September 28, 2005
Book explores old murder mystery
Author writes fictional novel based on real-life murder case on Old Mission in 1895
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
"Facts are not fiction, but fiction can be factual_sort of."
With these words grounding his talk, author Stephen Lewis outlined how he wove a piece of local history into the novel, "Murder on Old Mission." He described his sixth published novel and the historical facts behind it to 30 people Monday evening at the Peninsula Community Library.
Published this year by the local Arbutus Press, "Murder on Old Mission" is based on the real-life death of Julia Curtis in 1895 plus the trial and conviction of Woodruff Parmelee for murder. Just 22 when she died, Curtis lived near Parmelee, a 44-year-old man who had been twice divorced and accused of spousal abuse. A reputed romantic link plus a couched hint in the Grand Traverse Herald, which reported extensively on the murder and trial, about a pregnancy, made it a sensational case in the region 110 years ago.
Lewis' fictional account included new names for the main characters, a shrunken Old Mission Peninsula, new or ignored characters and imagined scenes, motives and actions. Lewis also increased the age of Parmelee's stepson, who supported his stepfather's alibi during the trial, from 15 to 20 and gave him a romantic interest in Curtis. George Parmelee, Woodruff's father and a prominent farmer who brought fruit farming to the region, had died ten years before the murder. In the novel, Lewis had him still living to provide a filial tension in the story.
"I took my outlines of the story, changed things around, invented characters, got rid of some who were not necessary," said Lewis, a professor emeritus of English at Suffolk College on Long Island. "It is a novel based on facts, not a true crime story."
Lewis, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, moved to the area three years ago with his wife, Carolyn, who was born and raised on the peninsula. Her father, the late Walter Johnson, a passionate historian for the Peninsula, provided a spark for "Murder on Old Mission."
"He took us to visit a monument to George Parmelee," Lewis recalled of a journey with Johnson to the private Lakeside Cemetery near the base of the Old Mission Peninsula. "Parmelee was extremely important in the mid to late 19th Century, owned a huge chunk of the end of Old Mission Peninsula. Walter said, 'There's a story in this family and you ought to tell it.'"
Intrigued, Lewis began digging, sifting through documents and newspaper accounts. Showing photos and snippets of newspaper articles gleaned from his research, Lewis described Monday night how he took the story as it was and imagined how it could be.
He wrestled with how to present a story whose main character, the girl, was dead because he did not want to craft a straight murder mystery. Lewis added various motivations to his fictionalized Julie Curtis, including a deceased younger brother and a hope that her unborn child would help her family heal from this earlier death. He also made her desperate to marry the Parmelee character, despite the man's repeated failures as a husband and stated reluctance to try again.
In fact, making the Parmelee character - a repugnant man thoroughly disliked - more likable was central to his story.
"One of my problems in writing the book was making him less unpleasant than he was in real life," Lewis said. "I wanted you to have some sympathy."
Shifting back to the real events, Lewis also described the trial and flimsy evidence used to convict Parmelee, noting sloppy forensics and one dubious shoe print used to send the man to prison for 20 years. Even a corroborated alibi that put him out of the immediate area of the murder did not hold weight with the Traverse City jury.
"My feeling is that he was prosecuted because they didn't like him," said Lewis, who nevertheless feels Parmelee could be guilty. "He had a severe image problem and was going to get convicted anyway."
The Peninsula Community Library is nestled in the Mapleton Market during the renovation of the Peninsula Community School, its permanent home. The library hosts approximately three public programs a quarter and Lewis drew an enthusiastic crowd that reflected intense local interest in the book.
"We order one copy of most books," noted Vicki Shurly, director of the small library. "If a book makes the best seller list, we may get a second copy."
"We have three official copies of Stephen's book and another we slyly slip patrons when the waiting list gets too long," she added. "Even with all those copies, we still have 12-15 people on the list."