JSTOR Daily shares the tale of Nancy Clem, a murderous con artiste from late 19th century Indiana.
Clem’s crimes came to light after the burned and rotting bodies of a husband and wife were found at Cold Spring resort near Indianapolis. While observers initially thought they’d stumbled upon a murder-suicide, the evidence soon showed both had been murdered. An errant shoeprint suggested that another woman had been at the scene.
That woman was Nancy Clem, a respectable, married Methodist woman of modest means. Her motive? Money. Previously, Clem parlayed a small inheritance into a substantial sum via loan sharking and a Ponzi scheme that swindled many prominent citizens. One of her partners in that latter scheme was murder victim Jacob Young. Nancy’s brother was accused of shooting Jacob and Clem of murdering his wife. The brother died by suicide before his trial, while Nancy’s case dragged on with two hung juries, two convictions followed by appeals, and a fifth trial canceled due to lack of public funds.
Common sexism worked in Clem’s favor, as no one could believe a woman could be involved in such a heinous crime. Clem was finally convicted of larceny, but returned to the con once released, selling a female tonic/abortifacient in the bad part of town.
Great character!
