- Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 10th May 2017
Burglaries in Paris and the provinces, wherein the revolver and the knife, as a rule, play an important role, are becoming more and more frequent. The police seem powerless, and the attacked citizens, paralysed by fear, do not make use of the weapons at their disposal, with the result that the ghastly list of murdered persons has been swelling of late to an alarming extent.
But help has come from an unexpected quarter. The Apache has encountered a formidable foe, on whom he never reckoned, and that foe is woman. Under normal conditions, a woman shudders at the thought of shedding blood, but when she once decides to kill, her hand does not tremble.
We have had many instances of that of late. A young woman was married to a scoundrel who wanted to force her to get her living in the streets, whereupon she left him and went back to her mother. A month ago the fellow burst into the room where the two women were dining, and with horrible threats called upon his wife to return to him. Before he had time to strike her, he fell to the ground with the carving knife buried in his throat. She informed the jury that if she deserved punishment it was for not having performed the deed sooner and the twelve gentlemen evidently agreed with her, for she was at once acquitted.
The Modern Amazons
Last week a girl distinguished herself in a similar manner. She was nursing her sick sister and waiting her father’s return, when two men attempted to break the shutters of the lonely cottage. In an instant she had seized her father’s rifle, and lodged a bullet in one of the burglars’ heads. There was no necessity to fire a second shot. Number one was “out of business” as the Americans say and the other had fled. She then resumed her sewing, as if nothing had occurred. Her name is Mlle. Brazy, and if she were placed at the head of a company of Amazons, I feel certain the Paris streets would be safer at night than they are at present.
Our policemen appear to be always in doubt as to when they may or may not use their revolvers, and whilst they are weighing the matter, the psychological moment has passed. Women do not trouble about the subtleties ot the law. If they are threatened they strike, if they are struck they kill. They are doing good work as long as they continue to aim their shots at the enemies of Society.