Edith Elder: The Girl Who Rejoiced in Murder
Tags: Time, History, Mystery, Crime, True Crime

Edith Elder: The Girl Who Rejoiced in Murder Rhiannon Follow Dec 17 · 9 min read

In Victorian times, reputation was everything. To ruin a woman, a rumor not even need be true, and attacking her purity or morals, was the worst one could do. Her reputation not only affected her family, but her future. Marriage was the pivot point for any young girl’s life. If she chose to give up her purity to man prior to marriage she was considered impure. For the marriage to not take place, would shame her indefinitely. God forbid, that she would contract some sort of disease, as that would make her basically destitute and unable to live her life.

The Early Life of Edith Elder

Edith Elder, only known image, reproduction of a photograph (2)

Edith Ida Evans was born June 18th, 1872 in Tinneys Grove, Missouri to Turner J Elder Jr. and Amanda “Minnie” Brown. She had two sisters, Della and Jessie Elder. They soon immigrated to California where they had many family, and her father established himself as a prominent business man. Her mother was prone to depressive episodes, and Edith’s mother was placed in a Stockton asylum Oct 10, 1880 when Edith was only eight years old (19). Accounts state that Edith lived a normal life for a girl of that era, and attended dances (26), and was thought of fondly and lovingly by her peers. Soon she visited family in Stockton, at that time, a pure and chaste girl with an impeccable reputation (19).

Edith Meets Frank J. Quinn

Vintage Postcard of the Stockton Mineral Baths (White Border Era, 1915–1930) (link)

Edith Ida Elder grew into a “tall and tall handsome brunette with very dark hair and a voluptuous figure” who took work as a dressmaker (3). It was at Jackson’s Baths in Stockton where the 20 year old Edith met Frank Quinn, age 24 (2, 3, 19). They spent time together and became affectionate, and Edith traveled from Fresno to Stockton frequently over two years to visit Frank Quinn (8). Frank proposed and he and Edith had marital relations before her wedding day. He kept putting off the wedding, and finally it was set for November 1st of 1894 (19). It is known when she found out, but it appears from alluded language in many of the articles that Edith Elder contracted Syphilis from Frank Quinn (13. 9).

(27)

If Frank chose not to marry her, she would be destitute, unable to marry and likely to pass the disease onto any children she had. She started receiving medical treatment, and asked Frank to help her pay for it (3, 18). It would also appear she became pregnant and had an abortion (3). When November 1st came, Frank Quinn declined to marry her. She wrote and wrote letters but he only returned a few of them (3, 7). In Victorian times there were several subjects that were considered taboo; pre-marital relations, Syphillis and abortion. Edith had contracted them all due to her belief that Frank Quinn would marry her. If he chose not to marry her, she would be ruined for life. Edith had become so depressed that her relatives thought she had gone the way of her mother, and her sister noted that the months leading up the shooting Edith was brooding over something and nearly insane with grief (21). Frank was known to complain of annoyance that Edith was “bleeding him of money”, as reported by his brother in newspapers and at trial, and became clear via evidence that Frank had no intention of marrying Edith, despite his many promises. Frank also communicated to his brother that he was afraid of Edith attempting revenge (2, 3). Despite the pleading of Frank Quinn’s mother and brother, he declined to marry Edith Elder (5). Quinn stopped responding to Edith’s letters (19).

Frank Quinn was born in 1869 to John and Mary Quinn, who emigrated from Ireland in Aug 1857. He had three brothers and one sister: James, Edward, William and Mary. His brother James was on the Stockton City Council and the family was known to be very wealthy (2).

The Night She Had Planned to Reason with Quinn

“I killed him but you have no idea how he treated me or you would not blame me. I hope I have been successful with myself as I have been with him. He wronged me and I am willing to die. (20)”

Edith had made a plan to buy a gun, for many months and started target shooting (3, 20). It is said that Edith had planned to kill herself, in front of Quinn, but on Nov 15, 1894 things did not go as planned (19). She wrote to him and let him in a lodging house (The McMullin building at the corner of Main and El Dorado street)(2). A neighbor, Camille Cameron heard a gunshot and the cries of pain from man in the next room (3). Panicked, Camille opened her window and called to a carriage driver on the street below to get the police. When the police arrived, the door was locked and they had to bust it open, with a bullet lodged in the door from the other side (3). On the bed, in his underclothes, they found the dying Frank Quinn, who had been shot in the heart. On the floor, next to the bed, they found a bleeding Edith Elder, also shot in the breast. Quinn lay on the bed writhing in agony. A doctor was called and he began treating the wounded, along with the landlady Belle K. Jackson acting as nurse (3, 18, 19). Torn bits of letters were found on the floor (18). Edith, thinking she was dying, fully confessed to the crime, “I’m glad I killed him for no one knows what I have suffered from that dirty dog.” Among her things was found a sealed suicide letter to her sister Della (3). Edith was placed under arrest but stayed at the boarding house due to her injury (2). Frank’s brother James rushed to his bedside, and has Edith lay bleeding he hurled insults at her. Despite the prayers of James, Frank Quinn died within an hour (2,3). Frank was interred at his family plot in the San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery in Stockton.

Stockton. Cal, Nov. 14, 1894 My Dear Sister — I am tired of life and hope to have company on my departure. I want you to have all of my belongings except my bracelet. Give to Ida and give Maud the little ring and Susie my heart earring. The diamonds you keep for yourself; also my D rings. I want you to have the hundred dollars and interest against the MoConnel estate. You will find the note, I think, in the grip. Continue with the picture and have it enlarged for O. I have no more to say only I will die happy. All I have to live for would be to comfort you, and one thing I want you to keep the house and lots for your home, attend to your own business, dont neglect, remember my advice and abide bv the same. I wish you all the pleasure this earth can afford. The rent is not paid for this month, it was paid until the 25th of October. Get what there is there of mine and keep. You can use my money for burial expenses if you wish. Good-bye for evermore. I remain your loving but unhappy sister, Edith P. S. I have a good reason for killing Frank and I hope to fulfill my intentions. Dont worry over me; I go happy. (19)

findagrave.com

The Long Preparation for Trial

Edith appeared nervous. She was fearful that the doctors treating her would cause harm to her and was quoted as saying, “Is he a Catholic? You know, those Catholics always stand with each other” (6). Edith was in a precarious state. When possible she was moved to a hospital, and though indicted, she was not able to attend trial until she healed (10). Despite interviews with newspapers, along with questions by the physicians and police, she remained silent or responded cryptically, “Do you suppose a woman would shoot a man without just cause?” When a reporter asked if she was in pain, she responded, “ Yes, but not the first time I’ve been in pain since I met Frank. If you only knew how he had wronged me (7).”

“I think I did right to kill him, and everyone else will when I tell my story (7).”

Morality

Edith was still healing from her gunshot wound. Although not fatal, she still did a pretty good job as one of her ribs had splintered. She had surgery to remove the splinters but an abscess had formed near her wounds. Each month, the hopeful prosecution would schedule a trial and each month it would be postponed due to her health. More than the wounds of the flesh, it was the wounds of the heart that kept in a constant state of despair. It was said also that she suffered more from the contracted syphilis than the gunshot wound itself (10, 11, 12, 13). The doctor ensured to preserve her morality, and opted to not give her morphine as to not cause a morphine habit (14). Even though it appeared that the doctor who attended her daily had developed as bond with her, she never spoke a word about what happened (14). On March 8th 1895, nearly five months after she killed Frank Quinn, Edith was arraigned and pleaded not guilty (15). The trial was again set for the month of March, but had to be postponed due to her illness (16). Her sisters were said to have stayed by her side in the hospital (7). Journalists, and even the prosecution, preparing for trial, could not find any reference to speak ill of her character and reputation, but they did find evidence against her sister, Jessie Caughell, who was arrested for drugging her baby and leaving it on the doorstep of an elderly childless couple (5).

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The Trial

The trial of Edith Elder finally was held on April 23rd, 1895. Her father and attorneys were in attendance, as was the former landlady, Belle K. Jackson. The main purpose of the initial trial was to select a jury and her attorneys frequently asked if jurors would be biased against an insanity plea. It is said that her many relatives and friends banded together to support her and widely known at this point, that she was sick for some time due to the disease or insanity (as with her mother who died in an asylum), while Quinn preyed on her imbalances (18).



At trial, Edith declared that Frank Quinn told Edith the night she shot him that he would never marry the girl who was diseased and had lost her purity. When he returned her letters, she sobbed and asked him, “My God Frank, is this the end of it all?” He had undressed and laid on the bed, and she asked him again if he would marry her or else she would face ruin, he told her again that she was impure (likely rougher language) (7, 19). She begged him not to send her to the world unfit to marry another man, or unfit to be the mother of children (21). During trial, and even at her own testimony, Edith was breaking down repeatedly, weeping bitterly (22).

As the not guilty verdict was read, her family embraced, she cried tears, again, but this time, of joy. She was acquitted by reason of insanity that syphilis caused (32). She eventually later married and raised a son. The cure for syphilis was found in the 1920's.

Note: This article is historical in nature and does not support murder of any kind.

Reference/Resource/Bibliography

Because my references and resources are about 100 sources and very long, often times, this tanks my stats. I’ve opted to record them on a different page as to not ax my required reading time. You can find them recorded accurately here.

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