In the early morning hours of June 4, 1904, New York City police were called to Lower Manhattan for what they were told was the death of Frank “Ceasar” Young from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest. When they arrived at the scene, they found Young’s body in the back of a Hansom cab, slumped over into the lap of a young actress named Nan Patterson, with whom he’d been having an affair. Nan claimed Young had shot himself when she refused to accompany him back to England, where he was headed to meet his wife that morning, but the police believed otherwise, and Nan was arrested and charged with Young’s murder.

What followed was not one, but three sensational murder trials that commanded the attention of New Yorkers across all five boroughs, and all of them had an opinion about Nan Patterson and her relationship with Caesar Young.

Thank you to the fantastical David White, of Bring me the Axe podcast, for research assistance :)

References

Allen, Oliver. 2017. When today's Tribeca was the site of a most sensational murder. November 15. Accessed August 30, 2023. www.tribecatrib.com/content/when-todays-tribeca-was-site-most-sensational-murder.

New York Times . 1904. "Nan Patterson hears the case against her." The New York Times, November 22: 6.

New York Times. 1904. "Bookmaker is shot in cab with actress." New York Times, June 5: 1.

—. 1904. "Actress recommitted at Jerome's insistance." The New York Times, June 7: 2.

—. 1904. "Aged witness speaks for Nan Patterson." The New York Times, November 2: 16.

—. 1904. "Allows Nan Patterson bail." The New York Times, September 2: 14.

—. 1905. "Choose married men for Patterson case." The New York Times, April 19: 20.

—. 1904. "Coroner says Nan Patterson is guilty." The New York Times, June 9: 2.

—. 1905. "Disagreement in Patterson case." The New York Times, May 4: 1.

—. 1905. "Indictment against Morgan Smiths quashed." The New York Times, May 6: 16.

—. 1905. "Misdirected sympathy." The New York Times, January 2: 6.

—. 1904. "Nan Patterson case results in mistrial." The New York Times, December 24: 14.

—. 1905. "Nan Patterson Free." The New York Times, May 13: 3.

—. 1905. "Nan Patterson free; Jerome blames press." The New York Times, May 13: 3.

—. 1904. "Nan Patterson swears Young shot himself." The New York Times, December 20: 1.

—. 1904. "Nan Patterson will not answer questions." The New York Times, June 10: 3.

—. 1904. "Nan Patterson's trial to begin again Monday." The New York Times, November 29: 4.

—. 1904. "New Patterson trial soon." The New York Times, December 25: 11.

—. 1904. "Patterson counsel witness at trial." The New York Times, December 10: 16.

—. 1904. "Rand highly praised for closing address." The New York Times, December 22: 6.

—. 1904. "Rand springs surprise in Nan Patterson case." The New York Times, December 14: 16.

—. 1904. "The Nan Patterson case, letter to the editor." The New York Times, December 30: 8.

—. 1904. "Witness corroborates Hazelton's version." The New York Times, November 3: 16.

—. 1904. "Witness ill, may halt Nan Patterson trial." The New York Times, November 19: 5.

—. 1904. "Young, witness says, hit Nan Patterson." The New York Times, November 24: 4.

New York Tmes. 1904. "Skeleton in court in Young case." The New York Times, November 23: 5.

San Francisco Call. 1904. "'Caesar' Young, the Californian slain while riding in cab with actress." The San Francisco Call, June 5: 21.

San Francisco Chronicle . 1904. "Young's death still puzzling." San Francisco Chronicle, June 6: 1.

San Francisco Chronicle. 1904. "Young's death still puzzling." San Francisco Chronicle , June 6: 1.

Segrave, Kerry. 2020. Death in a Hansom Cab; The 1904 Persecution of Nan Patterson. Cheltinham, UK: History Press.

The Washington Times. 1904. "Nan Patterson's mother very ill." The Washington Times, June 6: 1.

Woolcott, Alexander. 1930. "The mystery of the Hansom cab." The New Yorker, May 3: 36-44.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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Nan Patterson and The Death of Frank "Caesar" Young

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