Elma is often described as jaunting off to fun events sometimes at night and Catherine doesn't ever seem to tell her no Elmo was 22 at the time of her death and she had been with the Rings in New York for about three years for all the Press coverage of the week's murder trial and there is a lot
• 07:00 - 07:30 there were tons of pamphlets and news stories and Publications by people who attended the trial and for years after the story would be raised and people continued to talk about it until well until today really but for all the coverage of the murder the descriptions of what Alma looked like are sort of general and vague until 70 years later in 1870 a book called guilty or not guilty the true story of the Manhattan well came out
• 07:30 - 08:00 and the author was the granddaughter of Catherine ring in the book Couture Akana describes Alma's having quote dark midnight eyes that were quote soft and sad and quote glossy curls that quote fell around the young face like a sable curtain as she describes Elmo as being teased by her classmates who called her quote the Little Mountain maid in reference I guess to her Frontier Upstate New York
• 08:00 - 08:30 background but also that Elma was smart and a quick study that she was delicate and often unable to perform household work but that she did like listening to the piano Keturah did not actually know Elma and it is a very romantic flattering picture so take all that for what you will the Catherine ring seems to have been deceased by the time the book came out but hope Sans was still alive in 1870 so this information may have come from her
• 08:30 - 09:00 even if it also maybe was colored with Bittersweet hindsight ketura Kana also describes Levi in her book she says that he was quote tall and well-formed people thought he was pretty good looking with long dark eyelashes and blue eyes and that he wore his long hair in a queue which is a type of 18th century ponytail Levi was still starting out in the business World in 1799 he was about 24
• 09:00 - 09:30 years old he mostly worked for his older brother but he did keep pretty busy on the night of December 22nd the defense presented that he was making eight doors at his brother's Workshop in the lead-up to the trial there was a lot of press about how this seemingly nice guy was shockingly actually a Monster who murdered his fiancee which speaks to how he generally presented before the murder people liked him and
• 09:30 - 10:00 no one had a bad thing to say about him before at the trial Mrs ring called Levi's moral character quote very good and that she always thought that he had a quote kind disposition right up until she thought he murdered her cousin I guess and despite the later accusations Mrs ring never said she heard Levi or Elma say they were engaged or that they went out together other people disagreed that they didn't notice anything romantic
• 10:00 - 10:30 going on between Elm and Levi hope Sans and Elias ring for two but regardless there was significant effort in the Press by the prosecution and by Oma's family to portray Elma as a virtuous victim the unsuspecting innocent Maiden who was lured to her death in an abandoned well maybe she had a lapse in judgment and maybe she had something romantic going on with Levi but she thought they were going to get married that was their position the defense's strategy was to
• 10:30 - 11:00 so doubt about elma's character and what really happened that night there was testimony about Alma saying things like she wished she never had an existence and that if she had laudnam quote she would swallow it lautnam was a substance made with opium that people often took for pain and got addicted to Elmo who did often suffer from bouts of illness did have lot in them Catherine ring dismissed the idea that Elma would
• 11:00 - 11:30 intentionally overdose but one witnessed the defense called another border at the Ring's house claimed that Alma seemed Melancholy to him another witness testified that Mr Ring initially believed Alma had drowned and that he hired someone to sweep the river near their house to find her body this witness didn't believe that Mr Ring thought Alma had been murdered rather the implication here was that Mr Ring believed that she had thrown herself into the river the prosecution the defense the judge and the clerk of the court who
• 11:30 - 12:00 ultimately provided the most complete transcript of the trial making it the most fully documented murder trial in the new United States here we go you guys there are some big names in the early history of the United States I'll start with a judge who presided over the court of oyer interminer at Federal City Hall John Lansing Jr he was the Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court he attended the Continental Congress in
• 12:00 - 12:30 Philadelphia in 1787 and eventually retired from the Judiciary to become a regent at the University of the state of New York judge Lansing actually has his own murder mystery attached to him one day in December of 1829 he went out to mail a letter and was never heard from again so that was the judge let's talk about the clerk a people were scrambling to publish about this trial
• 12:30 - 13:00 within mere hours there were things out there claiming to give a true and accurate account of what happened at the trial but these first grabs were far from accurate even if they did sell pretty well one publication admitted it was crap basically saying what do you want from us we were all really tired we did this really fast and also we don't care if our readers like the style or not the part about them all being really tired is actually pretty accurate the
• 13:00 - 13:30 first day of the trial went to 1 30 in the morning trials didn't usually go this long and spoiler it would go into another long night and no one was quite sure what to do with the jury so they made them all sleep upstairs in Federal Hall in The Portrait Gallery the most complete and accurate account of the trial came out a few weeks later because the clerk of the court who wrote it William Coleman did actually care if he got it right it was called get ready for this quote a report of the trial of
• 13:30 - 14:00 Levi weeks on an indictment for the murder of ghouliama sands on Monday the 31st day of March and Tuesday the first day of April 1800. taken in shorthand by a clerk of the court Holmen claimed that he filled six notebooks in shorthand during the trial and with a title like that no wonder it took him until April 14th to get it out there that sucker ended up being 99 pages and it was the longest trial account published to that date
• 14:00 - 14:30 it's not always the clearest though Coleman doesn't always say who from the defense team is actually talking so historians have to guess based on known Styles and records from other trials they did solo eventually after the trial Coleman became the editor of a federalist newspaper the New York Evening Post you may have heard of it the prosecutor representing the people in the people versus Levi weeks was the Assistant
• 14:30 - 15:00 Attorney General cadwalder David Colden he was the grandson of a famous botanist and lieutenant governor of the colony of New York his Aunt Jane was also a famous botanist and as for assistant A.G golden he would go on to become mayor of New York and get himself elected to congress the defense team was three people first up Brock Holst Livingston he was the son of William Livingston who
• 15:00 - 15:30 was a signer of the Constitution and the first governor of New Jersey oh yeah and William Livingston administered the oath of office to George Washington big shoes to fill but he did okay brockhulse Livingston served as the private secretary to John Jay who was the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court Broncos became a New York Supreme Court Justice in 1802 and in 1806 Thomas
• 15:30 - 16:00 Jefferson appointed him to the United States Supreme Court so not too shabby and then there were the other two members of the defense team guys the other two lawyers representing Levi weeks were Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton I just cannot history you are too good to me because this I just find amazing maybe because I don't often do
• 16:00 - 16:30 work on early American history but when I think of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton I think about their 1804 duel admittedly mostly because of a got milk commercial I saw forever ago that really made an impression on me apparently if you know you know the quick recap is that Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were important figures during the Revolutionary War and the founding era and Burr was Colonel Burr and Hamilton was General Hamilton
• 16:30 - 17:00 both men were important members of New York society and the political scene and marched in the parade given in honor of George Washington on the occasion of his death in December of 1799 in Manhattan before everyone was talking about the alma Sans murder they were talking about George Washington Burr and Hamilton were bitter political opponents Burr was a democratic Republican and Hamilton was a federalist
• 17:00 - 17:30 they had very different ideas about the role of government and voting rights they went after each other in the Press pretty hard and at one point Burr felt it was more personal than politics but in addition to their more well-known political careers burn Hamilton were both lawyers and in the 1790s and early 1800s that was a pioneering field in the United States both of these guys had law offices in lower Manhattan and they were
• 17:30 - 18:00 pretty busy mostly doing property stuff in the wake of the revolution Aaron Burr's philosophy on the law was that it was quote whatever is boldly asserted and plausibly maintained a slow clap for Aaron Burr he served as New York attorney general from 1789 to 1791 so he definitely was familiar with cadwalder colden's job and he did pretty
• 18:00 - 18:30 well in his private law practice a Hamilton also kept pretty busy and had a lot of legal clients but by the time he was hired to do the Levi weeks trial he'd only defended one murder case he mostly did commercial litigation these guys both had to work they were part of the new American Elite and its upper founding classes but Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were pretty broke in the 1790s they both were having trouble
• 18:30 - 19:00 maintaining their lavish Lifestyles and paying their creditors Aaron Burr owned a mansion estate called Richmond Hill that stood at what is today varric and Charlton streets kind of close to where the Holland Tunnel is now that house is no longer there but Alexander Hamilton's estate called The Grange does still exist it's part of the National Park Service up in West Harlem a few months before the week's trial Burr tried to rent out Richmond Hill because the upkeep was
• 19:00 - 19:30 getting a bit too much for him and no one took it at the time but eventually John Jacob Aster bought it the Grange did a little better even if Hamilton himself did not after he was killed by Burr in the 1804 duel his widow Elizabeth continued to live there for 30 years but in early 1800 Alexander Hamilton owed a lot of money to one Ezra weeks who had built the Grange and who Alexander Hamilton had not yet paid
• 19:30 - 20:00 he maybe never did he didn't write down a bill for Ezra for defending his brother Levi maybe to settle his Grange debt or maybe because Alexander Hamilton was apparently not good about writing down his legal bills just like in general but even if he were one of the upper classes in early 19th century New York you could still end up in debtors prison if your creditors called in their bills so best to get all the paying work you could or don't Bill the people you
• 20:00 - 20:30 owe money to either way Ezra weeks was also connected to Aaron Burr Aaron Burr was a founding board member of the Manhattan company which was formed ostensibly in 1798 for the purpose of piping fresh water into Manhattan thereby making people's lives a lot easier and a lot healthier the Manhattan company hired Ezra weeks to help lay the pipes that would bring fresh water to a series of wells and then eventually into some people's
• 20:30 - 21:00 basements one of these walls was the Manhattan well it ended up being abandoned and boarded up because it was too Sandy but originally it was part of the Manhattan company plan and if you're thinking it's weird that Ezra weeks was laying water pipes because he was a carpenter yeah I'm right there with you I think it's weird to use wood too I mean it's better than lead but the alternative they were considering at the time was iron however the Manhattan company thought
• 21:00 - 21:30 that metal pipes were too expensive and they argued that wooden pipes would last at least 20 years so they were just going to do that okay so here's the thing when Aaron Burr was trying to get approval for his privately run Manhattan company to better the living situation of New Yorkers Alexander Hamilton was on board it was supposed to be an even Democratic Republican and Federalist run company the people were good with the bill as
• 21:30 - 22:00 proposed and so a lot of them left Albany before it was actually passed after they left Burr changed some stuff he enlarged the board so that it was mostly Democratic Republicans and only 10 percent of the stock would be owned by the city he also snuck in a clause about how the Manhattan company could use any surplus funds however they wanted to so they actually had a strong interest in doing things on the cheap because what they did with those surplus
• 22:00 - 22:30 funds was create the Manhattan Bank known today as the Chase Manhattan Bank this was a big deal because up until that the Federalists and Alexander Hamilton controlled the only other Bank in town the Bank of New York known today as the Bank of New York before if you want it alone you better be a federalist but there was an important election coming up and the existence of the Manhattan Bank gave the Democratic Republicans a leg up and while it didn't necessarily look good
• 22:30 - 23:00 that the most Sensational murder trial centered around a Manhattan company well the publicity was great for both Burr and Hamilton they were front and center and they both did a great job at proving their clients innocence they threw enough doubt at the jury and emphasized that the prosecution's timeline for the murder was impossible that they established a very plausible Alibi for Levi granted The Alibi was verified by Ezra weeks and John McComb who was the
• 23:00 - 23:30 contractor for Hamilton's house The Grange but it worked in a matter of minutes the jury returned on April 2nd close to 3 in the morning with a verdict of not guilty there were a lot of people who never stopped believing that Levi weeks had gotten away with murder but only a few months after the trial there was something else that happened to deepen The Mystery of the Manhattan will murder I actually don't consider it to be that much of a mystery but you can decide for yourself one of the things that the defense team did was cast suspicion on a
• 23:30 - 24:00 guy named Richard Croucher who was another border at the Ring's house he was a fabric salesman from London who reads as pretty shady right from the get-go he was one of the earliest and loudest voices accusing Levi of the murder when before no one had a bad word to say about him Croucher was all over the place telling people Levi did it and he was suspected of handing out pamphlets about ghosts and goblins at the Manhattan well the
• 24:00 - 24:30 Crasher did have an alibi he was at a party at the house of Anne Ashmore who ran a brandy Distillery out of her house but when called to testify none of the party attendees could agree on what day that party even was what's more than that in July of 1800 just a few months after the week's trial Richard Croucher was tried and convicted for raping 13 year old Margaret Miller who was the servant of his new wife Croucher was horribly abusive and it was
• 24:30 - 25:00 Crowder's new wife who reported him to the authorities this guy was gross it came out at the trial that Margaret was well aware of the recent meaning the Manhattan well murder and that Croucher had threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened the jury came back in four minutes guilty and you know good he got life in State Prison initially the governor pardoned him a few years
• 25:00 - 25:30 later years before in England where he was also known as Richard Crutcher he'd also been in trouble with the law he stole stuff was known for erratic violent behavior and he'd had a wife and children who got a protective order from a court because he was so abusive people called him mad Croucher and he avoided a conviction for theft on that basis in New York croucher's lawyer argued for a pardon also on that basis he did get it but he was supposed to leave the country
• 25:30 - 26:00 he did not he went to Virginia where bounty hunters eventually tracked him down and he was convicted for fraud one of Alexander Hamilton's Sons wrote that Croucher was sent back to England where he was executed for quote a heinous crime I don't know what that crime was but I do know that it sounds to me like Richard Crowder killed Alma Sans Alma Sans was buried near to where the Quaker Meeting House once stood on
• 26:00 - 26:30 Liberty Street in Liberty Place in lower Manhattan The Boarding House at 208 Greenwich Street was torn down in the mid-19th century but there is a sketch of it in the 1861 book manuals of the corporation of the city of New York as for the Manhattan well it actually still exists you can find it at 129 Spring Street the meadow is long gone and the building where the well sits has been a lot of things over the years it was a flower shop a pawn broker a tobacco Depot a
• 26:30 - 27:00 German beer hall today it's a coast clothing store which is a division of h m it's just down there in the basement part of New York's strange grim and fascinating history just right there underfoot this has been footnoting history if you like the podcast and want to learn more about this episode please visit our website footnotinghistory.com or reach out to us on social media and if you like the work
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