The 1923 disappearance of Esther Sue Todd began like many others -- without warning. It was December in New York City. Esther, in her mid-twenties, was out with her sister, Ruth, and best friend Beth. The three women had gone to see a Christmas performance. Beth became ill and so Esther drove them to Harlem Hospital. When Beth got better, Esther went to get the car -- and never came back.
I was working as a crime reporter for the Harlem Chronicle. When I got word of the situation, I went down to the police station on West 135th Street. Ruth was there, trying to get help and getting nowhere. I started writing about the case.It would a lot of digging to get to the truth behind Esther's disappearance. But I would get it.
The Todd case stayed with me for a lot of reasons. There was Esther herself. She was so young and had so much to live for. She was talented and hardworking. After surviving an abusive marriage in which her husband beat her and disfigured her, she was finally feeling hopeful. She had a job as a laundry woman. Her son, Job, was only seven, but very bright, very mature for his age. Like her, he had a remarkable musical talent. And now with the help of her new patron, Mrs. Katherine Goodfellowe, a very wealthy Park Avenue socialite, Esther's dream of rising out of poverty seemed within reach.
Then disaster happened.
As in so many cases, the crime had more than one victim: There was the Harlem community-at-large, which had been so proud of Esther and her potential. There was her family -- her sister, her parents. Most of all there was her son.
A lot of people asked me why I fought so hard to bring Esther back home. I really think that Job was the answer. After spending my days writing about the partying of people who barely had a care in the world, It was a relief to make a difference, to ease the pain of a little boy's heart and the agony of a dying mother.
The Todd case marked a turning point in my career. My editor, Sam Delaney, agreed to let me combine my interest in crime with my interest in society. I would now cover the good, the bad and the ugly in uppercrust society.
This diary will detail some of the cases I covered, and even had a hand in solving. It will not only look back, but accompany me as I go about my daily work. To anyone who stumbles upon it, I promise to do my best to keep it exciting.
