Murder on Long Island: A 19th Century Tale of Tragedy and Revenge

In the mid-nineteenth century, James Wickham was a wealthy farmer with a large estate in Cutchogue, Long Island. His extensive property included a mansion and eighty acres of farmland that were maintained by a staff of servants. In 1854, Wickham got into an argument with one of his workers, Nicholas Behan, after Behan harassed another employee who refused to marry him. Several days after Behan's dismissal, he crept back into the house in the dead of night. With an axe, he butchered Wickham and his wife, Frances, and fled to a nearby swamp. Behan was captured, tried, convicted and, on December 15, became one of the last people to be hanged in Suffolk County. Local historians Geoffrey Fleming and Amy Folk uncover this gruesome story of revenge and murder.
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Murder on Long Island: A 19th Century Tale of Tragedy and Revenge

In the mid-nineteenth century, James Wickham was a wealthy farmer with a large estate in Cutchogue, Long Island. His extensive property included a mansion and eighty acres of farmland that were maintained by a staff of servants. In 1854, Wickham got into an argument with one of his workers, Nicholas Behan, after Behan harassed another employee who refused to marry him. Several days after Behan's dismissal, he crept back into the house in the dead of night. With an axe, he butchered Wickham and his wife, Frances, and fled to a nearby swamp. Behan was captured, tried, convicted and, on December 15, became one of the last people to be hanged in Suffolk County. Local historians Geoffrey Fleming and Amy Folk uncover this gruesome story of revenge and murder.
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Murder on Long Island: A 19th Century Tale of Tragedy and Revenge

Murder on Long Island: A 19th Century Tale of Tragedy and Revenge

by Geoffrey Fleming, Amy K. Folk
Murder on Long Island: A 19th Century Tale of Tragedy and Revenge

Murder on Long Island: A 19th Century Tale of Tragedy and Revenge

by Geoffrey Fleming, Amy K. Folk

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Overview


In the mid-nineteenth century, James Wickham was a wealthy farmer with a large estate in Cutchogue, Long Island. His extensive property included a mansion and eighty acres of farmland that were maintained by a staff of servants. In 1854, Wickham got into an argument with one of his workers, Nicholas Behan, after Behan harassed another employee who refused to marry him. Several days after Behan's dismissal, he crept back into the house in the dead of night. With an axe, he butchered Wickham and his wife, Frances, and fled to a nearby swamp. Behan was captured, tried, convicted and, on December 15, became one of the last people to be hanged in Suffolk County. Local historians Geoffrey Fleming and Amy Folk uncover this gruesome story of revenge and murder.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781626190030
Publisher: History Press, The
Publication date: 03/26/2013
Pages: 128
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author


Geoffrey Fleming has worked at a wide variety of museums and historical societies on Long Island, and has served on several boards and committees. Fleming is author or co-author of 12 books. Amy Folk is the collections manager for the Southold Historical Society. She is the co-author of Hotels and Inns of Long Island's North Fork.

Table of Contents

Foreword Joseph Wickham 5

Acknowledgements 7

1 The Wickham Family and Cutchogue 9

2 Nicholas Behan and Ellen Holland 18

3 The Dismissal 26

4 The Murder 31

5 The Hunt for Behan 40

6 The Lawyers 46

7 The Press 53

8 Tourism 60

9 The Trial 65

10 The Verdict 83

11 The Aftermath 91

12 The People 96

Notes 103

Bibliography 121

About the Authors 128

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