Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-08-18
Extraordinary Crimes Of tire
DIV,

We seem just now, says the New
York Herald, to be passing through
cycle of criminal phenomena rs pccu-
liar as shocking and atrocious ; and it
is remarkable that many of the hor-
rid crimes we have heard of lately
have been committed by women-by
women, too, who have Lad the advan
tages of education, and in some cases
of good birth and condition in life
There is the recent case of Mrs. Fair.
i'm California, with which all our read
ers are familiar. Then came the re-
portCd murder of Nelson w. Sherman
and his three children by poisoning in
Connecticut ty the wife of Sherman
and stepmother of the children and
now we have the horrible tragedy in
Baltimore, in which an accomplished
woman, Mrs. Wharton, moving IL the
best society, has been indicted by the
Grand Jury for poisoning General
Ketchum and attempting to poison
Mr.. Van Ness, and with damaging
circumstantial evidence that other
victims have been disposed of in a
similar manner by this woman. These
last named women are called BOrgias,
because their crimes are similar in
wholesale destruction of life and sys-
tematic criminal action; but in the
case of the infamous Italian princess
there was the motive of ambition as
well as a murderous disposition. In
the cases of Mrs. Sherman and Mrs.
Wharton there does not appear to be
vaulting ambition, though there
may have been cupidity. In fact,
with Mrs. Wharton there seems to be,
so far as the evidence shows up to this
| time, scarcely motive OF cupldity
strong enough for the crimes she Is
charged with. 1t is difficult to believe
such crimes could be committed under
| the circumstances by sane woman )
vet Mrs. Wharton had lived years in
refined and intelligent society without
being suspected of insanity. True,
more than twenty years ago, when
| girl she was wayward and acted In an
| extraordinary manner and was charg-
ed with being insane by her father
| when she announced her approaching
marriage and got ready 10 marry a
gentleman who knew nothing of the
matter but that was long time ago.
| since then she has become a woman
of mature age, with grown up fami-
IN. and has lived respected apparently
| in community that was supposed TO
know her well. She was even, it is said
a consistent member uf the Church. Is
il possible that with all this Mrs.
| Wharton was at heart and secretly a
murderer or the worst sort? Or was
| there n latent streak of insanity in her
unseen and unsupported by her friends
and acouaintances? 1t is hard to de-
eide. Then, again, admitting even
! that there was touch of insanity in
| this woman, nice question arises as
/ to how far persistent, continued and
| systematic crime in one so generally
sane aud intelligent can be excused or
lie punished. The whole community
will watch with The greatest interest
| the dvelopment of evidence in her
case. 1t will be one of the most re-
markable cases ia the history criminal
nal Jurisprudence, and, no doubt, the
ahlest lawyers viii be employed in it,
! These ft aFful crimes by women indi-
cate that there is something wrong in
| our social life. Has the effort of the
so-cailed strUng-nrnded women TO
| bring their sex into the turmoil of lifeis
arena. and by so-doing 10 draw their
sisters from the sweet influences of
domestic life and the family, lead in
| in measure TO these crimes? This
is a serious question, and one which
our mothers ard sisters would do well
TO ponder over. The times are out
of ioint,n and there must be no mis-
taken philanthrophy, no paliation Of
crime, because the criminals may be
/ women. For the sake of society JUS
tiee must be Mind and hold the. scales
evenly toward women as well rs to-
| ward men.