When dealing with habitual offenders, if you used "civilized methods," they looked down on you instead.
This woman named Betty was a member of a bandit gang. They consisted of nineteen men and three women, carrying out highway robberies mainly for food, money, and jewelry. They lived deep in the forest, in a place that was almost impossible to enter.
Their usual method was to have the women in the gang pose as victims. When passing merchants or families rescued them, the women would find ways to assess the situation. If they thought it feasible, they would notify the male members; if not, they would steal whatever valuables they could. This time, Betty had simply been too greedy. If she had left five minutes earlier, she would not have been caught.
Though the castle drawbridge had been raised, Betty could swim. Once she crossed the moat, a life of wealth and luxury awaited her. She had no desire whatsoever to go back and split the spoils with her former "friends."
The gang's leader, Beckland, had enlisted after the conscription law was enacted in Belgium. He had thought it would be an easy way to make money. But he soon ran into problems with military discipline, and two years later, during a battle against Austria, he deserted to Luxembourg, where he met other deserters.
These people simply did not want to earn money through hard work. During one robbery, they came across a song-and-dance troupe. Most of the women were sold, but one woman named Julia came up with an idea, claiming she could help the bandits. Later, the bandits followed her method—the very method Betty had used—and Julia became the leader of the gang's women.
How many people had they killed? There was no longer any way to count from