The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-05-11
DoKs THE TRIM "sorrRR ssx,' APPLYq


DOES THE TERM "soFTRR sBx'' APPLY
Perhaps one OF the most peculiar
phases of modern crime Ia the extreme
hardihood Of woman criminals. They
display a nerve and execute their deadly
work with precision and Completeness
worthy Of all'sdmration II they were
exhibited in better cause. All Califor-
mans Of any length of residence will
remember the cruel and remorseleaB
way in which Mrs. Laura D. Fair shot
Judge ,Crittenden. The Cunningham
Burdett episode in New York, although
Mrs. Cunningham was not convicted,
was another case which illustrated the
dauntless nerve of women She was
characterized by sang trotd that few
men posseHs, II she murdered DR.. Bur-
dett, which nearly everybody believed at
the time, the transaction was managed
with consummate skill. The other day,
in San Francisco, q Mrs. Worthington
murdered in cold blood a plumber
named Baddely. who had been her para
mour. She killed him, according to all
the accounts, because he would not con-
tinue his Illicit relations with her. She
was unfaithful to her husband and vet
that quasiexemplary individual is stick
ing as close to her az a porous plaster,
and shows his devotion by sharing her
prison. Every feminine culprit invari-
ably aguifiea her possession OF superior
nerve when arraigned for crime.
What is the secret of the almost inva-
riable success which attends woman's
attempt to kill q man? A fancifu ex-
PLANTATION would be that che had suf-
fered grevious wrong, and that "thrics
is she armed who hath her quarrel
just" But that theory would certainly
not apply to such women ae Laura D.
Fair and Mrs. Worthington. The most
reasonable hypothesis for the fact that
she does succeed in killing when ahe
starts out are two. (1) She knows
that no man deserving tho name will
fight back. In other words, she has all
the percentage, and she approaches q
man with absolute fearlessness. She
knows, also, that If by any chance she
fails to assassinate the object of her
hatred and crowd should collect, the
mob to man, in America, at least,
would side with her. This is particu-
larly true of California, where chivalry
always takes the most exsravagant
forms. The male all over the United
States eeeme to take strong delight in
siding against himself. This is emphat-
ically the country whore the sentiment
"The man who would lay his hand upon
q woman, save in the way Of kindness,
is wretch whom it wers base hattery
to call coward" prevails in full force.
49, In addition to knowing that she isin
no danger of being herself hurt in per-
sona collision, woman knows that
after committing q murder, or ten muir
ders, che is in no earthly danger of
being convicted anywhere in the United
States, except in the state of New Jer-
sey, which is supposed to be out Of
Uncle Sans domain anyhow. The
knowledge that one has a pretty good
chance of being hung is strong pre-
NonblNb VI nuh u WOlllhh hllOWb
that as to that she takes no chances.
II these are not the explanations of
the GOODNESS and ferocity of many
women in these later days we are at
loss to account for the phenomena. We
are not prepared to accept the theory
that men and women are changing their
respective attitudes, and that woman is
coming to the front az the fighter Of the
human race. We OF course recall the
Penthesieas, the Boadiceae, the Judiths
and Josns of Arc of early and still earlier
times. But, without trying to explain
the riddle, it lie quite apparent that the
term, "the softer SEX" is now a mis-
homer. The Duchess Sarah was wont to
bully her husband, the great warrior
Duke of Marlborough, almost into con-
niption fits. But we had always looked
upon these incidents as exceptional, aud
not to be taken as sample of the whole
sex. We are coming to accept great
many new things, of late, and to put
new interpretations on old things, and
/ il may be that we shall be obliged to
change our old conceptions of woman,
/ lovely woman" and accept her as the
coming gladiator and all round holy