V is for villains
Coming from the worlds of science fiction, children’s literature, film, and true crime, these are just a few of the crooked and mischievous characters that you can find in amongst the library’s Special Collections.
Bertha Heyman (b. 1851) was a real-life master criminal who went by the alias of "Big Bertha" or the "Confidence Queen". She was a thief, a grand larcenist and a con artist.
This 1888 wanted poster was issued by Chief Constable H.J. Grasett of Toronto for the arrest of “Big Bertha” and of Charles Wasserman for crimes committed in Yorkville.