The extraordinary Martha Needle was not only the most treacherous
poisoner in Australian history - she clearly stands out as one of the
nation’s worst murderesses of all time. And from an international
perspective, she still ranks among the world’s most prolific female
killers.In her day, Martha was as big as Ned Kelly – and she even shared
the same pugnacious lawyer. Throughout late 1894, her epic tale kept
the Australian community transfixed and was dramatically reported around
the globe as ‘the story of the century’. Even in more modern times, the
story of Martha Needle continues to be widely chronicled as one of the
most mind-boggling poisoning cases in the annals of crime and she
remains a polarising figure in Australian history.Luridly dubbed the
‘Black Widow’ by the world’s press, this manipulating young woman
deviously used arsenic to exterminate all those around her who stood in
the way of her personal ambitions – which ultimately even included her
own children.
The Martha Needle story had it all: family conflict, betrayal,
gruesomeness, a media frenzy, shattered societal expectations, dodgy
lawyers, guileless doctors, questionable police, a mysterious and
attractive accused,romance, and even a hint of sexual scandal.Although
she was officially only convicted of one murder, Martha paid the
ultimate price for her deeds. After a landmark investigation and trial,
she was hanged at the gallows– even though many members of society were
outraged by the state-endorsed execution of a woman.But amid such an
emotional outcry, a multitude of scandalous secrets also fell through
the well-oiled trap door with the tight-lipped poisoner on that grim
fateful morning. It was readily accepted at the time of her early demise
that she had left other victims in her w
