Greed in the Gilded Age: The Brilliant Con of Cassie Chadwick

(Hardback)

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Greed in the Gilded Age is a Gatsby-esque tale of mystery, money, sex, and scandal.
Millionaire had just entered the American lexicon and Cassie Chadwick was front page news, becoming a media sensation before mass media, even eclipsing President Roosevelts inauguration. Using these newspaper articles, Hazelgrove tells the story of one of the greatest cons in American history.
Combining the sexuality and helplessness her gender implied, Chadwick conned at least 2 million dollars, equivalent to about 60 million today, simply by claiming to be the illegitimate daughter and heir of steel titan, Andrew Carnegie. Playing to their greed, she was able to convince highly educated financiers to loan hundreds of thousands of dollars, on nothing more than a rumor and her word.
She was a product of her time and painting her as a criminal is only one way to look at it. Those times rewarded someone who was smart, inventive, bold, and aggressive. She was able to break through boundaries of class, education, and gender, to beat the men of the one percent at their own game.

Reviews

Against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, Hazelgrove briskly charts the career of scammer Cassie Chadwick. Born Elizabeth Bigley in 1857 in Canada, she forged checks as a young teen, was arrested, and later released on account of her age and on grounds of insanity. She later joined an older sister in America, where she changed her name multiple times, married three men for their money, and engaged in various scams. Her greatest con came under the name of Cassie Chadwick. As a wealthy doctors wife, Chadwick spent a fortune on European trips, diamonds, and designer clothes. Claiming to be the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie, she persuaded banks to loan her money based on forged promissory notes from Carnegie and vague promises. But it all came crashing down in 1904 when she was arrested by federal agents and tried and convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Citizens Bank of Oberlin. In 1905, her trial made bigger headlines than the inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt. She died in prison in 1907. Excerpts from newspaper stories of the day dramatize the sensational proceedings. True crime fans will devour this sad, cautionary tale of a brilliant woman brought down by greed. * Publishers Weekly *
The con of the century is told through countless quotes and firsthand reports, bringing to life the socialites, robber barons, unsuspecting bankers, and law enforcement officers. The Gilded Age is explored as well, placing the con in context and painting a lifelike portrait of the times amid the plethora of scandals hitting newspapers. Bestselling author Hazelgrove brings a sensational tale little-told in the modern day to new readers in stunning detail. While brilliantly written and appealing to fans of true crime, seasoned readers of history and nonfiction will feel the most at home with the text. * Booklist *
Hazelgrove chronicles the life and crimes of Cassie Chadwick, who, during the Gilded Age, scammed bankers out of millions of dollars, causing one bank failure and leading to the death of the head of a bank. Chadwick convinced prominent bankers, attorneys, and a reverend that she was the illegitimate daughter of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie; she even dropped by Carnegies home to pretend to retrieve promissory notes. When her scam came to light, she was prosecuted; the ensuing trial generated so much press that Carnegie himself sat in to observe. Hazelgrove vividly sets the scene, drawing intriguing parallels and contrasts between Carnegie and ChadwickCarnegie ruthlessly punished striking workers who were protesting unsafe working conditions, while Chadwick broke the law in the pursuit of wealth, yet only Chadwick was held accountable. The delightfully sensationalist writing (questions that rained down like nails into his soul) evokes the yellow journalism of the era. Readers curious about the Gilded Age or who enjoy stories of con artists will appreciate Hazelgroves lively tale of a most ambitious grifter. * Library Journal *
Very rarely do I use the word perfect to describe a book, but Greed in the Gilded Age by William Elliott Hazelgrove certainly comes close! Overall, the story of Cassie Chadwicks life is interesting on its own, but William Hazelgrove has given it new depth through his thoroughness and talent with situating a story in history. * The Biased Bibliophile *

Author Bio

William Elliott Hazelgrove has a masters in history and is the best-selling author of ten novels and five narrative nonfiction books. His most recent publications include, Sally Rand: American Sex Symbol (Lyons Press), Knox's Noble Train: The Story of a Boston Bookseller's Heroic Expedition That Saved the American Revolution (Prometheus), Al Capone and the 1933 World's Fair: The End of the Gangster Era in Chicago (Rowman & Littlefield). He lives in Chicago, Illinois.