The Poison Pen of Smithsburg (SMI)

In the first years of the 20th Century, a silent scandal spread through the mailboxes of Smithsburg when a series of destructive "poison pen" letters shocked everyone who received them.  The notes were so stinging that teenage romances ended, engagements were broken, and marriages were strained.  Many letters bore the false signatures of respectable citizens of the town.  When the Smithsburg postmaster himself became a target of a poison pen letter, he set out to catch the culprit and through a clever sting operation, the Poison Pen was caught and arrested.  The resulting trial made national headlines, and involved an early use of experts in handwriting analysis.  Todd Andrew Dorsett is a member of the Antietam Historical Association of Waynesboro.  This lecture contains mature themes and language. Please register online.