"Jolly Jane" Toppan
Criminals like Jane Toppan are often called "Angels of Mercy" or "Angels of Death." This crime generally involves someone who is a nurse or takes on the role of a caregiver in the in the process kills their patients in one form or another. In modern times we have seen these cases throughout the years, generally involving nurses in hospitals or doctors offices. In Jane's case, when her crimes came to light in 1901 she had been an in-home nurse. Jane Toppan was born about 1857 and was named Honora Kelley. She was the youngest child of Bridget and Paul Kelley. Her mother died when she was very young. Her father obtained, or maintained, a reputation that likely was more legend than fact. He was apparently an alcoholic and was notorious for his antics and thought to be unbalanced. Later rumors were that he eventually ended up in an asylum after he was found working for a tailor and was attempting to sew his eyelids shut. Again, many of the t...