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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 indicate that the murderess was the stronger of
the two women。 The case of Belle Gunness （treated by Mr George
Dilnot in his Rogues March＇1＇） might be cited。 Fat； gross…featured； far
from attractive though she was； her victims were all men who had married
or had wanted to marry her。 Mr Dilnot says these victims ‘‘almost
certainly numbered more than a hundred。'' She murdered for money；
using chloral to stupefy； and an axe for the actual killing。 She herself
was slain and burned； with her three children； by a male accomplice whom
she was planning to dispose of； he having arrived at the point of knowing
too much。 1907 was the date of her death at La Porte； U。S。A。
＇1＇ Bles； 1934。
It occurs when the female killer happens to be dramatical…minded that
she will use a pistol。 Mme Weissmann…Bessarabo； who； with her
daughter； shot her husband in Paris （August 1920）； is of this kind。 She
and the daughter； Paule…Jacques； seem to have seen themselves as wild；
wild women from the Mexico where they had sometime lived； and were
always flourishing revolvers。
I would say that the use of poison so much by women murderers has
reason； first； in the lack of physique for violent methods； but I would put
alongside that reason this other； that women poisoners usually have had a
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handy proximity to their victims。 They have had contact with their
victims in an attendant capacity。 I have a suspicion； moreover； that a
good number of women poisoners actually chose the medium as THE
KINDEST WAY。 Women； and I might add not a few men； who would be
terribly shocked by sight or news of a quick but violent death； can
contemplate with relative placidity a lingering and painful fatal illness。
Propose to a woman the destruction of a mangy stray cat or of an
incurably diseased dog by means of a clean； well…placed shot； and the
chances are that she will shudder。 Butno lethal chamber being
availablesuggest poison； albeit unspecified； and the method will more
readily commend itself。 This among women with no murderous instincts
whatever。
I have a fancy also that in some cases of murder by poison； not only by
women； the murderer has been able to dramatize herself or himself ahead
as a tender； noble； and self…sacrificing attendant upon the victim。 No
need here； I think； to number the cases where the ministrations of
murderers to their victims have aroused the almost tearful admiration of
beholders。
I shall say nothing of the secrecy of the poison method； of the chance
which still exists； in spite of modern diagnosis； that the illness induced by
it will pass for one arising from natural causes。 This is ground traversed
so often that its features are as familiar as those of one's own house door。
Nor shall I say anything of the ease with which； even in these days； the
favourite poison of the woman murderer； arsenic； can be obtained in one
form or another。
One hears and reads； however； a great deal about the sense of power
which gradually steals upon the poisoner。 It is a speculation upon which
I am not ready to argue。 There is； indeed； chapter and verse for believing
that poisoners have arrived at a sense of omnipotence。 But if Anna
Zwanziger （here I quote from Mr Philip Beaufroy Barry's essay on her in
his Twenty Human Monsters）； ‘‘a day or two before the execution； smiled
and said it was a fortunate thing for many people that she was to die； for
had she lived she would have continued to poison men and women
indiscriminately''； if； still according to the same writer； ‘‘when the arsenic
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was found on her person after the arrest； she seized the packet and gloated
over the powder； looking at it； the chronicler assures us； as a woman looks
at her lover''； and if； ‘‘when the attendants asked her how she could have
brought herself calmly to kill people with whom she was livingwhose
meals and amusements she sharedshe replied that their faces were so
stupidly healthy and happy that she desired to see them change into faces
of pain and despair；'' I will say this in no way goes to prove the woman
criminal to be more deadly than the male。 This ghoulish satisfaction；
with the conjectured feeling of omnipotence； is not peculiar to the woman
poisoner。 Neill Cream had it。 Armstrong had it。 Wainewright； with
his reason for poisoning Helen Abercrombie‘‘Upon my soul I don't
know； unless it was that her legs were too thick''is quite on a par with
Anna Zwanziger。 The supposed sense of power does not even belong
exclusively to the poisoner。 Jack the Ripper manifestly had something of
the same idea about his use of the knife。
As a monster in mass murder against Mary Ann Cotton I will set you
the Baron Gilles de Rais； with his forty flogged； outraged； obscenely
mutilated and slain children in one of his castles alonehis total of over
two hundred children thus foully done to death。 I will set you Gilles
against anything that can be brought forward as a monster in cruelty
among women。
Against the hypocrisy of Helene Jegado I will set you the
sanctimonious Dr Pritchard； with the nauseating entry in his diary （quoted
by Mr Roughead） recording the death of the wife he so cruelly murdered：
March 1865； 18； Saturday。 Died here at 1 A。M。 Mary Jane； my
own beloved wife； aged thirty…eight years。 No torment surrounded her
bedside ＇the foul liar！＇but like a calm peaceful lamb of God passed
Minnie away。 May God and Jesus； Holy Ghost； one in three； welcome
Minnie！ Prayer on prayer till mine be o'er； everlasting love。 Save us；
Lord； for Thy dear Son！
Against the mean murders of Flanagan and Higgins I will set you Mr
Seddon and Mr Smith of the ‘‘brides in the bath。''
％ IV
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I am conscious that in arguing against the ‘‘more deadly than the
male'' conception of the woman criminal I am perhaps doing my book no
great service。 It might work for its greater popularity if I argued the
other way； making out that the subjects I have chosen were monsters of
brutality； with arms up to the shoulders in blood； that they were prodigies
of iniquity and cunning； without bowels； steeped in hypocrisy； facinorous
to a degree never surpassed or even equalled by evil men。 It may seem
that； being concerned to strip female crime of the lurid preeminence so
commonly given it； I have contrived beforehand to rob the ensuing pages
of any richer savour they might have had。 But I don't； myself； think so。
If these women； some of them； are not greater monsters than their
male analogues； monsters they still remain。 If they are not； others of
them； greater rogues and cheats than males of like criminal persuasion；
cheats and rogues they are beyond cavil。 The truth of the matter is that I
loathe the use of superlatives in serious works on crime。 I will read； I
promise you； anything decently written in a fictional way about ‘master'
crooks； ‘master' killers； kings； queens； princes； and a whole peerage of
crime； knowing very well that never yet has a ‘master' criminal had any
cleverness but what a novelist gave him。 But in works on crime that
pretend to seriousness I would eschew； pace Mr Leonard R。 Gribble； all
‘queens' and other honorifics in