By Bobbie Hardy, Director
One of the highlights of Pilgrimage is the annual staging of the Diamond Bessie Murder Trial, an adaptation of the last days of the 1877 trial in Jefferson of Abraham Rothschild for the murder of the Diamond Bessie. The trial captured national attention in its day, and its re-creation attracts a standing-room-only audience.
The play, which will mark its 70th year, tells the story of Bessie Moore, of Watertown, N.Y., and Abraham “Abe” Rothschild, the son of a wealthy family of jewelry dealers.
Abe and Bessie were married in Danville, Ill., in January 1877. They headed south by rail, eventually traveling on Jay Gould’s new Texas & Pacific Railroad.
From the moment Bessie Moore stepped off the train, the townspeople were captivated by her beauty and apparent wealth, accentuated by the numerous diamonds decorating her hands and the young gentleman on her arm. Checking into the Brooks House Hotel, they used the alias, A. Monroe and wife of St. Louis.
The couple was seen crossing Big Cypress Bayou carrying a basket for what appeared to be a romantic picnic, but only he returned. He was acting peculiarly, drinking heavily, and wearing two of Bessie’s rings on his fingers. Soon, he gathered her belongings and departed. What followed would become one of the most sensational stories to unfold in East Texas.
Bessie’s body was discovered a few weeks later, and the town rallied around the ill-fated beauty and named her “Diamond Bessie,” a nickname fashioned after the jewels she had worn. A collection to have her properly buried in Historic Oakwood Cemetery was gathered, and descriptions of the girl were issued throughout the country. Sheriff John Vines began his investigation and Abe was tracked down and arrested and returned to Jefferson
First performed in 1955, the script was written by Lawton Riley, who mixed tragedy and humor with fact and conjecture to create the captivating drama. The play is staged in Jefferson’s Historic Playhouse, built in 1875 at Henderson and Market streets as a synagogue by the Hebrew Sinai Congregation. The setting has a distinct resemblance to the courtroom of over 140 years ago.
Show times are Thursday, May 4, and Friday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 6, at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m.
For additional information about the Diamond Bessie Murder Trial, please visit www.jefferson-pilgrimage.com or www.diamondbessieplay.com.