The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-04-13
TRY WOMAN ON
MURDER CHARGE
Three Mysterious Deaths May be
Unraveled at Trial Of Mrs.
Jane Quinn
HUSBAND SHOT WHILE In BED
Prominent Michigan Families In
volved in Case
First and Second Husbands Of Accused
Woman Died Suddenly in This
State.

State.
Chicago. April l3.-The case Of Mrs
lane Quinn, which is scheduled 10 be
called for trial at the Cook County
Court ON Monday. is attracting more
than ordinary interest owing To the
many peculiar features of mystery II
| presents. Mrs. Quinn is charged with
the murder OF her third husband. John
NJ. Quinn, who was killed by a pistol
shot while in bed Ola the morning of
| November . 1911. Since the arrest on
suspicion OF Mrs. quinn. y short time
after the death of her husband, The
authorities have collected a great mass
of evidence concerning not only the
! present case against the woman. but
the whole past history of the accused,
which contains many points of sinister
aspect.
John NJ. Quinn was a street railway
cmploye in Kalamazoo, Mich, when he
met and shortly after married the wo-
man now charged with his murder.
Her former, second. husband Warren
| Thorpe. "a wealthy farmer near Jack
son. Mich, according to her statement,
had committed suicide by shooting
himself in June, 1903.
Bames II On Burglar.
After her marriage TO Quinn she
kept a boarding house in Kalamazoo
Tor "A while. but soon she removed with
her husband to Chicago. where they
located in the l<ensnston district on
South Michigan Ave. near 11Oth Street.
ON the morning of Quinns death Mrs.
Quinn reported to the police that he
had been killed and robbed by bur
elar with whom she alleged to nave
had an encounter.
Detectives visited and searched the
house shortly after the murder and
found hidden behind the bathtub ana
wrapped in a piece Of cotton cloth a
revolver with one empty and several
loaded shells, the calibre Of which
corresponded with the size of the bui-
let found IN Quinns breast IL was
ascertained that the revolver was the
property of j. w. Miller. a roomer i'm
the house of the Quinns Miller tes-
tilted during the inquest that a day or
so before the murder he missed the re-
Volver which he always kept In his
bureau drawer He spoke To Mrs
Quinn about it and she requested him
not to say anything about it to her
husband She offered TO pay for the
gun, in case 1t should not be found
| gain.
Suspicion Points to Wire.
| Mrs. quinn was arrested on sus
picion and. after the Coroner's jury
had given formal verdict charging
her with having shot her husband. she
was taken 10 the Hyde Park police
station. Later she was indicted by the
Grand Jury and her case set for next
! Monday
The past history of Mrs QUINN as
ascertained by the efforts of the police
and as it will be presented at the trial,
was replete with tragedy. Mrs. Quinn
was formerly Jennie Taylor and. ii is
believed. was born in London, ont. She
vas a handsome and unusually attrac-
! tive girl and had many suitors. She
entered upon her first recorded matri-
monal venture on October 20, 1858,
when she married John Mcdonald. a
wealthy resident Of London. ont. At
ter a few years Mcdonald and his wife
removed to Jackson. Mich, where a
daughter. Pearl Mcdonald, was born
/ to them. While living in Jackson, Mrs.
Mcdonald frequently visited her sister,
Mrs Alice Sparks. who was house
keeper for Warren Thorpe. a wealthy
farmer near Jackson There she met
Thorpe, who became quite fascinated
by the handsome Mrs Mcdonald.
Other Mysterious Deaths.
Mcdonald suddenly died on Septem-
Der 2S. 1901, and as he had beer drink
ing man it was readily believed that
he had died from alcoholic poisoning
as his widow asserted. About one
month after the death of Mcdonald
his widow married Thorpe, who had
several grownup children from a fer
mer marriage. The marriage, 1t seems,
was not very happy and violent quar-
rcls were frequently the order of the
day. one Sunday morning in June,
J 1903, Thorpe was shot while sitting
on his bed, engaged in lacing his shoes
When arrested on suspicion, Mrs
Thorpe stated that her husband had
committed suicide. Although there
were grave doubts concerning the truth
of her statement. there was no posi-
tive evidence against her and she was
acquitted. II was ascertained since
then. that on the same morning Thorpe
intended To visit one of his married
sons with the intention of deciding 10
him l60 acre farm
After Thorpes death his widow went
TO Kalamazoo, Mich where she be-
came acquainted with John M. Quinn.
who shortly after became her third
husband. II is stated that the accused