# Martha Needle > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martha_Needle > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martha_Needle.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Needle > Source revision: 1354550484 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Australian murderer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox criminal | name = Martha Needle | image_name = Martha Needle c1880s.jpg | caption = Needle {{c.|1880s/1890s}} | birth_name = Martha Charles | birth_date = {{birth-date|9 April 1863}} | birth_place = Near [Morgan, South Australia](/source/Morgan%2C_South_Australia), Australia | death_date = {{d-da|22 October 1894|9 April 1863}} | death_place = [Old Melbourne Gaol](/source/Old_Melbourne_Gaol), Victoria, Australia | other_names = The [Black Widow](/source/Redback_spider) of [Richmond](/source/Richmond%2C_Virginia) | charge = Murder
Attempted murder | conviction = Murder | conviction_penalty = [Death](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Australia) | conviction_status = Executed | occupation = Housekeeper | spouse = Henry Needle
(m. 1881; murdered. 1889) | parents = Joseph Henry Charles (father)
Mary Charles (mother) | children = 3 (all murdered) | death_cause = [Executed by hanging](/source/Execution_by_hanging) | beginyear = 1885 | endyear = 1894 | victims = 5 | country = Australia | states = [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)) }} '''Martha Needle''' (née '''Charles'''; 9 April 1863 – 22 October 1894) was an Australian [serial killer](/source/serial_killer) who was hanged for poisoning her husband, three children, and prospective brother-in-law. She was convicted for the murder of Louis Juncken, brother of her fiancé Otto Juncken, on 15 May 1894. Although Needle collected substantial sums of insurance money, her exact motive for murdering her family has not been determined. Several times she stated her innocence, but she was eventually hanged. She has been nicknamed '''The Black Widow of Richmond'''. ==Early life== Needle was born Martha Charles on 9 April 1863 in [Morgan, South Australia](/source/Morgan%2C_South_Australia); her father died when she was quite young.{{R|Acquaintances|Antecedents1}} In 1870, her mother Mary Charles married Daniel Foran{{R|WedForan}} and had two more children. They were poor and lived in a small two-room house in [North Adelaide](/source/North_Adelaide). Needle claimed that she was often beaten with a stick or rope by her mother{{R|Troubled}} and at 12 she was indecently assaulted by her stepfather.{{R|Indecent}}{{efn|name=2Years}} She left home at 13 and started working as a housekeeper{{efn|name=AgeLeftHome}} and married Henry Needle in 1882 when she was 18. The marriage was happy and the couple had three daughters - Mabel, Elsie, and May - before the family moved to the [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne) suburb of [Richmond](/source/Richmond%2C_Victoria) in 1885. After the move, the relationship between Martha and Henry Needle deteriorated; she was an attractive woman and enjoyed the company of men; he was a shy, jealous man who often beat her.{{R|Troubled|6FK}} ==The killings== On 23 February 1885, Mabel Needle died after a short illness. Needle stated that she "seemed to fade" and later collected £100 ($57,600 in 2024) life insurance on Mabel's death. Henry Needle, who was insured for £200, died of a mysterious illness on 4 October 1889, followed by Elsie and May in 1890. Doctors were baffled. Needle spent almost all the insurance money on an elaborate family grave which she visited regularly. Louis Juncken, a friend from Adelaide, operated a saddlery business with his brother Otto Juncken at 137 Bridge Road, Richmond and, in 1891, Needle sublet the attached house and took in lodgers. Needle began an affair with Otto in 1893 but Louis and his other brother Herman disapproved and attempted to prevent their engagement. The following year Louis became ill and died of suspected [typhoid](/source/typhoid). In June 1894, Herman travelled to Melbourne from [Adelaide](/source/Adelaide) to handle his late brother's affairs, he ate a meal prepared by Needle and suddenly became ill. He recovered but became ill again the next day after eating breakfast. Two days later, Herman had fully recovered but while eating a lunch prepared by Needle, he was seized by painful violent cramps. Doctor Boyd treated Herman for suspected poisoning and took a sample of Herman's vomit and sent it to the government laboratory for analysis. The analyst reported that the sample contained [arsenic](/source/arsenic). ==Arrest, trial and execution== Boyd informed the police of his suspicions and a trap was set, the police asked Herman to ask Needle to make lunch. After being served a cup of tea, Herman literally "blew the whistle", summoning detectives who arrived as Needle was struggling with Herman to upset the teacup, which was found to contain enough arsenic to kill five people. Needle was charged with attempted murder. The body of Louis Juncken, interred in [Lyndoch, South Australia](/source/Lyndoch%2C_South_Australia) was exhumed and samples sent to [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne). The bodies of Henry Needle and the three girls, interred in [Kew](/source/Kew%2C_Victoria), were also exhumed. All five bodies were found to contain fatal levels of arsenic and Needle was charged with the murder of Louis Juncken.{{Cite news |date=1894-10-10 |title=Case of Martha Needle |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13971885 |access-date=2024-07-23 |work=Sydney Morning Herald}}{{Cite news |date=1894-10-26 |title=Execution of Martha Needle |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104848980 |access-date=2024-07-23 |work=Burrowa News}} The trial lasted three days; Needle pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty and sentenced to death.{{Cite news |date=1894-10-27 |title=Execution of Martha Needle|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196508726 |access-date=2024-07-23 |work=Leader}}{{Cite news |date=1894-09-29 |title=Martha Needle|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44127604 |access-date=2024-07-23 |work=Barrier Miner}} During her time in gaol, Needle received continued visits from her friends.{{Cite web|title=State Library Victoria - Viewer|url=https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/|access-date=2020-06-03|website=State Library Victoria}} In her final letter to a friend, Mrs. Owen, she writes "Try not to grieve too much for me." She was executed at 8:00 am on 22 October 1894.{{Cite news |date=1894-10-23 |title=The Execution of Martha Needle |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article86394275 |access-date=2024-07-23 |work=Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle}} When asked for her last words, she replied, "I have nothing to say."{{R|exe}} == Afterwards == Needle was the third of four women hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol, where her death mask can be seen. During the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression), the Brighton City Council built [bluestone](/source/bluestone) walls to protect local beaches from erosion. The stones were taken from the outer walls of the [Old Melbourne Gaol](/source/Old_Melbourne_Gaol) and included the headstones, with initials and date of execution, of all those executed and buried on the grounds. Although most were placed with the engravings facing inwards, Needle's stone was faced outwards, and the initials MN and the date are still clearly visible in the [Green Point](/source/Brighton%2C_Victoria) wall. Over time, sand drifts buried her headstone until its precise location was rediscovered near Wellington Street.{{R|Headstone}} ==Notes== {{notelist|refs= {{efn| name=2Years| Foran was charged with the offence of indecent assault on Martha Charles and the jury took 30 minutes to return a verdict of guilty. Foran was sentenced to the maximum of 2 years imprisonment on 3 April 1876 by Justice Stow.}} {{efn|name=AgeLeftHome| reports of Needle's age when she left home vary, however, she was indecently assaulted at age 12 by her stepfather; at that time she was still living at home.}} }} == See also == * [List of serial killers by country](/source/List_of_serial_killers_by_country) == References == {{cite news| newspaper=[The South Australian Register](/source/South_Australian_Register)| date=3 August 1894| page=7| title=Richmond poisoning case: Mrs. Needle's life in Adelaide; Troubled with fits| url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/53646564| access-date=8 November 2018| via=nla.gov.au| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107192827/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/53646564| archive-date=7 November 2018}} {{cite news| newspaper=[The South Australian Register](/source/South_Australian_Register)| date=30 March 1876| page=3| title=Law and criminal courts: Supreme Court criminal sittings; arraignments| url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43009975| access-date=8 November 2018| via=nla.gov.au| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107191057/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43009975| archive-date=7 November 2018}} {{cite news| title=Law and criminal courts-Supreme Court: Criminal sittings; sentencing of prisoners| newspaper=[The South Australian Register](/source/South_Australian_Register)| date=4 April 1876|page=3| url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43000603| access-date=8 November 2018| via=nla.gov.au| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107185522/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43000603| archive-date=7 November 2018}} {{cite news| newspaper=[South Australian Chronicle](/source/The_Chronicle_(South_Australia))| location=[Adelaide, South Australia](/source/Adelaide)| page=8| date=23 June 1894| title=Mrs Needle's career: Statements by acquaintances| url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92860973| via=nla.gov.au| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110070620/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92860973| archive-date=10 November 2018}} {{cite news| newspaper=[The Express and Telegraph](/source/The_Telegraph_(Adelaide))| location=[Adelaide, South Australia](/source/Adelaide)| page=2| title=Married: Foran-Charles| url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/207719728?| via=nla.gov.au| access-date=10 November 2018| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110112445/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/207719728| archive-date=10 November 2018}} {{cite news| newspaper=[The Argus](/source/The_Argus_(Melbourne))| location=[Melbourne](/source/Melbourne)| date=16 June 1894| title=The Richmond poisoning case - Letters of the accused| page=7 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8677347| access-date=12 November 2018| via=nla.gov.au| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112024956/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8677347| archive-date= 12 November 2018}} {{cite web| url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/true-crime-scene/black-widows-six-notorious-female-killers-who-turned-on-their-loved-ones/news-story/9656993c89f3a2d11a7d4c5ef3912651| title=Black Widows: Six notorious female killers who turned on their loved ones| date=25 November 2014| website=heraldsum.com.au| access-date=6 November 2018| url-status=live| archive-url=https://archive.today/20181106100037/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/true-crime-scene/black-widows-six-notorious-female-killers-who-turned-on-their-loved-ones/news-story/9656993c89f3a2d11a7d4c5ef3912651| archive-date=6 November 2018}} {{ cite news| title=Execution of Martha Needle| newspaper=the Leader| location=[Melbourne](/source/Melbourne)| date=27 October 1894| page=18| access-date=5 November 2018| url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196508726/21372222| via=trove.nla.gov.au| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105114345/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196508726/21372222| archive-date=5 November 2018}} {{cite web|url=https://newdiogenesmelbourne.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/martha-needles-headstone|title=Martha Needle's headstone|date=14 March 2018 }} ===General references=== *"New Diogenes Melbourne" - https://newdiogenesmelbourne.wordpress.com/2018/03/14/martha-needles-headstone/ *“Melbourne Argus”, 28 September 1894 *"Bayside Council History Trail" - https://web.archive.org/web/20121023180428/http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/walksandtrails_historytrail_bluestoneseawall.htm *http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/ ==External links== * [https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/61SLV_INST/1sev8ar/alma9916325363607636 Papers of Martha Needle, 1894 June 25 - October 16. [manuscript].] at [State Library of Victoria](/source/State_Library_of_Victoria). *[http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/felon-families-/9437/martha-needle/ Photograph of Martha Needle from the Public Records Office Victoria] {{DEFAULTSORT:Needle, Martha}} Category:1863 births Category:1894 deaths Category:19th-century executions by Australia Category:Australian female serial killers Category:Australian serial killers Category:19th-century Australian murderers Category:Australian murderers of children Category:Executed Australian serial killers Category:Executed Australian women Category:Executed female serial killers Category:Filicides in Australia Category:Perpetrators of filicide Category:Perpetrators of mariticide Category:People executed by Australian colonies by hanging Category:People executed by Victoria (state) Category:Poisoners --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Martha Needle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Needle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Needle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.