The Detroit times., 1913-01-18
NO WOMAN WAS
EXECUTED In THE
WORLD IN 1912
General Opinion Is That Male
Members viii Not Con-
vict Weaker Sex
UNWRITTEN LAW HOLDS
GOOD IN MANY TRIALS
Some of the Cases Where Wom-
en- We're Indicted as Slayers
and Then Acquitted

NEW YORK, Jan. 1S.-In all the
civilized world IN 1912 no woman
has been executed for murder, SO far
as the newspaper and telegraph rec
ords show. There have been fewer
convictions OF women than ever be-
fore. Prosecuting officials everywhere
are quoted as saying that 1t has be-
come almost impossible to persuade a
jury OF men to find a woman guilty
OF capital offense, unless It Is q case
OF infanticide. Wherever there Is the
slightest chance to invoke the "un-
written law" the defendant, whether
man or woman, goes free OF death.
II has been proposed that women be
tried by juries OF women. All OF the
woman defendants who have been
quoted have been emphatically
against IT, They prefer men on the
jury.
In Philadelphia, on Dec. IA. Mrs.
Frieda Hartmann frost was convicted
OF numbering her husband by poison
on Aug. z. six days after the wedding.
The man had made over to her his
$1,000 property.
Her alleged accomplice, Edward
Guenkel. a married man, is to be tried
on a murder charge An investigation
into the death. Feb. 10, 1911. OF the
woman's first husband. Frederick
Hartmann. showed, according to the
authorities, that he was poisoned.
This was the first conviction of a
woman for murder In the first degree
In twenty-five years in PHILADELPHIA.
Already women in that city ara CIR
| culating a petition for life imprison-
ment instead OF hanging.
Ohio had a noted murder trial at
Columbus in November. The defend.
ant, Miss Cecilia Farley, a stenorra,
pher in the state house. who shot to
death In May Alvin e Zollinger. She
was engaged to Jerome Quigley. and
Zollinger. she said, had threatened 70
kill her and Quigley. She was &C,
quilted.
Chicago has had a dozen sensation
al homicide cases with women as the
central figures. but there has beer
not single conviction for murder IN
the first degree.
Prominent among the trials In tina
city was that OF Mrs Louise Vermilye
charged with killing her husband. Tn,
i jury disagreed.
Another sensational Chicago tria
accused OF shooting her husband as h.
slept. She was acquitted.
Mrs. Rena B. Morrow, Chicag,
poetess. was tried on a charge O
numbering her husband. She was &C
quilted
Other acquittafs in Chicago were
those OF Lucille Mcleod, accused OF
numbering william Nieman, and Mrs
I n L. Inv hn
ing the death OF her husband by gas
Another Chicago acquittal was that
OF Mrs Jane Quinn, whose third hus.
band, an insurance man, had been
shot to death when he was asleep.
His pistol was found under the bath
tub. Still another Chicago acquittal
was that OF Estelle Stout. charged
with killing Harry Hornberger, an
instalment man.
In Maine, In November. Mrs. Elsie
Hobbs Raymond, accused OF strang-
ling. in August, 1905. Miss Matte
Hackett, OF the village OF Readfeld,
was acquitted.
In Boston, In June, a jury convicted
a man and woman OF the same muir
der. The man. Harry Marshall, Is TO
be electrocuted, but the sentence OF
the woman. Lena Cusumano, whose
husband was the victim. was commut-
ed to life Imprisonment.
At Los Angeles, In November, Mrs.
Pansy Ellen Lesh, who had been rear
ed in an orphan asylum at st. Louis.
confessed, the police alleged, TO pois-
oning in 1904 Mrs. Quaintance at
Green Ridge, Mo, and Mrs. Coe at
Sedalia, Missouri.
A Missouri jury at Kansas City IN
July freed Miss Ethel Gamble the day