picture had not done her justice and that he was captivated by what he called ‘the fire in her eyes’.
Frank and Nannie married in 1929 and for a while they were truly happy. Nannie’s happiness, however, was to be short-lived as just a couple of months later she discovered her new husband was an alcoholic. Several times the police had to knock on Nannie’s door to tell her that her husband was drunk and had been brawling at the local tavern. Nannie was not amused and her moods became darker and darker.
Surprisingly, Nannie put up with Frank’s drinking for several years, and even when he started to beat her, she stayed put. Although she was desperately unhappy, the marriage lasted for sixteen years – perhaps Nannie had not yet perfected the art of getting rid of her husbands.
THE LOVING GRANDMA!
Nannie’s two surviving daughters, Melvina and Florine, were now grown up and married. In 1943 Melvina had a son, Robert, and in 1945 she was pregnant again. The labour was a difficult one and, frightened that she might die, she asked for her mother to be at her bedside. Nannie was the dutiful mother and stayed with her daughter throughout the night, attempting to comfort her. Just before dawn, Melvina, Nannie and her son-in-law, Mosie, celebrated the birth of a lovely baby girl.
Only one hour later, when Mosie was asleep beside his wife in a chair and Melvina still dopey from the ether, the baby mysteriously died. Melvina was puzzled because the child had been born healthy, but she thought she remembered in her hazy state, seeing her mother poke something in the side of the baby’s head. At the time she dismissed the matter, not believing that her mother would wish to harm her granddaughter. However, her husband confirmed her suspicions when he said he had seen Nannie turning a hatpin around in her fingers earlier that evening.
Melvina’s other child, Robert, also died six months later, while being looked after by Nannie. Melvina had gone to stay with her father, Charley Braggs, following an argument with her husband, and had asked Nannie to look after Robert. His death was a mystery, and doctors recorded it as asphyxiation from unknown causes. Nannie played the grieving grandma and wept and wailed when they lowered the tiny coffin into the ground. What her daughter didn’t know, was that Nannie had collected a $500 insurance policy, which she had taken out on Robert shortly after his birth.
Nannie, having perfected the art of murder, decided that now was the time to do something about her husband, Frank Harrelson. All she had to do now was wait for the right opportunity.
GOODBYE NUMBER TWO
On the night of September 15, 1945, Frank Harrelson had spent his usual evening down the local tavern. He returned home much the worse for wear and demanded his conjugal rights. Rather than suffer a severe beating, Nannie lay back on her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, vowing that she would get her revenge.
The next morning, Nannie was tending her beloved garden when she hit something hard with her spade. What she uncovered was her husband’s corn liquor jar, which he thought he had so carefully hidden. This gave Nannie an idea, and she took the jar to her shed, tipped out some of the liquor and replaced it with rat poison. She hid the jar back in the garden and continued to tend her roses.
Frank died the same evening of excruciating stomach pains and as he lay dying, Nannie could be seen at her kitchen sink washing out the empty corn jar with soap.
HUSBAND NUMBER THREE
Determined not to be on her own for too long, Nannie started scouring the adverts once again. Husband number three was a man called Arlie Lanning. Nannie had moved several times since the death of Frank, and when she met Arlie, she was living in Lexington, North Carolina. The couple were married within days of meeting, but he turned out to be little better than husband number one or two. Arlie had a reputation for being a drunkard
Frank and Nannie married in 1929 and for a while they were truly happy. Nannie’s happiness, however, was to be short-lived as just a couple of months later she discovered her new husband was an alcoholic. Several times the police had to knock on Nannie’s door to tell her that her husband was drunk and had been brawling at the local tavern. Nannie was not amused and her moods became darker and darker.
Surprisingly, Nannie put up with Frank’s drinking for several years, and even when he started to beat her, she stayed put. Although she was desperately unhappy, the marriage lasted for sixteen years – perhaps Nannie had not yet perfected the art of getting rid of her husbands.
THE LOVING GRANDMA!
Nannie’s two surviving daughters, Melvina and Florine, were now grown up and married. In 1943 Melvina had a son, Robert, and in 1945 she was pregnant again. The labour was a difficult one and, frightened that she might die, she asked for her mother to be at her bedside. Nannie was the dutiful mother and stayed with her daughter throughout the night, attempting to comfort her. Just before dawn, Melvina, Nannie and her son-in-law, Mosie, celebrated the birth of a lovely baby girl.
Only one hour later, when Mosie was asleep beside his wife in a chair and Melvina still dopey from the ether, the baby mysteriously died. Melvina was puzzled because the child had been born healthy, but she thought she remembered in her hazy state, seeing her mother poke something in the side of the baby’s head. At the time she dismissed the matter, not believing that her mother would wish to harm her granddaughter. However, her husband confirmed her suspicions when he said he had seen Nannie turning a hatpin around in her fingers earlier that evening.
Melvina’s other child, Robert, also died six months later, while being looked after by Nannie. Melvina had gone to stay with her father, Charley Braggs, following an argument with her husband, and had asked Nannie to look after Robert. His death was a mystery, and doctors recorded it as asphyxiation from unknown causes. Nannie played the grieving grandma and wept and wailed when they lowered the tiny coffin into the ground. What her daughter didn’t know, was that Nannie had collected a $500 insurance policy, which she had taken out on Robert shortly after his birth.
Nannie, having perfected the art of murder, decided that now was the time to do something about her husband, Frank Harrelson. All she had to do now was wait for the right opportunity.
GOODBYE NUMBER TWO
On the night of September 15, 1945, Frank Harrelson had spent his usual evening down the local tavern. He returned home much the worse for wear and demanded his conjugal rights. Rather than suffer a severe beating, Nannie lay back on her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, vowing that she would get her revenge.
The next morning, Nannie was tending her beloved garden when she hit something hard with her spade. What she uncovered was her husband’s corn liquor jar, which he thought he had so carefully hidden. This gave Nannie an idea, and she took the jar to her shed, tipped out some of the liquor and replaced it with rat poison. She hid the jar back in the garden and continued to tend her roses.
Frank died the same evening of excruciating stomach pains and as he lay dying, Nannie could be seen at her kitchen sink washing out the empty corn jar with soap.
HUSBAND NUMBER THREE
Determined not to be on her own for too long, Nannie started scouring the adverts once again. Husband number three was a man called Arlie Lanning. Nannie had moved several times since the death of Frank, and when she met Arlie, she was living in Lexington, North Carolina. The couple were married within days of meeting, but he turned out to be little better than husband number one or two. Arlie had a reputation for being a drunkard
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