Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso: A Tale of Race, Sex, and Violence in America by Kali Nicole Gross (review)

In Hannah Mary Tabbs and the Disembodied Torso, historian Kali Nicole Gross draws on myriad archival sources—including detectives' notes, trial testimonies, prison records, and newspapers—to reconstruct the details of a dramatic crime and subsequent trial that gained national attention. On February 17, 1887, near a pond outside of Philadelphia, a man discovered a strange object bundled in brown paper. Upon opening it, the man found a racially ambiguous, dismembered human torso. Area residents and local authorities were horrified and intensely interested in uncovering the truth of what had happened. Investigators assumed that the torso was evidence of murder and soon identified two suspects: Hannah Mary Tabbs, a black, married, working-class woman living in Philadelphia, and George Wilson, a light-skinned, mixed-race man whom Tabbs implicated in the crime after her arrest.

Gross's narrative follows the clues and reports that led police to arresting Tabbs, and her analysis highlights the centrality of racism and violence in the case. The racially ambiguous appearance of the torso speaks to the historical context of Gross's study; police were unsure of how to identify the torso, which made it difficult to know which people to question. The victim, who was identified as Silas Wakefield Gaines, was a mixed-race man, and Gross argues that his murder received more attention because he was not immediately identified as white or black. Gaines's racial identity was a mystery, which made the case more intriguing for investigators and the public. Despite a doctor's report identifying the torso as black, investigators remained skeptical about the victim's racial identity and even called for two black women to compare their skin color to that of the torso. The confusion surrounding Gaines's racial identity demonstrates the ways in which anxieties about racial identities and racial mixing affected the investigation. Wilson's racially ambiguous appearance also affected the case because his ability to pass as white sparked fears among whites during the trial. Tabbs's identity as a black, southern migrant played a role in the trial as well, but, unlike Wilson, Tabbs appeared aware of how race and racism would determine her fate.

By insisting on the historical significance of Tabbs and her life, Gross makes a case for expanding the types of narratives found in African American histories. Tabbs appeared to adhere to conventional notions of respectability, but Gross provides compelling evidence of Tabbs's abilities to lie, intimidate, engage in adultery, and use physical violence. Gross argues that Tabbs's intelligence helped her during both the investigation and trial; Tabbs performed gender and race in ways that made her appear more sympathetic. Despite having greater motive to kill Gaines, Tabbs was able to blame Wilson for the murder and convince the court that she was merely an accessory. Gross pushes readers not to lump Tabbs into the categories of victim or criminal but instead to understand her as a complex, flawed human.

Some questions within this story will remain unanswered. Ultimately, Gross posits that Tabbs killed Gaines and that Wilson was either tricked or coerced into helping dismember and dispose of Gaines's body. She also insists that Wilson was intimidated by the police, who threatened him and blamed him for the murder. Not everyone will agree with her conclusions about Tabbs or the trial, but Gross's argument about the complexities of Hannah Mary Tabbs's life is convincing. And while Tabbs's and Wilson's roles in Gaines's murder remain mysterious, it is clear that this narrative provides important insights into black urban culture as well as the violence within—and caused by—a racist criminal justice system.