The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-09-11
jealousy I|I CAUSES !.
DOUBLE MURDER
Son of Ex-Mayor Edison Of New
York Kills Mrs. Fannie Pullen
and Commits Suicide.
man ENRAGED BECAUSE OF Her
REFUSAL TO EL0PE With HIN
Asks Her to Leave City with Him in
the Presence of His Wife and Crime
Follows R~eprimand of Brother, DR..
Cyrus EdsOn-The Murderer Then
Turns Revolver ON Himself.

-
New York. Sept. 3.-Henry Townsend
Edison, 80 years OF age, OF 2e2 West
Ninety-second street, shot and killed
Mrs. Fannie Pullen, 33 years old. OF
673 West End avenue, Wednesday, and
then shot and killed himself. The
double tragedy occurred at Edson's res.
idence. y
The murderer and suicide, a son OF
Former Mayor Franklin Edison, and a
brother of DR.. Cyrus Edison, is said to
have been insanely jealous of the WON
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 a 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 a short time.
Wanted Her to- EIobe.F
>, " IlC pSllCCd anu WOODS. Jno
furniture man. Edison had begged Mrs.
Pullen to elope with him. DR.. Edison
told his brother that he should be
ashamedeto make such q proposal in the
presence Of his wife. Townsend Edison
became wildly excited and could. not De
Gained. He kept e%ntreating Mrs. Pullen
to,sleaVe the house with. him, and 20 to
another state hl1f rbo raf,snd ~ si III
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. II you don't
elopeA 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 a 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 neal the heart. He
dropped to the floor, his head falling
across the woman's feet. Both died al
most instantly.
Had QuarreIed with His Wife.
Recently Henry Townsend Edison had
daarre!ed 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 we're seated
about the dining-room table. Edison is
said to have told his wife he could not
live with hersany longer, and said that
it would be better if they separated. This
requesttwas: refused by Mrs. Edison, and
the approaching trouble was quieted for
the etime. Suddenly, it is said, Edison
turned to Mrs. Pullen, in the presence Of
hts wife and hts brother, and asked her q
go away with him to some, other state,
where they could be happy.
Mrs. Pul1en 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 Cen
trail station. She had two children.
Mrs. Pullen and Mrs. Edison had been
intimate friends for II years.
tfERMn.