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555:. Needle claimed that she was often beaten with a stick or rope by her mother and at 12 she was indecently assaulted by her stepfather. She left home at 13 and started working as a housekeeper and married Henry Needle in 1882 when she was 18. The marriage was happy and the couple had three daughters - Mabel, Elsie, and May - before the family moved to the
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Louis
Juncken, a friend from Adelaide, operated a saddlery business with his brother Otto Juncken at 137 Bridge Road, Richmond and, in 1891, Needle sub-let the attached house and took in lodgers. Needle began an affair with Otto in 1893 but Louis and his other brother Herman disapproved and attempted
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On 23 February 1885, Mabel Needle died after a short illness. Needle stated that she "seemed to fade" and later collected ÂŁ100 ($ 57,600 in 2024) life insurance on Mabel's death. Henry Needle, who was insured for ÂŁ200, died of a mysterious illness on 4 October 1889, followed by Elsie and May in 1890.
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known for poisoning her husband, three children, and prospective brother-in-law. She was hanged on 22 October 1894 when she was 31. She was convicted for the murder of Louis
Juncken, brother of her fiancé Otto Juncken, on 15 May 1894. Although Needle collected substantial sums of insurance money, her
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Boyd informed the police of his suspicions and a trap was set, the police asked Herman to ask Needle to make lunch. After being served a cup of tea, Herman literally "blew the whistle", summoning detectives who arrived as Needle was struggling with Herman to upset the teacup, which was found to
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to handle his late brother's affairs, he ate a meal prepared by Needle and suddenly became ill. He recovered but became ill again the next day after eating breakfast. Two days later, Herman had fully recovered but while eating a lunch prepared by Needle, he was seized by painful violent cramps.
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During her time in gaol, Needle received continued visits from her friends. In her final letter to a friend, Mrs. Owen, she writes "Try not to grieve too much for me." She was executed at 8:00 am on 22 October 1894. When asked for her last words, she replied, "I have nothing to say."
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and included the headstones, with initials and date of execution, of all those executed and buried on the grounds. Although most were placed with the engravings facing inwards, Needle's stone was faced outwards, and the initials MN and the date are still clearly visible in the
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613:, were also exhumed. All five bodies were found to contain fatal levels of arsenic and Needle was charged with the murder of Louis Juncken. The trial lasted three days; Needle pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty and sentenced to death.
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Foran was charged with the offence of indecent assault on Martha
Charles and the jury took 30 minutes to return a verdict of guilty. Foran was sentenced to the maximum of 2 years imprisonment on 3 April 1876 by Justice
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in 1885. After the move, the relationship between Martha and Henry Needle deteriorated; she was an attractive woman and enjoyed the company of men; he was a shy, jealous man who often beat her.
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Doctor Boyd treated Herman for suspected poisoning and took a sample of Herman's vomit and sent it to the government laboratory for analysis. The analyst reported that the sample contained
551:; her father died when she was quite young. In 1870, her mother Mary Charles married Daniel Foran and had two more children. They were poor and lived in a small two-room house in
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reports of Needle's age when she left home vary, however, she was indecently assaulted at age 12 by her stepfather; at that time she was still living at home.
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Needle was the third of four women hanged at the Old
Melbourne Gaol, where her death mask can be seen. The others were Elizabeth Scott (1863),
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exact motive for murdering her family has not been determined. Several times she stated her innocence, but she was eventually hanged.
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629:(1894), and Emma Williams (1895). On 15 July 1920, Alexander Newland Lee, the son of Needle's older sister Ellen, was hanged at
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Doctors were baffled. Needle spent almost all the insurance money on an elaborate family grave which she visited regularly.
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https://web.archive.org/web/20121023180428/http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/walksandtrails_historytrail_bluestoneseawall.htm
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wall. Over time, sand drifts buried her headstone until its precise location was rediscovered near
Wellington Street.
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walls to protect local beaches from erosion. The stones were taken from the outer walls of the
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to prevent their engagement. The following year Louis became ill and died of suspected
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1120:"Law and criminal courts-Supreme Court: Criminal sittings; sentencing of prisoners"
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Needle was charged with attempted murder. The body of Louis
Juncken, interred in
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https://newdiogenesmelbourne.wordpress.com/2018/03/14/martha-needles-headstone/
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820:"Richmond poisoning case: Mrs. Needle's life in Adelaide; Troubled with fits"
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884:"Black Widows: Six notorious female killers who turned on their loved ones"
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852:"Law and criminal courts: Supreme Court criminal sittings; arraignments"
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for the 1 April murder of his wife Muriel, who had been poisoned with
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Photograph of Martha Needle from the Public
Records Office Victoria
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609:. The bodies of Henry Needle and the three girls, interred in
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from the original on 10 November 2018 – via nla.gov.au.
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745:"The Richmond poisoning case - Letters of the accused"
580:. In June 1894, Herman travelled to Melbourne from
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1050:Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle
717:"Mrs Needle's career: Statements by acquaintances"
547:Needle was born Martha Charles on 9 April 1863 in
1262:People executed by Australian colonies by hanging
8:
598:contain enough arsenic to kill five people.
196:introducing citations to additional sources
55:Learn how and when to remove these messages
814:
812:
349:
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327:Learn how and when to remove this message
309:Learn how and when to remove this message
152:Learn how and when to remove this message
272:This article includes a list of general
186:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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666:
88:Please improve this article by adding
1232:Australian people convicted of murder
797:from the original on 10 November 2018
761:from the original on 12 November 2018
7:
1217:19th-century executions by Australia
1160:“Melbourne Argus”, 28 September 1894
1132:from the original on 7 November 2018
1086:from the original on 5 November 2018
894:from the original on 6 November 2018
864:from the original on 7 November 2018
832:from the original on 7 November 2018
1267:People executed by Victoria (state)
1170:http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/
1237:Executed Australian serial killers
1163:"Bayside Council History Trail" -
644:, the Brighton City Council built
278:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
1021:"State Library Victoria - Viewer"
697:List of serial killers by country
36:This article has multiple issues.
1227:Australian murderers of children
1222:Australian female serial killers
1046:"THE EXECUTION OF MARTHA NEEDLE"
605:was exhumed and samples sent to
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179:relies largely or entirely on a
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25:
1082:. 27 October 1894. p. 18.
44:or discuss these issues on the
1247:Executed female serial killers
1:
1125:The South Australian Register
1094:– via trove.nla.gov.au.
857:The South Australian Register
825:The South Australian Register
356:
90:secondary or tertiary sources
1072:"Execution of Martha Needle"
966:"EXECUTION OF MARTHA NEEDLE"
940:"EXECUTION OF MARTHA NEEDLE"
860:. 30 March 1876. p. 3.
828:. 3 August 1894. p. 7.
1154:"New Diogenes Melbourne" -
1128:. 4 April 1876. p. 3.
1106:"Martha Needle's headstone"
757:. 16 June 1894. p. 7.
729:. 23 June 1894. p. 8.
593:Arrest, trial and execution
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722:South Australian Chronicle
1242:Executed Australian women
1212:1894 murders in Australia
1202:1885 murders in Australia
791:Adelaide, South Australia
786:The Express and Telegraph
727:Adelaide, South Australia
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781:"Married: Foran-Charles"
603:Lyndoch, South Australia
1140:– via nla.gov.au.
914:"CASE OF MARTHA NEEDLE"
872:– via nla.gov.au.
840:– via nla.gov.au.
805:– via nla.gov.au.
769:– via nla.gov.au.
549:Morgan, South Australia
452:Henry Needle (murdered)
434:Black widow of Richmond
386:Morgan, South Australia
293:more precise citations.
1252:Filicides in Australia
1025:State Library Victoria
77:relies excessively on
918:Sydney Morning Herald
890:. 25 November 2014.
425:Execution by hanging
192:improve this article
998:. 29 September 1894
497:Span of crimes
421:Cause of death
413:Melbourne, Victoria
16:Australian murderer
1149:General references
650:Old Melbourne Gaol
534:was an Australian
409:Old Melbourne Gaol
360: 1880s/1890s
1052:. 23 October 1894
972:. 27 October 1894
946:. 26 October 1894
920:. 10 October 1894
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177:This article
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1134:. Retrieved
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944:Burrowa News
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567:The killings
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374:9 April 1863
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38:Please help
35:
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1257:Mariticides
1207:1894 deaths
1197:1863 births
801:10 November
765:12 November
655:Green Point
640:During the
415:, Australia
388:, Australia
291:introducing
142:August 2009
1191:Categories
1136:8 November
1090:5 November
1076:the Leader
898:6 November
868:8 November
836:8 November
703:References
635:strychnine
621:Afterwards
559:suburb of
543:Early life
401:1894-10-23
378:1863-04-09
274:references
218:newspapers
112:newspapers
79:references
41:improve it
1272:Poisoners
1080:Melbourne
755:Melbourne
750:The Argus
646:bluestone
607:Melbourne
557:Melbourne
509:Australia
501:1885–1894
188:talk page
47:talk page
1130:Archived
1084:Archived
892:Archived
862:Archived
830:Archived
795:Archived
759:Archived
731:Archived
691:See also
582:Adelaide
561:Richmond
520:Victoria
515:State(s)
457:Children
443:Executed
299:May 2017
248:May 2017
1056:23 July
1002:23 July
976:23 July
950:23 July
924:23 July
587:arsenic
578:typhoid
506:Country
488:Victims
483:Details
399: (
376: (
355:Needle
287:improve
232:scholar
126:scholar
1030:3 June
970:Leader
477:Murder
449:Spouse
276:, but
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674:Stow.
661:Notes
384:Near
239:JSTOR
225:books
133:JSTOR
119:books
1138:2018
1092:2018
1058:2024
1032:2020
1004:2024
978:2024
952:2024
926:2024
900:2018
870:2018
838:2018
803:2018
767:2018
394:Died
367:Born
211:news
105:news
611:Kew
194:by
81:to
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1012:^
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811:^
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