Wholesale Poisoning by a Woman.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 44, 20 July 1885, Page 4

Wholesale Poisoning by a Woman.

A horrible, case ofwholesalsalepoi«oning at. Leydon came before the criminal Court of the Hague 1 recently. The prisoner is a woman of forty sixnamed Van de Linden. She is married and has several children; :It appears that; since 1869 sfie has attemped to poison n?> less than one hundred and two persons, mid that she tried to poison everybody who came m her way. It is' proved that she kiiled twenty seven of her victims and that forty-five others became 'dangerously.? illi Six times she endeavoured'topoison one of her sistor-iri-lnw. The prisoner, however, is indicted for mar- : dering three persons only. 1 The public Prosecutor maintains 'that the motive of: the criminal was the- obtaining money which the insurance societies would have to pay m case of illness or death.' Vaii de Linden, it is stated, made her intended victims members of these societies/ Sometimes without their knowing it, and m such cases paying their-contributions. It £s certain, however, that the woman \^>oi soned several people whose ill ness or death could be of no pec uuiary benefit to her. The prisoner has been carefully examined by three, eminent medical men, who certify to her sanity Theeveutsqn.vthich the trial is based. . took place m 1881 and 1883, and it is , said that during this time she tried to kill twenty persona. The poison which sh« used was arsenic which she mixed with the;food or drink of liej victims,. and the drug was found m the bodies ofsomoof them. There aire m lall about forty-four witnesses .who have been or will be examined. The prisoner is a pale and ugly woman, with no expression of intelligence. She is defended by M Valiant, j;a -young; Mawy^r of srreat ability. At the close of the evidence on ihe second bay the prisoner, who ..at first streuiiously denied the crimes with which she was charged, confessed the facts which . form the subject of the prosecution, but she denied ythat she had any pecuniary motive; At - the ■ opening of the "trial the J prisoner fainted and the Court had to be adjourned for an hour. On her • examination being resumed, she confessed sto two of the murders, but she alleged that she did not intend to kill the people. The Public Prosecutor then addressed, the*. Court, and ask«d i tlje President to pronounce a sentence of impiisonment.for life. M. Vaillant, the prisoner's advocate, m reply, contended that the case had not been legally proved, .but admitted that the prisoner was a monster suffering from mpral; SeutoiiCe was deferred for a week.