Episode #28
The Woman They Tried to Erase - The Death of Emily Hal
In 1895, a young Englishwoman named Emily Hall crossed the Atlantic and arrived at a house on Lincoln Avenue in Detroit while pregnant. Less than two weeks later, she was dead. But Emily Hall wasn't the name written on her death certificate. She became “Myrtle Cook”—a supposedly New York-born woman said to have died of pneumonia at an address where Emily had never lived. Then her embalmed body remained unburied for more than two months. When a newspaper reporter discovered it, the strange death began to unravel. Investigators uncovered letters from England, money sent in Emily's name, conflicting stories, testimony from other women, and evidence surrounding Dr. Dennis J. Seaman and Alice Lane. Seaman's first conviction would eventually reach the Michigan Supreme Court—but even that wasn't the end. This episode of Malice in the Mitten investigates the documented story behind Emily Hall's death, the extraordinary effort surrounding her concealed identity, and the young woman almost lost beneath the name “Myrtle Cook.” More than 130 years later, we say her real name again. Emily Hall #MaliceInTheMitten #MichiganTrueCrime #DetroitHistory #HistoricalTrueCrime #EmilyHall Written, recorded, edited & produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine Mulligan Original music created exclusively for Malice in the Mitten by Tracy Preston Original artwork by Todd Preston Sources: People v. Seaman. 107 Mich. 348, 65 N.W. 203. Supreme Court of Michigan, 10 Dec. 1895. Go Syfert, People v. Seaman, 107 Mich. 348 . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026. “An Erring Clergyman.” Otago Daily Times, 25 May 1895, p. 3. Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand, Otago Daily Times historical article . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026. “That Detroit Mystery Cleared Up.” The Lowell Ledger, 26 Apr. 1895. Kent District Library Digital Archives, The Lowell Ledger, 26 Apr. 1895 . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026. “Arranged for the Murder of Emily Hall.” The North Platte Semi-Weekly Tribune, 7 June 1895. Chronicling America, Library of Congress, North Platte Semi-Weekly Tribune, 7 June 1895 . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026. “Rev. Jonathan Bell Located.” The Clinton Republican, June 1895. Clinton County Historical Newspaper Archive, The Clinton Republican historical issue . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026. “Mrs. Lane Is Convicted.” Lowell Journal, 11 Mar. 1896. Kent District Library Digital Archives, Lowell Journal, 11 Mar. 1896 . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026. “Mrs. Lane Gets Ten Years.” The Clinton Republican, Mar. 1896. Clinton County Historical Newspaper Archive, The Clinton Republican historical issue . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
