In 1856, in the town of Alabama, NY, the cold blooded killings of Polly Frisch would stun her family, friends and the neighboring community. The true story of her crimes, and the fight to bring her to justice, is brought to life by Cindy Amrhein and Ellen Lea Bachorski in the 2014 edition of "Bread and Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch."
In the fall of 1855, Polly had her fortune told. Her future foretold, "that there would be two deaths in the family, and she was not to be one of the two to die" ~Bread and Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch
Truth? Or, an elaborate fiction concocted by a woman who would stop at nothing to be rid of the husband and children standing between her and her lover? No one can say for sure. What we do know is that in 1856, Polly's killing spree began with a pinch of arsenic and didn't stop until her husband and at least two of her children were dead. Their deaths would raise a town up and bring to light one of the most heinous crimes in New York history.
Through careful research, Amrhein and Bachorski pulled the story of Polly Frisch from the archives. Using clever storytelling, the authors recreate in vivid detail the days leading up to the death of Polly's first victim, her arrest, the five trials it took to convict her, and what happened when she was convicted of a crime that could make her the first woman in Genesee County history to go to the gallows.
The first edition of "Bread and Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch" was released in 2000. The new release-also available in digital format-includes previously undisclosed research.
About the Authors
Cindy Amrhein was the Historian for Polly's hometown of Alabama from 1997 to 2007, and currently serves as the Assistant Historian in Wyoming County, NY. She says that the most fascinating part of the story of Polly Frisch was putting in chronological order the hour by hour events following the death of Polly's husband Henry-but she can't tell you why!
"I felt Polly's story needed to be told because it was just a fascinating tale from start to finish," stated Amrhein, "and there is an element of redemption at the end of it."
Ellen Lea Bachorski is the former owner of The Trading a Post, a store in the hamlet of Basom in Polly's hometown of Alabama. She is currently a member of the Friends of Batavia Peace Garden and serves on the board of the Historic Batavia Cemetery. For her, the most interesting part was seeing the dual sides of Polly coming together, and how it made her crimes even more heinous in the end.
"I enjoyed writing with Cindy," says Bachorski. "Historically, it's a great story. Add the many twists...how could it not be told?"
The book is published by HistorySleuth Publications.
Bread and Butter the Murders of Polly Frisch is currently available in hardcover, paperback and in e-book format from Amazon.com, iTunes books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble's Nook Books.
Booksellers and retailers interested in stocking the paperback version of the book can contact Cindy via email at the address below for discount terms.
For more information, contact author Cindy Amrhein at historysleuth1@yahoo.com.
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