按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
conception of Eve as the ‘‘minist'ring angel； thou；'' that leaps to extremes
in expression are easy。
A drunken woman； however； and for example； is not essentially more
degraded than a drunken man。 This in spite of popular belief。 A
nymphomaniac is not essentially more degraded than a brothel…haunting
male。 It may be true that moral sense decays more quickly in a woman
than in a man； that the sex…ridden or drink…avid woman touches the deeps
of degradation more quickly； but the reasons for this are patent。 They are
economic reasons usually； and physical； and not adherent to any inevitably
weaker moral fibre in the woman。
Women as a rule have less command of money than men。 If they
earn what they spend they generally have to seek their satisfactions
cheaply； and； of course； since their powers of resistance to the debilitating
effects of alcohol are commonly less than those of men； they more readily
lose physical tone。 With loss of health goes loss of earning power； loss
of caste。 The descent； in general； must be quicker。 It is much the same
in nymphomania。 Unless the sex…avid woman has a decent income； such
as will provide her with those means whereby women preserve the effect
of attractiveness； she must seek assuagement of her sex…torment with men
less and less fastidious。
But it is useless and canting to say that peccant women are worse than
men。 If we are kind we say so merely because we are more apprehensive
for them。 Safe women； with but rare exceptions； are notably callous
about their sisters astray； and the ‘‘we'' I have used must be taken
generally to signify men。 We see the danger for erring women； danger
economic and physical。 Thinking in terms of the phrase that ‘‘a woman's
place is the home；'' we wonder what will become of them。 We wonder
12
… Page 13…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
anxiously what man； braver or less fastidious than ourselves； will accept
the burden of rescuing them； give them the sanctuary of a home。 We see
them as helpless； pitiable beings。 We are shocked to see them fall so low。
There is something of this rather maudlin mentality； generally
speaking； in our way of regarding women criminals。 To think； we say；
that a WOMAN should do such things！
But why should we be more shocked by the commission of a crime by
a woman than by a maneven the cruellest of crimes？ Take the male and
female in feral creation； and there is nothing to choose between them in
the matter of cruelty。 The lion and the lioness both live by murder； and
until gravidity makes her slow for the chase the breeding female is by all
accounts the more dangerous。 The she…bear will just as readily eat up a
colony of grubs or despoil the husbandry of the bees as will her mate。 If；
then； the human animal drops the restraints imposed by law； reverting
thereby to the theft； murder； and cunning of savagery； why should it be
shocking that the female should equal the male in callousness？ Why
should it be shocking should she even surpass the male？ It is quite
possible that； since for physiological reasons she is nearer to instinctive
motivation than the male； she cannot help being more ruthless once
deterrent inhibition has been sloughed。 But is she in fact more dangerous；
more deadly as a criminal； than the male？
Lombrosovide Mr Philip Beaufroy Barry in his essay on Anna
Zwanzigertells us that some of the methods of torture employed by
criminal women are so horrible that they cannot be described without
outraging the laws of decency。 Less squeamish than Lombroso or Mr
Barry； I gather aloud that the tortures have to do with the organs of
generation。 But male savages in African and American Indian tribes have
a punishment for adulterous women which will match anything in that line
women have ever achieved； and men in England itself have wreaked
perverted vengeance on women in ways indescribable too。 Though it
may be granted that pain inflicted through the genitals is particularly
sickening； pain is pain all over the body； and must reach what might be
called saturation…point wherever inflicted。 And as regards the invention
of sickening punishment we need go no farther afield in search for
13
… Page 14…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
ingenuity than the list of English kings。 Dirty Jamie the Sixth of
Scotland and First of England； under mask of retributive justice； could
exercise a vein of cruelty that might have turned a Red Indian green with
envy。 Moreover； doesn't our word expressing cruelty for cruelty's sake
derive from the name of a manthe Marquis de Sade？
I am persuaded that the reason why so many women murderers have
made use of poison in their killings is primarily a simple one； a matter of
physique。 The average murderess； determined on the elimination of； for
example； a husband； must be aware that in physical encounter she would
have no chance。 Then； again； there is in women an almost inborn
aversion to the use of weapons。 Once in a way； where the murderess was
of Amazonian type； physical means have been employed for the slaying。
In this regard Kate Webster； who in 1879 at Richmond murdered and
dismembered Mrs Julia Thomas； springs to mind。 She was； from all
accounts； an exceedingly virile young woman； strong as a pony； and with a
devil of a temper。 Mr Elliot O'Donnell； dealing with her in his essay in
the ‘‘Notable British Trials'' series； seems to be rather at a loss；
considering her lack of physical beauty； to account for her attractiveness to
men and to her own sex。 But there is no need to account for it。 Such a
thing is no phenomenon。
I myself； sitting in a taberna in a small Spanish port； was once pestered
by a couple of British seamen to interpret for them in their approaches to
the daughter of the house。 This woman； who had a voice like a raven；
seemed able to give quick and snappy answers to the chaff by frequenters
of the taberna。 Few people in the day…time； either men or women； would
pass the house if 'Fina happened to be showing without stopping to have a
word with her。 She was not at all gentle in manner； but children ran to
her。 And yet； without being enormously fat； 'Fina must have weighed
close on fifteen stone。 She had forearms and biceps like a coal…heaver's。
She was black…haired； heavy…browed； squish…nosed； moled； and swarthy；
and she had a beard and moustache far beyond the stage of incipiency。
Yet those two British seamen； fairly decent men； neither drunk nor brutish；
could not have been more attracted had 'Fina had the beauty of the Mona
Lisa herself。 I may add that there were other women handy and that the
14
… Page 15…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
seamen knew of them。
This in parenthesis； I hope not inappropriately。
Where the selected victim； or victims； is； or are； feeble…bodied you will
frequently find the murderess using physical means to her end。 Sarah
Malcolm； whose case will form one of the chief features of this volume； is
an instance in point。 Marguerite Diblanc； who strangled Mme Reil in the
latter's house in Park Lane on a day in April 1871； is another。 Amelia
Dyer； the baby…farmer； also strangled her charges。 Elizabeth Brownrigg
（1767） beat the feeble Mary Clifford to death。 I do not know that great
physical difference existed to the advantage of the murderess between her
and her older victim； Mrs Phoebe Hogg； who； with her baby； was done to
death by Mrs Pearcy in October 1890； but the fact that Mrs Hogg had been
battered about the head； and that the head had been almost severed from
the body； would seem to in