The author notes, "Crime news itself emerged as a distinct aspect of urban reporting; it grew with the penny press and rapidly became a mainstay of these urban dailies."

These journalistic accounts of the murder kept it alive throughout the city, but also led to many fictional accounts of the murder, including a story by Edgar Allen Poe, who supposedly "solved" the mystery of who killed Mary in his story.

Srebnick also uses Mary's murder to paint a disturbing picture of New York culture at the time. People may think that the mid nineteenth-century was a much more serene time in history, but in reality, the culture was extremely violent. The author states, "Neighbors struck, bit, and hit each other; they tore at noses and ears and hair. Generally, however, the fights did not result in death."

She shows how attitudes about crime altered the criminal justice system and helped...
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