"Alleged Murder of Two Children By Poisoning"

"Alleged Murder of Two Children by Poisoning"

The Police Illustrated News covered the case of the alleged poisoning of two children on May 18, 1867 in Issue 170.  Two children within the Tomlinson family passed away in the same month.  Joseph Tomlinson's infant child died within five hours of falling ill then, about thirteen days later, the family's two year child fell ill and died within thirty six hours.  The second child when examined after his death, had arsenic within his stomach.  It was clear through medical examination that the cause of death for both children was arsenic poisoning.  In court it was found out that arsenic had been present in the house and was bought by Mr. Tomlinson to kill the rats in their barn.  It was also included in the article that Mr. Tomlinson instructed both his wife and their servant, Elizabeth Wheeldon, to be mindful of the arsenic as the eldest child of twelve was tall enough to reach it where it was placed.  Elizabeth, the servant girl in the Tomlinson household, was apprehended because, before the two-year old's death, she had given the child some sausage according to Mrs. Tomlinson.  The article then states that the only other evidence that seemed important to the case was Elizabeth's conduct regarding men.  On the day the first of the two children died, Elizabeth was scolded for staying out until nine at night, instead of returning to the house at six.  It was emphasized that Elizabeth had many romantic partners.  It states, "both witness and his wife rebuked her for her improper conduct and speaking to the young children about her intimacy with men, and how many lovers she had."  A few days before the second child passed away, Elizabeth's father told the Tomlinsons that if she could not follow the rules and do her duty in serving the family, that she should be sent to "Derby gaol for a month."  Due to these coincidences Elizabeth, as the article states, will be brought to court on the charge of willful murder within a few days of when this article was written. 

It is important to note that the children were emphasized as being those of Joseph Tomlinson, their father while little is mentioned of the children's mother.  This is because the mother was not under suspicion, but also because the father during the Victorian era was seen as the primary holder of custody over the children, seen as being under the father's ownership rather than the mother's.  Women were considered property and so, property couldn't own property or retain custody over other persons seen as property.  One of the only times the mother is mentioned is when she nursed the children during their sickness and is referred to as "His wife." This shows how Victorian society labeled mothers as nurturing and the caretakers of small children.  The second time she is mentioned, which is at the very end of the article, tells the reader that her full name is Mrs. Ann Tomlinson, also reintroduced as "the wife of..."  Mrs. Tomlinson acted as a witness for Elizabeth's conduct, and gave details regarding the illness both children endured prior to their death.  However, the article omitted her account of what happened, only stating that she gave evidence.  Throughout the article, Mrs. Tomlinson is very much put on the periphery.  It seems the article places her in the domestic sphere, not allowing her to engage in any form of politics. including the trial of her own children's cause of death. 

This article also emphasizes the absurd allegations that arise against women when their chastity is called into question.  The evidence taken against the girl is mostly due to her conduct with men, which assumes she is guilty.  There is a possibility that Elizabeth murdered the children, but there seems to be a lack of motive and the correlation between the two events is insubstantial. The only evidence that was reported to the readers was the girl's conduct with men.  This seems to be the incriminating evidence that could potentially lead to Elizabeth being charged and imprisoned for the murder to two small children.  In a previous article I read titled, "A Child Killed by its Mother," the mother was portrayed as one who accidentally killed he children in a "fit of passion," rather than one who was a violent killer.  Throughout that article, the tone of the article made it seem that those of the Victorian Age were reluctant to label a mother as a killer, especially in regards to her own children because of her placement in the domestic sphere and status as a 'caretaker.'  In this article, regarding Elizabeth, however, she is portrayed as someone who is obviously guilty of the murder of the children due to her sexual encounters with men.  This shows there was a deep fear of unmarried women who engaged in sexual activity of any kind.  A woman with children was not seen as a murderer because society labeled mothers as nurturing and devoid of sexual desire, while an unmarried woman was seen as capable of such things as murdering children if she acted on her sexual desire to any capacity.