The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-06

WIG VI JOnn Il. RuU6l, q NeStrymdN OF
st. Michaers Church, who was shot
dead by Henry Townsend Edison, son of
former Mayor Franklin Edison
New York, Sept. 5.-Henry T. Edison,
who shot Mrs. Fannie Puilen and then
killed himself. was, the police believe,
driven temporarily insane by a hopeless
i~nfatuation for the wife OF his best friend.
Searching the annal Of crime, one may
seldom discover a parallel of this tragedy,
which is rendered the more sensational by
the prominence of both the Edison family
and that of Mrs. Pullen. She was a Miss
Fannie Schenek, daughter OF the late
Francis Schenck.. a leading corporation
lawyer OF Philadelphia.
STRANGE LETTER IN CASE.
In the search OF the rooms after the
tragedy, Coroner Jackson found in an
apartment adjoining the dining-room in
which the shooting took place a letter, in
the handwriting of the dead man. but
bearing no inscription and unsigned.
Everything indicates that this letter was
intended for Mrs. Pullen, and the theory
Is advanced that in It's b~aseless assump-
ton of q tender feeling on the part of the
woman to whom it was addressed toward
the man who wrote,it further evidence of
his disordered mind is furnished.
1t 10 alleged that Henry Townsend Ed
son saw in print a newspaper personal.
which he wrongly took to be a commune
cation 10 him from his friends wife. and
that after inserting an answering per
sonaP' he penned the letter found as
above described.
There is said TO be nothing beyond the
documentary evidence Of the assassin,s
Insent communication to prove that any
actual relationship existed between the
man and the woman he killed to which
the husband of the deaf woman would
have taker exception, or rather for which
he could have found any cause to censure
his wife.
coroner jackson, when seen at his home
IN East Eignty-foLrth street, sud tnat the
ietter couiu not have been written more
MN.
de reached this conclusion after examin-
ing the INK. which was stil comparatively
ifesn. Severel parts OF the letter are
heavily underlined. Reference is made IN
It TO a person named "Jonn." Mrs. ruI-
iens husband bears that name.
INFATUATIoN RUN MAD.
Amid the mystery which surrounds much
Of the tragedy it Is known to have oc-
Cured as a climax to a conversation in the
Edison dining-room. in which an effort was
being made by his brother to dissuade the
insane man from betraying his hopeless
infatuation so openly.
Undeterred even by the presence of his
wife from appealing to Mrs. Pullen to ac-
company him from the house, and rem
dered more desperate, according to Doctor
David Edson, by her refusal 10 intercede
with her husband to assist him in his
difficulties, the crazed man COM
mitted the rash deed.
A few days ago, Mr.. Pullen asserts.
Treasurer William K. Peters, a brother of
the pastor, was amazed to md q discrep-
aney Of $500 or 5000 in the accounts.
The shortage was traced to Secretary Ed
son, he said. and the matter was taken
up by the church vestrymen, of whom
Mr.. Pullen is one
Mrs. Fannie Pullen was So years old and
the mother of two children-Trafton, aged
IA, and Mary, aged 10 years. She was a
remarkably handsome woman, being tail
and of light complexion.
Mrs. Edison had spent the night at the
Pullen residence. and, together with the
Puilens, had gone to her own apartments
to srperintend some packing. preparatory
to leaving the city.
h did not know. she said. to Doctor
Cyrus Edison. that her husband was In
their apartments when she and Mrs. Pull
len went there. On entering the house
they found q furniture mover named
Thomas Wood, employed by the Manhat-
tan Storage Warehouse Company. await
ing them. He had been engaged TO do the