The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-04
MADDENED BY HIS
UNHALL0WEDL0VE
Edison Fired Bullet Into the Brain Of the
Beautiful Woman With Whom He
Was infatuated.

| ture movers were In the house packing
up furniture and bric-a-brac.
Mrs. Edison spent last night with her
/ friend, Mrs. Pullen She was about to
go out this morning, when a note came
from Edison, asking that Mrs. Pulen ac-
company his wife to where he was. Ed
son, his wife, Mrs. Pullen and DR.. David
O. Edison, a brother of Edison, met in
Edson's home. During the conversation
in the dining room, Edison is said to have
turned to Mrs. Pullen and suggested that
she leave her home with him sand go to
some other State where they could be
| happy. Mrs. Edison was Mortified. Mrs
Pullen turned away in disgust. DR.. Ed
+. son. after sharply rebuking his brother,
left the room with Mrs Edison, but both
returned IN few minutes when Edison
again turned to Mrs. Pullen and began
to entreat her to elope with him. Mrs.
Pullen was Mortified at the suggestion, and
possessed with fear of the man. ran out
of the room. Edison, however seemed to
recover his self-possession and all went
into the dining room again. very few
moments after Mrs. Edison, who was
weak and trembling, from the ordeal,
was assisted to another room by DR..
Edison. A moment later, according to
Woods, furniture man working nearby
in the hallway, Edison pulled a revolver
from his pocket and pointing it at Mrs.
Pullen, shouted:
You must go with me. If you don't
elope with me I'll see that you go with
me anyway"
| In terror, Mrs. Pullen started to run
from the room. She had gone but a few
steps when four pistol shots rang out in
quick succession. The first bullet tore
Mrs Pullen's left cheek, and the second
entered the right side of her head Ac-
cording to Wood Edison looked at the
woman for a moment and turned the muz-
zle of the revolver to his head firing two
shots almost simultaneously. Both en-
tered about the middle of the forehead
| and he fell, his head striking and rest
ing on the feet of Mrs. Pullens body.
| At the first shot DR.. and Mrs. Edison
rushed to the room of the door. reaching
there just as Edison fired the shots which
ended his own life. Mrs. Edison fell to
the floor in a faint.
Coroner Jackson, after making a thor
ough examination of the house said that
the evidence showed that the murder and
suicide We're premeditated; that he had
found letters and other papers in Ed
sons possession which showed that he
had a love affair.
Mr.. Pullen, the husband of the muir
dered woman, who is a vestryman of st.
Michael's church, made statement to-
night in which he branded Edison as a
defaulter and forger aud said that he had
stolen from the funds of st. Michaels
church. He also declared that Edison had
attempted to kill Mrs Edson but missed
and killed Mrs. Pullen by error.
| Mr.. Pullen's statement was not borne
out by the investigation of Coroner's
Physician OHanlon, who found powder
marks on the dead woman's face, show
| ing that the pistol must have been held
very close.
DR.. Cyrus Edison, a brother of the sui
eide said tonight that the intimations of
improper relations between his brother
and Mrs. Pullen were absolutely false.
His brother, he said, had recently been
acting very strangely and had admitted
tf he was involved in financial Difficult
| ties,
| His family, DR.. Edison said. had be-
come alarmed over his mental condition
that arrangements ha@Aeen made to have
him examined by an alienist.
The shooting, DR.. Edison declared, was
undoubtedly committed in a moment of
maniacal frenzy,