Sean Paul Murphy, Writer

Sean Paul Murphy, Writer
Sean Paul Murphy, Storyteller

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

My Family: My Three Nuns

Nuns.

If you went to Catholic school like me, the very word itself can still inspire fear.

Or admiration.

It was understood that men and women who entered the holy orders stepped into a life of service to both God and their fellow man. But let's be honest here. Priests might have been lived lives of service, but they were amply served as well. They were always respected authority figures in their communities. They reigned over their congregations, yet they mixed easily with them. You could find your parish priest anywhere: In a store, a restaurant, a ballgame, the movies or even a bar. The sheer scope of the sex abuse scandal attests to both their access and unquestioned authority. They were not held to the same rules as normal men.

Nuns didn't have it as easy. From my observations, they were the ones who lived a true life of service in schools, hospitals and convents without all the fringe benefits priests enjoyed. They even served the priests! Even as a youth, I felt nuns sacrificed more than priests. Therefore, I want to take the time to honor three women in my family who made the sacrifice to become nuns.

The first nun in my family was my 2nd great-grandaunt Sister M. Daria Rosenberger, of the order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She was born Barbara Rosenberger in Krombach, Bavaria, on 15 June 1876. She was the second child of John Rosenberger and Maria Anna Fleckenstein. She arrived in the United States with her family on 21 October 1880. She made her first profession at the Motherhouse in Baltimore, 901 Asquith Street, on 16 July 1904. She was twenty-eight years old. 

I really don't know very much about Sister Daria. The only reference to her in the newspapers comes from Baltimore's Der Deutsche Correspondent, 01 Sept 1900. My German is rusty, but it seems to indicate that she was among forty-one graduates of Notre Dame.

My grandmother Rita said that Sister Daria, who was her aunt, was sickly and suffered from epilepsy. At one point Daria's mother Maria was permitted to take her back to Germany for a family visit because everyone thought the sea voyage would do her good. I also heard in the end Sister Daria wanted to leave the order, but her mother wouldn't permit it.

Sister Daria died at the Motherhouse infirmary in Baltimore on 15 March 1919. She is buried in Villa Maria Cemetery.


The next two sisters in my family were literally sisters. They were Tina and Maria Jindra. They were both my 2nd cousins, three times removed, and, like Sister M. Daria, they both became School Sisters of Notre Dame.


Sister Mary Michele Jindra was born Christina Rosalie Jindra in Baltimore, Maryland, on 8 January 1894. She was the oldest child of Bohemian immigrants Mathai (Matthew) Jindra and Petronilla (Betty) Bores. The family lived at 132 North Port Street. Her father worked as a tailor. 

Sister Mary Michele made her first profession at the Motherhouse on 22 July 1914, an event which was duly reported in Der Deutsche Correspondent, the following day on 23 July 1914.

Sister Mary Michele taught at St. Wenceslaus, Sacred Heart, Corpus Christi, and St. Mark's Elementary Schools.  One of her students at St. Wenceslaus was my mother, her cousin, Clara Protani Murphy.  She considered Sister Michele one of her favorite teachers without even realizing she was her cousin at the time.

My mother at St. Wenceslaus
1st row, 4th from the right

I can give you a taste of Sister Mary Michele's personality since I came across a card she sent my grandmother Rita and her siblings when they were young.  Here it is:




The Christmas card didn't have a stamp so it must have been hand delivered to grandmother Rita and her siblings Norbert, Helen and Anthony. Here's the text: "Dear little Cousins, I wish you a very happy New Year. I will ask Jesus to bless you all the time. How are you all? I guess you are glad to go back to school again. Was Santa good? May Jesus bless you. Your Cousin, Sr. M. Michele"

Here is a longer card written to my great-grandparents George and Maria Anna Kostohryz Rosenberger. Mary Rosenberger was her 2nd cousin. 


Here's the text: "Dear Cousins, First of all I wish you the joys and blessings of this Happy Eastertide. May the dear Risen Lord ever be your Helper in times of trial. How are you George & Mary? No doubt your hands are full. Cecilia wrote to me about little Helen. Poor child. I pity her. I will pray very hard for her. You have had one thing after another. The dear Lord loves you. He will always help you to bear it. I received the gift you sent. It surely did please me, cousins. May God bless and reward you. I guess you received my sister's letter by this time. I paid her a visit on Wednesday. We enjoyed our day. It was too short. I expect to see her this summer again. Work here is very scarce. Have you a job George? We are enjoying our holidays. School reopens on the fourth. I am still busy writing letters. Your Norbert will soon graduate. Can you believe it? Didn't those years pass by quickly? God bless him and keep him good always. Now I will close with much love and a hearty God bless you all and console you. I am your loving cousin, Sr. M. Michele"

I'm glad my family saved those notes. They really give you a glimpse into her heart. She seemed to be a kind, thoughtful woman of faith.

Sister M. Michele died on 3 April 1968. Her death certificate, Baltimore City 68 3806, reports her cause of death as a cerebral hemorrhage which she had experienced for about four hours.  It also reports that the previous day, she experienced an acute myocardial infarction.  Her occupation was listed as teacher.  She was buried in Villa Maria Cemetery like Sister M. Daria.

Obituary from The Morning Sun:

SISTER MICHELE RITES TOMORROW

Notre Dame Nun Had Spend Over 50 Years Teaching

     A requiem mass for Sister Mary Michele Jindra, S.S.N.D., who spent more than 50 years teaching in the schools of the Baltimore Archdiocese, will be offered at 9 A.M. tomorrow at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.
     Sister Michele, who was 74, died Wednesday at Mercy Hospital.
     Born in Baltimore, she spent most of her religious life teaching in schools of the archdiocese, mainly in the primary grades.
     She is one of the golden jubilarian sisters who taught at St. Ann's School when Cardinal Sheehan was a pupil there.
     She is survived by two sisters, Sister Mary Illona, S.S.N.D., and Miss Helen Jindra, both of Baltimore.


The final nun in my family was Sr. M. Michele's sister Mary Agnes Jindra.

Sr. M. Ilona with her cousin Bettye Pelikan

Sister Mary Ilona Jindra was born Mary Agnes Jindra in Baltimore, Maryland, on 18 January 1899. She was the second child of Bohemian immigrants Mathai (Matthew) Jindra and Petronilla (Betty) Bores. In addition to Sister Michele, she had two other sisters.

Mary Ilona was baptized at St. Wenceslaus Church on January 29, 1899.  Her sponsors were her aunt and uncle Jacob and Antonia Bores Rynes. She made her first profession at the Motherhouse in Baltimore, Maryland on 22 July 1920, six years after her sister. She taught at St. Wenceslaus, Sacred Heart, Corpus Christi and St. Mark's Elementary Schools.

Fortunately, I have some notes from her as well to give us a taste of her personality. I suppose this first letter was the one Sr. M. Michele referred to in her letter. It was sent from the Convent of Notre Dame, 406 W. 127th St., N.Y.C.



Here's the text: "Dear cousins, How is everybody? I hope well and happy. A happy New Year to all! My prayer was that the Lord would bless you, dear cousins, and grant you your hearts' desires. Was Santa good to the kiddies? Perhaps a little poorer than usual. Well, it is not the material things which make one happy, is it? Jesus is the only one in this world. Trust in Him and He will help you. May God bless you for all! From your loving cousin, M. Ilona" (I suspect these letters were written during The Great Depression. My great-grandfather George was out of work for an extended period and the family survived on charity from the church.)

Here's another letter from Sr. M. Ilona. This one was addressed to my granduncle Anthony Rosenberger on the occasion of his First Communion. Since people usually have their First Communion around the age of eight, I assume this card was written in 1932.




Here's the text: "Dear Anthony, I hear you are about to make your First Holy Communion. What a privileged little fellow you are. You know dear child, it will be the happiest day of your life so make good use of the time preparing for it. Don't forget to pray for everyone you know. I want a lot of things so don't forget me. You know whatever you ask for on that day you will receive. May God bless you dear child. From your loving cousin, Sr. Ilona"

Here's Anthony's First Communion photo. (I don't know if he got everything he asked for that day.)

Anthony "Buzzy" Rosenberger

Here's another postcard from Sr. Ilona. It was addressed to Mary Rosenberger.



Here's the text: "Dear Cousins, Hello! How are you? Did you have a nice Easter? I hope so. I hope the dear Lord will give you many more graces of this Blessed Season. God Bless you all! Your loving cousin, Sr Ilona"

Sister M. Ilona Jindra died on 5 April 1969. She joined her sister in Villa Maria Cemetery.


The Jindra nuns had two additional sisters. One sister, Anna A. Jindra, died in 1919 at the tragically young age of nineteen. The other sister, Helen Jindra, died in 1989 at the age of eighty-three. Helen never married, and when she died that branch of the family became extinct. Sr. M. Daria's surviving siblings had many descendants, including me.

I'm happy I had the opportunity to share them, and their sacrifice, with you.

Click here for more of my genealogical blogs:


Be sure to check out my memoir The Promise, or the Pros and Cons of Talking with God, published by TouchPoint Press. It is my true story of first faith and first love and how the two became almost fatally intertwined.



Here are some sample chapters of The Promise:

Chapter 7 - Mission Accomplished
Chapter 15 - Quarter To Midnight

Be sure to check out my novel Chapel Street. It tells the story of a young man straddling the line between sanity and madness while battling a demonic entity that has driven his family members to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting my family experienced.

You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Read about the true haunting that inspired the novel here:
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

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Monday, May 22, 2023

YKYMP: #172: Omkara/#173 REMAKES: Dracula

Here's two more exciting ZOOM editions of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.

We previously enjoyed writer/director Vishal Bhardwaj's film Haider, an updated take on Shakespeare's Hamlet. In this episode, we watch Omkara, Bhardwaj's 2006 take on Shakespeare's Othello set in modern India. Will we enjoy it as much as his take on Hamlet? Check out the review:

 

In our Remakes episode, we look at John Badham's 1979 remake of the Universal horror classic Dracula that emphasized the sexual appeal of the titular vampire. The film made Frank Langella a star, but how does he compare to Bela Lugosi, who originated the role? Watch and find out: 

 

Our Podcast is available on iTunes: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Subscribe to our YouTube page: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Check out our webpage: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast
Like us on Facebook: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast.
Follow us on Twitter: YKYPodcast

Check out our other episodes here:


My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Follow me on Twitter: SeanPaulMurphy
Follow me on Facebook: Sean Paul Murphy
Follow me on Instagram: Sean Paul Murphy
Subscribe on YouTube: Sean Paul Murphy
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Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Grave Tales #38: Helena Mignon Zeigler

I am an avid genealogist. The past is very important to me. I spend a lot of time in cemeteries photographing tombstones to upload on website the FindAGrave.

I enjoy recognizing long dead people by putting memorials to them online. However, every once and a while something grabs me about a specific grave. It could be the name, or the dates or a ceramic photo. In those cases, I feel compelled to dig a little deeper. That's what this series of blogs is about: The tales behind those graves. Some of my subjects will be heroes. Some will be villains. Some will be victims. And some will linger in between, like most of us. However, don't be surprised if the tales are inherently tragic. These are grave tales. They all end in death.

Here is another tale from Green Mount Cemetery, which served as the final resting place for Baltimore's ruling elite for well over a century. This is the tragic story of Helena Mignon Zeigler. She apparently unknowingly participated in a love triangle involving a married man that ended in a murder suicide. The incident made national news. It initially appeared to be an open and shut case, but one question remained: Who was the murderer and who was the suicide?

Here's her story:

The Buffalo News (Buffalo, New York), 30 Mar 1923, Fri:


KILLS HERSELF
AFTER SLAYING
WEALTHY LOVER
-----
Frederick W. Burnham, New
York Contractor, Society
Man, Dies from Bullet
Fired by Helena Zeigler,
Who Turns Gun on Self.
-----
SEQUEL TO ENDING
OF LONG COURTSHIP
-----
Suiter a Married Man, Wife
Demands He Make His
Choice--Decides For Her,
and Tragedy Comes When
He Tells Decision
-----

New York Bureau,
Buffalo Evening News,

     NEW YORK, March 30.--Miss Helena Zeigler, aged 26, who lived with her parents at 583 Riverside drive, walked into the office of Frederick W. Burnham, wealthy contractor, in the Grand Central terminal building yesterday afternoon, fired a bullet into his temple and them killed herself with the same weapon.
     This, the police say, was the sequel to a courtship of Miss Zeigler begun by Burnham soon after his marriage 10 years ago to another woman and the establishment of a handsome country place at Riverview Manor, near Dobb's Ferry.
     Mr. and Mrs. Lee H. Zeigler went to the East 51st street police station last night to identify the body of their daughter and learned for the first time, the police said, that Burnham was a married man. The revelation regarding the man who had called at their home all these years and was regarded as a suitor for their daughter's hand shocked the parents as much as the news of what their daughter had done.

Had to Make Choice

     Whether the girl knew before last week that her supposed suitor was married the police could not ascertain, but they were told by a friend of Burnham that the contractor had informed Miss Zeigler last week that he would have to give her up because his wife had learned of their friendship and demanded that he make a choice between them.
     Burhan expected Miss Zeigler at this office yesterday at 4 o'clock to discuss the termination of their relations. The girl arrived according to their plans. She talked with Burnham for 10 minutes behind the closed door of his private office. Then persons in the office and along the corridors were startled by two pistol shots.
     A moment later Miss Zeigler was found on the floor dead with a bullet wound in her right temple and a derringer in her right hand. Burnham collapsed from a wound in the left temple, from which he succumbed at Bellevue hospital early this morning.
     The police said the Zeiglers informed them they were opposed to their daughter marrying Burnham and had advised her not to do so because he frequently came to the Zeigler house under thee influence of liquor.
      In a few minutes after the shooting the news spread through the crowds of commuters in the concourse of the Grand Central station two floors below and special police were called to duty to keep the curious from the elevators.
     Burhan is the New York representative of Burhan & Burnham, contractors of Chicago. He is 44 years old, and is married. He and his wife, Estelle, have a handsome home in the Riverside Manor section of Dobbs Ferry, where they have lived for nine years. There Mr. Burnham is a member of the Ardsley club, the Riverside Manor association and other social and civic organizations. Mrs. Burnham is active in the Dobbs Ferry women's club and the Christian Science church.
     Edward S. Lyman, an architect with offices at 15 East Forty-seventh street, and a friend of the Burnhams, said that Mrs. Burnham's interest was almost solely in her home, church and welfare work. Mr. Burnham, he said, frequently sought amusement in New York.

Chose Wife, Friend Says.

     Several years ago, according to Mr. Lyman, Burnham met Miss Zeigler and a deep attachment grew between them. Recently, he continued, Mrs. Burnham had learned of their fondness and had told Mr. Burnham that he would either have to give her up or give up Miss Zeigler. He said Mr. Burnham decided that he must stick by his wife and a week ago informed Miss Zeigler that their friendship would have to end. It was for a conference by prearrangement regarding the termination of their relationship that Miss Zeigler visited Mr. Burnham's office yesterday, Lyman said.
      Four o'clock was the time set for their meeting. Persons on the third floor of the Grand Central terminal building, where the Burnham offices are, said that Miss Zeigler, with a young woman accompanying her, was seen walking up and down the corridor outside Burnham's office two hours earlier.
     According to Harry S. Cox of 104 Perry street, Burnham's office manager, Miss Zeigler came in the office at 4:15 and asked for Burnham. Mr. Burnham was then engaged with Millard E. Ames, a contractor of 472 Hawthorne avenue, Yonkers, with offices at 101 Park avenue. Cox said he told her, and Miss Zeigler left. He said Miss Zeigler came in alone and he did not learn that she had a companion outside until after the shooting.
     When Ames left Miss Zeigler entered the office again. The office consists of one large room with one-quarter of it partitioned off as a private office. A second quarter adjoining the private room is cut off from the remaining half by a railing. The half thus left next to the door serves as a reception room. Cox has his desk in the open quarter, and the door to Burnham's office opens next to Cox's desk.


Heard Shots, After Hot Argument

     Cox said Burnham was telephoning when Miss Zeigler returned and she waited until he had finished his conversation. She then went into Burnham's office and closed the door. Presently, Cox said, he hard their voices but he could understand what they were saying from where he sat at his desk outside the door. At the end of the 10 minutes' heated discussion, he said, he was startled by a shot. Afraid a bullet might come through the thin partition and hit him he ran to the door leading to the corridor instead of into Burnham's private office, and just as he reached the corridor he heard the second shot.
      Without re-entering the office, he hurried downstairs to a telephone. There, he said, he tried to reach Ames and summoned Dr. McLeod of the Emergency hospital in Grand Central station. Returning, he met Ames coming back to the Burnham offices and hurried in with him. They listened a moment, but not a sound came from the closed office of Burnham. Then they opened the door.
     The slender body of Miss Zeigler bundled in its great fur coat lay on the floor beside Burnham's desk. Burnham apparently had just recovered consciousness sufficiently to rise from his chair was staggering toward a wash basin in the corner. His fingers were groping at his wounded temple. He half swung around, looked mutely at his friends and collapsed.

This seems like a tragic but open and shut case. Poor Helena had been strung along for years by the adulterous Frederick Burnham and she snapped when he tried to discard her. It's an old story. My second grave tale, about Emanuel & Ruby Snell, also dealt with a jealousy-inspired murder/suicide. However, Helena's parents didn't buy it. They believed their daughter was the victim, not the murderer and began expressing their doubts almost immediately. 

Bakersfield Morning Echo (Bakersfield, California), 31 March 1923, Sat:


PARENTS CLAIM GIRL
DID NOT FIRE SHOTS
-----

     NEW YORK, March 30.--Insistence by the relatives of Miss Helene Zeigler that she could not have mortally wounded Frederick Burnham, wealthy contractor, and then ended her own life with a bullet in his Grand Central offices late yesterday, has moved detectives to try to determine the owner of the weapon.
     "Find the owner of the gun, and you'll find out who killed her," Miss Zeigler's mother said.
     Her father, H. Lee Zeigler, wealthy importer, was equally convinced of his daughter's innocence of the shooting.
     "She was my chum," he said. "She could not have shot Fred Burnham. If she had intended to marry him, she would have told me about it. The greatest mystery to me is why he kept his marriage a secret."

Helena's parents did more than just speculate to the press. They hired an attorney and demanded an investigation into the killings to overturn the medical examiner's report.

Times Union (Brooklyn, New York), 23 Jul 1923, Mon:


ZEIGLER SAYS BURNHAM
KILLED GIRL and SELF
-----
Her Father Seeks to Change
Reports of Tragedy

     Henry Lee Zeigler, of 583 Riverside Drive, made known some entirely new information yesterday regarding the dual tragedy in which his daughter, Miss Helena Zeigler, and Frederick W. Burnham, wealthy contractor, were killed last March in the latter's offices in the Grand Central Terminal.
     Mr. Zeigler mentioned a few of the points which his attorney, Charles E. Le Barbier, will present at a hearing this week, to show that Miss Zeigler did not shoot Burnham, but that the contractor fired the two shots that resulted in his and the young woman's deaths.
     The special proceedings instituted by Mr. Le Barbier are designed to amend an official report, both in the medical examiner's office and on the police blotter, which indicates that Miss Zeigler fired the shot from which Burnham died a short time afterward, and then killed herself by firing a bullet from a small derringer.
     The father and the family of the young woman are determined to clear her name, and insist that she had no reason to and did not shoot and kill Burnham and herself.

I can understand her parents' desire to erase the stigma of both murder and suicide from Helena and affix the blame firmly on Burnham. However, the proceeding story offered no real evidence. The following story gives the Zeigler family a more sympathetic hearing.

The Miami News (Miami, Florida), 25 Aug 1923, Sat:


WHICH HAND HELD THE GUN?
The Mystery of the Deaths of Helena Zeigler and Frederick
Burnham, Once Thought Solved but Now Again in the Courts
Did Helena Zeigler's gloved finger press the fatal trigger, or---
Was it the hand of Frederick Burnham that wrought the double crime?

By Ruth Waterbury.

     Who killed Helena Zeigler?
     Who killed Frederick Burnham?
     Did Helena Zeigler kill Frederick Burnham and then commit suicide, or was the reverse true?
     The police reported the day Helena's dead body and the wounded Burnham were found in the latter's private office that it was the girl who had done the killing. They admit, that it is possible that Burnham may have committed suicide after killing the twenty-six year old girl who was calling upon him, but hold it improbable.


     It was the murder story of the early spring. The setting was the average office of the average business man, specifically room 2736 Grand Central Terminal. It was shortly after four o'clock of the afternoon of March 29.
     Cox, Burnham's secretary, had admitted Helena to the private office. He thought nothing of it. She was a frequent visitor. He even forgot they were there, they talked so quietly for ten minutes or more. then swiftly he was startled from his secretarial vacuum. Two shots were fired, one immediately after the other.
     Cox rushed away from the office. He did not do what nine people out of ten would have done -- go to the private office and try to stop whatever horror its door hid. He rushed away and stayed away for twenty minutes. He explains that he was delayed because he wore only his office coat, which held no money, and that he wanted to telephone Ames. He must have secured money somewhere, for he did call Ames, and Dr. McLeod, emergency doctor for the terminal. The three men went back to the office together. In one account it was said they entered the scene of the mystery simultaneously. In another, they state they entered individually.
     But on one point there is no question, Helena Zeigler was dead. She had left her pleasant, luxurious life swiftly. Death had come to her on the swift wings of personal tragedy. Her beautifully clad body lay with its head toward the door through which the three men entered. Near her, they report, lay a pistol, an old-fashioned double-barreled derringer of Remington make.
     Burnham was at the wash bowl as his friends entered. Ames cried out to him to tell what had happened. He moved his stiffening lips. He struggled to speak but no sound issued and he collapsed into unconsciousness. He died that way a few hours later at Bellevue.
     He and the girl bore exactly the same kind of wound, in exactly the same place. On both the stellate wounds, wounds made by the gun being held tightly to the head. Both bullet holes were immediately in front of the left ears, ofthe woman and of the middle-aged man.
     Burnham had known Helena since her seventeenth birthday, when he met her with older sister, Natalie, while the two girls were students at the Hamilton Institute. They immediately introduced him to their parents and thus became a welcome exiler at their home.
     He called very often. At first he courted Natalie. Then Natalie got married and he sought out Helena. He asked her constantly to marry him.
     Her parents opposed it. They felt the discrepancy of fifteen years in their ages was too great. They hadn't the slightest intimation that he was married. They never dreamed that his wife was one of the most charming women in the smart society of Westchester County.
     According to his custom, he had telephoned Helena the morning of the murder. He asked her to stop at his office at four and go on to tea with him. Mrs. Zeigler was with Helena as she dressed to keep the appointment.
     Helena wanted to take little Estelle Tatro with her, for she expected to do a little shopping before her call. But Estelle's mother said the little girl had to do her school work, so the two compromised on a trip to the movies that evening.
     She set the table for dinner before leaving. She joked with her mother about having prepared her favorite artichoke salad. Then she kissed her and started out with sixteen-year-old Estelle. It came to her that she could at least give Estelle money for a soda, so together they hunted through her pockets for some change. But Estelle was disappointed. Helena's pockets were empty.
     On his part, Burnham had lunch with Ames at the Commodore. Ames, it is reported in the Zeigler affidavits, exclaimed at how badly his friend was looking. Burnham is said to have replied that he was worried, that he was going to tell Helena Zeigler that he would see her no longer and that he was afraid when she heard this information that she "would dust him off."
     Ames called at Burnham's office again that afternoon a four o'[clock. At the same time Helena and her friend, Mrs. Murphy, were waiting to see this man whose double life had been so strangely maintained. Mrs. Murphy left in a moment. Then as Ames left the private office, Helena entered. It was the last time any one saw her alive.
     So the report on the police records says Helena Zeigler killed Frederick Burnham.
     And the Zeiglers point to the many discrepancies of the statement. They point out that Cox has stated three different hours at which he believes the tragedy took place. Ames, according to their affidavits, said upon being questioned by the girl's mother, "you'd better get a lawyer and talk to Burnham's lawyer, too. He'll tell you things you don't want to listen to."
     The derringer which fired the shots was a difficult weapon to discharge. Did Helena Zeigler in the strength of desperation have the power to empty those two barrels?
     The police say yes. Her parents say no. They can prove Burnham had a permit to carry a pistol. The police can prove that the revolver was found beside the dead girl and the cartridges in the little chiffon pocket of her sealskin coat.
     By which hand did Helena Zeigler and Frederick Burnham die?

While Helena's actions earlier in the day do not seem consistent with a woman on a suicidal mission, I do not see any evidence strong enough to overturn the initial police report. That said, the more I read about Burnham the less I like him!

The legal motion to the court to alter the reports was detailed in The New York Supplement Volume 203. You can read the entire motion. Here's the conclusion: "The court, upon motion, will not determine whether Helena M. Zeigler was guilty or innocent of the murder of Frederick W. Burnham.  I have not been referred to any statute, nor have I been able to find any, giving this court authority to make the order applied for. Motion denied. Ordered accordingly." 

Which hand held the gun? That question can never be answered now with absolute certainty. I just hope the Zeigler family found peace in their grief, as, hopefully, did the family of Frederick Burnham as well.

I hope they all rest in peace.

Remember, there is a story behind every grave. You never know what you're missing when you walk past one....

Grave Tales:

My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble. Chapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting. 


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Read about the true haunting that inspired the novel here:

The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

Let's stay in touch:

Follow me on Twitter: SeanPaulMurphy
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Monday, May 15, 2023

YKYMP: #170: Ayyappanum Koshiyum/#171 REMAKES: West Side Story

Here's two more exciting ZOOM editions of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.

Deb and I had to miss these two episodes because I had eye surgery earlier that day. We regret it because they were two fascinating films. Ayyappanum Koshiyum is a 2020 Indian film about an irresistible object colliding with an immovable one as a former soldier with political connections takes on a police officer who arrested him. Check out the review:

 

In our Remakes episode, we look at Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of West Side Story and wonder: Why remake one of the most beloved and highly-acclaimed films of all time? Check it out: 

 

Our Podcast is available on iTunes: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Subscribe to our YouTube page: Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast
Check out our webpage: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast
Like us on Facebook: Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast.
Follow us on Twitter: YKYPodcast

Check out our other episodes here:


My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Follow me on Twitter: SeanPaulMurphy
Follow me on Facebook: Sean Paul Murphy
Follow me on Instagram: Sean Paul Murphy
Subscribe on YouTube: Sean Paul Murphy
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