Mary Alice Livingston, the Clam Chowder Killer?
From Poisoned History by Suzanne
April 1, 2026 · 52 min · Season 3 · Episode 4
About this episode
The episode explores the case of Mary Alice Livingston, who was accused of murdering her mother in 1895 amidst a sensational media frenzy.
Mary Alice Livingston Fleming was a single mom from a wealthy family who allegedly killed her own mother in 1895 but denied having anything to do with it. Her family and this case were a large part of history and a huge story in the sensationalist press of the time. Sources and resources: Livingston, J; Arsenic and Clam Chowder: Murder in Gilded Age New York. The Gotham Center for New York City History, https://www.gothamcenter.org/blog/arsenic-and-clam-chowder-murder-in-gilded-age-new-york Wilhelm, R; Book Review: The fatal bowl of soup by James D. Livingston. Murder By Gaslight, 14Aug2010, http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2010/08/ Ephemeral New York: The sensational clam chowder murder of 1895, 8Jan2012, https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/mary-alice-fleming-livingston/ Livingston, JD, Arsenic and clam chowder: murder in gilded age New York; Albany, NY, State University of New York Press, 2010, https://www.hudsonrivervalley.org/james_d_livingston1 Wikipedia This podcast uses sound from Freesound.org: minor-key-music-box by user darkwaryurmc (http://freesound.org/s/318908/) licensed under CCBYNC 4.0 All statements in this podcast represent the opinions of the host and her…
People in this episode
Host: Suzanne
Topics covered
- true crime
- historical murder
- Gilded Age
- sensationalist press
- family drama
Keywords
- Mary Alice Livingston
- clam chowder killer
- 1895 murder
- Gilded Age
- true crime
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Gotham Center for New York City History, Murder By Gaslight, State University of New York Press, Wikipedia
Places: New York
More episodes of Poisoned History
- Martha Place, Acid and Anarchy · June 1, 2026 · 45 min
- Adelaide Bartlett, Threesome or Love Triangle? · February 1, 2026 · 1h 1m
- Edward Pritchard, the Human Crocodile · January 1, 2026 · 51 min
- Thomas Neill Cream, the Lambeth Poisoner · December 1, 2025 · 52 min
- Columbo: Murder Under Glass, Part Two · September 15, 2025 · 43 min
- Columbo: Murder Under Glass, Part One · September 1, 2025 · 46 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Poisoned History podcast page.