Windsor, Connecticut holds the legacy of America’s deadliest serial killer, Amy Archer. Between 1908 and 1916, Archer murdered at least 22 people. True Crime author Mr. William Phelps recounts Archer’s life and crimes in The Devil’s Boarding House: The True Story of America’s Deadliest Serial Killer.
Amy and James Archer opened the Archer Home for Elderly People and Chronic Invalids in 1907. Pioneers in the field of Connecticut home health care, they offered “$1,000 Care for Life” or weekly rates between $7 and $25 for food, lodging and care. medical. So, patients in asylums, institutions and similar facilities were often referred to as “inmates”.
Archer walked around town as a Bible-carrying Christian, reinforcing the community’s admiration for her vocation as a caregiver. The townspeople called her “Sister Amy”. The truth was that Ella Archer had no interest in religion and, as time would tell, she had no formal training as a nurse. Inmates at Archer Home were dying at an unprecedented rate. Archer’s husband, James, died mysteriously in February 1910. Most of Archer’s victims succumbed to a deadly elixir of freshly squeezed lemons, warm water, a touch of sugar to release the bitterness, and arsenic. Archer killed residents to create faster bed turnover to increase income and help her chronic debt challenges. The bodies were removed overnight and quickly embalmed to avoid investigation.
Michael Gilligan, a respected citizen and twenty years Archer’s senior, fell in love with her; and they were soon married. He also died an infinite death; allowing Amy to quickly file a claim in Probate Court for his assets.
Carlan Hollister Goslee, a twenty-two-year-old freelance reporter for the local newspaper, a friend of Archer’s, was the first to suspect Amy’s crimes. Clifton Sherman, editor of the newspaper, knew that Goslee’s story was important. He displayed the utmost professionalism, refraining from publishing the exhibit until undeniable evidence was discovered, which took years.
May 8, 1916 brought Archer’s arrest at his home. By now, “Sister Amy” had become the “Witch of Windsor.” Her trial began in June 1917; and Archer did not take the stand. The all-male jury (women did not begin jury duty until later that year) convicted her of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to hang in a Connecticut state prison; only for the governor to change her fate. A second trial found Archer using the insanity plea. Another twist not present in the original proceedings allowed for the lifetime institutionalization of Archer vs. performance.
Phelps not only details Archer’s history, but also the concurrent events that shaped New England history. The region experienced an unprecedented heat wave the first two weeks of July 1911. To avoid the pain, residents slept outside on their mattresses, businesses closed, and people drowned. An estimated 2,000 deaths were attributed to the crisis. Reading Phelps’ account of the heat wave makes you appreciate today’s ubiquitous air conditioning; which was not common in the US until after World War II. Also imagine the added discomfort Archer inmates must have experienced on top of poor care.
Sixteen pages of black and white photographs complement Phelps’s narrative. They depict key characters including Archer, the general store where the arsenic was purchased, and Archer’s living room.
In 1941, playwright Joseph Kesselring debuted Arsenic and old lace on Broadway; which was based on Archer’s story. His literary genius created a comic account of a historical tragedy. Reading Phelps’ conclusion where he recounts the 66 “reported” Archer Home deaths; you realize that Archer’s actions were no laughing matter. It’s a powerful image to see the killer’s trail on paper.
In March 1962, Archer died in a Connecticut state institution where he had lived for nearly 40 years. Interestingly, the local paper published her obituary on page 6, almost as an afterthought.
Phelps has written several books on serial killers and 8 books on female killers. She admits that, over time, some details of the Archer case were lost. Still, his nearly six years of exhaustive research rewards him with a compelling tale of America’s deadliest serial killer.