Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-09-05
Son of Ex-Mayor Edison Of New
York Kills Mrs. Fannie Pullen
and Commits Suicide.
IAN ENRAcED BECAUSE OF Her
REFUSAL TO ELoPE WITH HIn
Asks Her to Leave City with Him In
the Presence of His Wife and Crime
Follows Reprimand of Brother, DR..
Cyrus EdsOn-The Murderer Then
Turns Revolver on Hiuself.

New York. Sept. 3.-Henry Townsend
Edison. 80 years of age, of 792 West
N1nety-second street. shot and killed
Mrs. Fannie Pullen, 80 years old, of
673 West End avenue. Wednesday, and
then shot and killed himself. The
double tragedy occurred at Edson's res
idence.
The murderer and suicide, a son OF
Former Mayor Franklin Edison, and
brother of DR.. Cyrus Edison. is said to
have been insanely jealous of the wom-
an, and wanted her to go away with
him.
The shooting occurred in the presence
Of DR.. David o. Edison, the suicides
brother, his wife, Mrs. Henry T. Edison,
and baggage mover, Thomas Wood.
The families of Henry Townsend Ed
son and DR.. Edison have lived together
In the Ninety-second street house for a
number of months. Wednesday Henry
T. Edison was to vacate and leave the
city for short time.
Wanted Her to Elope.
According to the police and Woods, the
furniture man, Edison had begged Mrs.
Pullen to elope with him. DR.. Edison
told his brother that he should be
ashamed to make such proposal in the
presence Of his wife. Townsend Edison
became wildly excited and could not be
Gained. He kept entreating Mrs. Pullen
to leave the house with him, and go to
another state, but she refused
When Woods entered the house, he
says he saw Townsend point his revolt
yer toward Mrs. Pullen, and heard him
say to her,.
"You must go with me. If you don't
elope with me, I'll see that you go with
me, anyway"
Then Townsend fired two shots in
quick succession. The first struck Mrs.
Pullen in the right side of the forehead,
and the second bullet plowed through
the left cheek, tearing the flesh. Mrs.
Pullen ran few steps when she fell!
Edison then turned the revolver on him.
self, firing two shots. The first shot
went through his head, the second en-
tered the left breast near the heart. He
dropped to the floor, his head falling
across the woman's feet Both died al
most instantly.
Had Quarreled with His Wife.
Recently Henry Townsend Edison had
quarreled with his wife, and finally de-
cided that he would leave her. He had
sent for Mrs. Pullen, who was a friend
of the family, and she came to the
house, not knowing what was wanted.
Mrs. Pullen and DR.. Edison were seated
about the dining-room table. Edison is
said to have told his wife he could not
live with her any longer, and said that
it would be better if they separated. This
request was refused by Mrs Edison, and
the approaching trouble was quieted for
the time. Suddenly, it is said, Edison
turned to Mrs. Pullen, in the presence OF
his wife and his brother, and asked her to
60 away with him to some other state,
where they could be happy.
Mrs. Pullen Indignantly refused the
proposal, and turned away from Edison.
DR.. Edison severely reprimanded his
brother for making any such remarks.
and then left the room with Mrs. Edison,
Almost Immediately afterwards the
shooting occurred
Mrs. Pullen was the wife of John F.
Pullen, an auditor at the Grand Gen.
trail station. She had two children.
Mrs. Pullen and Mrs. Edison had beer
intimate friends for, II years.