Sarah Whiteling

The Wholesale Poisoner

Sarah Jane Whiteling (1848 – June 25, 1889), infamously dubbed "The Wholesale Poisoner," was a German-born American serial killer whose heinous acts of poisoning would shock a nation. In a chilling spree during 1888, she poisoned her husband and two children within the span of just three months, leading to her execution and marking her as the first woman to be executed in Philadelphia County.

Quick Facts

• Born: 1848 in Germany (claimed)
• Died: June 25, 1889 (aged 40–41) at Moyamensing Prison, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
• Cause of Death: Execution by hanging
• Other Names: "The Wholesale Poisoner," "The Philadelphia Poisoner," "The Philadelphia Murderess"
• Criminal Status: Executed
• Conviction: First-degree murder
• Criminal Penalty: Death
• Victims: 3
• Span of Crimes: March – May 1888
• Country: United States
• State: Pennsylvania

Early Life

Claiming to hail from Germany, Sarah's early life was marked by turmoil. She first married Tom Brown in Clinton, Iowa, in 1868. The couple eventually moved to Chicago, but after the Great Fire, they relocated to Philadelphia. Tragically, Tom would later find himself imprisoned at the Eastern State Penitentiary for highway robbery, where he ultimately died while serving his sentence.

After the loss of her first husband, Sarah had a daughter named Bertha with Thomas Storey, a man who ran an oyster saloon in Philadelphia. In March 1880, she married John Whiteling, bringing her infant daughter into the new family. Together, they welcomed a son, William C. Whiteling, affectionately known as 'Willie', in 1886.

The Murders

The dark tale began on March 30, 1888, when John Whiteling died suddenly. Attending physician Dr. G. W. Smith attributed the cause of death to inflammation of the bowels. However, the financial implications of his demise were striking—Sarah had insured John with two companies, collecting $145 from John Hancock Financial and $85 from the Benevolent Order of Buffalos. When questioned about his death, Sarah shockingly claimed he had committed suicide.

Just weeks later, on April 24, Bertha succumbed to what was reported as typhoid fever. Like her father, she had also been insured, this time for $122, further raising alarm bells in the community. The horror didn't stop there; on May 26, Willie died as well. Dr. Dietrich, who took over the case, concluded that congestion of the bowels was the cause of death. Willie, like his father and sister, had also been insured—$30 with John Hancock and $17 with Prudential Financial.

When authorities suggested examining the bodies, Sarah adamantly refused, citing a previous instance where doctors mistakenly began a post-mortem on one of her children, only to realize the child was still alive. This refusal only fueled suspicion.

Discovery and Confession

Coroner Ashbridge grew increasingly concerned about the short intervals between each death, prompting a thorough investigation. With the help of Chief Detective Wood and Detective Gyer, the bodies were exhumed from Mechanics' Cemetery. What investigators discovered next would blow the case wide open: large amounts of arsenic were found in the remains.

Sarah Jane Whiteling was arrested shortly thereafter and placed on suicide watch. During her imprisonment, she spent much of her time in prayer, but eventually, her nerves unraveled, leading her to confess to the shocking murders of her two children using a poison sold under the name "Rough on Rats."

When interrogated about her motives, Sarah spun a disturbing narrative. She claimed she killed Bertha to prevent her from becoming a "sinful and wicked girl," citing Bertha's alleged misbehavior of stealing from her teacher and neighbors. As for Willie, she claimed he was simply "in the way." Regarding John's death, Sarah vehemently denied poisoning him, instead suggesting he had taken the poison of his own volition due to the family's dire financial situation. Ironically, she had contemplated suicide after committing these atrocious acts but ultimately refrained, believing that those who take their own lives cannot enter Heaven.

Trial, Sentence, and Execution

At her trial, Sarah's defense attorney attempted to convince the jury that she was insane and deserved life imprisonment rather than death. However, after deliberation, the jury found her guilty of first-degree murder, resulting in a mandatory death sentence. While this verdict did not seem to faze Sarah, it sent shockwaves through the public in Philadelphia, particularly among women, who even signed petitions seeking to commute her sentence.

Despite public outcry, Governor Beaver upheld the death sentence. Ultimately, Sarah was only prosecuted for the murder of her daughter, as investigators found insufficient evidence to charge her with the deaths of her husband and son. During her time in prison, Sarah learned she had inherited a fortune from a deceased relative in Iowa, but this news would not alter her fate.

On the day of her execution, Sarah appeared eerily calm, convinced that God would forgive her sins and that she would reunite with her children in Heaven. At 10 o'clock on June 25, 1889, after a brief prayer led by Rev. William D. Jones, the trapdoor opened beneath her. Reports indicate that she suffocated from strangulation, but her heart continued to beat for a short time after the fall. Following her execution, her body was sent for dissection to Dr. Alice W. Bennett, who examined her brain before her remains were laid to rest alongside her murdered family members.

See Also

• List of serial killers in the United States
• List of serial killers with the nickname “Borgia”

Sources

1. "A Terrible Confession." Alexandria Gazette. 13 June 1888.
2. "A Modern Borgia's Deeds." Morning Journal and Courier. 13 June 1888.
3. "A Woman Executed." The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer. 26 June 1889.
4. "Philadelphia's Borgia." St. Paul Daily Globe. 29 November 1888.
5. "A Woman's Crime." Fisherman & Farmer. 22 June 1888.
6. "The Portland Daily Press General News section." The Portland Daily Press. 16 June 1888.
7. "A Woman To Be Hanged." Washington Evening Star. 22 December 1888.
8. "Man's Wicked Doings." The Bottineau Pioneer. 3 January 1889.
9. "Sarah Jane Whiteling." Great Falls Leader. 5 January 1889.
10. "Significant Figures From the Reports of the Fire Insurance Companies." Pittsburgh Dispatch. 21 February 1889.
11. "No Hope For Mrs. Whiteling." Pittsburgh Dispatch. 24 June 1889.
12. "Condensed News section." Waterbury Evening Democrat. 24 December 1888.

External Links

• Murder by Gaslight Article

Bibliography

• Joseph W. Laythe (2011). Engendered Death: Pennsylvania Women Who Kill. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-1611460933.
• Marlin Shipman (2002). The Penalty Is Death: U. S. Newspaper Coverage of Women's Executions. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 0826263054.
• Kerry Segrave (2008). Women and Capital Punishment in America, 1840–1889: Death Sentences and Executions in the United States and Canada. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786438235.