The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1871-07-27
Extraordinary Crimes Of the Day.
(From the New York Herald.)

(From the New York Herald.)
We seem Just now to be passing
through cycle of criminal phenomena
as peculiar as shocking and atrocious |;
and 1t is remarkable that many Of the
horrid crimes we have heard Of lately
have been committed by women-by
women, too, who have had the advan-
taxcs of education, and In some places
Of good birth and condition In life
There Ia the recent case OF Mrs. Fair,
In California, with which all our readers
are familiar. Then came the reported
murder Of Nelson w. Sherman aud his
three children by poisoning in Connec-
ticut by the wife of Sherman and step
mother of the children; and now we
have the horrible tragedy in Baltimore,
in which an accomplished woman, Mrs.
Wharton, moving in the best society,
has been indicted by the Grand Jury
for poisoning General Ketchum and at
tempting to poison Mr.. Van Ness, and
with damaging circumstantial evidence
that other victims have been disposed
of in similar manner by this woman.
These last named women are called
Borgias. because their crimes are SINH
lar in wholesale destruction of life and
systematic criminal action; but in the
case of the infamous Italian princess
there was the motive of ambition as
we'll as a mnrderous disposition. In
the cases of Mrs. Sherman and Mrs.
Wharton there does not appear TO be u
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 a motive Of cupidity 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: yet
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 way ward and acted in an extraor-
binary manner, and was charged with
being insane by her father when she
announced her approaching marriage
and got ready to marry 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 family, and has lived
respected apparently in community
that was supposed to know her WE'LL
She was even, it is said, a consistent
member of the Church. Is it possible
that with all this Mrs. Wharton was a,
heart and secretly a murderer of the
worst sort? Or was there latent
streak of insanity in her unseen and un.
suspected by her friends and acquain.
tances? 1t is hard to decide. Then
again, admitting even that there was 4
touch of insanity in this woman, nice
question arises as to how far persistent
continued and systematic crime in ono
so generally sane and intelligent can be
excused or be punished. The whole
community will watch with the great
est interest the development Of evidence
in her case. 1t will be one of the mos
remarkable cases i'm the history of crimi
nal Jurisprudence. and. no doubt, the
ablest lawyers will be employed in it
These fearful crimes by women imdi
cate that there is something wrong il
our social life. Has the effort of the
so-called strong-minded women te
bring their sex into the turmoil Of life''
arena, and by so doing to draw theil
sisters from the sweet influence of do.
nestle life and the family, led in &
measure to these crimes? This is Sc
rious question, and one which ouI
mothers and sisters would DO well &c
ponder over. "The times are out o
joint" and there must be no mistaken
philanthropy, no pailiatiOn Of crime
because the criminals NAV be women
For the sake of society Justice must be
blind and hold the scales evenly to-
ward women as well as toward men.