author
Roland Burnham Molineux
Best known for one of New York’s most sensational murder trials, this Brooklyn chemist became a lasting figure in American true-crime history. His case helped shape important rules about what evidence can be used in court.
1 Audiobook
The Room with the Little Door
by Roland Burnham Molineux
About the author
Born in 1866, he was the son of Civil War general Edward L. Molineux and worked as a chemist in Brooklyn. He became infamous after being charged with murdering Katherine Adams by sending poison through the mail, in a case tied to his feud with Harry Cornish at the Knickerbocker Athletic Club.
The prosecution of the case led to the landmark New York decision People v. Molineux, which is still remembered for its influence on evidence law. After a first conviction was overturned, he was acquitted at a second trial, and the case remained one of the most widely discussed criminal dramas of its era.
He died in 1917. Today, he is remembered less for his scientific work than for the extraordinary courtroom battle and the legal precedent attached to his name.