The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-14
BEAUTY'S GREAT POWER
WHY THERE ARE so MANY GOOD
LOOKING CaIMINALs.

fendart-Remarkabl Instances OF
the l. fluencs of Beautiful Criminals.
The Case of Miss BIandy-Mary Anne
Burdock's Fascination-Put in Gus
tody of a Policeman's Wife-The Bur
dell and Fair Cases-Good Looks in
Male Criminals-They Count for
sOmething-The Eomely Man and the
Adoais.
Copyright. 1892. By the United Press)
NEW YoRK, Feb. 13.-The idea that a
criminal must necessarily carry the stamp
Of guilt on his features. and is more likely
to have q plain. or even repulsive. than a
handsome and attractive face, will not stand
the test of study and inquiry.
The rogues' gallery at New York police
headquarters, while not a galaxy OF good
looks, contains many faces that would
at once be pronounced attractive, and
some Of the female faces are remarkably
pretty. In the case Of women, there is a
special reason for this Women who fol-
low crime as a profession are usually led
into it by male companions. and the latter,
iii selecting female accomplices take beauty
of feature into consideration. Female shop
Iifters and pickpOckets are, as a rule, good
looking. Decided unattractiveness of ia
and form would be a serious bar to success
in attracting other peoples property, for it
would arouse comment aud curiosity, and
perhaps lead to detection.
Again, beauty has its influence in saving
the guilty from merited punishment. All
authorities acknowledge that it is extremely
difficult TO convict even a passably good
looking woman Of any crime, however
strong the evidence. The kind Of a jury
makes no difference, provided they are
males. How women fare at she hands of
their fellow women, in Wyoming and other
communities where women share in jury
duty, Is a different matter. There, posi-
bly,, O pretty young offender might be ut a
serious disadvantage before a jury of ma
tured and stalwart western matrons. But
the Juryman. no matter how
seasoned, falls q ready and suscepti
bic victim. This was amusingly illustrated
in Rhode Island not long ago. when young
woman Of frail associations was tried on
the charge of attempting to poison a house
full OF other young women Of a similar
stripe. The evidence was clear enough, and
a man in the same circumstances would
have been convicted in a twinkling. But
the prisoners lawyer craftily appealed to
the sympathies CT the jury, and the dozen
bareheaded and hardisted old farmers
began biubbering into their coat-tails
and pocket handkerchiefs. They acquitted
the defendant without leaving their seats,
and then passed in solemn and fearful
procession to shake hands with her. Out
side of the court room, probably, not one
of them would have given the young woman
a glance or a thought. 1t was the idea of a
pretty girl in danger Of state prison that
aroused IN those veterans Of the barnyard
that chivalry, which however latent, is
probably absent from the breast Of no civil
lied man.
Criminal history contains many instances
Of the potent power which female beauty
has exercised over judges and juries. A re-
marAable case was that Of Miss Blandy,
tried before Judge Wherefore. iu tie early
part Of the century, for the mu der of her
father. The proof was clear that the young
woman killed her father because he opposed
her marriage with the man of her choice.
English law was administered at that time
with severity unknown in these days when
some pTetext is almost always found for
saving a woman from the galows. SO
marked was the influence Of Miss Blandy's
beauty that great difficulty was found in
obtaining jury. Ia view of the evidence
and the apparently inevitable result, no
body wished to sit Oh the case. Several of
the persons summoned frankly gave as an
excuse to the judge that they feared their
decision would be swaYed by the prisoners
charms. The judge soundly lectured and
threatened to imprison them, but they adj
hered to the reply.
When the jury WAS obtained, and the trial
opened. it had to be stopped on account Of
the evident impression which Miss Blandy
produced on one of the jurymen, who was
noticed by the judge casting very friendly
giances ward the fair prisoner. This Jury
man was committed for contempt of court,
and his place filed by another.
Even then the jury disagreed, al
though it was shown that Miss Blandy
had not denied either the crime or the
deliberation which accompanied it. The
judge, who was himself as firm as a rock,
became greatly excited, and, although it
wac the usual time of adjournment, he
said he would not leave the bsnch until
justice had been done. With this significant
hint to overawe them, the next jury re-
luctantly convicted the prisoner, recon-
mending her TO mercy. Judge Wilberforce
said he could see no ground for mercy,
and hastily put on the black cap, and
sentenced the beautiful prisoner to
death. She was hanged in the presence of
a multitude who displayed their sympathy
by sobs and tears, and cries Of SHAME"
On the same day was executed a wrinkled
old woman named Brush convicted of steal
ing Is shillings, then a capital offence. No
attention Whatever was paid to her, and no
OhSioos
Another instance that sgnally illustrated
the power of beauty in female criminal
was that of Merry Anne Burdock, the cele-
brated murderess. at Bristol, England, a
number of years ago.
This woman possessed gift of fascina-
ton that could not be surpassed. 1t was
by using this power that she brought her
victims to her feet, and, after plundering
them. got rid of them by poison, and. it is
believed, although never proved, sometimes
by more violent methods also. When ar
rested she did not trust to the forlJrn hope
of casting a spell upon the court or jury.
She exercised her fascination upon
the jailer. Two days after she
was lodged in Bristol Jail, she had
the warden in her tolls, and be and
the lovely prisoner were missing together.
A month later both were captured in a
town in the North Of England, where they
were living under assumed names. The
warden was brought back and lodged in the
prison of which be had been keeper. Again
Mary Anne brought into play her peculiar
arts, turnkey, this time, being the quarry.
She was again successful, and she and the
turnkey disappeared. The ex-warden was
left behind, without even a message 10 con-
sole him.
The fugitives attempted to escape from
the country by engaging passage at Liver
pool for New York. Their purpose was
suspected. and they were taken at the
wharf. One incident alone illustrates more
than column of recital could, what the po-
lice thought Of the woman's power. When
ba euDarintnndont TivarpoOl eape