Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Margaret Boyle, Philadelphia Acid Queen - 1865


FULL TEXT: Last evening (Wednesday) a woman named Margaret Boyle threw a lot of vitriol into the face of her son-in-law named Henry De Wolf. The affair happened at Fifth and Buckley streets, and seems to have originated out of a family difficulty. Mrs. Boyle's daughter had married De Wolf against the mother’s wish having previously abandoned her first husband. The daughter stated that the first husband, who was a soldier, she never liked, she having married him on her mother’s account. After living together a short time, she left him and married De Wolf. This incensed the mother, who, in revenge, procured a bottle of vitriol, the contents of which she threw in De Wolf’s face, burning him in a most shocking manner. A warrant was issued for her arrest by Recorder Ensu, who committed her to answer the charge of assault and battery with intent to kill. 

[“A Woman Throws Vitriol In Man's Face.” (from Philadelphia North American), Daily National Republican (Washington, D.C.),  May 19, 1865, p. 2]

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 SEE: “Acid Queens: Women Who Throw Acid” for a collection of synopses of similar cases.

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[1794-9/24/21]
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1 comment:

  1. It would be interesting to know if the couple stayed together or if the mother got what she wanted. Of course I wouldn't blame the man much if he said her family was too insane.

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