LADIES’ FIRST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20110, 31 March 1928, Page 14 (Supplement)

LADIES’ FIRST

PARTNERS IN CRIMI It is an undisputed fact, that where there has been a partnership of the two sexes in crime, the woman is invariably proved to have been the instigator, and, moreover, “the brains” (writes Arthur Lambton in the London Magazine). The murder of O’Connor for his savings by the Mannings is a famous case in point. There is no doubt that Sergeant Wilkins was right in contending for Manning that he was the mere dupe of his wife, and that the whole crime was due to her instigation; and, although Sergeant Ballantine, who defended Mrs Manning, deprecated this “unmanly” line of defence. Manning can scarcely be described as being very “manly” at any time, as all along tie had acted as “maquereau,” and connived at his wife’s liaison with O’Cou-

The execution took place before 50,000 people at Horsemonger Lane Gaol. It is noteworthy because husband and wife have rarely appeared together on the scaffold. Then, so disgraceful was the behaviour of the crowd that it drew from Dickens, who was a horrified spectator, his famous letter to The Times. Yet it took him another 20 years to procure the abolition of public hangings. As all the world knows, Mrs Manning sent black satin out of fashion for fully 40 years by electing to be hanged in that material.