Severed Human Head on Sausalito Shores: Addie Gilmour, murdered by Dr. Eugene F. West
Tags: True Crime, Crime, Mystery, History, Time

Severed Woman’s Head Found Tied to a Tree in Bay

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On September 14th, 1893 around 3 pm a woman’s severed head found by Italian Fisherman (6) ‘neatly encased’ in wire netting. Found 1 mile East of Lime Point, just north of San Francisco (Marin County) at the Government Tidewater Building (5). A Saucalito Ferry Boat Officer said Dan Bosque (5), a San Francisco Medical Student, likely put the head in the water to remove the flesh from it, as a cheaper way to deflesh a skull used for medical practices. (5). Dan Bosque did admit to take a head to his home to be cleaned, but did not hear of the head found near Sausalito until reading it in the papers (18).

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The Saucilito Marshal stated head was likely in the water from 10 days to two weeks, and supported the medical student theory, which Medical College deans later denied publicly (5, 6). The Woman’s head had remnants of dark hair and they theorized it belonged to a woman about 20 years with no recognizable facial characteristics due to being crushed (6, 60). The head was cut from the body just below the ears, and evidently had not been in the water more than ten days with the skill fractured and the marks not those that a student would make but rather a skilled surgeon (5, 6). The eyes were gone, ears and skin had been removed but the brain was still present. The skull had a small strip of mastoid from it hung a single one inch brown hair that was lighter in color to that of Miss Gilmour. The head was 19.5 inches in circumference and bore the mark of a skilled surgical hand (4, 17).

Addie’s Dentist, Dr. Stewart.

Addie’s Dental Record (14)

Theories of the day ranged from grave robbers to medical students . Debate raged as to if this head found was Addie Gilmour; and eventually she was indentified by close friends and relatives due to a surgical scar on her face that had gone to the bone (1, 4, 16, 17). She was also identified by her dentist, who testified at trial that the teeth contained evidence of his handwork and matched the records he had on file (14). Regardless numerous sightings of Addie occured in the coming months, with witnesses later recanting stating the encounters must have been her ghost (2).

The location where the head was anchored in Sausalito (5)

More Remains Found

Map showing locations of Addie Gilmour’s remains including places that no long exist or have been renamed. © Electric Consulting LLC, All Rights Reserved, 2020.

Coal Oil Can parts in which parts of Addie were found (20)

On September 17, 1893 around 5 pm, the upper breast portion and below waist remnants of a woman’s body were found by a boy named Stephenson (17) at the Long Wharf in Oakland, California. Estimated to have been in the water for two weeks and had been removed by someone with surgical skill (4, 35) and tied together with a piece of hay rope (18). A yard of bloody ‘Oil Cloth’ was found near Sausalito that was 3 feet in length and 2.5 feet in width, with similar rope to the wire mesh surrounding the skull. On September 20th, 1893, more remains wash up at the Oakland Mole: part of the lungs, trachea and part of back/ribs, which showed saw marks from a skilled surgeon, done with great care (2).

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On September 27th, 1893, young Lloyd Hughes and Eddie Menzies spotted a 5 gallon coal tin bobbing in the water while swimming in the Oakland creek. The can contained the remaining parts of Addie Gilmour and was found on a sand spit near a cave at the foot of Center Street, 100 yards from the Peralta Street Wharf (63). The contents of the can were two thighs, two legs, a foot and two arms with the hands attached. Emma Gilmour, Addie’s Twin, positively identifed the hat pins, buttons and aligator skin purse found in the can as belonging to her sister (20). Noteabley the buttons in question were identified as Addie’s since Emma had an identical jacket as her twin. Similar buttons were found in the home of Dr. Eugene F. West (20, 63, 64). Additional remains were eventually found; and some of the the remains were buried at an unmarked grave at Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery as confirmed by mountain view staff (14) and her home town of Colusa (60, 62, 66) with a very large funeral procession. Newspapers commented on many a Colusa resident swearing to tar and feather John C. McGrury for saying he never made a marriage contract with Addie. McGrury also said that she did not behave like a lady; with the faux pas of further tarnishing her name after death (74).

Coroner’s Inquest (18)

Addie is Missing; Her Family Begins Their Search

John Gilmour, Addie’s adoring father (17)

Addie was described as feeling ill the days prior to going missing and she had been pale and sickly (17, 52). Addie visited Toplitz & Company a couple more times and addressed letters to the store from where she was boarding (The Elmer House). Addie’s business partner, Laura Allen, was prearranged to meet Addie in San Francisco on September 2nd, but actually arrived on the 12th after not hearing from Addie (4, 18). Laura came to San Francisco to search for Addie, and upon hearing she had left her room at the Elmer House a few days before, she sent a message by telegraph to Addie’s brother and he had contacted the family because of her concern that something was not right. Her parents, John & Elizabeth, had just returned from a long trip to visit their old home in Ontario, New York, and to visit The World’s Fair in Chicago until they were called to San Francisco by telegraph while visiting their son in Oakland, Oregon (4, 17).

Wesley Kemp Dejarnatt, Addie’s Brother-in-law (17)

Addie’s brother-in-law, Wesley Kemp Dejarnatt, her father John, her sister Emma, Uncle Samuel Gilmour, brother Luke, Addie’s work companions, and Laura Allen all came to search for Addie. John, Dejarnatt, Emma and others visited, Dr. Eugene F. West, whom Addie had written that she was seeing for an operation (4). There, West admitted that Addie had died due to complications for an operation and that he had given her body to medical students, thinking she did not have a soul in the world (she gave him a fake name). John Gilmour took this to the police, who already knew West from a similar incident in July in which a girl died after an operation. The police went to arrest him for Addie’s murder, but he had dissapeared, only to be found a few days later following a manhunt. Dr. Eugene F. West was charged with murder and housed in city prison (2). Dr West was noted as oddly charismatic and charming despite circumstances (10). Ultimately, when Dr. West disposed of Addie so callously, he thought she had not a person in this world (53); but the love of her friends and family is what ended up bringing her justice.

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May Howard (46)

Soon an investigation into all of Dr. West’s known associates narrowed down two witnesses; Annie Staley, who nursed Addie while she was in the care of Dr. West (2) and May Howard, who was present at his office during initial questioning (34, 43). Howard said that she saw Addie on the Oakland ferry threatening suicide, but later recanted the statement saying that Dr. West had asked her to tell the police that story (2). Five days after he was arrested and just one day after Annie Staley was arrested, with the help of his lawyers, Dr. West married Staley to keep her from testifying against him (1, 38).

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