Shaming and Economic crime in 19th century Sweden

Hans Andersson In 19th century the economic system of Sweden as most of the western world was transforming from an agrarian, peasant based economy were most production and consumption took place within the household, into an advanced industrialized capitalism. Our basic idea is that when the economic system changes, the prerequisites for economic crime is also transformed. We combine statistical research with qualitative analysis of the popular legal culture, as represented in chapbooks and songs on crime and scandals. The pattern of crime was also changing; violence and theft were decreasing while fraud and economic crime seem to have increased. The popular legal culture centered on honor was modernized and became more focused on class struggle and entrepreneurial spirit. The attitude towards economic crime changed, even more than for other types of crime, from a culture of shaming, to a less moralizing approach concerning the legal frames for economic activity. Most of the chapbooks were printed in the 19th century, and only about ca 2 000 are from the 18th. Very few are older than 1700, and maybe a thousand later than 1900. The oldest of them all was printed back in 1583. Here we are told the story of a crime and its consequences, the rape of the virtuous lady Lucretia in Rome. To save her honour she committed suicide. The rapist was supposed to be the son of the last roman king, and the deed caused enraged patricians to rebel. The incident has inspired a lot of different writers, such as St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Shakespeare and Voltaire; and has also been a popular motif for the painters of the renaissance, who loved to moralise by painting pictures of nude women. While the last dying speeches, and other broadsheets in England and Germany seems to have had their heyday in 17th century and was disappearing in the 18th century, the first skillingtryck labelled on crime (series O, Oa and Ob, cf. missddare misdeed) is dated 1694. There are all together 71 from before 1800, and 400 from then on and up to 1937.1 Chapbooks on shaming and scandals Economic or corporate crime is not a common subject of the chapbooks in the series O, but I have found that at least one third of the song on shaming and Scandals (Nid och skandalvisor) in series P are on these kinds of crime. There are 97 chapbooks labelled as songs on shaming and scandals, from the period 1818-1904. Table 3. Themes in chapbooks on shaming and scandals, 1818-1904. Themes Economic crime Violations Other crimes Politics/religion Other Sum
1

1818-1850 29 16 3 10 10 68

1851-1904 3 6 4 9 7 29

Total 32 22 7 19 17 97

The number of persons figuring as main characters in the skillingtryck are considerably lower, compared to these figures, see Hans Andersson Jag mig njd under bilan bjer in Slkt och Hvd 2002.

Source: Swedish chapbooks series P, on microfilm at the Royal library, Stockholm.

There is a clear tendency that during the period up to 1850, the chapbooks on shaming deals with economic or corporate crime. A major study on economic crime is well under way. The idea is that during a period like the 19th century, when the economic system in Sweden (as well as most of the world) was completely transformed, the opportunity and ways/tactics of economic crime also changes. The structural or institutional frame for these crimes changes radically. One point of departure for a further study of this topic may be that the boundary between economic and other (traditional) crime not is clear-cut. The border region between these will therefore be examined. The rudimentary forms of organized crime that existed in Sweden during the period were dependant on illegal networks (an organization is a special form of a network). The kinds of violations mentioned in table 3 are also referring to illegal actions. They are of two kinds: protests against misbehaviour of the police and prison guards or excessive use of the right of the master of a household to physically punish servants. While the last dying speeches, and other broadsheets in England and Germany seems to have had their heyday in 17th century and was disappearing in the 18th century, the first skillingtryck labelled on crime (series O, Oa and Ob, cf. missddare misdeed) is dated 1694. There are all together 71 from before 1800, and 400 from then on and up to 1936. 2 I may suggest two factors explaining this difference: Swedish elite culture was a bit backward, compared to Britain and the continent. Sweden was a receiver of cultural impulses, mainly from Germany and, at least concerning elite culture also from France. On the other hand the lower classes, that was the main audience for the chapbooks were to a large degree literate, and had a great awareness of their legal culture and established political rights. The connection between economic crime and organized crime! Much effort has been spent on finding a good and operational definition of the concept organized crime. There is or have been a wide discrepancy about terms and their uses in different countries or languages areas. The idea of a hierarchal and well structured criminal organization that at the same time is a threat and a mirror image of ordered society has lingered on since late 19th century. This idea has also been a cherished model for mass culture, in TV, Movies and Books. Furthermore criminals have realized that they could increase their power to brutally extort and win a romantic aura of (self) respect, by claiming adherence to such an enterprise. The fact that organized crime largely is a social and cultural construction by media does however, not mean that there is not a threat from illegal entrepreneurs, and criminal networks using violence or corruption to gain their ends. Its just a question of the proper use of terms to get a best representation of social reality.

Economic crime in the misdeed-collection Imprisonment for debt occurred in a song from 1823? (UG 23 trenne mycket mkeliga visor, tv om ett mord i Linkping och en om det i Skarpen). A man married in to money, spent his wifes fortune and later on was imprisoned for debt, in the small town of Linkping. As the wife visited this town he got permit to leave and go see her. The details are not given in either of the sentimental songs, but what seems to have happened is that he stabbed his wife
2

The number of persons figuring as main characters in the skillingtryck are considerably lower, compared to these figures, see Hans Andersson Jag mig njd under bilan bjer in Slkt och Hvd 2002.

to death, or slashed her throat and then killed himself. This is clearly not an economic crime, but in a way a crime related to bankruptcy. Behold all you women, What evil might befall you, Unhappy was the day, When I came to this world. My mother who carried me, With lots of pain and trouble, Now in sorrow remains. Like a lily in the valley, As a virgin I walked. Soon lost my father, But got a husband, Who only brought me grief, And even to all my friends, That now says farewell. When you had plundered All that my father left me, I tried something to save, Your creditors came, As you were imprisoned I did not know that my journey, Would have a fatal end. Resting at night in the same town, Where my husband sat in jail, I sent the message: come! I want to break our marriage My mind is made up, I do not wish To still be your wife. You rage in anger, You flatter and threat, You lose control, Of envy heated. I may live or die, If this is my last moment, Oh Jesus hear my words! The second song is in third person and more descriptive when it comes to bloodshed. There is even an animistic touch, as the perpetrator is likened to several false and cruel animals, as well as Satan himself. Every verse ends with a chorus: how can any spouse commit an evil deed like this. The old Swedish uses the feminine form for both spouses witch to a modern reader may be a bit confusing. The chapbook even contains an answer to these to songs, laid in the mouth of our Savior! I have had several arguments about the actual authorship of the

songs written in first person and in this case I admit it seems more than likely that it is fictional. Several chapbooks are connected with a man called Tycho Trybom, who in 1870 committed a similar crime. (Volym-UG 100/47-50, 1879). An unsuccessful businessman from Sundsvall in northern Sweden, Trybom at the age of 27 was threatened to be charged for bedrglig gldenr. He was in September 1878 engaged to a seventeen year old girl, Fredrika Hellberg. He goes to Stockholm to visit his mother and tells her that he will shoot himself in the forehead if she does not borrow him 400 Swedish crowns. He plans to go to America and gets as far as Lbeck, when a telegram from his fianc convinces him to turn back. Once he is at home, Trybom lies sick for three days, then cuts Fredrika with a razor and shoots himself. She dies immediately, he an hour later. There is no song, but a lot of moralizing prose, especially as he has been indiscreet, as he has bragged about the intimate signs of affection that she has given him. When tillrttavisad, he has claimed that it had been she that had seduced him! Several letters that the lovers had exchanged were also published in the chapbooks. Another chapbook tells of an insurance fraud connected with arson, committed by a goldsmith in Marstrand, western Sweden (Volym-UG 99/35, 1869). Here also the main perpetrator was threatened by bankruptcy. As the case proceeds, he is also accused of incest, with his late daughter. Finally the banmstare O P Lvdal is descirbed in a long song as an arsonist, thief, conman, wearer of false orders and medals, womanizer etc etc - (Volym-UG 99/7, no year given, but probably early 20th century). All together his crimnal actrs should have brought him over 8 000 crowns, he was indicted for 119 fraud, 37 theft and embezzelments, 742 cases of false pay rolls and bills, six arsons, fraud agasint an insurance company and finally false oath. The fact that he wore false orders an insignas was particularly frustrating. Also the song writer made puns on the arsonists ability to put women hearts in flames. The chorus alludes to the fact that he was introduced as a free mason. Songs on shaming and economic crime These songs are supposed to be funny, for example: one is said to tell a story of the grandson och a grandfather. It also conatins a short antisemitic anecdote. A jew in Berlin had converted to christianity and asked the king for work. Fredrik the great made him his forerunner. The jew remarked that he was too old to run and the king then told him: you scoundrel, if you have run from one God to another, you may as well run before my chariot. (P2, 1832) In many songs the name is changed in a way that is supposed to be funny. A fence in Stockholm was called Getterstedt, but the songwriters changed the name to Hundturken Sklmstedt (hundturk = dog turk, sklm = scoundrel) (P2, 1833). In antother song he is told be a rich man, which of course made his offence worse, and he is called Flskstedt (flsk = pork) (P3, 1833). A letter from a frgyllare in Stokcholm to his friend in the country (P7, 1833) the fate of Flskstedt is discussed.

Sweet brother! I have many times wanted to answer your question and tell you about Flskstedt, a great fence of the city. In the same chapbook there is a story of smugglers, who tried to bring clothes in to Stockholm by dressing up in many layers. When undressed they became much thniier and two gentlemen proved to be young ladies. 67 den mdosamma promenaden smuggling vid Hornstull, 1833; 68 dito frlossning, 1833; 69 barnsngen vid Hornstull, 1833. There was furthermore many songs on the Chinese minister of finance, called Scandal. This was also a mock name an owner of a restaurant, Sandahl had counterfeited some money to but provisions for his establishment, (also P5, 1832-33, or 101:9-14). My song is about a man Who wanted to do more than possible, He cheated many all right, But was finally caught you understand me well! In Swedish his name was Scandal; His crime were many His story in short all right, I am able to tell you understand me well! As an apprentice in a shop, He was taken away, His finger was not too short They were long all right, And his tricks many you understand me well! He was the first mechanic, Of China and lived good, But oil him told all right, And he could not stay you understand me well! He was for a while a policeman, Thought that his skills, As a liar and a thief, all right. Would come to you understand me well! He was fired and then saw, As his last chance, To start a restaturant, all right, And move to China you understand me well! In Peking there are a thousand inns, Owned by honest men.

No customers came, all right, To Scandals inn, you understand me well! As years pass by, And he reads of economy, Why not cheat the farmers, all right, With bank notes of my own you understand me well! Somehow he is elevated to minster of finance in China why? Is this a joke on Chinese paper money? But one last elevation awaits him, all right, he will be transprted to the castle with three towers in the south. That is the hill where the gallows stands, with three pillars, south of Stokholm, In this place several dead wrongdoers are waiting for Scandal, who applies for the post as a minsiter of finance here also, at the court of the regicide Anckarstrm, or sho ever resides there as the chief among people executed in stockholm. Some songs give the honour to the murderer Gthe, otehr to the great thief Guntlack. But actually Sandahl is not executed, but condemend to 40 lashes, loss of his honour and to stand chained to a pole for two hours finally four years of forced labour in the Malm fortifications. Also he is to gottgra the bank with 47 Riksdaler and six shilling. Ambivalent moraliserande ver penninglystnaden, det r inte att undra p att alla vill njuta av livet ven om det leder till gallerslott eller schavott. En man frn Strngns gr och ler mot flickorna p Norrbro (d v s i Stockholm, antar jag). Hans hatt var hg, som tornet uti Babel Och polisonger efter Bolivar; Lskragen sttlig gick upp till hans snabel, Som kalvens svans hans frack lngskrtad var; I ljusa byxor doldes smala lren, Och renskinnshandskar skyddade hans hand; Hans hr var lurvigt ssom spanska fren, Och vissla gjorde han ocks ibland. P vrdshus gick han efter goda tonen t han sex rtter, drack sitt dyra vin. Och fast han saknade plymen och galonen, Fick han av mngen nymf en stsur min; Ty tjock hans plnbok var och flickor mysa, S milt mot varje utav bankens barn, Ja, hackorna id eras gon lysa, Svl som militrens bjfs och flarn. Men han ker fast, oklart fr vad. Mjligen r det frgan om stld och inte ekobrott. Fngelset vid Riddartorget skildras utfrligt som kontrast mot hans tidigare leverne det kan inte vara om Skandal! Men ligger mellan tv snger om denne. Kan det vara samma som: 101:15 Putslustiga tankar och beskrivning ver den stora pomp och stt samt hurrarop, varmed en allmnhet hedrade den s kallade Skrddaren p Vita Hsten frn domstolen till

Gldbohov (=gldstugan?) dr han hyresfritt fr tugga lite. ven Skandal och Gthes gamla slott Tre Torn Sderut nmns (1836, samma ref). vad fan i vld r det fr gny och sorl, man hr uti vr by, om den p vita hsten, allt vl. Hin hle m ta resten, ni frstr mig vl. Man sllan sdan stt har sett, Som folket har s livligt gett, Sen Skandal spelte rollen, alltvl, Samt fler, se protokollen, ni D blev p Gthens gamla slott Tre Torn p Sder val, Vem som skulle presidera, allt vl, P valet voro flera, ni Ty Gthen, gammal president, Brodin i mlet referent, Lidholm finansminister, allt vl, Det var ett lngt register, ni Dr slutar de kopierade sngerna och vi fr se om det blir ngon fortsttning. 45 en judes monolog (?), 1828. sgs vara hmtad ur komedin Israelismen, vilken troligen ej existerar. Framfrs p mock-tyska, smuggling och ocker 62 visa om den tyska baron eller chevalier dIndustrie ankom till Stockholm under namn av baron von Mller, frfrde flickor och bedrog tskilliga p stora summor, 1832 b) Industririddare illustrerad, ker fast i Helsingborg! Jfr Felix Krull och Ruggiero. 63 Torgriddare, 1820. insolvens, sprit, frfrare! Jag var ej nnsin bland dessa pultroner, Som nekat namnskrift och Klockan slr tolv O vad spring till rdsturtt Bara cessioner ja sju p en gng, det gr s ltt Torgriddare 71 Anckarstrms klagan hos avgrundsfursten Leviathan, med anledning av Gthes fregivna drm. I en lista ver skojare nmns ocks tv judar, samt bedragaren Mhlenstein, som friat till nkor och lurat av dem deras pengar. 1833 Judarna har lnat ut pengar och sitter nu i fngelse, tycks det. 76 Fyrverkarvisan, om mordbrand (frskringsbedrgeri?) i Visby, 1867 (samma gamla refrng).

77 om tv sklmar p en marknad, Silver-Johan och Pappers-Pehr, 1827. Pehr bankrutterar p Rdstugan (i Stockholm, framgr det s smningom), det verkar vara frgan om ett konkursrelaterat brott, eftersom han istllet fr sina glasgon p den spetisga nsan fr glasgon p ftterna, d v s fotboja och dms att st och skmmas i halsjrn vid en ple p torget. Skall hlla en kvast i hger hand och nollkrediten i den andra! En allmnt erknd skojare; Med glasgon och spetsig nsa; Kom hit som kolporterare Av visor, vari stod att lsa. r det Pehr som kolporterat denna sorts visor som r mitt kllmaterial? Johan kpte tjuvgods ferra tre Den handeln kan vl ingen klandra, P den frmr att titeln ge Av sjlva silver-Jan den andra. Johan fr sina 40 p ett torg, d v s par sp r det ett samband mellan deras brott, utver att de sgs vara brder, s har vi ju just vad jag skt: kontakter mellan kriminella ntverk och ekonomiska brottslingar! Silver-Jan den andre har tidigare omnmnts, i samband med Gthe och hans ministrar och kommer tillbaks i 101:78. 84 om Pelle Persson Wasselkranke, 1856. mer snlhet och bondeplgande n eg brott eller r det ett ekonomiskt brott att plga bnder, jfr skillingtryck om Anckarstrm! 96 om en fabrikr i Mlndal, D. O. Franke, 1892. 97 Fosterlandets landsfiskal Khler! 1904 Fr det nu till 32 stycken och endast tre drav efter 1850! Kan ju ocks vara av intresse att se hur mnga fall det egentligen rr sig om! Etnicitet Antydan om frekomsten av ett kriminellt ntverk finns ocks i En alldeles ny och hemsk visa om det fasansfulla illddet som frvades i Saxtorpa by av Tattarnas grymma liga (skillingtryck serie O, 96:54, 1900). Tv brder super och spelar kort med den enes presumtiva svrfar, men mrdar honom nr han vinner. Strre delen av den dumt rasistiska sngen Tattarnes illdd terges hr: Ett blodigt dd s fasansfullt att skda Har hr begtts p Sknes vida sltt, Och tattare det voro mnnen bda, Ja, blodet dryper frn den hela tt.

Ett brdrapar de till p kpet voro, Som gick sig ut att gra vinst s fin, Och hemska planer de i tanken buro, Mer hemsk den blev sen de ftt brnnvin. Ty Johan och hans bror, som hette August De hade slipat var sin lnga dolk, Att slss med knivs, deras liv det va just, De hade mrdat frut mycket folk. De gick tillsammans bort s till en stuga Och satte sig och spela helvetesspel Och fram p bordet s de brnnvin truga Och tog av det var sig en duktig del. Men ovnskapen kommer s med spriten, Och samma tanke brdraparet fr: Vi ta hans vinst om n den ock r liten Och gr han motstnd, vi ihjl han slr. Det varma tattarblodet brjar sjuda Och Augusts dolk ur klingan flyger fort Och Johans ilska och ses honom bjuda Att knivhuggas och att ej spela kort. O, fasans syn, o blod och hemska makter, De sarga tu sin vn och spelkamrat, Den ene skr, den andre stndigt vakt r, S ingen ser den grning utav hat. Dock en dem sett, den ddes enda dotter, Som var trolovad ock med mrdaren. Hon tnkte d: det skert lika gott r, Jag svrjer falskt vid domstol fr min vn. Men tnken blott, huru livet mnskan fattar. D hon framlever det stds som ett svin; Och tnkom s hur grymt varje tattar Kan handla d han supit brnnvin. Etniska frdomar vdras sllan i skillingtrycken. Den vanligaste formen r rysshat, eller frakt fr denna nation. Det finns ocks ett skillingtryck om en man i Frankrike som blir kr i en zigenarflicka och mrdas av hennes slktingar (Skillingtryck serie O 95:62, 1865). I ett skillingtryck, (serie O, 99:80, Stockholm 1825) berttas om ett dubbelt sjlvmord: flickorna Lotta och Mina hade ingtt ett Ddsfrbund och drnkt sig tillsammans utanfr Liding. Det berttas att Charlotta Ramberg hade goda utsikter till ktenskap med en rik och aktad man. Men hennes olyckliga bekantskap med en judisk familj orsakade misstanke om otrohet och han vergav henne. Hon bodde sedan ihop med Wilhelmina Norgren, elev vid operan. De

slde klder via modern i en judisk familj, men pengarna rcker inte och de verkar inte ha ftt eller skt ngra jobb. Riktigt vad den judiska familjen gjort fr ont framgr inte Kommentarer och utrkningar Kronologin de strcker sig frn 1818 till 1904. En hel del ekobrott, men ocks antisemitism, polisvergrepp och vad? Klagoml angende husaga, nringsfrihet och en del annat politiskt. Tabell 1. Teman i skillingtryck med Nid- och skandalvisor. 1818-1904. Teman Ekobrott vergrepp vriga brott Pol/religion vrigt Summa 1818-1850 29 16 3 10 10 68 1851-1904 3 6 4 9 7 29 Totalt 32 22 7 19 17 97

Klla: skillingtryck serie P, mikrofilm p Kungliga biblioteket, Stockholm. Och d r det minst tre oskra nr 57, 58 och 65 antingen saknar de r eller s r det oskert vad de gller. Nej de tv frsta r en form av vergrepp! Men tendensen r helt klar: det har blivit mindre skmmigt att beg och/eller dmas fr ekonomiska brott. De r den enda kategori som minskar, procentuellt och den minskar rejlt, frn ca 45 till tio procent. I vrigt kan det framhllas att vergreppen huvudsakligen r av tv slag, polis och ngon gng domstolsvsendet eller ocks husbnder som misshandlar, fngar respektive tjnstefolk. Det frekommer antisemitiska inslag, ibland i samband med ekobrott, men om utan annan kategorisering s lgger jag det i politisk och religis protest. Dessa kan ju ocks exemplifieras men det r inte ndvndigt hr. Varfr hamnar en del vriga brott under nid- och skandalvisor? De brott som det hr r frgan om r antingen strre bataljer, krogslagsml el liknande. Tre visor om von Dben och von Vegesack som frskte gra eller tminstone jobbade fr en gustaviansk restauration 1832 har jag klassificerat som politiska tryck, snarare n brott. Fr nog rkna om detaljerna och verkligen kolla upp det stmmer inget vidare med min tidigare handskrivna tabell. Skam och skndning blir mindre centralt i kulturen, men i hgre grad nr det gller ekobrott n annat och att den allmnna trenden bland dessa nid- och skandalvisor verensstmmer med vad vi vet om kulturens omvandling under 1800-talet, r i sig ett belgg fr att tolkningen nr det gller ekobrott r riktig.