Woodstock's Infamous Murder Trial: Early Racial Injustice in Upstate New York

by Richard Heppner

Overview

When a white man from a prominent local family in Woodstock was murdered in 1905, authorities quickly identified a local African American man as the prime suspect. Amid racist animus in the press, he fled across two counties before being apprehended by a vigilante and charged. Local reformer and politician Augustus H. Van Buren stood up to community pressure and defended the accused pro bono. It took three years and multiple trials to overcome racial inequalities in the justice system. Local historian Richard Heppner documents the crime, arrest and trials that revealed racial tensions in upstate New York at the turn of the century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467144766
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/27/2020
Series:	True Crime
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,161,220
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Richard Heppner is the town historian for Woodstock, New York. He is the author of Remembering Woodstock, Women of the Catskills, Legendary Locals of Woodstock and Woodstock: Everyday History.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 9

Introduction 11

1 The Headlines 15

2 Woodstock, 1905 17

3 December 5 and 6, 1905 25

4 The Chase 33

5 Augustus H. Van Buren 38

6 Interlude: The Trial Approaches 49

7 Jury Selection 52

8 Testimony 57

9 Van Gaasbeek Takes the Stand 69

10 Summations and Verdict 74

11 Aftermath 77

12 Faint Hope 80

13 The Final Battle 86

14 The Journey Ends 104

15 Moving On 106

Afterword: The Road We Have Traveled 115

Bibliography 123

About the Author 125

Editorial Reviews

"Woodstock's Infamous Murder Trial (actually held in Kingston) is an easy, informative read, chock full of familiar places and photos of bygone Woodstock, Kingston and points between." Hugh Reynolds Blog

From the Publisher