297:
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
268:. 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
313:. 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.
431:
583:
548:
491:
456:
569:
530:
512:
470:
408:
391:
362:
321:
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.
248:
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
296:
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
320:
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.
284:
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
316:
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.
42:
709:
257:
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
217:
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
293:. 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".
739:
734:
261:
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.
412:
330:
749:
714:
729:
724:
704:
699:
272:. 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
670:
628:
719:
649:
309:
At her trial, Whiteling's lawyer tried his best to convince the jury that his client was insane, and had to be sentenced to
660:
618:
639:
242:
81:
662:
Women and
Capital Punishment in America, 1840–1889: Death Sentences and Executions in the United States and Canada
276:, doctors had started the post mortem exam process and realised, much too late, that the child was still alive.
495:
335:
258:
694:
689:
269:
96:
552:
218:
136:
744:
604:
534:
366:
238:
146:
77:
666:
645:
624:
310:
289:
was discovered in the bodies. Sarah Jane
Whiteling was arrested shortly after, and placed on
436:
683:
290:
265:
230:
214:
211:
179:
85:
229:
Claiming to have been born in
Germany, Sarah was initially married to Tom Brown in
191:
130:
41:
241:, they moved to Philadelphia. A few years later, Brown was imprisoned in the
273:
118:
17:
286:
234:
58:
549:"Significant Figures From the Reports of the Fire Insurance Companies"
641:
The
Penalty Is Death: U. S. Newspaper Coverage of Women's Executions
298:
301:
states that those who take their own life cannot enter Heaven.
710:
264:
On April 24, Bertha also died, with her verdict being
245:
for highway robbery, and died serving his sentence.
185:
175:
165:
157:
152:
142:
128:
114:
102:
92:
66:
51:
32:
336:List of serial killers with the nickname “Borgia”
285:performed by Professor Leffman, large amounts of
590:. Waterbury Evening Democrat. 24 December 1888.
620:Engendered Death: Pennsylvania Women Who Kill
8:
394:. Morning Journal and Courier. 13 June 1888.
233:in 1868. At some point, the couple moved to
331:List of serial killers in the United States
740:People executed by Pennsylvania by hanging
735:People convicted of murder by Pennsylvania
40:
29:
477:. The Portland Daily Press. 16 June 1888.
357:
355:
353:
351:
519:. The Bottineau Pioneer. 3 January 1889.
507:
505:
451:
449:
447:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
564:
562:
459:. Fisherman & Farmer. 22 June 1888.
347:
486:
484:
426:
424:
422:
403:
401:
7:
572:. Pittsburgh Dispatch. 24 June 1889.
27:German-born American serial poisoner
25:
206:(1848 – June 25, 1889), known as
750:Serial killers from Philadelphia
715:Executed American serial killers
644:. University of Missouri Press.
413:The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
730:Filicides in the United States
725:Executed female serial killers
705:American murderers of children
700:American female serial killers
1:
305:Trial, sentence and execution
570:"No Hope For Mrs. Whiteling"
110:"The Philadelphia Murderess"
108:"The Philadelphia Poisoner"
766:
605:Murder by Gaslight Article
243:Eastern State Penitentiary
82:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
617:Joseph W. Laythe (2011).
392:"A Modern Borgia's Deeds"
197:
171:March – May 1888
124:
39:
473:The Portland Daily Press
280:Discovery and confession
106:"The Wholesale Poisoner"
720:Executed American women
638:Marlin Shipman (2002).
496:Washington Evening Star
432:"Philadelphia's Borgia"
363:"A Terrible Confession"
659:Kerry Segrave (2008).
531:"Sarah Jane Whiteling"
492:"A Woman To Be Hanged"
259:John Hancock Financial
208:The Wholesale Poisoner
475:General News section"
515:Man's Wicked Doings.
437:St. Paul Daily Globe
270:Prudential Financial
210:, was a German-born
204:Sarah Jane Whiteling
97:Execution by hanging
34:Sarah Jane Whiteling
623:. Lexington Books.
555:. 21 February 1889.
553:Pittsburgh Dispatch
498:. 22 December 1888.
440:. 29 November 1888.
219:Philadelphia County
167:Span of crimes
137:First degree murder
93:Cause of death
46:Sketch of Whiteling
535:Great Falls Leader
409:"A Woman Executed"
367:Alexandria Gazette
78:Moyamensing Prison
537:. 5 January 1889.
457:"A Woman's Crime"
311:life imprisonment
201:
200:
74:(aged 40–41)
16:(Redirected from
757:
676:
655:
634:
592:
591:
580:
574:
573:
566:
557:
556:
545:
539:
538:
527:
521:
520:
509:
500:
499:
488:
479:
478:
467:
461:
460:
453:
442:
441:
428:
417:
416:
405:
396:
395:
388:
371:
370:
359:
188:
143:Criminal penalty
133:
103:Other names
73:
44:
30:
21:
765:
764:
760:
759:
758:
756:
755:
754:
680:
679:
673:
658:
652:
637:
631:
616:
613:
601:
596:
595:
582:
581:
577:
568:
567:
560:
547:
546:
542:
529:
528:
524:
511:
510:
503:
490:
489:
482:
469:
468:
464:
455:
454:
445:
430:
429:
420:
415:. 26 June 1889.
407:
406:
399:
390:
389:
374:
369:. 13 June 1888.
361:
360:
349:
344:
327:
307:
282:
255:
227:
186:
168:
129:
115:Criminal status
109:
107:
88:
75:
71:
62:
56:
47:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
763:
761:
753:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
692:
682:
681:
678:
677:
672:978-0786438235
671:
656:
650:
635:
630:978-1611460933
629:
612:
609:
608:
607:
600:
599:External links
597:
594:
593:
586:Condensed News
575:
558:
540:
522:
501:
480:
462:
443:
418:
397:
372:
346:
345:
343:
340:
339:
338:
333:
326:
323:
306:
303:
281:
278:
254:
251:
226:
223:
199:
198:
195:
194:
189:
183:
182:
177:
173:
172:
169:
166:
163:
162:
159:
155:
154:
150:
149:
144:
140:
139:
134:
126:
125:
122:
121:
116:
112:
111:
104:
100:
99:
94:
90:
89:
76:
68:
64:
63:
57:
53:
49:
48:
45:
37:
36:
33:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
762:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
687:
685:
674:
668:
665:. McFarland.
664:
663:
657:
653:
647:
643:
642:
636:
632:
626:
622:
621:
615:
614:
610:
606:
603:
602:
598:
589:
587:
579:
576:
571:
565:
563:
559:
554:
550:
544:
541:
536:
532:
526:
523:
518:
516:
508:
506:
502:
497:
493:
487:
485:
481:
476:
474:
466:
463:
458:
452:
450:
448:
444:
439:
438:
433:
427:
425:
423:
419:
414:
410:
404:
402:
398:
393:
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
377:
373:
368:
364:
358:
356:
354:
352:
348:
341:
337:
334:
332:
329:
328:
324:
322:
318:
314:
312:
304:
302:
300:
294:
292:
291:suicide watch
288:
279:
277:
275:
271:
267:
266:typhoid fever
262:
260:
252:
250:
246:
244:
240:
236:
232:
231:Clinton, Iowa
224:
222:
220:
216:
215:serial killer
213:
209:
205:
196:
193:
190:
184:
181:
180:United States
178:
174:
170:
164:
160:
156:
151:
148:
145:
141:
138:
135:
132:
131:Conviction(s)
127:
123:
120:
117:
113:
105:
101:
98:
95:
91:
87:
86:United States
83:
79:
70:June 25, 1889
69:
65:
60:
54:
50:
43:
38:
31:
19:
661:
640:
619:
611:Bibliography
585:
578:
543:
525:
514:
472:
465:
435:
319:
315:
308:
295:
283:
263:
256:
247:
237:. After the
228:
207:
203:
202:
192:Pennsylvania
72:(1889-06-25)
695:1889 deaths
690:1848 births
684:Categories
651:0826263054
342:References
249:'Willie'.
239:Great Fire
225:Early life
745:Poisoners
274:almshouse
61:(claimed)
18:Whiteling
588:section"
517:section"
325:See also
212:American
187:State(s)
119:Executed
287:arsenic
253:Murders
235:Chicago
176:Country
158:Victims
153:Details
59:Germany
669:
648:
627:
299:Bible
147:Death
667:ISBN
646:ISBN
625:ISBN
67:Died
55:1848
52:Born
686::
561:^
551:.
533:.
504:^
494:.
483:^
446:^
434:.
421:^
411:.
400:^
375:^
365:.
350:^
221:.
84:,
80:,
675:.
654:.
633:.
584:"
513:"
471:"
161:3
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
