The Long Island Murders

Welcome to Civics and Coffee. My name is Alycia and I am a self-professed history nerd. Each week, I am going to chat about a topic on U.S history and give you both the highlights and occasionally break down some of the complexities in history; and share stories you may not remember learning in high school. All in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee. 

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Hey everyone. Welcome back. 

During one of my research rabbit holes, I came across a random reference to a true crime story from the nineteenth century. The story popped up as I was researching the Levi Weeks episode back in 2021. The headlines seemed interesting, however it was significantly ahead of my timeline and so I squireled it away, saving it for a future research effort. 

Touted as the Long Island Murders, the 1854 double homicide and manhunt that followed attracted quite a bit of attention. But what happened? 

This week, I am diving into the Wickham Murders. How did it happen? Who was involved? And what similarities does it have to the Levi Weeks case from decades before? 

Grab your cup of coffee, peeps. Let’s do this.

Before I dive into the details of the case, I want to talk a little bit about source material. This is very much a regional history. Unlike the Levi Weeks case, there aren’t any historically prominent players in this case. As such the information thats been cultivated thus far is primarily from newspaper articles which, while a very good primary source, isn’t exactly full proof. 

Journalism in the nineteenth century lacked any set of consistent editorial standards or methods for verifying information. And as a business, newspapers were deeply committed to generating revenue. Mix those two factors with the intense and pervasive interest in murder and the combination could lead to some exaggerated details and less than accurate headlines. With that being said, I move forward in this narrative with the warning that this telling is built off a cultivation of the available newspaper sources and a short summation of the facts written by members of the Southold Historical Society. Also, given the scant amount of resources, this will be a shorter than usual episode. Okay, let us begin. 

Located on the north fork of Long Island in Suffolk County, the small town of Southold was settled by Europeans in 1640. Prior to settlement, the area was home to the Lenape (Len - Ah - Pee) peoples whose territory spread as far south as Delaware. However, upon European contact, the town served primarily as a plantation. The area was divided in 1661, carving out an even smaller plot that went on to be titled Cutchogue (Kuh-Chaag). The town remained true to its european roots and became peppered with a mix of farms and homes. 

And it was in 1851 that James and Frances Wickham purchased a farm of their own in the little community. Married in 1847 at a local Presbyterian church, the Wickhams moved into the home that would serve as their place of death in either late 1851 or early 1852. Owning several acres, the Wickhams required a staff. A wealthy landowner and farmer, custom dictated the Wickam family hire domestic servants to maintain the house and field hands to work the crops. And labor was definitely not in short supply as the United States was in the middle of a massive influx of Irish immigrants, pouring into the country as a means for survival as Ireland was reeling from the impacts of the Great Hunger, more commonly known as the Great Famine. 

In 1845, a new disease infected Irish potatoes, leading to the loss of nearly half of the expected crop for the year. While there had been several other issues with the potato crops in prior years, the new disease proved catastrophic. Ireland’s poor relied heavily on potatoes for their diet and so the massive loss of the crop led to widespread hunger and death. The infestation continued for several years, causing crop yields to diminish and, making matters worse, Ireland continued to export what little food they did have which further prolonged and exacerbated the issues of hunger amongst the poor. This prompted hundreds of thousands of individuals to board a ship for the United States, where they felt they at least had a chance of survival and earning a wage. 

So it would seem perfect timing that just as the Wickhams moved into their new estate and required the help of a small staff, thousands of Irish immigrants were landing on the shores of New York daily. Unfortunately, luck would not be with the Wickhams as a dispute between two of their employees would end in violence. 

The Wickhams first hired Ellen Holland upon her arrival in 1851. Born in Northeast Ireland in 1819, Holland arrived in the United States with a chaperone, Robert Parker, as women were not permitted to travel alone. She, like many other immigrants, registered with the Emigrant Labor Exchange. The exchange acted like a placement service for new arrivals and was a way for immigrants to secure positions of employment without the fear of being taken advantage of. As was common during the time, Holland lived on site, rising early to care for the household and retiring in the evening after the last chores were completed. 

The Wickhams also needed someone to work their fields and here is where Nicholas Behan comes into the picture. The man who would ultimately be convicted of the murder of three people, Behan was one of five children born in Ireland around 1830. Behan and Holland both entered the United States in 1851, with Behan arriving on a steamer on September 5th. It is believed Behan began his employment with the Wickhams in 1852, also securing his appointment through the labor exchange. Behan, who’d been living in the heart of New York, moved out towards Long Island once the wealthy farmer offered him a post. 

It is believed that Nicholas began courting Ellen in either 1853 or early 1854, giving her small gifts and tokens of affection. However, Ellen was reportedly uninterested and tried to rebuff the young man’s advances on her own before finally telling the lady of the house, Mrs. Wickham in June of 1854. A departure from protocol, Mrs. Wickham told Nicholas he was to leave Ellen alone. Typically disputes between staff were handled by the male owner, which may have further angered Behain. His response was unnerving as he chided Mrs. Wickham for getting involved in his personal affairs before slamming her against a wall with the aid of a mattress. 

Nicholas then left the Wickham residence, supposedly to sleep elsewhere. However his anger never subsided and so Behain returned to the property under the cover of darkness, close to midnight and grabbed a mortise ax. Also known as a post ax, the heavy metal blade was affixed to a long wooden handle and was a common tool found on farms during the period. Sneaking in silently, Nicholas identified an unlocked window and crept into the kitchen, murder weapon in hand. The Wickhams owned a dog, however it appears as though Behain used his familiarity with the animal to his advantage and was able to avoid any detection. 

Once inside, Behain initially made his way toward another servant’s room, that of a young african american boy. Recounted in his confession, Behain apparently said quote: “I struck him with three or four blows with the ax on his head and then left him for dead,” end quote. He then continued toward the Wickhams’ bedroom, where he struck James Wickham at least twenty times. Still full of rage, Nicholas then turned his attentions to Mrs. Wickham who suffered significant blows to the head, leading to her skull being shattered. In their retelling of the brutal murder, authors Geoffrey Flemming and Amy Folk wrote quote: “the room was said to resemble the interior of a slaughterhouse, with skull fragments, splashes of blood and brain matter strewn around the room,” end quote. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wickham suffered immense brutality, so much so that Mr. Wickham also suffered a broken jaw. Despite the grotesque and overwhelming violence of the attack, Mr. Wickham somehow managed to stay alive for another two days before finally succumbing to his injuries. 

According to his confession printed in the New York Daily Times, Behain then trained his eyes on where the servant women of the household slept. In his retelling of the night, Nicholas planned to tie the door shut so they would be unable to leave. But he soon discovered they had already made their escape, exiting through their bedroom window. It seems from the story Behain told that he had not planned to murder Ellen, the woman he was so enamored with. It remains unknown why he decided to spare her. Perhaps he hoped his heinous act would somehow prove his love or maybe he wanted Ellen to feel guilty for the crimes and carry that trauma for the rest of her life. Whatever his motivations, Behain quickly made his escape when heard screams coming from the distance. He climbed a fence and headed for the woods, leading a trail of blood in his wake. A trail that would assist authorities in tracking his movements and eventual capture about two days after the murders. 

The New York Herald was the first paper to break the story of the homicide in the small community out on Long Island. This created a bit of a media frenzy, as much of a frenzy as could be expected in 1854, and several other New York periodicals sent their reporters out to the small town to uncover any new details or to try to talk to the now notorious killer. On June 7, 1854, Nicholas Behain was in custody and being transported to the county jail in Riverhead. Once detained, Behain made several attempts at suicide. His attempts became so numerous that local authorities, worried he would be successful, stripped his cell of everything except a bed to sleep in. When it came time for meals, Behain was served on a tin plate without the aid of cutlery. Given the massive media attention surrounding the case, several tourists descended upon the jail, all asking to see the accused. 

Ever the small community, it was victim James Wickhams’ brother, William Wickham, who was serving as the District Attorney and was responsible for taking the case to court. Unable to spend any time grieving the loss of his brother, William Wickham moved quickly to prepare his case. Behain was indicted and the trial was scheduled to begin October 25th, but actually began a day early on the 24th. The trial created quite a stir, and people flocked to the sleepy community to witness the proceedings. A story published by one of the various newspapers told of Ellen Holland, the woman whom Nichola Behain had become obsessed with, running up the accused and asking for herself whether he was truly guilty of murder. Behain apparently responded in the affirmative, adding quote: “and you were the cause of it,” end quote. 

The trial went quickly and the jury took less than an hour to decide the verdict: guilty. His punishment was execution by hanging, scheduled for the afternoon of December 15th. With a death sentence in hand, Behain made several attempts at escape, including setting his own cell on fire. But his fate seemed to finally sink in, prompting a marked shift in his demeanor. He was described as becoming introspective and took to carving the date of his execution on the walls of his cell. On the day of his execution, Nicholas Behain met with a priest, Father McCarthy. Executions were still considered a somewhat public affair, and it is estimated that nearly three thousand individuals made the trek to witness it. As ordered, on December 15th, 1854, Nicholas Behain became just the sixth man since the American Revolution to be executed on the gallows, hanging for nearly 40 minutes to ensure the process was complete. 

In the aftermath of the triple homicide, the Wickham farm went to James’ brother and the district attorney who secured justice for his brother, William. As for the woman at the supposed center of it all, Ellen Holland eventually married and became one of the leading citizens of the community. She became a well to do member of society, even hiring her own live-in servants. As far as I could find, she never spoke publicly about the event or recorded her memories in correspondence or journals. 

In comparing the case of Nicholas Bahin and Levi Weeks, there are a few similarities, but just as many differences. Much like Weeks, there was widespread coverage of the crime and pre-judgment of both defendants. However, I’d like to point out that while Weeks maintained his innocence, Behain went on record as being the responsible party. It also highlights the earliest days of how much focus and attention was and continues to be paid upon white female victims. Both of these stories were widely reported and sensationalized, something not often seen with victims of other skin colors. Both cases also involved questionable relationships with the victim’s brother serving as the prosecuting attorney in one case, and a financial connection between the defense attorney and their defendant's family in another. But whereas Levi Weeks had arguably the best and brightest attorneys sitting at his defense table, poor Irish immigrant Nicholas Behain could claim no such victory. 

A crime that rocked a small community, the Wickham Murders continue to draw interest today. The story of a young couple, murdered in their homes, creates an intimate connection to whoever hears it and I think it will remain a major part of Long Island history. 

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