286:
apparently poisoned because he was "in the way". When it came to John's death, Sarah vehemently denied poisoning him herself, and instead claimed that while she had bought the poison, he had taken it by his own volition because of the family's extreme poverty. Apparently, she had planned to take her own life after the murders, but decided against it since the
257:. She, too, had been insured by the John Hancock Financial for $ 122. And a month after, on May 26, Willie also died. Since Dr. Smith abandoned the case, his colleague Dr. Dietrich determined the cause of death as congestion of the bowels. Like his sister and father, he too had been insured: for $ 30 at the John Hancock Financial, and for $ 17 at
302:. After deliberating on the issue, they returned and pronounced her guilty of first degree murder and received a mandatory death sentence. While the verdict didn't faze Sarah at all, it shocked the contemporary public in Philadelphia, especially the female population, who went so far as to sign a petition for commutation of her sentence.
420:
572:
537:
480:
445:
558:
519:
501:
459:
397:
380:
351:
310:
Whiteling suffocated from the strangulation, although, according to physicians, her heart had continued beating for a little while after the drop. Her body was then sent for dissection to Dr. Alice W. Bennett, who examined her brain, before eventually being sent off to be buried alongside her murdered relatives.
237:
Sarah then had a child with a man named Thomas Storey, who kept an oyster saloon in the city, naming her Bertha. In March 1880, she married John
Whiteling, bringing along her then 9-month-old daughter with them. In 1886, the couple had their own child, which they named William C. Whiteling, nicknamed
285:
When questioned about her motives, Mrs. Whiteling claimed that she had murdered Bertha in order to prevent her from becoming a "sinful and wicked girl", as she had constantly misbehaved and stolen various items, such as pennies and pocketbooks, from her teacher and neighbors. As for Willie, he was
309:
On the execution date, Sarah
Whiteling appeared to be unmoved by her conundrum, as she believed that God will forgive her sins and that she will go to Heaven to be with her children. On June 25, 1889, at 10 o'clock, following a short prayer delivered by Rev. William D. Jones, the trap was sprung.
273:
The short intervals of the deaths proved suspicious to
Coroner Ashbridge, and after an examination with the Health Office, he ordered that the case be investigated. With the assistance of Chief Det. Wood and Det. Gyer, the bodies were exhumed from Mechanics' Cemetery. Following an examination
305:
Despite this, Gov. Beaver did not change her sentence. Whiteling was only prosecuted for her daughter's murder, as there was insufficient evidence for the other murders. While imprisoned, Sarah was informed that she had been left a fortune from a deceased relative back in Iowa.
31:
698:
246:
On March 30, 1888, John died suddenly, with the attending physician Dr. G. W. Smith evaluating that the cause of death was inflammation of the bowels. His life had been insured in two companies: the
206:
who poisoned her husband and two children in the span of three months in 1888. She was sentenced to death and executed for her crimes, becoming the first woman to have been executed in
282:. Spending most of her imprisonment in prayer, suffering from a nervous prostration for a physician to be called in, she confessed to murdering her two children using "Rough on Rats".
728:
723:
250:
and the
Benevolent Order of Buffalos, each paying Sarah $ 145 and $ 85 respectively. When questioned about his death, she claimed that he had committed suicide.
401:
319:
738:
703:
718:
713:
693:
688:
261:. Sarah refused when asked if the bodies could be examined by the coroner, claiming that when one of her previous children supposedly died in an
659:
617:
708:
638:
298:
At her trial, Whiteling's lawyer tried his best to convince the jury that his client was insane, and had to be sentenced to
649:
607:
628:
231:
70:
651:
Women and
Capital Punishment in America, 1840–1889: Death Sentences and Executions in the United States and Canada
265:, doctors had started the post mortem exam process and realised, much too late, that the child was still alive.
484:
324:
247:
683:
678:
258:
85:
541:
207:
125:
733:
593:
523:
355:
227:
135:
66:
655:
634:
613:
299:
278:
was discovered in the bodies. Sarah Jane
Whiteling was arrested shortly after, and placed on
425:
672:
279:
254:
219:
203:
200:
168:
74:
218:
Claiming to have been born in
Germany, Sarah was initially married to Tom Brown in
180:
119:
30:
230:, they moved to Philadelphia. A few years later, Brown was imprisoned in the
262:
107:
275:
223:
47:
538:"Significant Figures From the Reports of the Fire Insurance Companies"
630:
The
Penalty Is Death: U. S. Newspaper Coverage of Women's Executions
287:
290:
states that those who take their own life cannot enter Heaven.
699:
253:
On April 24, Bertha also died, with her verdict being
234:
for highway robbery, and died serving his sentence.
174:
164:
154:
146:
141:
131:
117:
103:
91:
81:
55:
40:
21:
325:List of serial killers with the nickname “Borgia”
274:performed by Professor Leffman, large amounts of
579:. Waterbury Evening Democrat. 24 December 1888.
609:Engendered Death: Pennsylvania Women Who Kill
8:
383:. Morning Journal and Courier. 13 June 1888.
222:in 1868. At some point, the couple moved to
320:List of serial killers in the United States
729:People executed by Pennsylvania by hanging
724:People convicted of murder by Pennsylvania
29:
18:
466:. The Portland Daily Press. 16 June 1888.
346:
344:
342:
340:
508:. The Bottineau Pioneer. 3 January 1889.
496:
494:
440:
438:
436:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
365:
553:
551:
448:. Fisherman & Farmer. 22 June 1888.
336:
475:
473:
415:
413:
411:
392:
390:
7:
561:. Pittsburgh Dispatch. 24 June 1889.
16:German-born American serial poisoner
14:
195:(1848 – June 25, 1889), known as
739:Serial killers from Philadelphia
704:Executed American serial killers
633:. University of Missouri Press.
402:The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
719:Filicides in the United States
714:Executed female serial killers
694:American murderers of children
689:American female serial killers
1:
294:Trial, sentence and execution
559:"No Hope For Mrs. Whiteling"
99:"The Philadelphia Murderess"
97:"The Philadelphia Poisoner"
755:
594:Murder by Gaslight Article
232:Eastern State Penitentiary
71:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
606:Joseph W. Laythe (2011).
381:"A Modern Borgia's Deeds"
186:
160:March – May 1888
113:
28:
462:The Portland Daily Press
269:Discovery and confession
95:"The Wholesale Poisoner"
709:Executed American women
627:Marlin Shipman (2002).
485:Washington Evening Star
421:"Philadelphia's Borgia"
352:"A Terrible Confession"
648:Kerry Segrave (2008).
520:"Sarah Jane Whiteling"
481:"A Woman To Be Hanged"
248:John Hancock Financial
197:The Wholesale Poisoner
464:General News section"
504:Man's Wicked Doings.
426:St. Paul Daily Globe
259:Prudential Financial
199:, was a German-born
193:Sarah Jane Whiteling
86:Execution by hanging
23:Sarah Jane Whiteling
612:. Lexington Books.
544:. 21 February 1889.
542:Pittsburgh Dispatch
487:. 22 December 1888.
429:. 29 November 1888.
208:Philadelphia County
156:Span of crimes
126:First degree murder
82:Cause of death
35:Sketch of Whiteling
524:Great Falls Leader
398:"A Woman Executed"
356:Alexandria Gazette
67:Moyamensing Prison
526:. 5 January 1889.
446:"A Woman's Crime"
300:life imprisonment
190:
189:
63:(aged 40–41)
746:
665:
644:
623:
581:
580:
569:
563:
562:
555:
546:
545:
534:
528:
527:
516:
510:
509:
498:
489:
488:
477:
468:
467:
456:
450:
449:
442:
431:
430:
417:
406:
405:
394:
385:
384:
377:
360:
359:
348:
177:
132:Criminal penalty
122:
92:Other names
62:
33:
19:
754:
753:
749:
748:
747:
745:
744:
743:
669:
668:
662:
647:
641:
626:
620:
605:
602:
590:
585:
584:
571:
570:
566:
557:
556:
549:
536:
535:
531:
518:
517:
513:
500:
499:
492:
479:
478:
471:
458:
457:
453:
444:
443:
434:
419:
418:
409:
404:. 26 June 1889.
396:
395:
388:
379:
378:
363:
358:. 13 June 1888.
350:
349:
338:
333:
316:
296:
271:
244:
216:
175:
157:
118:
104:Criminal status
98:
96:
77:
64:
60:
51:
45:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
752:
750:
742:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
696:
691:
686:
681:
671:
670:
667:
666:
661:978-0786438235
660:
645:
639:
624:
619:978-1611460933
618:
601:
598:
597:
596:
589:
588:External links
586:
583:
582:
575:Condensed News
564:
547:
529:
511:
490:
469:
451:
432:
407:
386:
361:
335:
334:
332:
329:
328:
327:
322:
315:
312:
295:
292:
270:
267:
243:
240:
215:
212:
188:
187:
184:
183:
178:
172:
171:
166:
162:
161:
158:
155:
152:
151:
148:
144:
143:
139:
138:
133:
129:
128:
123:
115:
114:
111:
110:
105:
101:
100:
93:
89:
88:
83:
79:
78:
65:
57:
53:
52:
46:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
751:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
676:
674:
663:
657:
654:. McFarland.
653:
652:
646:
642:
636:
632:
631:
625:
621:
615:
611:
610:
604:
603:
599:
595:
592:
591:
587:
578:
576:
568:
565:
560:
554:
552:
548:
543:
539:
533:
530:
525:
521:
515:
512:
507:
505:
497:
495:
491:
486:
482:
476:
474:
470:
465:
463:
455:
452:
447:
441:
439:
437:
433:
428:
427:
422:
416:
414:
412:
408:
403:
399:
393:
391:
387:
382:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
362:
357:
353:
347:
345:
343:
341:
337:
330:
326:
323:
321:
318:
317:
313:
311:
307:
303:
301:
293:
291:
289:
283:
281:
280:suicide watch
277:
268:
266:
264:
260:
256:
255:typhoid fever
251:
249:
241:
239:
235:
233:
229:
225:
221:
220:Clinton, Iowa
213:
211:
209:
205:
204:serial killer
202:
198:
194:
185:
182:
179:
173:
170:
169:United States
167:
163:
159:
153:
149:
145:
140:
137:
134:
130:
127:
124:
121:
120:Conviction(s)
116:
112:
109:
106:
102:
94:
90:
87:
84:
80:
76:
75:United States
72:
68:
59:June 25, 1889
58:
54:
49:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
650:
629:
608:
600:Bibliography
574:
567:
532:
514:
503:
461:
454:
424:
308:
304:
297:
284:
272:
252:
245:
236:
226:. After the
217:
196:
192:
191:
181:Pennsylvania
61:(1889-06-25)
684:1889 deaths
679:1848 births
673:Categories
640:0826263054
331:References
238:'Willie'.
228:Great Fire
214:Early life
734:Poisoners
263:almshouse
50:(claimed)
577:section"
506:section"
314:See also
201:American
176:State(s)
108:Executed
276:arsenic
242:Murders
224:Chicago
165:Country
147:Victims
142:Details
48:Germany
658:
637:
616:
288:Bible
136:Death
656:ISBN
635:ISBN
614:ISBN
56:Died
44:1848
41:Born
675::
550:^
540:.
522:.
493:^
483:.
472:^
435:^
423:.
410:^
400:.
389:^
364:^
354:.
339:^
210:.
73:,
69:,
664:.
643:.
622:.
573:"
502:"
460:"
150:3
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
