The Poison Widow

by Linda S. Godfrey

I know what your granny did last century, said author Linda Godfrey to the granddaughter of Myrtle Schaude. How would you feel if you found out, after years of eating her homemade cookies, that grandma was in truth a confessed, convicted prisoner who served prison time for murder? This is the true story of petite and mild-mannered Myrtle Schaude, a model wife and mother from Whitewater, Wisconsin, who poisoned her husband with strychnine, then blamed her lover. Next, she started over with a new family in a new state, conveniently forgetting to mention the sordid events that ended her previous marriage. How could Myrtle keep her shocking past a secret over all the decades? Open the book to find out!

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2003

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book lent to me by a co-worker. Looked into it because it took place in Wisconsin, and I'm a fan of crime serials.

It's the story about a woman named Myrtle Schaude, who marries rich and has a family. Leads a happy life. Only to poison her husband with strychnine with the help of her accomplice and lover, Ernest Kufahl. The woman later disappears and creates a new life for herself, and no one knows of her past until well beyond her death, and only because the author of this book does some investigations and essentially, re-opens the tale to everyone. Even the city of Whitewater, where Myrtle lived and committed the crime, seems to have had forgotten about it.

It wasn't too bad. It was well-written, the facts were presented in a straight-forward fashion. And the author did dramatize the unseen events and dialogue rather well. However I felt the author tried to pull heinous results out of slight details. It felt to me she was trying to make Myrtle seem wicked, sinister and conniving, when in the end, I think she was just a confused woman. A woman who thought she was in love with the charismatic Ernest, and was willing to listen to the whims of her lover to prove her devotion. Which happened to be slipping strychnine into her hubby's prune juice. Ouch.

It was a good enough read, and I felt engaged enough to finish. It was interesting to learn that such a tale happened in Wisconsin and no one seems to remember. I also always enjoy seeing and reading local authors, and Linda is from Madison. I've nothing terrible to say about the book, but nothing remarkable.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I know what your Granny did last century," said the author to the granddaughter of convicted murderess Myrtle Schaude. Once upon a time, Myrtle was a cute farm wife who took in boarders to help pay the bills. Everything was fine until Myrtle began having an affair with one of the boarders and decided murdering her husband was the ticket to a new life with her younger lover. Myrtle told her lover, "You know that old saying if you can't be good, be careful. So I guess that is what we will have to do." When Myrtle's plan to kill her kids with poisoned candy went awry, authorities took another look at Myrtle's husband's death. Physical evidence and "sordid" letters led to her arrest and conviction. After serving time in prison, Myrtle remarried and had another family. When the author approached surviving members of this second family, she found they were unaware of Myrtle's earlier life and could not believe the person the author was researching was the sweet lady they remembered. But, it was the same person alright. Would recommend to readers of true crime stories.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting in that it took place in the Whitewater, WI area. And that the poisoning woman, after putting in her prison time, met and married a respectable farmer and no one in his family knew anything about her past until this book was published.

[Ellenh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting, fast read. Talk about surprises in your family tree! The forward by the step granddaughter of Myrtle Schaude was an interesting hook for me. The first line" How much do you know about Myrtle McGarrahan? in a visit to her family by the author, asking about the Grandfather's second wife.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book caught my eye as the murder took place in a small town in Wisconsin in 1924. It was an interesting story, but it didn't draw me in...almost DNF, but because it was a short book, I stuck it out.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a true story about a crime that took place in a nearby town called Elkhorn, WI. The woman dubbed the "Poison Widow" fits the profile of many present day mentally disturbed women who kill or attempt to kill their families, only this woman was able to start a new life in a city not far from Elkhorn, Zion, Illinois, completely under the radar. No one knew about her murderous past. It gives great insight into life in Wisconsin in the 1800's.

[Clifford Wollum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I met Linda at a book store and bought this book. A great story about a Wisconsin woman in the early 1900's.

[Cindy Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable non-fiction read - Great story and gave insight on many other levels - views of women of the time -

Good Read - with surprises :)