FEMALE FIENDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12393, 10 August 1918, Page 2

FEMALE FIENDS.

WOMEN WHO LOVED TO TORTURE. V omen when they are cruel are much more subtle in their methods than men (writes Elliott O’Donnell in “ Penson’s Weekly ”). This is especially noticeable m their dealings with children.

Of English criminals in modern times, mm distinguished herself more as a torturer m the sixties than Airs Lawton I*"s woman,. whom some people described as more than ordinarily goodlooking, had a sou, Timothy,' agod eleven, to whom sho took a very violent antipathy. She rarely fed him, and to inciease his craving tor food, she used to make him come to the table when ■she ,iyns haying. Tier. mea!s_ and watch her eat and drink.

If ever ho tried to pick up a few crumbs she used to pinch him with all her might and make him fall on his knees and ask her pardon. Then, when this part of tho performance was over, he was told to strip, a strap with an iron buckle was produced, and bis mother, rolling up the sleeves of her elegant gown, used to thrash him, pausing every now and then to exchange some casual remark with her husband, who shared her animosity to the boy,' till she was obliged to desist through very weariness.

A MOTHER’S HATRED. By that time Timothy was generally insensible, in which condition lie was taken into a dark, unwholesome cellar and thrown on the cold stones to recover or otherwise, whichever Nature thought- best. In the end he succumbed, and his cruel tormentor was at last brought to book.

In the same year another woman, Bridget Harrington, also of very fair form, distinguished herself for torturing her old mother in order to extract money from her. Bridget used to tie her mother to the bed and lash her with a strap until she conipelled her to give her a few shillings. The neighbours at length got wind of what was going on, and the poor old woman was rescued, almost at the point of death. One of the most barbarous wretches of the last century, also a very buxom, if not actually pretty, woman was Jane Crosby, wife of a labourer at Lamraonby, near Penrith. Jane had two daughters, Mary and Sarah Ann, aged respectively twelve and seven. She liked Mary, but Sarah she hated, because Sarah used to inform her father of Jane’s carryings on, when bo was out of work. Jane was both a drunkard and a drug maniac. For a long time she bottled up her wrath _ against Sarah, contenting herself with inflicting minor torments on her, such as giving her sharp pinches and slaps, and stopping half her food, but at last, unable to restrain herself any longer, she decided on a fearful revenge.

Waiting till her husband was safely otu of the way, she called both the children into the kitchen, and, locking the door and pulling down tho blinds, bid Sarah undress. In fear and trembling tho little mite obeyed, whereupon her mother marched her to the fire, and the torture began. With the aid of Alary, who held her arms to prevent her struggling, Sarah was lifted off the floor and held over the fire until life was extinct, A SECRET SOCIETY.

When I was in Galifornia I learnt of a case in Chili that excited some sensation at the time.

In this particular town a number .of girls, nearly all very pretty, started a secret society, the principal idea being to derive all tho enjoyment they could from torturing some human being or animal. They used to meet in a wood, and for the time being were content to torture dogs and cals and any wild animal they could catch. A prize was always given to the one who could procure the most suffering. Tired with torturing animals, they turned their attention to human'beings, and afraid of experimenting on whites, got hold of natives, whom they inveigled to their retreat by promises of money or other presents! Tho most frightful tortures were inflicted, which for subtlety far exceeded anv of those practised by tho Red Indians. If any girl ever showed symptoms of pity, she was at once threatened with similar punishments, and so no mercy was ever shown, The foreign settlors in the district, after great trouble, succeeded in breaking up the chib.