Thu, 23 May
|Readings St Kilda
Melbourne Launch of 'The Secret Art of Poisoning' (Martha Needle) book
How did a serial killer from the 19th century almost get away with murder? At the end of the 19thC, Martha Needle became known as ‘The Black Widow’ after secretly poisoning her husband and children. Born in Morgan, South Australia, her crimes were committed in Richmond, Victoria.
Time & Location
23 May 2019, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm AEST
Readings St Kilda, 112 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
About the event
The Black Widow was a media sensation in her day, as infamous as Ned Kelly. Needle became obsessed with the kind-hearted son of a Danish immigrant and began picking off his brothers one by one. Reported as far afield as the New York Times, Martha’s story was front page news, edging out many stories of the day that remain in the public consciousness today.
Stranger still a generation later Martha Needle’s nephew Alexander Lee seemed to follow in his aunt’s footsteps when he poisoned his wife and three of his children in Rhynie, SA.
This session will launch the book ‘The Secret Art of Poisoning,’ based upon the life and crimes of Martha Needle.