The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-18
MODERN LUCREz|A
b0RG|A SLEW MANY
BEFORE DETECTION
New York WORLDLY

Do women commit cold-blOoded
murder? That there have been thou
sands of women killers within gener-
alton we know. But are their slayings
not always either what the French call
crimes passionels, or killings of re-
venge, or homicides founded on NOR
bid sensuality, or occasions due to
pathological conditions-insanity, neu-
rosis, hysteria, or epilepsy? In
word, do women kill, as countless men
in every age and cline have killed, for
exclusively mercenary motives and
with calm generalization?
These old, but ever fresh questions,
are revived by the confession and
lifelong sentence of Mrs. Amy +.
Archer Gilligan, in Connecticut. Re
Gently this mature woman herself
brought to an end a three years fight
against charges of the state which in
ferentially involved the deaths of per
haps forty human beings. ,
This woman was not emOtionally
or erotically concerned with any of
her victims. At no point was any
hatred or passion against any one
shown. She tried to plead insanity,
but repeated examining boards of ply
sicians found her all too sane. She
had simply murdered number, and
perhaps a very large number, of old
men and women to profit a few hund-
red dollars extra on each trucidation.
A complete and perfect Borgia, one
with few parallels.
Women May XIII.
But If LucreZia Borgia's record,
true or fabulous, in no way compares
to this story, there are other women
along the backwaters of history, old
and new, whose doings will add evil
dence to support the truth that
woman may kill and does kill as
calmly and consciously as man.
The celebrated Marie dAubray,
marquise de Brinvilliers. 1630-76. Is
one of the best examples from older
times. Having exhausted her hus-
bands fortune and disposed of him,
she poisoned her mother, father, and
other relatives in startling succession.
to possess herself of their money.
She finally poisoned her lover by mis-
take, was caught and decapltated.
The only crime of her many in which
any emotional elements were at play
was her last, and it was more acct
dent than crime.
France has had number of other
examples. Marie BOmparQ. lndt
abysmal child of crime, will be ex-
ample sufficient. In 1889, this young
girl formed a plot with her lover, one
Eyraud, to lure Gouffe, rich notary
into an apartment and there strange
him. She went from Paris to London
with Eyraud and there bought the par
aphernalia of her crime-a large
trunk and a strong colored cord to
match a dressing gown. With this
equipment she and her lover returned
and then she led the smiten Gouffe
into her room and sat in his lap in a
chair. She slipped the strong cord
of her gown about his neck and re
marked what a lovely necktie it
would make. That was the signal
Eyraud hiden behind a drapery
tugged at the cord. In few minutes
Gouffe was dead. His body was hid
den in the trunk and she sat beside it
all night. She and her paramou1
were caught after prolonged search
Indeed. she brazenly walked into the
projects office and said she had
heard he was looking for her, hoping
to shift the blame to Eyraud. Both
finally were convicted The girl had
done her crime only to get money.