Uncovering Victorian Secrets

 "Murder, Morality and Madness: Women Criminals in Early Oregon takes a peek at an often overlooked part of western history.  The Victorians were quite adept at keeping immoral or bad behavior a secret.Goeres-Gardner does a wonderful job of uncovering their secret past of abuse, neglect, and double-standards for women criminals.

   Turning these pages will allow you to discover what drove normally, proper Victorian women to murder.  You'll learn about women's trials, their all-male jury and the horrid conditions they faced in al-male jails.

   Goeres-Gardner has written a well-researched book whose real-life characters will stun and amaze you, and make you feel sorrow forsome who have long passed away."

   By Sherry Monahan, - Author of "The Wild West", "Tombstone Treasure" and "Taste of Tombstone".

   "Murder, Morality and Madness: Women Criminals in Early Oregon" begins with an overview of how women were treated in the Nineteenth Century when they came in conflict with the law.  A list identifying every woman sent to Oregon State prisons between 1854 and 1920 is included.

   There are six sections in the book and eighteen stories about individual women.  Sections read as follows: 

-Wives Fight Back

-In Defense of Honor

-Self Defense

-Prostitution and Violence

-Insanity is the Enemy

-Murder and Suicide

   The individual stories are drawn from all over Oregon, beginning in 1854 and ending in 1900.  Where possible, they are illustrated with photographs of the women.

   "Murder, Morality and Madness: Women Criminals in Early Oregon" is published by Caxton Press.

   

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