In the digital dictionary of the Netherlands Historical Institute dedicated to his notable women, a sinister character appears: Maria Catherina Swanenburg, born in poverty in 1839 and died in prison in 1915, at the age of 76. Married and the mother of nine children, six of whom died, she worked as a washerwoman and caregiver for children and the sick, earning herself the nickname of Goeie Mie, something like Good Mie. But behind this sweet nickname, the one that was also known as The Poisoner of Leiden, her native village, she hid a double life with a macabre reverse: she was one of the biggest serial killers in the world.
Effective, methodical and recidivist, historical documents do not manage to specify how many lives were cut. In the files of the town where he was born and lived, it was reflected that "between 1879 and 1881, he poisoned more than a hundred residents with arsenic, of whom 27 died." Of these, 16 were from their family environment. Her lawyer tried to save her by claiming that her client was "an aberration of nature," but medical reports concluded that she acted in full use of her powers. She was sentenced to life in prison. Although she never explained what led her to commit these acts, she did plead with the court "for merciful punishment." But he died without having successfully reviewed his case.
Maria Catherina Swanenburg was born into a humble family of 12 siblings, of whom only five reached adulthood. The little that his father earned working from dawn to dusk only gave him potatoes and chronic malnutrition took over the little ones. That misery could have been decisive for little Maria to become the Good Honey. The court that tried her in 1885 concluded that her excesses had been the result of her ambition. But he found no explanation for other deaths: that of a sister-in-law and a cousin, as well as an aunt. He even ended the life of a group of funeral attendees, and also that of two sisters who he cared for in exchange for a small stipend.
Historians suspect that in her escape from misery she lost control, because although she murdered sometimes to avoid her debts, she specialized in collecting the funeral insurance for those affected that she herself had subscribed to. That type of arrangement was standard practice at the time, and as long as the monthly premiums were paid, there were no ownership issues. In this way, he obtained between 2,000 and 3,000 guilders, a fabulous figure in the 19th century.
Surely no one could imagine that this kind-looking but serious-looking woman, dressed in a wooden cap, apron and clogs, could complete that criminal file that began in 1883 and that she was provided with a compound that she could acquire for just a few tenths of a guilder.
Maria Catherina Swanenburg first used arsenic to end the marriage of Hendrik Frankhuizen, his wife, Maria van der Linden, and their young son. The autopsy revealed that the mother and child perished from this powerful poison that causes vomiting and diarrhea in a matter of minutes and was used to combat pests of parasites and mice. The father died shortly afterwards in great pain, but he had time to stagger to the doctor with evident symptoms of intoxication. The police themselves were able to verify during the investigations how easy and cheap it was to purchase the compound.
The process against Good Mie kept the country in suspense. The key to the Frankhuizen's death was a puree that she prepared when they were not at home. A neighbor was a key witness when she saw her enter the house of the deceased. The ruthless murderer changed her version several times about what happened and her motivations. First, he said he had put chlorine in the food so that his victims would stop regretting a debt they were carrying. Later, she alleged that she had rejected dishonest proposals by her husband, but the police easily dismissed both excuses. In the end, he admitted the triple murder, claiming that he lost his mind and had drunk. But no one believed her. Thereafter, an astonishing chain of poisonings was uncovered that required various exhumations of corpses, and precise chemical analyzes, which laid the foundations for national forensic science.
The serial killer sat on the bench on April 23, 1885. By then the national press had already dissected her horrors by installments, revealing her daily deeds almost daily. Such was the expectation that the drawings made in the courtroom went on sale. The defendant showed no regret for her crimes. She was branded as a monster and showed no regret. Sentenced to life in prison, her defender ended up proclaiming that "there has never been a more inhuman accused than her." At that time her husband achieved the annulment of the marriage.
Good Mie died in Gorinchem prison near Rotterdam, and was buried in the city's Catholic cemetery. In Leiden she is still remembered in horror. However, a plaque with his name appears on the street where he was born.
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