Who Was The Beautiful Stranger? Part 2

Continued from Part 1. - Who Was The Beautiful Stranger?

"Sometime soon after speaking with Gomer and West, Lottie had managed to go down to the drug store again and spoke to Mr. Fisher. 
                 

“On Monday afternoon she came in again, and walked up and down the floor, and looked as though she was still suffering. I said, "It seems too bad for you to go over in town and you suffering from neuralgia in this stormy weather. " She said, "I am compelled to go. I forgot my checks, and I have got to go over and identify my trunks, personally. " She went out, and that was the last I saw of her until I saw her dead, lying on the steps."--T.J. Fisher.

On Monday afternoon, November 28th, Lottie ventured out to the Gaslamp quarter in San Diego’s downtown district.  The December 1, 1892, edition of the San Diego Union stated that Lottie took the electric motor to San Diego, also mentioning that she was so weak and frail that the conductor had to lift her off of the car. Based on the timeline that most people go by, it is assumed that Lottie first went to the ship chandlery store and spoke to Frank Heath, inquiring on how to purchase "cartridges" for a revolver, and that he told her to go to Chick's gun shop in order to find what she needed. But after looking carefully at the inquest report, I found that the times are off by an hour. 

Also, it seems strange that she would inquire about purchasing cartridges, when she hadn’t even purchased a gun yet, nor did she ask him about purchasing one. If we are to go by the times stated in the report, it shows that Lottie first visited N.D. Nichol’s gunsmith shop, where Martines Chick was employed. According to testimony by Chick and an eyewitness,  she arrived at the shop between the hours of 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the  afternoon.  After purchasing a .44 caliber bulldog pistol and two bits worth of cartridges, she inquired how to load and discharge the weapon, even asking if it was hard to pull the trigger. Chick showed her how easy it was, and she tried it. 

 W.P. Walters, who was in the store at the time, agreed that he saw a woman, who appeared to look just like the deceased, who had come into the store and inquired about buying a pistol. His testimony seemed to fit with Chick's testimony about her being there at that time. Walters claimed that he was concerned by the quiet demeanor of the lady and that she may use the pistol to hurt herself. He noticed her well enough and seemed so concerned about her that he asked the man outside the doorway if he had seen where she went from there.

"She went south on Fifth Street, and I stepped to the door, and asked a gentleman who was standing at the door where she went and he said she had went into the Combination, he thought. I stopped there a few seconds, and then I saw her go straight diagonally across to Schiller and Murtha's, and that is the last I seen."-- W.P. Walters.

According to the San Diego Directory, the ship chandlery store was located at 614-622 Fifth Street, and Schiller and Murtha's was located on the Southwestern corner of Fifth and H Street (where Market Street is now). That is the very same corner and same side of the street that the chandlery store was located. More than likely both business were probably next door to one another, therefore it could have been easy from where he was standing, to think she went into Schiller and Murtha's when in fact she had walked into Heath's store. 

 But if Lottie went into Heath’s store after she had already purchased a gun and ammunition, that leads us to another question. What was the real purpose of her visit to that particular shop? And furthermore,  if she went to the gun shop first, where she purchased a pistol and two bits worth of cartridges, why in the world would she visit Frank Heath’s shop to ask if he sold pistol cartridges, too?

According to the San Diego Directory, Frank Heath lived at 1560 Union Street in San Diego, not 1516 Union as the inquest had recorded.  Heath claimed that the woman who fit the description of the deceased had visited his shop on Monday afternoon between 4p.m. and 5 p.m. 

“She asked me if I kept revolver cartridges...I told her we did not, and directed her where she could get them...She came in and spoke to me three or four times before I could understand her, she spoke so low. She seemed a little nervous...she walked very slow, as if she felt sick, and she looked very bad, in her general appearance. She was well dressed.”— Frank Heath

There wasn’t much to his testimony, yet this one person’s quick recollection of his encounter with Lottie has always bugged me.  You see, Frank Heath is the only person in this story whose first name was written on a piece of paper by Lottie. Is it significant? There really is no way to know. It could very well be just a huge coincidence, but this one thing has continued to bother me. Why did the name Frank appear on an envelope in Lottie’s hotel room? And why was it written four times? In my personal experience, it when a woman writes a man’s name on a paper, over and over, it is usually an emotional reason, such as a love interest.

Did Frank Heath leave anything important out of his statement during the inquest hearing? Could he have known the deceased, and chose to omit that information? Could she have actually purchased the gun and then went to visit Frank Heath’s store in order to speak to him about another matter? 

                 

What could she have had to say to him? Did Heath know Mr. Anderson? Could she have been there asking about Mr. Anderson’s whereabouts?  That is one thing to ponder, although we will never know for sure.  Heath’s statement was short and gave very little information. Whether he was honest about it or willfully withheld the truth is uncertain. Unfortunately, that one name scribbled on an envelope in a dead woman’s room was never looked into further than the brief mention in the inquest.  We will never know just who “Frank” was, or why Lottie scribbled it over and over on a piece of paper before she died.

Physician and Surgeon, B.F. Mertzman was questioned during the inquest, giving the details of the examination of the corpse. The evidence, or lack of evidence to many claims by several writers is worth mentioning.

“I made an examination of the remains, and found a gun-shot wound in the right temple region, just between the ear and the out edge of the eyebrow, and about half an inch high up above that line drawn here. The ball entered into the brain, and that is the only opening I could find—no exit at all….I took a probe, and it entered almost at an angle, about that...a little forward and a little upward.”— B.F. Mertzman, M.D.

When questioned about the caliber of the gun, the doctor stated that he believed the gun shot wound was caused by a .38 or .40 caliber gun, and that it caused an internal hemorrhage. The doctor never mentions any powder burns on her skin. If she had been shot at such a close range,  there would have been evidence of this that even the rain couldn’t just simply wash away. Neither the doctor, the coroner, nor the staff from the hotel ever mentioned seeing any sort of burn marks on the face of the dead woman. 

And what about the theory that she was pregnant? Why did the doctor not mention anything about that in his statement? An unidentified doctor who was interviewed for the press,  stated that he had examined her and saw signs of pregnancy, but refused to give his name to the newspapers. Could she have been pregnant? Of course, anything is possible. But given the fact that the physician who officially examined the body left no mention of the possibility, there is no way we can ever be sure.

As the days went by, it became much more clear that no one could truly identify the deceased. No friend or family member came to identify or claim her body, so the speculation continued to spread that Lottie A. Bernard may have been an alias.

As I had previously mentioned in my blog several years ago, I had always firmly believed that Lottie was exactly who she said she was.  According the 1890 & 1891 Detroit Directory, there was in fact a Charlotte Barnard living at 351 High Street West. Since she literally disappeared off of any further directories I could find, and I found no other trace of her at the time, I assumed that could have been the link I was searching for.  

Unfortunately, it turns out that upon my reinvestigation of this case for this book, I found that the listing in the 1890 & 1891 Detroit Directory at 351 High Street West residence proved useless, as further research and cross referencing has shown this to be another Charlotte Barnard, and not the same “Lottie” that I had been searching for.

Although I was back to square one, I still felt very strongly that the identity of the woman found on the northwestern steps of the Hotel Del Coronado was out there somewhere just waiting to be discovered.  According to the newspapers of the time, there were two different women mentioned as possibly being the “Beautiful Stranger.” Their names were Lizzie Wylie and Kate Morgan. The question was, which one was she?

Within days, the staff, authorities and newspapers were growing more and more unsure of this woman’s identity. The story became even more perplexing when they received word from Detroit that a young lady by the name of Lizzie Wylie had gone missing several weeks prior, and who seemed to fit the young lady's description.  Mrs. Wyllie, Lizzie’s mother, claimed that she feared her daughter, after been fired from her job, had run away with a married man after the affair had come out in the open. 

Lizzie had been working at a book bindery company known as Wynn & Hammond in Detroit, when she started an illicit affair with her foreman, John Longfield.  After the affair had been made public, the company fired both Longfield and Wyllie to make an example of them. Not long after this happened, Lizzie's family claimed that a gentleman called their home and told Lizzie that he was leaving and going to California. Lizzie made some comments to her family that she may leave to go look for work elsewhere, even as far as California but never mentioned when she would be leaving. Her mother claimed that Lizzie told her she was going downtown to run errands and that was the last she heard of her. She didn't take anything with her, and was "penniless" the day she disappeared.

The authorities sent a sketch of the face of the deceased young woman to Lizzie's mother, where she confirmed that it was her "Lizzie" and that their family in Pasadena would arrive shortly in San Diego to properly identify her and recover her remains. Interestingly, there are no records that any relatives ever came to identify her. Had this young lady been Lizzie Wyllie, then where on earth was her male companion? Why was he not in Coronado with her when she died?

A telegram from Lizzie's sister arrived asking if the body of the girl in Coronado had short hair, a black corset and a large black hat. Although the girl found at the Coronado hotel did have a black corset and a large black hat, her hair was medium in length, not short. Also, the body found did not have pierced ears, while it was stated that Lizzie Wyllie’s ears were pierced.

According to newspapers, a man by the name of Joseph Jones claimed that he had seen the woman more than once. First, on the train from Denver to Omaha and then again at Orange in California. At the station, he saw the pair fighting and the lady pleading with the man before he exited the train, leaving her alone. Jones mentioned seeing the young lady again at the hotel, where he also was staying, and recognized her from the previous times on the train. "---- from the book "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered" by J'aime Rubio (ISBN-13:  978-1523981175)

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE WITH "PART 3 of "WHO WAS THE BEAUTIFUL STRANGER?" 

(Copyright - J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com

published blog in 2013, published book in 2016)

Who Was The Beautiful Stranger? Part 1

"In all the years that I have been investigating and writing about the past, no one story has perplexed me as much as this case.  At one point, I had truly believed that I may have found a key piece of evidence pointing to the true identity of the “Beautiful Stranger,” whose body was found on the north steps of the Hotel Del Coronado on November 29, 1892, but after further research, even that has proven to be an unfortunate dead end.

There have been several books written about the mysterious guest who died at this historic hotel, but with each book comes different theories, over-the-top speculations and story line plots that lead to nowhere.  I have to admit, even I got caught up in my own possible theory for a time period, truly believing that I had figured out at least one part of this ever eluding mystery.

The morning after a terrible storm that swept through San Diego and relentlessly engulfed the small island of Coronado, the body of a woman was discovered on the north steps of the Hotel Del Coronado near the beach.  It was approximately 7:30 a.m., on November 29th, 1892, when one of the hotel employees came upon the ghastly sight. David Cone discovered the corpse while trimming the electric lights.

 “It was lying on the steps, with its feet towards the ocean, head on the steps, almost on the top step. There was blood on the step. The clothes were all wet, and the body seemed to have been lying there quite awhile, to have been dead quite awhile…..There was also a large pistol lying at the right hand side of the body.” — statement of David Cone.

Mr. Cone stated that he saw blood on the steps and noticed rust on the pistol.  While going to fetch help, he ran into the gardener. Curious about the discovery, the gardener went back with the Cone to view the body, then they both separated, going different directions around the hotel in order to notify the hotel management of the discovery.

The gardener, F.W. Koeppen's sworn testimony stated the same information, that the woman's body was found "laying along the steps in a sitting position, and after being dead, dropped over on the stairway." He also stated that he "noticed the pistol lying on one side." 

After instructing the gardener to cover her body with tarpaulin so that other guests would not see her,  Mr. Gomer, the hotel clerk, called upon the Deputy Coroner and the undertakers at Johnson's & Company to further address the situation. 

When Deputy Coroner H.J. Stetson arrived, he immediately looked over the corpse. He ascertained that she had been dead for about six or seven hours given the condition of rigor mortis present. It was the coroner who removed the pistol from the ground and collected it as evidence for further inquiry. As the undertakers came and removed the woman's body from the hotel, they placed her in a receiving box to take back to San Diego at Johnson's & Company mortuary.

The Coroner then went to investigate in room 302, where she had been staying for the past several days. Upon entering her room, he realized that the bed had not been slept in.

"I found that valise, and on the table I found this envelope she had addressed... Denman Thompson, the Old Homestead. And "Frank" is written here four times, and "Lottie Anderson Bernard," and "Mrs. Lottie Bernard," "Lottie Anderson Bernard, Detroit," and then on this paper I found "I merely heard of that man, I do not know him." Here is an invitation — here is an invitation to the Hotel del Coronado, signed by Louise Leslie Carter and Lillian Russell." He went on to say, "She had a purse on her person, that contained $16.50, and there was a little ring in the purse, a plain ring, and the key to her valise.”

Among the other things mentioned were some handkerchiefs that were stitched with what appeared to read "Little Anderson,"** along with her night dress hanging in the closet and a hat on the mantle.

  **Small stitching of the name Lottie on a handkerchief

  could have easily looked like the work “Little.”

Items also found in her room included a bottle of brandy, a penknife, a bottle of camphor, some quinine pills and a wrapped up paper with the writings that said "If this doesn't relieve you, you better send for the doctor," which was signed Druggist.

The Coroner went on to add, “In the grate in the room it looked as though quite a package of papers had been burned, it was all in ashes, you might say. Whether she had made them for a fire or what they might have been you could not tell, but they had all been burned.”

According to statements from staff at the hotel, Lottie A. Bernard arrived in the afternoon at the Hotel Del Coronado on Thursday, November 24th, 1892. The clerk on duty at the time actually registered Lottie, writing her name into the register. She did not sign in herself. After being shown to her room, the woman told the bellboy, Harry West, that she had been ill. He claimed she stated that she suffered from neuralgia, that she was very sick and also mentioned that she was waiting for her brother to arrive.

The next day, Lottie came down to the front desk to inquire as to whether or not her brother, Dr. Anderson had arrived. She did this everyday while she stayed at the hotel. She also asked Mr. Gomer for advice on how to obtain her luggage from the train depot, intimating that her luggage had been left at the D Street Depot in National City, because her brother was the one who had the appropriate checks to have them released.

Lottie claimed that she had lost contact with her brother when he departed from her at the Orange station, going either to Los Angeles or to San Francisco and she did not know what to do.  She also divulged that her brother was a doctor, and that he was supposed to meet her there in San Diego.

According to reports, Friday the 25th seemed to come and go without much notation.  However, when Saturday came along, there was a lot more to recall about Lottie.  A gentleman named T.J. Fisher, who lived at the Hotel Del Coronado and worked in the hotel drug store, stated that he first met Lottie Bernard when she came down to the drug store on Saturday, requesting something to relieve her suffering. He referred her to Mr. Fosdick, who was the manager of the store, who then told her she should see a physician.

Perhaps this is where Lottie acquired the small folded paper that the coroner found in her room which more than likely contained some sort of medicinal remedy to relieve her pain.  It was more than likely given to her by Mr. Fosdick, or even perhaps Mr. Fisher without Mr. Fosdick's knowledge, and that could be why the paper found in her room read, "If this doesn't relieve you, you better send for the doctor,"  signed “Druggist.”  Later on, Lottie called for Harry West, the bellboy, to go down to the drug store and get her an empty pint bottle and a sponge.

One theory about why Lottie requested an empty bottle and sponge was for the purpose to induce an abortion with the addition of using quinine.  What is interesting to note though is the fact that quinine is an “ineffective abortifacient, even when taken in toxic doses.” -  US National Library of Medicine

Although you can die from overusing quinine, it  seems that the “abortion”  theory several other writers have tried to insinuate doesn’t quite hold up.  Could she have attempted to use it for an abortion, based on the belief it would work? Yes, but we have no proof that she was actually pregnant except for gossip in the newspapers. The more likely reason that Lottie had the pills could have been for the purpose of relieving her pain, since quinine’s medicinal properties are used for analgesic purposes.

As far as a pharmaceutical pessary, medical science shows that if used properly they can effectively deliver pharmaceutical substances easily as the body absorbs the medicine through the skin of the vagina or rectum. Perhaps she had used that method before as a treatment for pain relief.  She had told the housekeeper and the bell boy that she was ill, not only with neuralgia, but also stomach cancer. She explained that her case was so bad that the doctor's had lost all hope for her. Was she telling the truth? Unfortunately, we will never really know because there was no thorough autopsy done on her body, leaving too many uncertainties that can never be answered.

According to the coroner's inquest, Harry West stated that by early Monday, Lottie had called for him to run a bath for her and bring her a pitcher of ice water. She remained in the bath for one to two hours.  Around noon she rang him back explaining that while she was in the bathroom, leaning on the tub, she slipped into it and wet her hair. She asked him to help her dry her hair as she was so weak and couldn't do it herself. She also requested a whiskey cocktail. While downstairs, West spoke to the hotel clerk Gomer about her condition prompting Mr. Gomer to go up to Lottie’s room himself and insist that she see a doctor. When Gomer arrived and found her lying in bed in agony, he suggested calling a doctor to check on her but she was completely opposed to the idea.  

"It was a very gloomy, dreary sort of day, and she was on the east side of the house without any fire, and I suggested that she have a fire, and be made comfortable. She said no, she was very comfortable, as good as she could expect.  She further told me that the doctors had given her up, that she had cancer of the stomach, and that her case was hopeless, but she told us in such an off-hand way that it did not appear suspicious to me, and I endeavored to find out something about her identity.

In Gomer’s testimony during the inquest, he also admitted that while in Lottie’s room, he noticed letters on the table. “On the table in her room were some letters.  I could not find out the contents of them without picking them up, and of course that was out of order. The only thing I saw on the table were some envelopes, addressed to herself and finally, after I found she was so much opposed to having  a physician, I just put the question to her, if she had got her baggage over, and then I asked her if she was supplied with funds, and she said yes.“—A.S. Gomer

It was then that Gomer asked Lottie about contacting her brother to appropriate more funds for her stay at the hotel.  Lottie informed him to contact G.L. Allen in Hamburg, Iowa, by telegram to request funds. He claimed that he left her room at about half past twelve and sent the telegram around one o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, November 28, 1892. That was the last time he saw her alive.

What I found quite interesting was the fact that Lottie continued to inquire at the front desk regarding whether her brother, Mr. Anderson had arrived. She seemed desperate, and didn’t try to hide the fact that they had separated at the station in Orange.  Mr. Gomer stated, “That is the way her story begun, Orange, she said Orange; her brother was obliged to leave her, to remain there, or go to Frisco, she didn’t know which, and that she came on alone from Orange, and that her brother would be along that afternoon. This was the day after her arrival, and everyday she inquired if her brother had arrived. She claimed that her brother was Doctor Anderson, and that the initials were M.C., I’m not sure about that.”— A.S. Gomer "
--- from the book "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered" by J'aime Rubio (ISBN-13:  978-1523981175)

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE WITH "PART 2 of "WHO WAS THE BEAUTIFUL STRANGER?" 

(Copyright - J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com

published blog in 2013, published book in 2016)

Wild Escape From The Preston School of Industry

If you have read my other blogs about the history of the Preston School of Industry, or if you have purchased a copy of my book "Behind The Walls," then you are aware of the many events that have taken place behind the ominous brick walls of Preston Castle. During my search for more stories to include in my upcoming special edition eBook, I stumbled upon a tale of attempted murder and a wild escape too good to ignore. This particular event took place in 1904, by two very dangerous wards determined to stop at nothing for their chance at freedom. In my latest book, "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History," you can read about this story in even more detail.

"April 20, 1904- It was a Wednesday night, at approximately 10:00 p.m. when the night watchman in the boys dormitory upstairs in the Castle appeared for his shift. He hadn't been on duty for more than fifteen minutes when he decided to quickly use the restroom while the boys were supposed to be in bed.  When night watchman J.S. Phillips returned from the bathroom he noticed that two of the wards, Rowe and Gillette, were up at the water fountain (to the right of the door) getting themselves a drink.

Edward Rowe

Before Phillips could even get inside the room and lock the door behind him, one of the boys came up and struck him with a slungshot. They had used a woman's stocking and placed a hard, large rock inside of it and continued to hit Phillips over the head until they knocked him out. The boys then continued to beat on Phillips, kicking him in the head and leaving a deep gash. Had it not been for the rock tearing the hosiery and falling out onto the floor, Phillips may have died from being continually struck by it.

Once the boys had completely incapacitated the watchman, they climbed out the window of the dormitory and down the water pipe alongside the castle's brick walls. Barefoot and in their pajamas, the boys immediately separated upon reaching the outskirts of the Preston property.  Rowe headed out west and was caught the next day near Carbondale, California (which used to be about six miles northwest of Ione). However, Gillette went east towards Jackson, causing a big ruckus along the way.

Dan Gillette

While on the lam, Gillette headed down Ione Road and decided to break into the Cuneo residence. There he stole a change of clothing as well as a shotgun. When he was done scavenging through the Cuneo's personal belongings he then retreated off into the night.

By Friday,when he made it towards Martell's station, it was said that he hid his gun near some iron pipes outside. He then was spotted at the Kennedy Boarding House where he even managed to sneak in a meal, staying undetected as a wanted fugitive.  Perhaps he wanted to fit in with the miners and laborers working at the mine, but Constable Kelly (also spelled Kelley) was hot on his trail, apprehending him just outside the mine without any further bloodshed.

Gillette was then charged with "assault to commit murder" and later taken to Humboldt County on charges for a crime he committed before he had been sentenced to Preston. The authorities as well as the administration at the Preston School of Industry were intent that both Rowe and Gillette not return to the reform school but be sent to the State Penitentiary due to their brutal dispositions."----


TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY BEHIND THE PRESTON SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY
PLEASE CHECK OUT MY NEW BLOG "PRESTON CASTLE HISTORY! 

(Copyright 10/23/2013- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com)


Sources:
California Prison Records (San Quentin & Folsom Prison Inmate Records)

Amador Ledger (4/22/1904, 4/29/1904)

Willard Hotel & Pueblo Hotel History - Tucson, Arizona

S.F. Call (11/14/1903)

While researching a story for my blog, I came across a headline in the archived newspapers that I couldn't ignore.

 "YOUNG BRIDE KILLS HERSELF- Wife of Tucson Mining Man Swallows Carbolic Acid." - San Francisco Call, November 14, 1903.

As I read the article, I felt myself being pulled deeper and deeper into this somber tale. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know who this woman was, and why she felt that there was no way out of her misery and that ending her life seemed to be the only option in her mind.

I then decided to research further into this story by digging through every archived newspaper I could find that mentioned anything to do with Cora Casey and her husband the miner and capitalist, Alexander Casey.


Backstory

So as history shows, Alexander Casey was born in Cookstown, Ireland in 1842. Around 1883, Casey had moved to the United States and found himself settling in a small town then known as Turquoise.  Cora Casey, was born Cora Taylor in 1879. She lived in Gleason, Arizona although I believe she was originally from Eldon, Missouri. Her father was said to have been from Virginia, while her mother had been born in Kentucky (her death record states this).

She was the sister of Bud Taylor of Gleason, Arizona and related somehow to Rebecca Taylor of Eldon, Missouri, (possibly her mother?) as Cora briefly mentions her in her suicide note. While living in Gleason, Cora was the postmistress at the post office when she met the wealthy miner Mr. Casey.


Casey had come to the town of Turquoise, Arizona (later named Gleason) to buy out the land that held deep veins of turquoise in order to mine it, which he made a great fortune from. He later sold the mine and became quite wealthy. He was always interested in business deals and at the time of Cora's death was in the middle of a deal for $60,000. He was also considered a "Pioneer" of the general area, and had strong ties to many high-profile men from the town of Tombstone, Arizona as well.

On November 17, 1902 the couple was married. Cora being around 22-23 years of age, and Mr. Casey about 61 years old. Within weeks of the marriage, they moved out to Tucson, where Casey had invested in building a grand hotel. Cora was leaving the small mining town of Gleason and heading out to Tucson, a bigger and more active city, a move she later would regret.

 History of the Hotel

Photo Credit: Andy Taylor

I did some digging online and found several sites that state different information about the history of this historic hotel located at 145 S 6th Avenue in Tucson, Arizona.  I wrote the local historical society in Tuscon and had not heard back in regards to information pertaining Cora, Alex and the Willard Hotel (which was later named the Pueblo Hotel and Apartments).  So here's what I dug up on my own:

Photo Credit: Andy Taylor

Alexander Casey invested his money into the building of the hotel. One of the websites I first found stated that initially Casey wanted the hotel to be named the "Hotel Casey", which makes sense being that it was his last name. However, according to a few sites, the hotel was opened in September of 1902  as the "Willard Hotel." These same sites claim that it was Willard Wright and Charles Fleming who had built and designed the hotel as the "owners"--- This is incorrect, according to all the information I found.

The Facts

Architect, Henry C. Trost was hired to design this beautiful building, a building that Alexander Casey owned. According to the Tombstone Epitaph, dated March 23, 1902, it stated that Alex Casey contracted to McMillen and Southworth to construct the building for $15,750. The construction was pushed to be done rapidly, in order to complete the hotel by the coming Summer of 1902.

from Piccaretta Davis PC (law office website)

The hotel design contained the 30 rooms and was to be of pressed brick instead of the original proposed design for plain brick plastered. The building was to be set on the corner of Twelfth Street and Sixth Avenue, and a rear courtyard was to be constructed in the back. It goes into detail that Mr. Casey even traveled all the way to Los Angeles to purchase a fountain to be installed in the patio. It also states he would be spending an additional $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 on improving the grounds around and in front of the hotel.

Willard Hotel (via Laurie's Wild West)

Casey then "leased" the building out to Willard Wright and Charles Fleming who in turn used the name "Willard Hotel" ( via Henry C. Trost Historical Organization).  The Tucson Citizen (9/2/1902) and the Arizona Daily Citizen (9/3/1902) as posted online, was said to have quoted the hotel decor of the building as being "solid oak and birds eye maple", with "iron bed steads", Brussels carpets, large windows that were elegantly curtained and that each bedroom had different carpets and rugs. In fact, it was said "no two carpets were alike for each room."  Certainly, the design and thought given to decorate this hotel took a person with impeccable taste and class. It was supposed to be the grandest hotel known to the area for that time period.

According to a blog known as "Laurie's Wild West", she writes that an article in the Star (July 8, 1903) stated that within less than a year of the Grand Opening, Wright and Fleming could no longer afford the rent of the hotel. They requested a reduction in the rent of the hotel to Mr. Casey but he would not compromise. Instead, it is mentioned that Casey even turned the water off at the hotel after being told they could not make their regular payments for their lease. It seems that Wright and Fleming were booted out and Casey took back control of his hotel.

Newspaper archives confirm that Casey then hired William Siewert, to help him manage the hotel. Did Casey turn over the "ownership" of the Willard  to Siewart, but continued to be the manager and proprietor all the while residing in the hotel? I cannot say for sure, however, Casey remained the manager and proprietor in recorded documents and I haven't seen any records state that he sold the hotel to Siewart.  Regular advertisements in the Bisbee Daily Review of that time period show that every weekly ad referred to Mr. Alexander Casey as the "Proprietor and Manager" of the hotel. It also mentions that Casey had re-opened the hotel as of September 1, 1903.

The Shootout

At around 5 pm, on October 27th, 1903, Alex Casey went crazy in his own hotel. As the Bisbee Daily Review (October 29,1903) states, Casey was "tanked up on whiskey" in his room (#11) "entertaining himself loudly, swearing and calling for vengeance." Many of the staff at the hotel were concerned by the noise he was making from his room that they approached Mr. Siewart to see if he could quiet him.

Mr. Siewart came down the hall to Casey's room just as he was opening up the door into the hallway. He had his Winchester Rifle and a six-shooter with him and he was hell bent on causing a ruckus. Mr. Siewart thought he would try to calm the situation by trying to shake hands with Mr. Casey and saying,
"How are you Mr. Casey? Haven't seen you today."

His diplomatic approach to distract Mr. Casey fell on deaf ears, as Casey threatened destruction to everyone in the building. He then went on a rampage, running out towards the office and then outside to the north of the building. He saw Mr. Gleamer (the hotel head waiter) and "took a couple pot shots at him," but missed. Then Casey went back into the hotel shooting 40 shots and leaving the hallways, doors and walls of the first floor riddled with bullet holes, and guests terrified for their own safety.


The paper stated, "It is a little less than miraculous that someone or a dozen were not killed. Bullets struck the door of the main entrance and marks checkered all over the plastering of the office and hallway."

The authorities were called in, and Constables Frazer and Pacheco arrived shortly thereafter. Although Casey resisted arrest and a gunfight ensued, eventually he was apprehended by Constable Pacheco. During the ruckus, both Pacheco and Casey were wounded in the shoot out. Thankfully neither one of their injuries proved to be serious. Pacheco had been shot in the left arm while Casey had graze wounds on his face and under the arm pit area.

After he had been sent to the County Jail, friends of Casey spoke out, mentioning that he seemed to be "mentally unbalanced", especially after a few drinks. It seemed as if the honeymoon was over between Casey and his wife Cora, and friends mentioned his constant abuse to his young wife.

You see this wasn't the first time Casey had been arrested for assault. In fact, after marrying Cora and moving to Tucson, Casey had started drinking a lot more than usual. He began to strike his wife and beat her regularly, always threatening to kill her and tormenting her into submission. Sadly, no one did anything to intervene and help this poor girl so it had escalated to an altercation where Cora had him arrested. Obviously suffering from "battered woman's syndrome," instead of fleeing her abuser she took him back and even managed to get her husband out of Jail on a peace bond for the amount of $3,500.00, although the Judge lowered it to $1,500.00.  After the hotel fiasco, this was the second incident where Casey had caused harm so the authorities planned on keeping him in jail this time.


The  Tragic Event

According to the Bisbee Daily Review (November 17, 1903), it states, "Tired of a full life of sorrow, the wife of Alex Casey took the poison which ended her unhappy life- expired in great agony."
It goes on to state in great detail the date of her tragic suicide. According to eye witness accounts told to the newspaper was that earlier in the week Cora had received a note (either by way of Casey's attorney Roscoe Dale or A.W. Smith), notifying her to vacate the room in which the couple had been living. Basically, she was served an eviction notice that was ordered by her husband.

Cora had confided in Mr. Siewart that she was "heart broken" when she received the notice, that she didn't have anyone in the world to turn to and that she wanted to die and end her troubles. On Thursday the 12th of November, she went to the Pima County Jail to visit her husband. She had wanted to speak to him about leaving Tucson and moving back to Gleason so she could stay with her brother, Bud Taylor. It is unknown as to what the reaction or answer Casey gave her, but he did order that she be given $50.00 when she left.

By the time she arrived back at the hotel, she spoke to her maid, and stated that she had saved $75, "enough to bury her." It seemed as though Cora had taken time to think the decision over about committing suicide, and that this was not just a "spur of the moment" idea.

The very next day (Friday the 13th), Cora appeared to be deeper and deeper depressed. She spent the entire morning on the west porch of the hotel alone. By 2 o'clock in the afternoon she had phoned Fleishman's drug store in town and requested a bottle of carbolic acid be delivered.

Her friend, (and I suspect that she was her maid), Miss Conlon attempted to stay with her in her room that evening to keep an eye on her. However, just before the 9 o'clock hour, Cora insisted that she wanted to be alone. As soon as Miss Conlon retired to her room next door, Cora wasted no time attempting her suicide.  Around 9 o'clock, Mr. Siewart was making his rounds of the hotel when he heard "groans issuing from the room occupied by Mrs. Casey and he went towards the door to see what the trouble was. As he was about to turn the knob, the door opened and Mrs. Casey fell forward on him, crying, "I am dying, I am dying!"

Mr. Siewart carried her to bed and called for the doctor, however it took nearly 15 minutes before Dr. Olcott arrived to tend to her. Although he tried remedies to help her and even pumped her stomach, it was too late. The paper stated, "She suffered the most excruciating agony from the effects of the poison as witnessed by the expression on her face and the twisted position of her body when death relieved her of the awful suffering."

Mr. Culver, the Coroner viewed her body and ordered that she be taken to the Reilly Undertaking parlors, where they would view her corpse the next morning for a "Coroner's Jury."  After she was removed from the room, her Bible was located under the foot of her mattress with a note stuffed inside of it. It read:

"November 13.-  

Send all my clothes and belongings to Rebecca Taylor, Eldon Mo.

I am out of my misery now. When I am dead I hope that Casey will be happy.

I want to be buried in Tucson. I die where I was cursed.

Had other people not meddled, he would have done different.

Smith is to blame for it. I have always done what is right and I am not afraid to die.

- Cora

According to the papers, when Casey found out that his wife had taken her own life he went into shock. Then he broke down in tears as if he had gone mad. "What have I done that this should happen!" he yelled out from his jail cell as he begged God to take his life. He crawled onto his cot in his cell, buckled over crying out "Cora! Cora!"  He was inconsolable and friends believed that he basically went mad at that point.

So Who Was Smith?

Cora's suicide note blamed Smith for the destruction of her marriage and for her suicide. So who was he? From what I have found, he was A. W. Smith. What he did for a living I cannot seem to find, however he was somehow connected with Roscoe Dale (Casey's attorney) and he had "Power of Attorney" over Casey, which I am guessing means Smith may have been his accountant, thus the reason he had P.O.A. over Casey's finances while Casey was in jail and unable to manage his affairs on his own? (just a guess). But then, why wasn't his attorney in charge of that? Who knows...

When Smith was questioned about his "meddling" of the Casey's life, he stated "never at any time had I interfered in the family affairs of the Casey's....at all times I endeavored to reconcile Mr. and Mrs. Casey." It was also said that Smith seemed grieved at hearing of Cora's death and that he was adamant that he did not serve Cora with the "eviction" note, that he was ordered by Casey's attorney to do so, but that he "unqualifiedly refused."

Although there is never a mention on what sort of  issue prompted Casey's acts of violence or madness, one can only assume that perhaps stories of possible infidelity, improprieties or even money troubles could have been the cause of this whole mess. From Cora's own admission, she was adamant that she had "always done what was right." This makes me think that she wanted to once and for all clear the air on any doubts or speculation that either her husband or  possibly others may have questioned about her character.

Casey's Consequences

By December of 1903, Governor Stoddard had denied the application of pardon that was requested by Alex Casey in his "assault with a deadly weapons" charge he was being held for. He had been ordered to serve a six month sentence and pay a $50 fine. Casey's friend, who happened to be the local Justice of the Peace, had attempted to reduce his sentence to time served (33 days) and to pay a larger fine of $250.00.  Being that Casey had already served the 33 days and paid the fine upfront, the JOTP was just about to order Casey's release when the Sheriff actually refused. He claimed that he wanted the State to look over the case, being that they had "inherent jurisdiction" over the matter.

Casey had the help of some pretty powerful friends, including Judge Reilly from Tombstone. Even multi-millionaire mining man, Martin Costello attempted to vouch for his friend Alex Casey in order to secure his release. A "writ of habeas corpus" was sworn out and heard by Judge Davis in Yuma, and  the Judge dismissed that. Eventually the executive clemency was sought by Casey, and it was then that the Governor denied his pardon as well.

Eventually he was able to be released, and newspapers claim that he had made plans to leave the country. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find when and where he was released or when he finally left the U.S. back to his homeland. I did find his death notice posted in the Tombstone Epitaph on February 6, 1910. It stated that he had "recently" moved back to Cookstown, Ireland where he died from pneumonia on January 14th, 1910.


Where Is Cora Casey Buried?

After years of searching I finally located her final resting place at Green Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery, in Eldon, Miller County, Missouri.

Feel free to visit Cora's virtual memorial here.

Conclusion

During my research to find out Cora's story, I unfolded so much more than even I expected to find. Even at the turn of the Century this was a certain case of domestic violence at its worst. Not only did Alexander Casey beat Cora physically- as confirmed by his own friends accounts, but he mentally and emotionally scarred her beyond the point of repair. The damage was so severe and so overwhelming that ultimately it pushed Cora over the edge, to the point of suicide.

I must confess, while I was reading Cora's story, I could relate to her. I could sympathize with her situation, as I too have been victim of a domestically violent marriage. I recalled the initial phase of the relationship, being so happy, but then so suddenly the person changing like Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. Feeling like it was something I had done wrong, it was my fault that he was abusive to me. I convinced myself that I must have done something to deserve the way he treated me. I recall a drunk man screaming at me, cursing obscenities and claiming that he would kill me on a regular basis. I also recall several times where he nearly did take my life, and times I considered ending mine as well.

No one should have to suffer through these sorts of relationships, as they are volatile and dangerous.  Perhaps Cora thought she could fix Alexander, but she learned in the end that he was not fixable. He had the problem, he had issues he didn't want to deal with. Sadly, Cora had no one to go to confide in and no one wanted to step up to help her. Thus in her lonely, depressed and fragile state, death seemed to be her only option.

Cora's case is so similar to that of cases seen even at the present day. Her death could have been avoided if she had been helped in time. When I read Cora's story, I feel like I am reading my own story. One that could have ended the same way as Cora's, but one I decided on my own to have a different ending. I changed my situation for the better and removed myself from the abusive relationship, and I will never go back. Everyone deserves to live without fear. Sadly, Cora couldn't be given that safety and security in life that she needed so badly. Although her death is one so tragic and so sad, let's take heart in the fact that perhaps in death, she finally reached that peace she yearned so badly for, far away from Alex Casey.   REST IN PEACE CORA TAYLOR CASEY---

To read more about Cora Casey and the Willard Hotel please pick up a copy of:
"STORIES OF THE FORGOTTEN: INFAMOUS, FAMOUS & UNREMEMBERED" AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON! 

(J'aime Rubio, Copyright 10/6/2013)
Also published in the book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered" by J'aime Rubio, 2016.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Andy Taylor for the recent photos of the Willard Hotel aka Pueblo Hotel and Apartments, which is now an attorney office building.

Thank you to Laurie Powers, from Laurie's Wild West Blog, for the photo
and for the additional information on the Willard Hotel's vast history.

Also, thank you to Barry Davis, from Piccaretta Davis PC (law office) 
which is located in the original Willard Hotel building.

Sources:
Tombstone Epitaph 3/23/1902
Tucson Citizen 9/2/1902
Arizona Daily Citizen 9/3/1902
Star 7/8/1903
Bisbee Daily Review 10/29/1903
San Francisco Call 11/14/1903
Los Angeles Herald 11/14/1903
New York Times 11/15/1903
Bisbee Daily Review 11/17/1903
Coconino Sun 11/21/1903
Bisbee Daily Review 12/15/1903
Arizona Republican 12/25/1903
Tombstone Epitaph 2/6/1910
"Laurie's Wild West" blog
Henry C. Trost Historical Organization

When Two Similar Stories Collide- Anna Corbin and Bessie Lewis

If you have read my previous article about the life and death of Anna Corbin, the head housekeeper of the Preston School of Industry in 1950, then you are aware of the fact that I have taken a personal interest in her story. After years of research I have posted findings on my blog and in my  book, "Behind The Walls," that makes it very clear (based on the evidence) that the information various other websites, television shows and other groups have come forward with through the media in the past has either been partially tainted with fictional aspects or all together incorrect.

This article is meant to bring more interesting information to light, to show you the link I have found to another brutal and vicious attack to another head housekeeper at Preston just 29 years earlier. You see, Anna Corbin is not the only head housekeeper from the Preston School of Industry to be viciously attacked and left for dead on the grounds of the school. In fact, Mrs. Lewis' story happened before Anna Corbin's death.

Head Housekeeper Attacked at Preston- 1921

It was October 26, 1921 and the head housekeeper known as Mrs. Lewis was severely beaten and locked in a closet by four wards in their attempt to make an escape from the School. The story made headlines in the Ione Valley Echo newspaper, dated October 29, 1921.

Ione Valley Echo (10/29/1921)

"A VICIOUS ATTACK, ESCAPE AND CAPTURE"

"Wednesday morning, about 9:30, Mrs. Lewis, in charge of housekeeping for Company A, at the Preston School, was viciously attacked by four boys of her squad. She was knocked down and her head was pounded on the concrete floor several times. She was rendered unconscious, tied, gagged, her keys taken. Then the four boys make their escape. Another boy, who had recently been operated on for appendicitis, pretended to make a fight to save Mrs. Lewis. But it is believed he was faking. Officers hurried to A Company quarters and found her where she had been thrown into a closet. After many hours she regained consciousness, but became hysterical, then unconscious again. Yesterday morning she was regarded as quite ill, and suffering with possibly a clot of blood on her brain.

The four boys were caught at 3:30 in the afternoon by Officers E.E. Hooker and Mr. Cain on the Borden Ranch, who brought them safely back to the school. It is said these two officers "influenced" these four boys to come right along, or "perhaps" it might have been unhealthy.

Superintendent Close is absent, but the whole community is pleased at the prompt and efficient action of Assistant Superintendent Morrin in handling these vicious young criminals, and also at the successful work of messengers Hooker and Cain."----Ione Valley Echo, Saturday Edition, October 29, 1921.


What Does This Have To Do With Anna Corbin?

So you may be asking that question, "What does this have to do with Anna Corbin?" Well, a lot actually. You see, from the time I started researching and reading about Anna's death, even before I wrote about it in my book, I kept hearing and reading accounts where people describe her being locked in a closet. Some people said she was locked in a pantry in the kitchen, some say a small closet under a stairwell in the basement is where Anna was found.

Historical evidence disproves all of that. The persons who found Anna, found her in a larger room (the storage room) which adjoined a supply room which was in the basement. The newspapers quoted the eye witness account of Robert Hall (the ward who found Anna's body with housekeeper Lillian McDowall) which even specifically stated the room as being 16 x 35 in size. Now does that sound like the little closet to you? After speaking to historian, John Lafferty, and comparing our research notes, we both agreed that the room Anna was found in was the room with the disinfecting pool, in the basement. At the time of Anna's death, the pool had been boarded over and was being used as a store room.

So where did the "Closet" idea come from? Well, that is where I believe the story of Bessie Lewis* comes into play. Perhaps over the years the story of Mrs. Lewis' brutal attack and that of Anna Corbin's has been unintentionally fused with one another. The details of Mrs. Lewis being beaten, tied up, gagged and locked in a closet may have been confused with similar details of Anna Corbin being attacked, bludgeoned, strangled and locked in the store room in the basement. I think it didn't help  matters that a few newspapers reported Anna was found in a locked closet when the story first broke in the headlines, further confusing people. As time went on though, and witness accounts were actually quoted, it showed that Anna was found in the storage room covered by a rug or carpet.

The story of Bessie Lewis doesn't state whether she was in the basement or not, although it speaks of her head being pounded into the concrete, so she must have been in some area that would have concrete floors and the basement does have that. I am not certain which area Company A quarters was located at by the 1920's, whether it was the Administration building or another house on the property. I do know that when the school opened in 1895 Company A's quarters were in the basement, but over the years things did get changed around a bit, (example: the plunge bath room was later boarded over and used as a store room by the 1950s) so we may never know exactly where Bessie was attacked. However, I am fully convinced that certain aspects of Bessie Lewis' story has become a misinformed attachment to Anna's story, which is very sad for both of these women.

What Happened To Bessie?

I have searched the Census records for Amador, Sacramento, San Joaquin and Calaveras Counties for 1920 (one year prior to the accident) and could not locate a Bessie Lewis or Elizabeth (since Bessie is usually short for Elizabeth). I searched the archived microfilms of both the Ione Valley Echo and the Amador Ledger to no avail, there was never another mention of Mrs. Lewis or what happened after her brutal attack. I checked the obituaries from late October up to the end of the year in 1921, and still, no information on Mrs. Lewis.  Being that there were no more headlines or articles mentioning the outcome of such a brutal attack, one can only assume that she recovered from her injuries. It is also possible that she moved away from the area, perhaps to stay with relatives in another area, so we don't know what happened to her after that.

A Sad Thing

In conclusion, I want to remind all who read this that both Bessie Lewis and Anna Corbin were just like you and I. They were people who had feelings, hopes, dreams and fears. They had loved ones and family. I believe that it is not only a dishonor to Anna's memory by others continuing to tell her story incorrectly, but it is also dishonor to the memory of Mrs. Lewis by her story being completely forgotten for nearly 92 years.

I will keep diligently searching for answers in regards to what happened to Mrs. Lewis and where her life ended up down the line. I think we owe her that much. In the end I hope that whomever reads my blogs or my books sees that this is my passion, to uncover the truth. To set the facts straight and speak for those people who can no longer speak for themselves.  I do my best and hope that others who appreciate history and truth, will also appreciate the work I do.


(Copyright September 21, 2013- J'aime Rubio)
Also published in the book, "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History," by J'aime Rubio, 2017.

Thank you to Becky at the Amador County Library for all your help!

Sources:
Amador County Library
Ione Valley Echo, 10/29/1921
Stockton Record, 2/24/1950
State Archives
Behind The Walls: A Historical Exposé of The Preston School of Industry, J'aime Rubio
Preston School of Industry A Centennial History, John Lafferty.

* Footnote: John Lafferty's book, Preston School of Industry a Centennial History, briefly mentions this incident and also mentions her name as Bessie Lewis.

You can also read more about Anna Corbin and Bessie Lewis in both of my books,

"Behind The Walls"  & "If These Walls Could Talk" available on Amazon.

As well as on my other blog,  Preston Castle History. Hope to see you there! 

http://prestoncastlehistory.blogspot.com/

Corinne Elliot Lawton- What Really Happened To Her?

Photo Credit: Historic Cemeteries- Mary Homick © 2011

What Urban Legends Imply

In 1877, a young lady by the name of Corinne Elliot Lawton tragically died after throwing herself into a river just miles from her home. The story circulated in sewing circles and afternoon tea conversations, claimed that the young lady was so depressed that she could not marry the man that she loved, that she was being forced to marry another man, and between both circumstances she chose to end her life in such a tragic way.  

So did this happen, or what? I am trying my best to address this. You see, I was scrolling along on Facebook and I noticed on a lovely page called “Historic Cemeteries”, (which by the way, has awesome photographs of cemeteries!) and I came across an album of photographs from Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. One photograph in particular stood out to me. This lovely headstone to a young lady named Corinne Elliot Lawton.


On the actual headstone it marks her date of death as being January 24, 1877 and her epitaph reads: “Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way.” The statue that appears to be of Corinne’s physical likeness, was brought in from Palermo, Cicily. It had been created by renowned 19th Century artist and sculptor, Benedetto Civiletti at her father, Alexander Lawton’s request.

Civiletti's design of monument (P-415/11)
Wilson Library-UNC

What Other Sites Claim


Many websites state very detailed and over-the-top stories of this young lady being in love with a man who was of a simpler means (lower-class), and that her parents would not approve of their relationship. They also state that an arranged marriage was made by her father, Alexander Robert Lawton. He was a widely known Brigadier General in the Confederate Army, a Lawyer, Politician and Diplomat. I can understand how easy it would be for most people searching for answers, and finding all these websites that claim the same thing, to just assume that their facts are correct and continue to tell the same story again and again. Sadly, this is what happens when facts get mixed up with rumors and suddenly a hundred or so years later it is seemingly impossible to tell fact from fiction. Or is it?

Click here to read my blog that explains Corinne's real love story! 


Who Was Corinne Elliott Lawton?

Corinne Elliot Lawton was born September 21, 1846 to her parents Alexander Robert Lawton and Sarah Hillhouse Alexander. She was the oldest daughter of this highly prestigious family in Georgia. From recorded letters and documents in historical record, it shows that her friends and acquaintances thought of her in a very flattering light. One letter from a friend of the family stated that he believed Corinne to have "elegant culture" and "surprising intelligence." In every mention of Corinne, she is  spoken of very highly as a "spiritual" young lady, with very good Christian values and having plans for her future.


What Really Happened?

Corinne Elliot Lawton (P-415/4)
 Wilson Library- UNC

Historian, Ruth Rawls discovered a most amazing entry in Sarah’s diary and transcribed it on her blog which gives a more detailed look into the thoughts of Corinne’s mother and what was going on at the time. She also goes in depth into locating letters from a friend of the Lawton’s who sent words of sympathy in the passing of Corinne, even going so far as to mention her sickness and that she was a “sweet, noble and Christian girl,” and that Sarah had the hope of seeing her daughter again (thus there was no implication of a suicide.)  Click here to read the letter!

In both the diaries and letters, there is never any mention of Corinne being depressed or distraught, and certainly no mention of any uprising within the family or suicide. On the contrary, it shows the loving and rather close-knit family the Lawton’s actually were.  This helps disprove another rumor that has been widespread online. Many people go so far as to state that her family thought she was “cursed” for taking her own life. Thus the statue of Jesus in their family plot of the cemetery is facing her back, showing she turned her back on her salvation.

The statue of Jesus wasn’t even put in the cemetery until after Corinne’s parents had died. Plus, Corinne hadn’t been buried at Bonaventure cemetery originally. First she was interred at the Laurel Grove Cemetery and years later re-interred at Bonaventure. That could explain why her grave was placed outside of the family plot and the direction it is facing. Perhaps they had run out of spaces.


I do not believe for one second that her family shunned her in death, nor do I think that they believed that she was condemned from receiving her chance at everlasting life. No, I do not believe she took her own life, and the words of her mother speak volumes in comparison to the typed opinions of various bloggers with no facts backing their stories up.  

Lawton Girls
(P-415/9) Wilson Library UNC

Bottom line is that during the weeks leading up to Corrine’s death, she had been ill. Her mother claimed that for 10 days Corinne had been sick with a cold. Other members of the household grew ill, and even notations in the diary mention Sarah's own recollection of suffering sickness the previous Summer, gave mention of a very bad illness.  It seems to me that perhaps the Yellow Fever epidemic that had claimed its toll on many in that area just months prior, hadn’t fully died down. If the weather was continuously raining as she states in her diary, and she mentions the warm temperatures that would make sense about the mosquito theory that Ruth Rawls mentions. The fact that more than one person in the house was ill tells me that something was going around, whether it was Yellow Fever or not, it was obviously bad. Another visitor to the home died only a few weeks after Corinne.

When I read that Corinne had been ill with the cold and then later seemed to be a little better only with slight fever, I started wondering if maybe she had got a slight bronchitis or pneumonia. The only reason I mention this is because two years ago around late December, I had been ill with a cold. I thought I had recovered, but slowly I grew more tired. I didn’t have a fever and if I did, it was slight. I suffered from a sore throat though, so I decided to see the doctor. They told me, to my surprise, that they wanted me to get a chest X-ray, so I agreed. It turned out that I had “walking pneumonia” and had no idea. Within days though, I took a turn for the worse and nearly died.  I was so ill that I had to move in with my mother for weeks. She cared for me and slept by my side, often wondering if I would stop breathing in my sleep. Thankfully, I recovered.

When I read Corinne’s mother’s words, I thought of my own experience and wondered if maybe Corinne’s cold had turned into something far worse, thus the reason her mother stopped writing about Corrine’s illness and referring it to the “days of darkness.”  Perhaps Corinne took a turn for the worse, just as I had. When I was ill, I had antibiotics and still I almost died. I can imagine if I had been sick while living during that time period of 1877, I would have been a ‘goner’ for sure.

Again, it is quite possible given the recorded amount of deaths caused by the Yellow Fever in the state just months prior and the fact that Wallace Cummings died shortly thereafter, that both their deaths may have been caused by that very same Yellow Fever epidemic, so we may never know for sure which illness caused her death. But we do know that illness took her life, not suicide.

Corinne's mother, Sarah even wrote in her diary the moment her daughter took her last breath, at 7:40 a.m. on January 24, 1877. Had Corinne drowned herself as the urban legends tell, then how on earth would her mother know the last moment of her daughter’s life?  Recorded in a preserved letter from a friend of the Lawton family, Mr. Stuart Robinson mentions having had read the The Savannah Morning News (January 25, 1877) which posted her short obituary, where it states that Corinne had died after a "short illness."


In Conclusion

I think that with the tales of “romantic tragedies” or “star crossed lovers” that cannot be, that people become so fascinated with it that it becomes larger than life. The tales and rumors then spread for over 100 years making it hard to decipher between the factual part and the fictional parts.  The rumors of  a young, beautiful southern bride-to-be who jumps to her death into a raging river, to escape an eminent and miserable marriage proved to be just that, a rumor! There are no historical facts backing these over embellished tales.

Corinne's monument (P-415/10)
Wilson Library UNC

In the end, we should all be happy that this young lady did not take her own life. We should be glad that she was not mistreated by her family, nor was she forced to live an unhappy life with a man she didn’t love. If that was the case, she would have been married off by her family at a younger age. No, certainly her parents loved Corinne so deeply that they never shunned her in life, nor in death and even erected a statue made by one of the most sought after Sicilian sculptor's of the 19th Century which I am sure cost a small fortune, and placed it at her grave to honor her memory. Thus, showing the love and respect they had for their daughter. In fact, genealogy records prove that Corinne’s niece was named after her, showing how much the family adored her.

Her death was tragic and very sad, because of the fact that she died so young. It was even more tragic due to the fact it was caused by an illness she could not recover from. But, we should take heart in the fact that she died in bed, surrounded by her mother, her father and her loving family, instead of dying all alone in a dark watery grave at the bottom of the river as others have claimed she did. Corinne’s story is one that should be told over and over again, but told correctly. We should honor her memory by stating the true facts and by remembering her for the good person she was. We should also take delight in the fact that she and her immediate loved ones are all together now, resting in peace.

 Rest In Peace, Corinne. You are not forgotten!

(To read about Corinne's real love story, please click here) 

Photo Credit: Historic Cemeteries - Mary Homick © 2011

To read more about Corinne's life and death, including never before seen photos and newly discovered information, purchase your copy of:  "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered."  

(Original Copyright 9/11/2013, by J'aime Rubio)
Also published in the book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered," by J'aime Rubio, 2016. 


To learn more about Corinne Elliot Lawton, please check out Ruth Rawl's blog. She is certainly dedicated to keeping the correct version of Corinne's life and death alive and available to set the record straight once and for all. Thank you Ruth, for your dedication to find the truth. You are a fellow truth seeker!


PHOTO CREDITS:

All historical photos were provided to me by Alexander Robert Lawton Papers, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Digital Southern Historical Collection: Series 6- circa 1860-1889
P-415/4, P-415/9, P-415/10, P-415/11
Thank you to Laura Clark Brown
Coordinator , Digital Southern Historical Collection

Cemetery Photos provided to me by Historic Cemeteries - Mary Homick © 2011

Thank you to Mary Homick @ Historic Cemeteries for allowing me to use her photos of Corinne's grave at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. To see more of Mary's absolutely amazing photography please check her out on facebook.

Yellow Fever Epidemic (1876) Savannah Georgia-  Information  -kristinekstevens.com

Sarah Lawton's diary is available at the Georgia Historical Society at: 501 Whitaker St  Savannah, GA

The Alexander Lawton Papers,  as well as many other documents regarding the Lawton family can also be obtained by Chapel Hill's Wilson Library (University of North Carolina).