Criminal — “Fall River” (December 5, 2025)

Podcast: Criminal
Host: Phoebe Judge
Guest: Kate Winkler Dawson (author and historian)
Episode Theme: A deep-dive into the 1832 murder of Sarah Cornell in Fall River, Massachusetts — exploring questions of justice, gender, social class, early industrial America, religious factions, and the remarkable women who told her story.

Overview

In “Fall River,” Phoebe Judge traces the infamous 1832 death of Sarah Cornell, a factory worker whose body was discovered under mysterious and violent circumstances. The episode explores the investigation and trial that followed, exposing the intersection of gender, religion, morality, and power in early 19th-century New England. It is also the story of Catherine Williams, the pioneering writer who publicly challenged Sarah’s vilification and helped to ensure her story would not be forgotten.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sarah Cornell’s Life: Independence and Hardship

• Early Life and Work:
  • Sarah’s father abandoned the family; she became an apprentice tailor as a teenager and moved from factory to factory for work — unusual independence for a woman of her time.
    • “This was kind of the first taste of independence for a lot of them.” (Kate Winkler Dawson, 04:19)
  • Textile mills were dangerous, exploitative (long hours, half the pay of men, accidents common).
• Struggle for Respectability:
  • Despite hardship, Sarah supported her family, strived for respectability, and gave generously to various churches.
• Trouble with the Law:
  • Sarah developed a reputation for minor thefts (e.g., shoplifting fabric) which branded her with a criminal stigma that followed her.
    • “This really cemented her as a criminal… in these factory communities… If you make one mistake, it just dooms you. And that’s what happened.” (B, 08:21)

2. Gender, Morality, and Churches

• Religious Context:
  • Sarah was attracted to the Methodists — a growing, often controversial sect known for raucous tent revivals, compared to more staid Congregationalists.
    • “Methodism… had only been in the US for 50 years… they would have these massive tent revivals, which, I joke, is like the Burning Man of religious ceremonies.” (B, 10:23)

3. The Death of Sarah Cornell (December 21, 1832)

• Discovery:
  • Sarah’s body found “hovering” from a haystack pole, with signs of hanging, but also bruising and defensive wounds.
    • “They took all of her clothes off and saw grass stains on her legs… defensive wounds… thumbprints and large handprints on her body.” (B, 17:32)
• Suspicion of Suicide, Then Murder:
  • Initial determination was suicide; later evidence (suspicious letters, injury, missing twine) pointed to murder.

4. The Accusation: Minister Ephraim Avery

• Sarah’s Note:
  • Notably, Sarah left a signed note: “If I am to go missing, please inquire of Reverend Ephraim Avery…” (A, 19:22)
• Pregnancy & Accusations of Sexual Assault:
  • Upon autopsy, Sarah is found to be about four months pregnant; her doctor reports Sarah said Avery raped her.
• A Community Divided:
  • The trial pits powerful religious factions against each other; Congregationalist mill owners versus Methodist pastors.

5. The Trial (1833): Sensationalism and Victim Shaming

• Williams’s Reporting:
  • Catherine Williams, an accomplished biographer, attended the trial and kept detailed notes.
• Prosecution & Defense Strategies:
  • Prosecution: Avery is “sleazy,” lacks an alibi; relies on circumstantial and physical evidence.
  • Defense: Assembles 150+ witnesses, many character attacks on Sarah, aiming to undermine her credibility and suggest she was immoral or suicidal.
    • “This is for me, the most blatant and really the first instance I’ve read of victim shaming in a trial that was high profile like this. I mean, they slut shamed. They said she was a terrible person, that she was crazy, she had venereal diseases…” (B, 36:04)
• Outcome:
  • Jury finds Ephraim Avery not guilty; decision causes outrage.
  • The Methodist Church conducts its own inquiry, exonerates Avery, but community ire continues (multiple effigy burnings in Fall River).

6. Aftermath & Legacy

• Catherine Williams’s Book:
  • Publishes Fall River, an Authentic Narrative, focusing on Sarah rather than Avery. The first true crime narrative nonfiction book in the US.
    • “There was nothing else like this, not even remotely like this. ...it was the first narrative nonfiction true crime book, which was a big deal.” (B, 40:23)
  • Williams’s investigation uncovers that several claims against Sarah (e.g., STD) were false.
• Public Memory:
  • Sarah and Avery become notorious, even immortalized in waxworks as described by Nathaniel Hawthorne (42:32).
  • Sarah’s story is widely known, and likely inspired Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
    • “It seems really clear that she was at least a very large inspiration, if not the main inspiration for The Scarlet Letter.” (B, 43:38)
• Sarah’s Own Words:
  • The episode closes with a moving quote from Sarah:
    • “I have enough of the good things of this life. I brought nothing into this world and I expect to carry nothing out. A stranger and a pilgrim Here.” (A, 44:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Women’s Independence and Vulnerability:
  • “For a woman to file for divorce in the 1820s… it was almost like an act of God to get that.” (Kate Winkler Dawson, 01:55)
• On Methodist Revivals:
  • “I joke—it was like the Burning Man of religious ceremonies and festivals. ...they would go on for days… a lot of good-looking young ministers…” (B, 10:36)
• On Social Reputation and Double Standards:
  • “If you make one mistake, it just dooms you. And that’s what happened.” (B, 08:21)
• Victim Shaming:
  • “This is for me, the most blatant… and really the first instance I’ve read of victim shaming in a trial that was high profile like this.” (B, 36:04)
• Historical Impact:
  • “There was nothing else like this… And it was the first narrative nonfiction true crime book, which was a big deal.” (B, 40:23)
  • Hawthorne’s waxwork account: “Ephraim Avery hovering like a vulture, you know, as usual… the despicable Ephraim Avery.” (B, 42:32-42:58)
• On Sarah as Inspiration for The Scarlet Letter:
  • “It seems really clear that she was at least a very large inspiration, if not the main inspiration for The Scarlet Letter.” (B, 43:38)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Topic/Quote | |--------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 01:13 | Introduces Catherine Williams, Sarah’s biographer | | 04:52 | Life in textile mills; women’s work and constraints | | 07:17 | Sarah’s shoplifting begins; criminal stigma | | 15:29 | Discovery of Sarah’s body; initial verdict of suicide | | 17:32 | Women detail suspicious injuries on Sarah’s body | | 19:22 | Sarah’s note implicating Rev. Avery is found | | 21:28 | Sarah discovered to be pregnant; accusation of rape | | 22:38 | Avery is located and arrested | | 25:29 | Catherine Williams describes the courtroom & factions | | 36:04 | Character assassination and victim shaming at trial | | 37:41 | Jury finds Avery not guilty | | 39:17 | Community outrage; Avery moves after public backlash | | 40:23 | Williams’s book and historical importance | | 42:32 | Hawthorne’s waxwork account; cultural memory | | 43:38 | Sarah as an inspiration for The Scarlet Letter | | 44:12 | Sarah’s own closing words |

Final Thoughts

“Fall River” examines a case both of crime and of cultural transformation: the harsh scrutiny of women in early industrial America, the battle between established Protestant communities and new religious movements, and the beginnings of true crime as a literary genre. Through Catherine Williams’s reporting, Sarah Cornell’s voice was rescued from near-erasure, influencing not only the perceptions of her own era, but also American literature and feminist history. The episode asks listeners to reconsider how society treats women who are both vulnerable and independent — and how stories are told about them long after they’re gone.