‘Lost Her Glamour’
How did I miss it?
Every photo I had seen of Madeline Webb – from the start of her murder trial in May 1942 to the day of her sentencing the following month – showed a young woman who cared about her appearance. Her hair was coiffed, lipstick carefully applied.
She knew where the cameras were.
After her murder conviction, she underwent six hours of psychiatric examinations ahead of her formal sentencing. The date was June 3 – her 30th birthday.
New York Daily News
The New York Daily News ran a photo under the headline “Madeline Smiles Again.” She sports a wide grin. (The photo may have been taken a week earlier during the trial.)
What I missed until just recently was a line in the story saying she would be questioned further on June 5.
When I finally got around to looking at that coverage, I was stunned.
Des Moines (Iowa) Register
The photos showed a woman who had aged 15 years. Madeline wore no makeup.
Washington (D.C.) Daily News
Her only adornment was a pair of earrings. Her long brunette locks were gone, her short hair now combed back.
The Daily News headline must have hurt: “Madeline Has Lost Her Glamour.”
New York Daily News