Skip to main content

Poison Pen Blackmail and Defamation of New Orleans Lawyer, Paul Morphy

This article was part of 1860s-80s campaign of stalking. Attempts by friends of Morphy vouching for his sanity & to stop such false rumors (New Orleans Republican 11/21/1875; Tennessean Nashville, 5/05/1877, "The Truth About Mr. Paul Morphy. He has Never been Insane"; Detroit Free Press 11/30/1880, etc). 1884 at age 47, Mr. Morphy "suddenly died". The stalker's press release claimed 'due to a bath on a hot day.' Forensic toxicology was still in its infancy and no investigation ever performed.
Poison Pen Blackmail and Defamation of New Orleans Lawyer, Paul Morphy

Poison Pen Blackmail and Defamation of New Orleans Lawyer, Paul Morphy