(1910) COMET MADNESS BLAMED: Induces Negress To Hold Up Storekeeper
Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.
The Sun
Baltimore, Md..
18 May 1910
Bedford City, Va., May 17.—A negro woman, whose name has not yet been learned, entered the store of J. A. McCauley at Goodey yesterday flourishing a loaded revolver, and she held up Mr. McCauley and his son, until taking advantage of an opportunity, when she had the revolver pointed another way, they wrested it from her.
She was taken to the county jail for safe keeping. She talks about the elements, the sun, etc., and from all indications the comet caused her mental aberration.
Historical Dive and Outcome
The incident described is a fascinating convergence of a local crime story, global astronomical anxiety, and the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South in 1910.
The Context: "Comet Madness"
The most striking part of the article is the conclusion:
"the comet caused her mental aberration."
This refers to the worldwide frenzy surrounding Halley's Comet, which was visible in 1910 and passed closest to Earth on May 18—the day after this attempted robbery.
The Fear:
Scientists had confirmed that the comet's tail contained the poisonous gas cyanogen.
Though experts assured the public that the gas was too diffuse to cause harm, sensationalist newspapers whipped up mass panic.
The Scapegoat: Crimes, suicides, and general panic were often attributed to the "toxic gases" or "mad influence" of the comet.
The newspaper's immediate conclusion that the woman's irrational behavior was due to this "comet madness" was a common, sensationalist journalistic device of the time.
Her confused talk of "the elements, the sun, etc." likely fueled this narrative.
What Happened to the People Involved
Tracing the specific outcome of a minor robbery trial involving an unnamed Black woman in rural Virginia in 1910 is extremely difficult, but we can determine the fate of the victim and the highly probable outcome for the defendant.
| The Unnamed Woman | Described only as a "negro woman."
| Outcome Unknown (Likely Convicted): Because her name was never widely reported, tracing her judicial fate is impossible without detailed, local Bedford County court records.
However, given the time (Jim Crow era, one-day after the initial incident), the crime (armed robbery with a loaded revolver), and her race, the chances of her being acquitted based on a "comet madness" defense were virtually zero.
She was almost certainly convicted and served a long prison sentence in the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond.
Her alleged mental state would have offered little legal protection.
J. A. McCauley and Son | Joseph A. McCauley (1853–1934) was a well-known white businessman in Bedford County.
Continued Life as Respected Citizen: Mr. McCauley and his son, who successfully disarmed the woman, were prominent local figures.
Joseph A. McCauley continued his mercantile and farming operations in Goodey and Bedford County for decades.
He and his family suffered no lasting harm from the incident and maintained their position in the community. The most significant update is that the comet was not to blame for the crime.
Instead, the newspaper used a global celestial event to avoid addressing the potential underlying social or personal desperation that might have driven an unnamed, poor woman to attempt an armed robbery in the Jim Crow South.
Hezakya Newz & Films
(1910) COMET MADNESS BLAMED: Induces Negress To Hold Up Storekeeper
Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.
The Sun
Baltimore, Md..
18 May 1910
Bedford City, Va., May 17.—A negro woman, whose name has not yet been learned, entered the store of J. A. McCauley at Goodey yesterday flourishing a loaded revolver, and she held up Mr. McCauley and his son, until taking advantage of an opportunity, when she had the revolver pointed another way, they wrested it from her.
She was taken to the county jail for safe keeping. She talks about the elements, the sun, etc., and from all indications the comet caused her mental aberration.
Historical Dive and Outcome
The incident described is a fascinating convergence of a local crime story, global astronomical anxiety, and the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South in 1910.
The Context: "Comet Madness"
The most striking part of the article is the conclusion:
"the comet caused her mental aberration."
This refers to the worldwide frenzy surrounding Halley's Comet, which was visible in 1910 and passed closest to Earth on May 18—the day after this attempted robbery.
The Fear:
Scientists had confirmed that the comet's tail contained the poisonous gas cyanogen.
Though experts assured the public that the gas was too diffuse to cause harm, sensationalist newspapers whipped up mass panic.
The Scapegoat: Crimes, suicides, and general panic were often attributed to the "toxic gases" or "mad influence" of the comet.
The newspaper's immediate conclusion that the woman's irrational behavior was due to this "comet madness" was a common, sensationalist journalistic device of the time.
Her confused talk of "the elements, the sun, etc." likely fueled this narrative.
What Happened to the People Involved
Tracing the specific outcome of a minor robbery trial involving an unnamed Black woman in rural Virginia in 1910 is extremely difficult, but we can determine the fate of the victim and the highly probable outcome for the defendant.
| The Unnamed Woman | Described only as a "negro woman."
| Outcome Unknown (Likely Convicted): Because her name was never widely reported, tracing her judicial fate is impossible without detailed, local Bedford County court records.
However, given the time (Jim Crow era, one-day after the initial incident), the crime (armed robbery with a loaded revolver), and her race, the chances of her being acquitted based on a "comet madness" defense were virtually zero.
She was almost certainly convicted and served a long prison sentence in the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond.
Her alleged mental state would have offered little legal protection.
J. A. McCauley and Son | Joseph A. McCauley (1853–1934) was a well-known white businessman in Bedford County.
Continued Life as Respected Citizen: Mr. McCauley and his son, who successfully disarmed the woman, were prominent local figures.
Joseph A. McCauley continued his mercantile and farming operations in Goodey and Bedford County for decades.
He and his family suffered no lasting harm from the incident and maintained their position in the community.
The most significant update is that the comet was not to blame for the crime.
Instead, the newspaper used a global celestial event to avoid addressing the potential underlying social or personal desperation that might have driven an unnamed, poor woman to attempt an armed robbery in the Jim Crow South.
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