{"product_id":"2940016546728","title":"The Community House","description":"Mayor Hank Smid learned early on July 8, 1900, that his family bank had been robbed and his long-time friend murdered. Small Midwestern town Snyderville would never be the same. The beginning of the twentieth century now required the two struggling cultural groups to resolve their differences if progress was to be achieved.\u003cbr\u003eWealthy land baron Fenton and the town people were compelled to work together and a new meeting place, a community house, appeared to be the answer. Draining the low swampy areas surrounding the town was finally accomplished after a gigantic grain elevator fire, a tornado, a diphtheria epidemic, a rape-murder, and other natural and human disasters of epic proportions. Electricity finally arrived and changed the mood of all the inhabitants. Now issues of capital punishment, women’s rights, and political agendas were readily apparent.\u003cbr\u003eThe trial of the two men accused of murder in the 1900 bank robbery was held in the newly dedicated “Community House” and the spectacular trial drew national attention. Significant attention was focused on Gerhard Smid as he prosecuted the defendants and skillfully introduced trial tactics dealing with issues of capital punishment.","brand":"Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47153346543856,"sku":"2940016546728","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940016546728_p0.jpg?v=1763637666","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940016546728","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}