A Gilded Age Tale of Murder, Money and Madness

In 1885, the unexpected death of beloved Benjamin J. Burton polarized the close-knit community of Newport and made headlines across the country. Burton was a trailblazing entrepreneur once thought to be the wealthiest Black man in Rhode Island. The prime suspect was his son-in-law, a dashing medical student set to become one of the first Black surgeons. The resulting trial tore the town in two and pitted a young, rising attorney, son of Irish immigrants, against the powerful Sheffield attorneys. The authors present the riveting true story of money, murder and madness.

Kay Adams was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas and attended the University of Mississippi and the University of Arkansas before relocating to Connecticut where she studied creative writing under author and essayist Scott Bradfield at the University of Connecticut. Kay spent 34 years working as an executive in the banking industry, retiring from her role as a Senior Vice President at the Bank of Arkansas in 2016. A lifelong voracious reader and creative writer, she is also a pastry chef, community volunteer, and mentor to her former associates. Learn more about Kay at gildedageauthors.com.

Nancy Markey was raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas and studied at the University of Arkansas and the University of Mississippi, graduating from Ole Miss with a degree in History. Nancy spent the next few years as a flight attendant before obtaining her law degree in Massachusetts. She is a labor attorney and historian who enjoys researching and sharing fascinating stories of the lesser-known residents of Gilded Age Newport. Her essays, “Abney vs. Twombly, A Gilded Age Tale of David vs. Goliath,” and “Redemption Among Rubble” were winning entries in local writing contests and published in Newport Life Magazine. Learn more about Nancy at gildedageauthors.com.