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Who was hannah mary tabbs
Hannah Mary Tabbs, born Hannah Ann Smith, was an American murderer in the late 1800s. Born into slavery in the 1850s, she escapes northwards and settled in Philadelphia, where she was accused of murder after a body was found lacking both limbs and a head.
Contents
- Who was hannah mary tabbs
- 2016 san antonio book festival kali nicole gross hannah mary tabbs and the disembodied torso
- Biography
- Crime
- References
Prior to discovery of the body, Tabbs was known for her violent acts against her black community but she had no criminal record until she was thought to have murdered a white man. Due to her consistent use of aliases and false information, still little is known about her life.
2016 san antonio book festival kali nicole gross hannah mary tabbs and the disembodied torso
Biography
Tabbs was born in Maryland in the 1850s. Ten years after the Civil War she moved north to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In Maryland, she lived with her niece, though it is speculated she was actually Tabbs' daughter, and her husband.
Crime
While most famous for the disembodiment of mixed-race Silas Wakefield Gaines in 1887, Tabbs had a reputation of violence and fraud in the black community. She consistently assaulted people and throughout her life used many aliases and false identities. She often threatened her family members, including her husband. When a man's nearly unrecognizable body turned up, it was found that Tabbs, in conjunction with 18-year-old mixed-race George Wilson, had murdered him. Tabbs had also had an affair with Gaines prior to his death.
For her part in the murder, Tabbs served two years in prison while Wilson served nine.
