The article recounts the life and criminal history of Bertha Liebbeke, also known by several aliases and widely referred to as “Fainting Bertha,” one of the most infamous pickpockets in the American Midwest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born in March 1880 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Bertha experienced early tragedy with the death of her father and was later diagnosed with Sydenham’s chorea, a neurological disorder that caused involuntary movements.Due to her condition and behavior, she was institutionalized in multiple facilities, including hospitals for the mentally ill in Iowa.After her release, Bertha reportedly entered a life of crime, claiming she was taught pickpocketing by a man named Gunther.

She became known for a unique method of theft in which she would pretend to faint in public, attracting sympathetic men who would catch her—only to have their wallets, jewelry, or valuables stolen in the process.

This tactic earned her the nickname “Fainting Bertha” and made her highly effective at avoiding suspicion while traveling across Midwestern cities by train and boat.Her criminal activities led to multiple arrests, convictions, and incarcerations in prisons and asylums across several states.

She frequently escaped custody and was described as having severe mental health instability, including violent outbursts, hallucinations, and suicidal behavior.Authorities struggled to determine whether she belonged in prison or psychiatric care.Despite attempts at reform, including a brief intervention by a church in Omaha, her behavior remained unstable.Over the years she accumulated multiple aliases, appeared in numerous police rogues’ galleries, and spent long periods institutionalized.

She died in 1939 at a state hospital in Nebraska at the age of 59, leaving behind a complex legacy shaped by crime, mental illness, and the penal and medical systems of her time.