Woodbridge|Local Event
The Molly Maguires and the First Great American Detective
Between 1876 and 1878, a group of Irish coal miners in Northeastern Pennsylvania were arrested and convicted of murder, arson and kidnapping. Six men were publicly executed by hanging in Mauch Chunk, PA, and another four in Pottsville, PA. They were called the “Molly Maguires” in the newspapers.
Join us at the Main Library, August 13 at 7PM as speaker Mac McParland gives us a look at both sides of this story. Were these men really terrorists responsible for a widespread violent crime wave? Or were they union leaders unjustly targeted and executed by the mine owners for attempting to improve wages and working conditions?
You’ll hear about the Pinkerton agent that went undercover to infiltrate the organization. He became a legend due to his involvement in the case and was hailed as “America’s First Great Detective”. He was even referred to by Arthur Conan Doyle in one of the Sherlock Holmes novels.
What did it mean to be a “Great Detective” in the late 1800’s, an era before the availability of forensic techniques like fingerprint analysis, ballistic analysis, and crime scene photographs?
Registration required. Please register online or call 732-634-4450.