Victorian women got away with murder!

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 11:13 am

This past Sunday my friend and I went on one of several tours of “Little Lake Cemetery” offered by our local archival society.

http://www.trentvalleyarchives.com/news.htm (Item #2)

http://www.littlelakecemetery.com/

We took the tour called “Tragic Tales”.

One stop on the tour was the grave of a Victorian farming man who died in a mysterious fire and was buried headless.

Seems he was getting on in years and made a deal with some neighbors, a young family, that he would leave them everything he owned if they would take him in and look after him in his twilight years. He got along fine with the young man, but not with the wife. The young farmer went out of town one night, and there was a terrible fire. The family’s farm house burned to the ground. The pregnant woman and her three children escaped, but not the older man. His corpse was recovered, minus the head!

Suspicious circumstances all around, especially because the young woman had made no secret she hated the older man, and had vowed she would kill him someday.

She was put on trial, however, she was acquitted because it was determined that a pregnant woman could not have done such a thing.

Eeesh.

They never did find his head!

Cheryl · Post by **Cheryl** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:30 pm

That's interesting! I just love mysterious tales like that.

So they had enough to put her on trial, huh?

I just got back from Savannah and did the Jim Williams tour from the
Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil. It took him 4 trials and a ton of money until he could find a jury to acquit him. What contrast!

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:23 pm

I love that book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Apparently, in the case I mentioned, even the woman's sister testified against her that she had planned to burn down the house. I'd say she had more against her than Lizzie & she still got away with it.

bobarth · Post by **bobarth** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:37 pm

Tina Kate that sounds like a blast. I love cemeteries, and was wondering if you had any pictures to post.

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:00 pm

Alas, no digital camera. I hope to get one eventually.

We plan to go on a local ghost walk next.

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:49 pm

WOW, Tina-Kate, what an interesting story! It is unbelievable, that she got away with it even after her sister testified against her. Good gravy! Makes me wonder about the people who were on jury duty for this woman's trail as well as Lizzie's.

We have come along way since then, haven't we?

Did your tour guide happen to mention what the older gentleman's name was? Or, the pregnant woman's name?

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:11 am

Yes, the names were mentioned---unfortunately I have a memory like a sieve.

I suppose it did not help that we heard many other stories & names along the tour.

However, when I have some time off next month, I'm going to pay a visit to the archives & see what I can come up with. I've never heard this particular story before (& I grew up here!) & I might like to write about it.

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:16 am

Tina-Kate, I know what you mean about taking tours, in which an umpteen number of names are thrown at you, and you can't remember a particular name to save your life; it is nothing to be embarrassed about. Do you think your friend, who took the tour with you, may remember their names?

When you say you'll pay a visit to the archives, do you mean the Trent Valley Archives? I did look through these, but found nothing that related to the story you mentioned - maybe I just didn't look in the right place. I hope you have better luck than I did!

Like the Borden murders, I find this story intriguing! I think it would be a very interesting murder case to write about; good luck to you, if and when, you do decide to write about it.

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:24 pm

I doubt if Donna would remember. Right after the tour we were immediately saying, "My favorite was the one about that headless guy..."

I gave the URL to show the ad for the tours. That site has downloads of lists of articles/items only, so you have to go to the actual achives to view the material.

I will post again with details when I have them, which will be in August sometime as I don't have a chance to get out there during the week when I'm working.

I may try looking for the headstone again this Friday afternoon after work (I work quite close to the cemetery).

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:01 pm

Thanks, Tina-Kate. I'd appreciate it.