The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-09-04
WOMAN REFUSED TO ELoPE
TRAGEDY BRINGS OUT THE FACT
THAT EDISON WAS SUSPECTED
! OF ENLIGHTENMENT.
A u.

and killed himself. h murder and
suicide appear to have been premedi-
tated and followed a dramatic scene
In which Edison asked Mrs. Pullen, a
close and honored friend of his wife
and family, to desert her husband and
children and fly with him to another
state. Mrs. Pullen was a beautiful
and is said to have been the
daughter of a United States naval Off
Ger. !
Tbs tragedy brought out the fact
that Edison, who was comptroller Of st.
Michael's Protestant Episcopal church,
had been suspected OF m~isappropriat-
ing funds belonging to the parish, and
that expert accountants were at work
on his accounts. It was also declared
by those related to the family that Ed
10 was financially distressed be-
cause of Wall street speculations.
Members of the Edison family insist
that Edison was insane. There are
many indications that Edison was mad
" in love with Mrs. Pullen. On the
body Of the man was found the follow
ing letter:
Letter to Mrs. PulIen.
"Mrs. Pullen. Darling: Trust John
implicitly. He will always be a go
between Inc faithful. I know him
thoroughly. He will tell you where I
am waiting for you, to see your sweet
face once more before l go. | am go
ing far away, far away, but will die
true to you, no matter how long |
live. I shall lead a new life, and an
honest one, and if | can ever come
back to you with my past cleaned up,
I will, dearest. Oh, my God, let me
see and speak to you once more before
/ go. l cannot go until you do. hope
and pray that you put in today's per-
sonal. Anyway I answered it in to-
morrow's. I hope you see it. can
not sleep. / can only pray and pray
that you will come to me ICE MORE.
Surely you will after all you have been
to me for the past ten years. You do
love me, darling: I know you do. Come
to me once more, darling, if only to
say goodbye. I shall wait here until
you come, no matter how long. John
will tell you my hotel name. Ask
clerk for me-"
The following personal was pub
lished in a morning newspaper Tues
day:
"B. Loyal-Nothing in answer to
MESSAGE; be good to me; worried
about you: send word today; just as
true to o as always; with love-"
The following, evidently a reply to
the foregoing, appeared Wednesday
morning:
Answers a Personal.
"Fanny: I am loyal and true; can
not go till l see you; trust John; he
will tell you where l am; with love-"
These are believed to be the "per-
sonals" referred to.
Mrs. Pullen lived with her husband,
John F. Pullen, an auditor at the
Grand Central station, nj her two
children, Trafton, sixteen years old,
and Mary, fourteen years old.
The Edsons were to break up their
home Wednesday morning as a result
OF an agreement to sign articles OF
separation, reached the night before.
happy.
Mrs. Edison spent Tuesday night
with her friend, Mrs. Pullen. She was
about to go out in the morning when a
note came from Edison asking that
Mrs. Pullen accompany his wife to
see him. Edison, his wife, Mrs. Pull
len and DR.. David o. Edison, a brother,
met in Edson's home. During a con-
versation in the diningroom. Edison Is
said to have turned to Mrs. Pullen and
suggested that she leave her home
with him and go to some other state,
where they could be happy. Mrs. Ed
son was Mortified. Mrs. Pullen turned
away in disgust. DR.. Edison, after
sharply rebuking his brother, left the
room with Mrs. Edison, but both re.
turned in a few minutes and Edison
again turned to Mrs. Pullen and began
to entreat her to elope with him. Mrs.
Pullen,
Possessed With Fear Of the Man,
ran out of the room. Edison changed
the subject and all went into the din
ingroom again. A few moments after
ward, Mrs. Edison, weak and trembling,
was assisted to another room by DR..
Edison. A moment later, according to
Wood, a furniture mover, who was
working in the hallway, Edison drew a
revolver from his pocket and, pointing
1t at Mrs. Pullen, shouted: you must
go with me. If you don't elope with
me I'll see that you go with me any
way"
Mrs. Pullen started to run from the
room. She had gone only a few steps
when four pistol shots rang out. The
first bullet tore Mrs. Pullen's left
cheek, ind the second entered the
right side of the head, killing her.
According to Wood, Edison looked at
the woman for q moment and then
turned the revolver to his own head,
firing two shots. Both bullets enter
ed about the middle of the forehead
and he fell, his head striking anG rest
ing on Mrs. Pullen's feet.
At the first shot DIR. Edison and Mrs.
Edison rushed to the door of the dining
room, reaching there just as Edison
fired ths shots which ended his own
life. Mrs. Edison fell to the floor in a
faint.
Coroner Jackson. after making a
thorough examination of the house.