In popular usage, a crime of passion is a violent act arising from sudden, unpremeditated anger or heartbreak. Many will be surprised, however, that the scope of such crimes reaches far beyond simple romantic betrayal. The following ten entries examine pre–20th century atrocities—acts of violence pertaining to love, treachery, and the mere desire to inflict harm for reasons the sane will struggle to comprehend or imagine.
通常看来，激情犯罪是一种暴力行为，源于当事人突然情绪数控，且处于暴怒或绝望的状态。但让人意想不到的是，导致此类犯罪的起因远不止对象出轨那么简单。下面讲述的10件20世纪前的暴力案件，皆和爱情、背叛以及让正常人无法理解或难以想象的原因催生的杀人动机有关。
10.海蒂·乌丝汀
In 1887, Hattie Woolsteen made an appointment for a toothache with Dr. Charles "Cap" Harlan, a Los Angeles dentist whom she immediately became smitten with. As Dr. Harlan sedated Hattie under the guise of a tooth extraction, he undressed his unsuspecting patient and violated her. Upon awakening, Dr. Harlan professed his adoration to the young, naive woman desperate for love, promising her a relationship with the possibility of marriage. In the midst of a steamy romance, Hattie discovered Dr. Harlan was married. Following an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, a heartbroken Hattie turned her grief into vengeance and shot Dr. Harlan in the head while the two were in a barn on a vacant farm.
1887年，海蒂·乌丝汀因牙疼预约了一位叫查尔斯·卡普·哈伦的洛杉矶牙医，见面后却立刻被他迷住。哈伦医生在诊治时，以拔牙的名义褪去了这位毫无防备的病人的衣衫，并趁机侵犯了她。一觉醒来，他就向这位天真、年轻又对爱情充满向往的女人表达了爱慕之情，并承诺会以结婚为目的地与她交往。经过浪漫缠绵的相处，海蒂发现哈伦早已结婚。一次自杀未遂后，心碎的海蒂将悲痛化为复仇的怒火，当二人在一座空置农场的谷仓共处时，她持枪击中了哈伦的头。
Prior to her arrest, Hattie disposed of the weapon and set fire to the barn, permeating the air with the stench of burning flesh. The press referred to her as a "repellent she-devil," while women's rights advocates rallied in her defense, claiming she was none other than a victim of gender inequality. Hattie's female supporters financed her defense, and after a mere 12 minutes of deliberation, she was found not guilty. Following her acquittal, Hattie moved back to her home state of Illinois, where she remained the rest of her life.
被捕前，海蒂处理了凶器并火烧谷仓，空气中弥漫着肉被烧焦的恶臭。媒体称她为“恐怖女魔头”，此时女权主义者们在为海蒂的辩护中集结起来，称她是性别歧视的受害者，还筹措了为她的辩护费用。法院经过12分钟的商议，最终判处海蒂无罪释放，随后她搬回了家乡伊利诺斯州，在该地度过余生。
9.1836年的不平事
The murder of Helen Jewett, who was axed to death in the spring of 1836, became one of the greatest media sensations in 19th-century America. The beautiful and popular 23-year-old was a prostitute who serviced upper-class businessmen, many of whom lavished her with expensive gifts and jewelry. One young man in particular, Richard P. Robinson, went from being Helen's frequent customer to an intimate lover. As their romance began to fizzle in Helen's eyes, an angry separation ensued. Not long after, Helen's butchered remains were found on her bed, charred after being set ablaze.
1836年春，妙龄女郎海伦·朱厄特被人砍死，而凶手在19世纪的美国成为了媒体高度关注的对象之一。这位容貌姣好又受欢迎的23岁女郎是一名专为上流社会的生意人提供服务的妓女，其中很多人送给她昂贵的礼物和珠宝。尤其是一位叫理查德·P·罗宾逊的年轻男子，最初他本是海伦的常客，后来两人发展成恋人。当海伦想结束这段关系，等待她的则是一场怒火中烧的分手。不久后，海伦被发现死在了家中的床上，尸体已被烧焦。
Robinson was identified by the madam of the brothel, Rosina Townsend, as the man last seen with Helen just hours before her murder. In addition, a cloak and hatchet found near the crime scene were traced back to Robinson. Despite the mounting evidence against him, the judge threw out Madam Townsend's testimony due to his belief that she was a "polluted" source. Robinson's acquittal was met with public outrage. Many felt that the legal system, in the end, viewed Robinson's life as one of more value than that of Helen's.
经妓院的老鸨罗西娜·汤森指认，在海伦被杀的前几小时，罗宾逊是最后和她在一起的人。此外，在犯罪现场附近发现的斗篷和斧子均将嫌疑指向罗宾逊。尽管有诸多证据对他不利，但由于法官坚信汤森是一个“乌烟瘴气”的证人，因此认定她的证词无效。罗宾逊的无罪释放激起了公愤，很多人认为，法律最终将罗宾逊的性命看得比海伦的重要。
8.马提亚斯·布林斯登
In 1722 in England, tensions were rising between Matthias Brinsden and his wife due to aggravating circumstances pertaining to finances and the support of their large family. The two had already had violent altercations. One day, Matthias drove a pair of scissors into his wife's skull. Amazingly, Mrs. Brinsden survived.
1722年，在英格兰的一对夫妇马提亚斯·布林斯登和他妻子之间的关系日趋紧张，究其原因是因为家庭经济状况持续恶化，家庭负担日益沉重。此前，他们之间曾发生过数次激烈的争执。有一天，愤怒的马提亚斯将一把剪刀直插进了妻子的头。惊人的是，布林斯登太太竟幸免于难。
A week later, after Matthias arrived home in the evening, a drunken and irritated Mrs. Brinsden refused to eat bread and cheese for supper, demanding that Matthias provide her with meat. Following a heated exchange of words, Matthias, blinded with rage, drove a knife into Mrs. Brinsden's abdomen. Realizing what he had done, he dressed the wound with basilicon and sugar prior to making his escape. Nonetheless, his wife was dead, and Matthias was soon captured and taken into custody.
一周后，马提亚斯晚上回家发现他喝醉了酒的老婆正大发雷霆，她不愿以面包和奶酪做晚餐，还要求马提亚斯给她买肉吃。随后双方发生了激烈争吵，被愤怒冲昏头脑的马提亚斯一刀刺向了妻子的腹部。在意识到自己的所作所为后，他在妻子伤口上敷了松脂软膏和白糖以止血，随后逃离。尽管如此，他的妻子仍不治身亡，马提亚斯也很快被抓获并拘留。
After being found guilty and sentenced to hang, Matthias was visited by one of his daughters, whom he embraced and said, "For Christ's sake, my child, forgive me. I have robbed you of your own mother. Be a good child, rather die than steal, never be in a passion, but curb your anger. Honour your mistress, for she will be both a father and a mother to you. Pray for your father and think of him as favorably as you can." The day of his execution, Matthias stood before the gallows stating that he deserved death and asking the crowd to pray for him.
在被判处绞刑后，马提亚斯的一个女儿来看他，拥抱着自己的女儿他说，“看在基督的份上，请原谅我吧，我的孩子。我已让你们失去了母亲。但你要做个好孩子，宁死都不要偷窃，要控制好自己的情绪，千万别被愤怒冲昏头脑。尊重你的女老师，因为今后她将担任你的父亲母亲的角色。为你的父亲祈祷吧，尽可能地多想想他。”在行刑当天，马提亚斯站在绞刑架前说自己是罪有应得，并请求人们为他祈祷。
7.The Chocolate Cream Killer
7.巧克力糖杀手
During the Victorian era, the public was terrified of murderesses, specifically those who used poison as their weapon of choice. In a time when the rate of female killers was on the rise, poisons such as arsenic and strychnine were particularly terrifying due to the fact that they were extremely fatal and exceptionally difficult to detect. This was the preferred method of Christiana Edmunds, aka "the Chocolate Cream Killer." In the summer of 1871, she dispersed poison-laced candy around her hometown of Brighton, England.
在维多利亚时代，民众非常惧怕女杀人犯，尤其是以下毒作为行凶方式的人。在女杀人犯比率上升的时期，像砒霜和士的宁这样的毒药简直让人闻风丧胆，因为它们极其致命且难以检测。这种行凶方式是人称“巧克力糖杀手”的克里斯蒂安娜·埃德蒙兹的首选。1871年夏，在自己的老家英格兰布莱顿，她将有毒的巧克力糖分发了出去。
It was said that Edmunds, who was middle-aged and single, fell in love with a married man, who rejected her. The press theorized that this drove Edmunds into a murderous rage, which she took out on the townspeople. Edmunds was initially found guilty and sentenced to death. However, following a diagnosis of insanity, her sentence was commuted to life at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum.
据说，人到中年依旧单身的埃德蒙兹恋上了一位有妇之夫，但对方拒绝了她。媒体推测，此事点燃了埃德蒙兹心中的怒火，于是发泄到小镇居民的身上。最初她被判有罪并处以死刑，但在出具了一份患有精神失常的诊断书后，便改判为终身监禁，在布罗德莫精神病院度过余生。
The physicians supporting the diagnosis were harshly criticized, as was the court, which the press believed acted out of fear of being scolded for hanging a supposedly refined and educated woman. Had Edmunds come from the lower class of society, it is believed that she would have undoubtedly been led to the gallows.
法院和那位为她出具诊断书的医生均受到民众严厉斥责。媒体认为，法院担心的是倘若绞死一名看似受过良好教育的女性会受到舆论谴责。民众则认为，假如埃德蒙兹来自底层社会，她一定会被拉上绞刑架。
6.疯狂牙医
In Sydney in 1865, 35-year-old father of two Henry Kinder reportedly shot himself in front of his wife, Maria, and friend, Henry Bertrand (pictured above). Based on statements made by Maria and Bertrand, Kinder was a suicidal drunk with financial problems, ultimately leading the coroner to rule the death a suicide. What emerged in the weeks following was that Maria and Bertrand were carrying on a scandalous affair. The pair's desire to be together sporadically came to fruition at a social event one October evening, when Mr. Bertrand shot Henry in the head prior to Maria administering her dying husband poison in order to finish him off.
在1865年的悉尼，35岁的亨利·金德是两个孩子的父亲，他在自己妻子玛利亚和朋友亨利·伯特兰（肖像如上图）面前举枪自尽。据玛利亚和伯特兰供述，金德是个有自杀倾向的酒鬼，且经济上有些问题，这导致验尸官最终判定金德之死是自杀。之后没几个星期，玛利亚和伯特兰之间便传出丑闻。在十月份的一次社交活动上，两人原本就想要在一起的念头成真，玛利亚向自己垂死的丈夫投毒前，为了彻底干掉他，伯特兰已经开枪打爆了亨利的头。
When news broke of the duo's unspeakable crime surrounded by a scandalous liaison, it instantly became a media sensation. Papers labeled Bertrand as the "Mad Dentist of Wynyard Square," with reporters speculating whether or not he had hypnotized Maria into being an accomplice to the murder. In the end, Bertrand was found guilty and served 28 years in prison, while Maria was acquitted for her involvement.
当两人秘而不宣的罪恶因丑闻缠身而曝光，便立刻成为媒体关注的热点。记者们纷纷猜测，伯特兰是否在行凶之前已将玛利亚催眠，以做他的帮凶，报纸上称他是“温亚德广场的疯狂牙医”。最终，伯特兰被判有期徒刑28年，而玛利亚因只是从犯被判无罪释放。
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