Diamonds and Death - The True, Tragic Tale of Diamond Bessie Moore

Two diamond rings... The rings were first seen on the hand of the beautiful Diamond Bessie as she was escorted around Jefferson, Texas by her husband. The couple was spotted crossing the bridge over the bayou for a picnic lunch on the afternoon of Sunday, January 21, 1877. That evening, the husband was seen at their hotel alone, wearing the two rings that had been on his wife's hand earlier in the day. He took the next passenger train out of town without his wife, but carrying her luggage. The two rings were reportedly found by a detective in a St. Louis pawn shop some time later - the pawn ticket had been signed by her husband. On February 5, Bessie's body was found in the woods south of Jefferson with a gunshot wound to the head. A manhunt for the husband was launched, and the nation watched in fascination as one of the most famous stories of the 1800s unfolded - a crime that remains unsolved to this day. From the newspapers of the day: The life and death of Diamond Bessie whose murder provoked one of the most famous trials in Texas history was a story of sin, sorrow and bloody tragedy. - The Jefferson Journal, 1878. A crime unparalleled in the record of blood... - The Dallas Commercial, 1878. No murder trial in Texas has ever excited more public interest. - The Cincinnati Enquirer, 1877.

Mitchel Whitington is an author, historian, and folklorist. He has written many books on both regional and national topics. Mitchel lives in an 1861 home known as The Grove with his wife, basset hounds, and a number of resident spirits.