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Saviour Who died for you！ Commend your soul to Him！'' This； with
the canting piety of the various answers which she gave in court （and
which； let me say； I have transcribed with some reluctance）； puts Helene
Jegado almost on a level with the sanctimonious Dr Pritchardperhaps
quite on a level with that nauseating villain。
With her twenty…three murders all done without motive； and the five
others done for spitewith her twenty…eight murders； only five of which
were calculated to bring advantage； and that of the smallest valueit is
hard to avoid the conclusion that Helene Jegado was mad。 In spite；
however； of evidence called in her defenceas； for example； that of Dr
Pitois； of Rennes； who was Helene's own doctor； and who said that ‘‘the
woman had a bizarre character； frequently complaining of stomach pains
and formications in the head''in spite of this doctor's hints of monomania
in the accused； the jury； with every chance allowed them to find her
irresponsible； still saw nothing in her extenuation。 And very properly；
since the law held the extreme penalty for such as she； Helene went to the
scaffold。 Her judges might have taken the sentimental view that she was
abnormal； though not mad in the common acceptation of the word。
Appalled by the secret menace to human life that she had been scared to
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think of the ease and the safety in which she had been allowed over twenty
odd years to carry agonizing death to so many of her kind； and convinced
from the inhuman nature of her practices that she was a lusus naturae； her
judges； following sentimental Anglo…Saxon example； might have given her
asylum and let her live for years at public expense。 But possibly they
saw no social or Civic advantage in preserving her； so anti…social as she
was。 They are a frugal nation； the French。
％ VI
Having made you sup on horror a la Bretonne； or Continental fashion；
I am now to give you a savoury from England。 This lest you imagine
that France； or the Continent； has a monopoly in wholesale poison。 Let
me introduce you； as promised earlier； to Mary Ann Cotton aged forty…one；
found guilty of and sentenced to death for the murder of a child； Charles
Edward Cotton； by giving him arsenic。
Rainton； in Durham； was the place where； in 1832 Mary Ann found
mortal existence。 At the age of fifteen or sixteen she began to earn her
own living as a nursemaid； an occupation which may appear to have given
her a distaste for infantile society。 At the age of nineteen and at
Newcastle she married William Mowbray； a collier； and went with him to
live in Cornwall。 Here the couple remained for some years。
It was a fruitful marriage。 Mary bore William five children in
Cornwall； but； unfortunately； four of the children diedsuddenly。 With
the remaining child the pair moved to Mary's native county。 They had
hardly settled down in their new home when the fifth child also died。 It
died； curiously enough； of the ailment which had supposedly carried off
the other four childrengastric fever。
Not long after the death of this daughter the Mowbrays removed to
Hendon； Sunderland； and here a sixth child was born。 It proved to be of
as vulnerable a constitution as its brothers and sisters； for it lasted merely a
year。 Four months later； while suffering from an injured foot； which kept
him at home； William Mowbray fell ill； and died with a suddenness
comparable to that which had characterized the deaths of his progeny。
His widow found a job at the local infirmary； and there she met George
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Ward。 She married Mr Ward； but not for long。 In a few months after
the nuptials George Ward followed his predecessor； Mowbray； from an
illness that in symptoms and speed of fatality closely resembled William's。
We next hear of Mary as housekeeper to a widower named Robinson；
whose wife she soon became。 Robinson had five children by his former
wife。 They all died in the year that followed his marriage with Mary Ann；
and all of ‘gastric fever。' The second Mrs Robinson had two children by
this third husband。 Both of these perished within a few weeks of their
birth。
Mary Ann's mother fell ill； though not seriously。 Mary Ann
volunteered to nurse the old lady。 It must now be evident that Mary Ann
was a ‘carrier' of an obscure sort of intestinal fever； because soon after her
appearance in her mother's place the old lady died of that complaint。
On her return to her own home； or soon after it； Mary was accused by
her husband of robbing him。 She thought it wise to disappear out of
Robinson's life； a deprivation which probably served to prolong it。
Under her old name of Mowbray； and by means of testimonials which
on later investigation proved spurious； Mary Ann got herself a
housekeeping job with a doctor in practice at Spennymore。 Falling into
error regarding what was the doctor's and what was her own； and her
errors being too patent； she was dismissed。
Wallbottle is the scene of Mary Ann's next activities。 Here she made
the acquaintance of a married man with a sick wife。 His name was
Frederick Cotton。 Soon after he had met Mary Ann his wife died。 She
died of consumption； with no more trace of gastric fever than is usual in
her disease。 But two of Cotton's children died of intestinal inflammation
not long after their mother； and their aunt； Cotton's sister； who kept house
for him； was not long in her turn to sicken and die in a like manner。
The marriage which Mary Ann brought off with Frederick Cotton at
Newcastle anticipated the birth of a son by a mere three months。 With
two of Cotton's children by his former marriage； and with the infant son；
the pair went to live at West Auckland。 Here Cotton diedand the three
childrenand a lodger by the curious name of Natrass。
Altogether Mary Ann； in the twenty years during which she had been
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moving in Cornwall and about the northeastern counties； had； as it
ultimately transpired； done away with twenty…four persons。 Nine of these
were the fruit of her own loins。 One of them was the mother who gave
her birth。 Retribution fell upon her through her twenty…fourth victim；
Charles Edward Cotton； her infant child。 His death created suspicion。
The child； it was shown； was an obstacle to the marriage which she was
already contemplatingher fifth marriage； and； most likely； bigamous at
that。 The doctor who had attended the child refused a death certificate。
In post…mortem examination arsenic was found in the child's body。
Cotton was arrested。
She was brought to trial in the early part o