Who Was The Beautiful Stranger?

Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado Island, San Diego County

Coronado Island is a picturesque and amazing spot on the San Diego bay, that tourists flock to by the millions every year. Whether you enter this small piece of heaven via the Coronado Bridge or by driving up the good old "Silver Strand", one thing is for certain- you will never forget the majestic beauty when you see the grand architecture of the famous Hotel Del Coronado, the most exquisite structure there.


Setting of the Story

The story I am about to tell you, (and trust me it's going to take several blogs to do this), takes place at the Hotel Del Coronado, towards the turn of the Century, in fact the year was 1892. I actually stumbled upon this story in an old newspaper archive while searching for another story. I felt drawn to this story after reading the first news article about it, and after realizing how this story has perplexed many over the last 100 years or more, I felt that I should try my hand at this mystery and see what I could find. Many will probably disagree with my findings, however, we should always first state the facts and the evidence when researching or writing about history. One should never put their own speculations or opinions ahead of the facts. I am going to present to you the facts of the case, the proof I found or the facts I have to discredit other "theories" of this story. Then once you are fully educated in this story, you can make your own opinion on the story.

A Mystery Woman's Corpse Found!

After buckling down for a terrible storm that had swept through San Diego, engulfing the small island of Coronado, no one was to know the real storm of events that would take place the following morning.  It was November 29th, 1892 and Mr. David Cone, one of the electricians of the Hotel Del Coronado, came upon a ghastly sight while making his rounds at 7:30 a.m.

While trimming the electric lights, Cone discovered the corpse of a lady who had been a recent guest at the hotel. She appeared to have a bullet wound through her right temple, so immediately it was assumed that her death was self-inflicted. Although her death proved to be the end of the line for her, the mystery surrounding her death proved to be just beginning. Nearly 121 years later and no one has really been able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt who, in fact, this lady really was.

The Beautiful Stranger-

Just who was this "Beautiful Stranger" as the newspapers would later name her? Why and how did she die? Was she murdered? Or could it have been a suicide? There were so many questions at the time, and so many of them have still remained unanswered even to this day.

According to the Coroner's Inquest report, upon discovering the woman's body, the electrician noticed a pistol next to her body and a pool of blood. "There was a large pistol lying at the right hand side of the body," stated Cone, in the Coroner's Inquest report.  The gardener, F.W. Koeppen's sworn testimony stated the same information, that the woman's body was found "laying along the steps in a sitting position, and after being dead, dropped over on the stairway." He also stated that he "noticed the pistol lying on one side."  The electrician stated that when he had went to fetch help, he ran into the gardener. Curious about the discovery, the gardener went back with the electrician to view the body, then they both separated, going different directions around the hotel in order to notify the hotel clerk of the discovery.

One Headline Of The Many Dozens

The clerk for the hotel, Mr. Gomer viewed the body, realizing that she appeared to be a female guest of the hotel, Mrs. Lottie A Bernard. He then instructed the gardener to cover her body with tarpaulin so that other guests would not see her, while he called upon the Deputy Coroner and the undertakers at Johnson's & Company to further address the situation. When Deputy Coroner Stetson arrived he immediately looked over the corpse. He ascertained that she had been dead for about six or seven hours given the condition she was in. It was the Coroner who removed the pistol from the ground and collected it as evidence for further inquiry. As the undertakers came and removed the woman's body from the hotel, they placed her in a receiving box to take back to San Diego at Johnson's & Company mortuary.

The Coroner then went to room 302, where she had been staying to investigate there. Upon entering her room he realized that the bed had not been slept in. In the Coroner's Inquest he was quoted stating,
"I found that valise, and on the table I found this envelope she had addressed... Denman Thompson, the Old Homestead. And "Frank" is written here four times, and "Lottie Anderson Bernard," and "Mrs. Lottie Bernard," "Lottie Anderson Bernard, Detroit," and then on this paper I found "I merely heard of that man, I do not know him." Here is an invitation — here is an invitation to the Hotel del Coronado, signed by Louise Leslie Carter and Lillian Russell." He went on to say, "She had a purse on her person, that contained $16.50, and there was a little ring in the purse, a plain ring, and the key to her valise**."

Among the other things mentioned were some handkerchiefs that were stitched with what appeared to read "Little Anderson," along with her night dress hanging in the closet and a hat on the mantle. A bottle of Brandy, a penknife, a bottle of camphor, some quinine pills and a wrapped up paper with the writings that said "If this doesn't relieve you, you better send for the doctor," which was signed Druggist.

(**One thing I find interesting here is the fact that nowhere in the copy of the Coroner's Inquest report do they mention if anything was found in the valise.)

The staff then needed to figure out who to notify of this young lady's death, and see to it that the proper identification of the body be made. But they weren't even sure who she was, so how would they do this? The Coroner had his job to do, that was to figure out exactly how and why she died. To gather up witnesses and evidence and determine what occurred in the evening of  November 28th and in the early morning hours of November 29th, 1892.

With so very little to go on, it seemed that the more they looked into this woman's life, the less and less they could really say about her. They had to go back, back to when she arrived and try to remember any detail they could about her, where she came, and what she said to others about herself in order to figure out just who was Lottie Bernard, the Beautiful Stranger?

To find out more about the history of this intriguing case, and read all of my research and findings, please read "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered."

UPDATE: 10/17/2016 -- My latest book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered" is now available via Amazon, and features an even more in depth look at this story. Don't forget to purchase your copy today!

Thank you for stopping by my blog!---

J'aime Rubio 

(Copyright 11/12/2013- J'aime Rubio  www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Willard Hotel & Pueblo Hotel History - Tucson, Arizona

S.F. Call (11/14/1903)

While researching a story for my blog, I came across a headline in the archived newspapers that I couldn't ignore.

 "YOUNG BRIDE KILLS HERSELF- Wife of Tucson Mining Man Swallows Carbolic Acid." - San Francisco Call, November 14, 1903.

As I read the article, I felt myself being pulled deeper and deeper into this somber tale. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know who this woman was, and why she felt that there was no way out of her misery and that ending her life seemed to be the only option in her mind.

I then decided to research further into this story by digging through every archived newspaper I could find that mentioned anything to do with Cora Casey and her husband the miner and capitalist, Alexander Casey.


Backstory

So as history shows, Alexander Casey was born in Cookstown, Ireland in 1842. Around 1883, Casey had moved to the United States and found himself settling in a small town then known as Turquoise.  Cora Casey, was born Cora Taylor in 1879. She lived in Gleason, Arizona although I believe she was originally from Eldon, Missouri. Her father was said to have been from Virginia, while her mother had been born in Kentucky (her death record states this).

She was the sister of Bud Taylor of Gleason, Arizona and related somehow to Rebecca Taylor of Eldon, Missouri, (possibly her mother?) as Cora briefly mentions her in her suicide note. While living in Gleason, Cora was the postmistress at the post office when she met the wealthy miner Mr. Casey.


Casey had come to the town of Turquoise, Arizona (later named Gleason) to buy out the land that held deep veins of turquoise in order to mine it, which he made a great fortune from. He later sold the mine and became quite wealthy. He was always interested in business deals and at the time of Cora's death was in the middle of a deal for $60,000. He was also considered a "Pioneer" of the general area, and had strong ties to many high-profile men from the town of Tombstone, Arizona as well.

On November 17, 1902 the couple was married. Cora being around 22-23 years of age, and Mr. Casey about 61 years old. Within weeks of the marriage, they moved out to Tucson, where Casey had invested in building a grand hotel. Cora was leaving the small mining town of Gleason and heading out to Tucson, a bigger and more active city, a move she later would regret.

 History of the Hotel

Photo Credit: Andy Taylor

I did some digging online and found several sites that state different information about the history of this historic hotel located at 145 S 6th Avenue in Tucson, Arizona.  I wrote the local historical society in Tuscon and had not heard back in regards to information pertaining Cora, Alex and the Willard Hotel (which was later named the Pueblo Hotel and Apartments).  So here's what I dug up on my own:

Photo Credit: Andy Taylor

Alexander Casey invested his money into the building of the hotel. One of the websites I first found stated that initially Casey wanted the hotel to be named the "Hotel Casey", which makes sense being that it was his last name. However, according to a few sites, the hotel was opened in September of 1902  as the "Willard Hotel." These same sites claim that it was Willard Wright and Charles Fleming who had built and designed the hotel as the "owners"--- This is incorrect, according to all the information I found.

The Facts

Architect, Henry C. Trost was hired to design this beautiful building, a building that Alexander Casey owned. According to the Tombstone Epitaph, dated March 23, 1902, it stated that Alex Casey contracted to McMillen and Southworth to construct the building for $15,750. The construction was pushed to be done rapidly, in order to complete the hotel by the coming Summer of 1902.

from Piccaretta Davis PC (law office website)

The hotel design contained the 30 rooms and was to be of pressed brick instead of the original proposed design for plain brick plastered. The building was to be set on the corner of Twelfth Street and Sixth Avenue, and a rear courtyard was to be constructed in the back. It goes into detail that Mr. Casey even traveled all the way to Los Angeles to purchase a fountain to be installed in the patio. It also states he would be spending an additional $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 on improving the grounds around and in front of the hotel.

Willard Hotel (via Laurie's Wild West)

Casey then "leased" the building out to Willard Wright and Charles Fleming who in turn used the name "Willard Hotel" ( via Henry C. Trost Historical Organization).  The Tucson Citizen (9/2/1902) and the Arizona Daily Citizen (9/3/1902) as posted online, was said to have quoted the hotel decor of the building as being "solid oak and birds eye maple", with "iron bed steads", Brussels carpets, large windows that were elegantly curtained and that each bedroom had different carpets and rugs. In fact, it was said "no two carpets were alike for each room."  Certainly, the design and thought given to decorate this hotel took a person with impeccable taste and class. It was supposed to be the grandest hotel known to the area for that time period.

According to a blog known as "Laurie's Wild West", she writes that an article in the Star (July 8, 1903) stated that within less than a year of the Grand Opening, Wright and Fleming could no longer afford the rent of the hotel. They requested a reduction in the rent of the hotel to Mr. Casey but he would not compromise. Instead, it is mentioned that Casey even turned the water off at the hotel after being told they could not make their regular payments for their lease. It seems that Wright and Fleming were booted out and Casey took back control of his hotel.

Newspaper archives confirm that Casey then hired William Siewert, to help him manage the hotel. Did Casey turn over the "ownership" of the Willard  to Siewart, but continued to be the manager and proprietor all the while residing in the hotel? I cannot say for sure, however, Casey remained the manager and proprietor in recorded documents and I haven't seen any records state that he sold the hotel to Siewart.  Regular advertisements in the Bisbee Daily Review of that time period show that every weekly ad referred to Mr. Alexander Casey as the "Proprietor and Manager" of the hotel. It also mentions that Casey had re-opened the hotel as of September 1, 1903.

The Shootout

At around 5 pm, on October 27th, 1903, Alex Casey went crazy in his own hotel. As the Bisbee Daily Review (October 29,1903) states, Casey was "tanked up on whiskey" in his room (#11) "entertaining himself loudly, swearing and calling for vengeance." Many of the staff at the hotel were concerned by the noise he was making from his room that they approached Mr. Siewart to see if he could quiet him.

Mr. Siewart came down the hall to Casey's room just as he was opening up the door into the hallway. He had his Winchester Rifle and a six-shooter with him and he was hell bent on causing a ruckus. Mr. Siewart thought he would try to calm the situation by trying to shake hands with Mr. Casey and saying,
"How are you Mr. Casey? Haven't seen you today."

His diplomatic approach to distract Mr. Casey fell on deaf ears, as Casey threatened destruction to everyone in the building. He then went on a rampage, running out towards the office and then outside to the north of the building. He saw Mr. Gleamer (the hotel head waiter) and "took a couple pot shots at him," but missed. Then Casey went back into the hotel shooting 40 shots and leaving the hallways, doors and walls of the first floor riddled with bullet holes, and guests terrified for their own safety.


The paper stated, "It is a little less than miraculous that someone or a dozen were not killed. Bullets struck the door of the main entrance and marks checkered all over the plastering of the office and hallway."

The authorities were called in, and Constables Frazer and Pacheco arrived shortly thereafter. Although Casey resisted arrest and a gunfight ensued, eventually he was apprehended by Constable Pacheco. During the ruckus, both Pacheco and Casey were wounded in the shoot out. Thankfully neither one of their injuries proved to be serious. Pacheco had been shot in the left arm while Casey had graze wounds on his face and under the arm pit area.

After he had been sent to the County Jail, friends of Casey spoke out, mentioning that he seemed to be "mentally unbalanced", especially after a few drinks. It seemed as if the honeymoon was over between Casey and his wife Cora, and friends mentioned his constant abuse to his young wife.

You see this wasn't the first time Casey had been arrested for assault. In fact, after marrying Cora and moving to Tucson, Casey had started drinking a lot more than usual. He began to strike his wife and beat her regularly, always threatening to kill her and tormenting her into submission. Sadly, no one did anything to intervene and help this poor girl so it had escalated to an altercation where Cora had him arrested. Obviously suffering from "battered woman's syndrome," instead of fleeing her abuser she took him back and even managed to get her husband out of Jail on a peace bond for the amount of $3,500.00, although the Judge lowered it to $1,500.00.  After the hotel fiasco, this was the second incident where Casey had caused harm so the authorities planned on keeping him in jail this time.


The  Tragic Event

According to the Bisbee Daily Review (November 17, 1903), it states, "Tired of a full life of sorrow, the wife of Alex Casey took the poison which ended her unhappy life- expired in great agony."
It goes on to state in great detail the date of her tragic suicide. According to eye witness accounts told to the newspaper was that earlier in the week Cora had received a note (either by way of Casey's attorney Roscoe Dale or A.W. Smith), notifying her to vacate the room in which the couple had been living. Basically, she was served an eviction notice that was ordered by her husband.

Cora had confided in Mr. Siewart that she was "heart broken" when she received the notice, that she didn't have anyone in the world to turn to and that she wanted to die and end her troubles. On Thursday the 12th of November, she went to the Pima County Jail to visit her husband. She had wanted to speak to him about leaving Tucson and moving back to Gleason so she could stay with her brother, Bud Taylor. It is unknown as to what the reaction or answer Casey gave her, but he did order that she be given $50.00 when she left.

By the time she arrived back at the hotel, she spoke to her maid, and stated that she had saved $75, "enough to bury her." It seemed as though Cora had taken time to think the decision over about committing suicide, and that this was not just a "spur of the moment" idea.

The very next day (Friday the 13th), Cora appeared to be deeper and deeper depressed. She spent the entire morning on the west porch of the hotel alone. By 2 o'clock in the afternoon she had phoned Fleishman's drug store in town and requested a bottle of carbolic acid be delivered.

Her friend, (and I suspect that she was her maid), Miss Conlon attempted to stay with her in her room that evening to keep an eye on her. However, just before the 9 o'clock hour, Cora insisted that she wanted to be alone. As soon as Miss Conlon retired to her room next door, Cora wasted no time attempting her suicide.  Around 9 o'clock, Mr. Siewart was making his rounds of the hotel when he heard "groans issuing from the room occupied by Mrs. Casey and he went towards the door to see what the trouble was. As he was about to turn the knob, the door opened and Mrs. Casey fell forward on him, crying, "I am dying, I am dying!"

Mr. Siewart carried her to bed and called for the doctor, however it took nearly 15 minutes before Dr. Olcott arrived to tend to her. Although he tried remedies to help her and even pumped her stomach, it was too late. The paper stated, "She suffered the most excruciating agony from the effects of the poison as witnessed by the expression on her face and the twisted position of her body when death relieved her of the awful suffering."

Mr. Culver, the Coroner viewed her body and ordered that she be taken to the Reilly Undertaking parlors, where they would view her corpse the next morning for a "Coroner's Jury."  After she was removed from the room, her Bible was located under the foot of her mattress with a note stuffed inside of it. It read:

"November 13.-  

Send all my clothes and belongings to Rebecca Taylor, Eldon Mo.

I am out of my misery now. When I am dead I hope that Casey will be happy.

I want to be buried in Tucson. I die where I was cursed.

Had other people not meddled, he would have done different.

Smith is to blame for it. I have always done what is right and I am not afraid to die.

- Cora

According to the papers, when Casey found out that his wife had taken her own life he went into shock. Then he broke down in tears as if he had gone mad. "What have I done that this should happen!" he yelled out from his jail cell as he begged God to take his life. He crawled onto his cot in his cell, buckled over crying out "Cora! Cora!"  He was inconsolable and friends believed that he basically went mad at that point.

So Who Was Smith?

Cora's suicide note blamed Smith for the destruction of her marriage and for her suicide. So who was he? From what I have found, he was A. W. Smith. What he did for a living I cannot seem to find, however he was somehow connected with Roscoe Dale (Casey's attorney) and he had "Power of Attorney" over Casey, which I am guessing means Smith may have been his accountant, thus the reason he had P.O.A. over Casey's finances while Casey was in jail and unable to manage his affairs on his own? (just a guess). But then, why wasn't his attorney in charge of that? Who knows...

When Smith was questioned about his "meddling" of the Casey's life, he stated "never at any time had I interfered in the family affairs of the Casey's....at all times I endeavored to reconcile Mr. and Mrs. Casey." It was also said that Smith seemed grieved at hearing of Cora's death and that he was adamant that he did not serve Cora with the "eviction" note, that he was ordered by Casey's attorney to do so, but that he "unqualifiedly refused."

Although there is never a mention on what sort of  issue prompted Casey's acts of violence or madness, one can only assume that perhaps stories of possible infidelity, improprieties or even money troubles could have been the cause of this whole mess. From Cora's own admission, she was adamant that she had "always done what was right." This makes me think that she wanted to once and for all clear the air on any doubts or speculation that either her husband or  possibly others may have questioned about her character.

Casey's Consequences

By December of 1903, Governor Stoddard had denied the application of pardon that was requested by Alex Casey in his "assault with a deadly weapons" charge he was being held for. He had been ordered to serve a six month sentence and pay a $50 fine. Casey's friend, who happened to be the local Justice of the Peace, had attempted to reduce his sentence to time served (33 days) and to pay a larger fine of $250.00.  Being that Casey had already served the 33 days and paid the fine upfront, the JOTP was just about to order Casey's release when the Sheriff actually refused. He claimed that he wanted the State to look over the case, being that they had "inherent jurisdiction" over the matter.

Casey had the help of some pretty powerful friends, including Judge Reilly from Tombstone. Even multi-millionaire mining man, Martin Costello attempted to vouch for his friend Alex Casey in order to secure his release. A "writ of habeas corpus" was sworn out and heard by Judge Davis in Yuma, and  the Judge dismissed that. Eventually the executive clemency was sought by Casey, and it was then that the Governor denied his pardon as well.

Eventually he was able to be released, and newspapers claim that he had made plans to leave the country. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find when and where he was released or when he finally left the U.S. back to his homeland. I did find his death notice posted in the Tombstone Epitaph on February 6, 1910. It stated that he had "recently" moved back to Cookstown, Ireland where he died from pneumonia on January 14th, 1910.


Where Is Cora Casey Buried?

I have been searching for a way to locate burial records for Cora Casey, to no avail. According to her death records, her body was taken back to Eldon, Missouri and buried there. I have not been able to locate where in Eldon she is buried.  So the mystery of where Cora's final resting place still remains unknown, for now. I intend to keep searching for answers.

I have since entered her information into the Findagrave database online. I have the hope that if someone comes across her headstone in a cemetery somewhere, then they can see I have made her a memorial on Findagrave with her information on it and can add her photo and burial information to it. Feel free to visit Cora's virtual memorial here.

Conclusion

During my research to find out Cora's story, I unfolded so much more than even I expected to find. Even at the turn of the Century this was a certain case of domestic violence at its worst. Not only did Alexander Casey beat Cora physically- as confirmed by his own friends accounts, but he mentally and emotionally scarred her beyond the point of repair. The damage was so severe and so overwhelming that ultimately it pushed Cora over the edge, to the point of suicide.

I must confess, while I was reading Cora's story, I could relate to her. I could sympathize with her situation, as I too have been victim of a domestically violent marriage. I recalled the initial phase of the relationship, being so happy, but then so suddenly the person changing like Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. Feeling like it was something I had done wrong, it was my fault that he was abusive to me. I convinced myself that I must have done something to deserve the way he treated me. I recall a drunk man screaming at me, cursing obscenities and claiming that he would kill me on a regular basis. I also recall several times where he nearly did take my life, and times I considered ending mine as well.

No one should have to suffer through these sorts of relationships, as they are volatile and dangerous.  Perhaps Cora thought she could fix Alexander, but she learned in the end that he was not fixable. He had the problem, he had issues he didn't want to deal with. Sadly, Cora had no one to go to confide in and no one wanted to step up to help her. Thus in her lonely, depressed and fragile state, death seemed to be her only option.

Cora's case is so similar to that of cases seen even at the present day. Her death could have been avoided if she had been helped in time. When I read Cora's story, I feel like I am reading my own story. One that could have ended the same way as Cora's, but one I decided on my own to have a different ending. I changed my situation for the better and removed myself from the abusive relationship, and I will never go back. Everyone deserves to live without fear. Sadly, Cora couldn't be given that safety and security in life that she needed so badly. Although her death is one so tragic and so sad, let's take heart in the fact that perhaps in death, she finally reached that peace she yearned so badly for, far away from Alex Casey.   REST IN PEACE CORA TAYLOR CASEY---

To read more about Cora Casey, as well as other mysterious and bizarre tales from the past, purchase your copy of: 
"STORIES OF THE FORGOTTEN: INFAMOUS, FAMOUS & UNREMEMBERED" AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON! 

(J'aime Rubio, Copyright 10/6/2013)
Also published in the book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered" by J'aime Rubio, 2016.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Andy Taylor for the recent photos of the Willard Hotel aka Pueblo Hotel and Apartments, which is now an attorney office building.

Thank you to Laurie Powers, from Laurie's Wild West Blog, for the photo
and for the additional information on the Willard Hotel's vast history.

Also, thank you to Barry Davis, from Piccaretta Davis PC (law office) 
which is located in the original Willard Hotel building.

Sources:
Tombstone Epitaph 3/23/1902
Tucson Citizen 9/2/1902
Arizona Daily Citizen 9/3/1902
Star 7/8/1903
Bisbee Daily Review 10/29/1903
San Francisco Call 11/14/1903
Los Angeles Herald 11/14/1903
New York Times 11/15/1903
Bisbee Daily Review 11/17/1903
Coconino Sun 11/21/1903
Bisbee Daily Review 12/15/1903
Arizona Republican 12/25/1903
Tombstone Epitaph 2/6/1910
"Laurie's Wild West" blog
Henry C. Trost Historical Organization

When Two Similar Stories Collide- Anna Corbin and Bessie Lewis

Anna Corbin

If you have read my previous article about the life and death of Anna Corbin, the head housekeeper of the Preston School of Industry in 1950, then you are aware of the fact that I have taken a personal interest in her story. After years of research I have posted findings on my blog and in my  book, "Behind The Walls," that makes it very clear (based on the evidence) that the information various other websites, television shows and other groups have come forward with through the media in the past has either been partially tainted with fictional aspects or all together incorrect.

This article is meant to bring more interesting information to light, to show you the link I have found to another brutal and vicious attack to another head housekeeper at Preston just 29 years earlier. You see, Anna Corbin is not the only head housekeeper from the Preston School of Industry to be viciously attacked and left for dead on the grounds of the school. In fact, Mrs. Lewis' story happened before Anna Corbin's death.

Head Housekeeper Attacked at Preston- 1921

It was October 26, 1921 and the head housekeeper known as Mrs. Lewis was severely beaten and locked in a closet by four wards in their attempt to make an escape from the School. The story made headlines in the Ione Valley Echo newspaper, dated October 29, 1921.

Ione Valley Echo (10/29/1921)

"A VICIOUS ATTACK, ESCAPE AND CAPTURE"

"Wednesday morning, about 9:30, Mrs. Lewis, in charge of housekeeping for Company A, at the Preston School, was viciously attacked by four boys of her squad. She was knocked down and her head was pounded on the concrete floor several times. She was rendered unconscious, tied, gagged, her keys taken. Then the four boys make their escape. Another boy, who had recently been operated on for appendicitis, pretended to make a fight to save Mrs. Lewis. But it is believed he was faking. Officers hurried to A Company quarters and found her where she had been thrown into a closet. After many hours she regained consciousness, but became hysterical, then unconscious again. Yesterday morning she was regarded as quite ill, and suffering with possibly a clot of blood on her brain.

The four boys were caught at 3:30 in the afternoon by Officers E.E. Hooker and Mr. Cain on the Borden Ranch, who brought them safely back to the school. It is said these two officers "influenced" these four boys to come right along, or "perhaps" it might have been unhealthy.

Superintendent Close is absent, but the whole community is pleased at the prompt and efficient action of Assistant Superintendent Morrin in handling these vicious young criminals, and also at the successful work of messengers Hooker and Cain."----Ione Valley Echo, Saturday Edition, October 29, 1921.


What Does This Have To Do With Anna Corbin?

So you may be asking that question, "What does this have to do with Anna Corbin?" Well, a lot actually. You see, from the time I started researching and reading about Anna's death, even before I wrote about it in my book, I kept hearing and reading accounts where people describe her being locked in a closet. Some people said she was locked in a pantry in the kitchen, some say a small closet under a stairwell in the basement is where Anna was found.

Historical evidence disproves all of that. The persons who found Anna, found her in a larger room (the storage room) which adjoined a supply room which was in the basement. The newspapers quoted the eye witness account of Robert Hall (the ward who found Anna's body with housekeeper Lillian McDowall) which even specifically stated the room as being 16 x 35 in size. Now does that sound like the little closet to you? After speaking to historian, John Lafferty, and comparing our research notes, we both agreed that the room Anna was found in was the room with the disinfecting pool, in the basement. At the time of Anna's death, the pool had been boarded over and was being used as a store room.

So where did the "Closet" idea come from? Well, that is where I believe the story of Bessie Lewis* comes into play. Perhaps over the years the story of Mrs. Lewis' brutal attack and that of Anna Corbin's has been unintentionally fused with one another. The details of Mrs. Lewis being beaten, tied up, gagged and locked in a closet may have been confused with similar details of Anna Corbin being attacked, bludgeoned, strangled and locked in the store room in the basement. I think it didn't help  matters that a few newspapers reported Anna was found in a locked closet when the story first broke in the headlines, further confusing people. As time went on though, and witness accounts were actually quoted, it showed that Anna was found in the storage room covered by a rug or carpet.

The story of Bessie Lewis doesn't state whether she was in the basement or not, although it speaks of her head being pounded into the concrete, so she must have been in some area that would have concrete floors and the basement does have that. I am not certain which area Company A quarters was located at by the 1920's, whether it was the Administration building or another house on the property. I do know that when the school opened in 1895 Company A's quarters were in the basement, but over the years things did get changed around a bit, (example: the plunge bath room was later boarded over and used as a store room by the 1950s) so we may never know exactly where Bessie was attacked. However, I am fully convinced that certain aspects of Bessie Lewis' story has become a misinformed attachment to Anna's story, which is very sad for both of these women.

What Happened To Bessie?

I have searched the Census records for Amador, Sacramento, San Joaquin and Calaveras Counties for 1920 (one year prior to the accident) and could not locate a Bessie Lewis or Elizabeth (since Bessie is usually short for Elizabeth). I searched the archived microfilms of both the Ione Valley Echo and the Amador Ledger to no avail, there was never another mention of Mrs. Lewis or what happened after her brutal attack. I checked the obituaries from late October up to the end of the year in 1921, and still, no information on Mrs. Lewis.  Being that there were no more headlines or articles mentioning the outcome of such a brutal attack, one can only assume that she recovered from her injuries. It is also possible that she moved away from the area, perhaps to stay with relatives in another area, so we don't know what happened to her after that.

A Sad Thing

In conclusion, I want to remind all who read this that both Bessie Lewis and Anna Corbin were just like you and I. They were people who had feelings, hopes, dreams and fears. They had loved ones and family. I believe that it is not only a dishonor to Anna's memory by others continuing to tell her story incorrectly, but it is also dishonor to the memory of Mrs. Lewis by her story being completely forgotten for nearly 92 years.

I will keep diligently searching for answers in regards to what happened to Mrs. Lewis and where her life ended up down the line. I think we owe her that much. In the end I hope that whomever reads my blogs or my books sees that this is my passion, to uncover the truth. To set the facts straight and speak for those people who can no longer speak for themselves.  I do my best and hope that others who appreciate history and truth, will also appreciate the work I do.


(Copyright September 21, 2013- J'aime Rubio)
Also published in the book, "If These Walls Could Talk: More Preston Castle History," by J'aime Rubio, 2017.

Thank you to Becky at the Amador County Library for all your help!

Sources:
Amador County Library
Ione Valley Echo, 10/29/1921
Stockton Record, 2/24/1950
State Archives
Behind The Walls: A Historical Exposé of The Preston School of Industry, J'aime Rubio
Preston School of Industry A Centennial History, John Lafferty.

* Footnote: John Lafferty's book, Preston School of Industry a Centennial History, briefly mentions this incident and also mentions her name as Bessie Lewis.

Corinne Elliot Lawton- What Really Happened To Her?

Photo Credit: Historic Cemeteries- Mary Homick © 2011

What Urban Legends Imply

In 1877, a young lady by the name of Corinne Elliot Lawton tragically died after throwing herself into a river just miles from her home. The story circulated in sewing circles and afternoon tea conversations, claimed that the young lady was so depressed that she could not marry the man that she loved, that she was being forced to marry another man, and between both circumstances she chose to end her life in such a tragic way.  

So did this happen, or what? I am trying my best to address this. You see, I was scrolling along on Facebook and I noticed on a lovely page called “Historic Cemeteries”, (which by the way, has awesome photographs of cemeteries!) and I came across an album of photographs from Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. One photograph in particular stood out to me. This lovely headstone to a young lady named Corinne Elliot Lawton.


On the actual headstone it marks her date of death as being January 24, 1877 and her epitaph reads: “Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way.” The statue that appears to be of Corinne’s physical likeness, was brought in from Palermo, Cicily. It had been created by renowned 19th Century artist and sculptor, Benedetto Civiletti at her father, Alexander Lawton’s request.

Civiletti's design of monument (P-415/11)
Wilson Library-UNC

What Other Sites Claim


Many websites state very detailed and over-the-top stories of this young lady being in love with a man who was of a simpler means (lower-class), and that her parents would not approve of their relationship. They also state that an arranged marriage was made by her father, Alexander Robert Lawton. He was a widely known Brigadier General in the Confederate Army, a Lawyer, Politician and Diplomat. I can understand how easy it would be for most people searching for answers, and finding all these websites that claim the same thing, to just assume that their facts are correct and continue to tell the same story again and again. Sadly, this is what happens when facts get mixed up with rumors and suddenly a hundred or so years later it is seemingly impossible to tell fact from fiction. Or is it?

Click here to read my blog that explains Corinne's real love story! 


Who Was Corinne Elliott Lawton?

Corinne Elliot Lawton was born September 21, 1846 to her parents Alexander Robert Lawton and Sarah Hillhouse Alexander. She was the oldest daughter of this highly prestigious family in Georgia. From recorded letters and documents in historical record, it shows that her friends and acquaintances thought of her in a very flattering light. One letter from a friend of the family stated that he believed Corinne to have "elegant culture" and "surprising intelligence." In every mention of Corinne, she is  spoken of very highly as a "spiritual" young lady, with very good Christian values and having plans for her future.


What Really Happened?

Corinne Elliot Lawton (P-415/4)
 Wilson Library- UNC

Historian, Ruth Rawls discovered a most amazing entry in Sarah’s diary and transcribed it on her blog which gives a more detailed look into the thoughts of Corinne’s mother and what was going on at the time. She also goes in depth into locating letters from a friend of the Lawton’s who sent words of sympathy in the passing of Corinne, even going so far as to mention her sickness and that she was a “sweet, noble and Christian girl,” and that Sarah had the hope of seeing her daughter again (thus there was no implication of a suicide.)  Click here to read the letter!

In both the diaries and letters, there is never any mention of Corinne being depressed or distraught, and certainly no mention of any uprising within the family or suicide. On the contrary, it shows the loving and rather close-knit family the Lawton’s actually were.  This helps disprove another rumor that has been widespread online. Many people go so far as to state that her family thought she was “cursed” for taking her own life. Thus the statue of Jesus in their family plot of the cemetery is facing her back, showing she turned her back on her salvation.

The statue of Jesus wasn’t even put in the cemetery until after Corinne’s parents had died. Plus, Corinne hadn’t been buried at Bonaventure cemetery originally. First she was interred at the Laurel Grove Cemetery and years later re-interred at Bonaventure. That could explain why her grave was placed outside of the family plot and the direction it is facing. Perhaps they had run out of spaces.


I do not believe for one second that her family shunned her in death, nor do I think that they believed that she was condemned from receiving her chance at everlasting life. No, I do not believe she took her own life, and the words of her mother speak volumes in comparison to the typed opinions of various bloggers with no facts backing their stories up.  

Lawton Girls
(P-415/9) Wilson Library UNC

Bottom line is that during the weeks leading up to Corrine’s death, she had been ill. Her mother claimed that for 10 days Corinne had been sick with a cold. Other members of the household grew ill, and even notations in the diary mention Sarah's own recollection of suffering sickness the previous Summer, gave mention of a very bad illness.  It seems to me that perhaps the Yellow Fever epidemic that had claimed its toll on many in that area just months prior, hadn’t fully died down. If the weather was continuously raining as she states in her diary, and she mentions the warm temperatures that would make sense about the mosquito theory that Ruth Rawls mentions. The fact that more than one person in the house was ill tells me that something was going around, whether it was Yellow Fever or not, it was obviously bad. Another visitor to the home died only a few weeks after Corinne.

When I read that Corinne had been ill with the cold and then later seemed to be a little better only with slight fever, I started wondering if maybe she had got a slight bronchitis or pneumonia. The only reason I mention this is because two years ago around late December, I had been ill with a cold. I thought I had recovered, but slowly I grew more tired. I didn’t have a fever and if I did, it was slight. I suffered from a sore throat though, so I decided to see the doctor. They told me, to my surprise, that they wanted me to get a chest X-ray, so I agreed. It turned out that I had “walking pneumonia” and had no idea. Within days though, I took a turn for the worse and nearly died.  I was so ill that I had to move in with my mother for weeks. She cared for me and slept by my side, often wondering if I would stop breathing in my sleep. Thankfully, I recovered.

When I read Corinne’s mother’s words, I thought of my own experience and wondered if maybe Corinne’s cold had turned into something far worse, thus the reason her mother stopped writing about Corrine’s illness and referring it to the “days of darkness.”  Perhaps Corinne took a turn for the worse, just as I had. When I was ill, I had antibiotics and still I almost died. I can imagine if I had been sick while living during that time period of 1877, I would have been a ‘goner’ for sure.

Again, it is quite possible given the recorded amount of deaths caused by the Yellow Fever in the state just months prior and the fact that Wallace Cummings died shortly thereafter, that both their deaths may have been caused by that very same Yellow Fever epidemic, so we may never know for sure which illness caused her death. But we do know that illness took her life, not suicide.

Corinne's mother, Sarah even wrote in her diary the moment her daughter took her last breath, at 7:40 a.m. on January 24, 1877. Had Corinne drowned herself as the urban legends tell, then how on earth would her mother know the last moment of her daughter’s life?  Recorded in a preserved letter from a friend of the Lawton family, Mr. Stuart Robinson mentions having had read the The Savannah Morning News (January 25, 1877) which posted her short obituary, where it states that Corinne had died after a "short illness."


In Conclusion

I think that with the tales of “romantic tragedies” or “star crossed lovers” that cannot be, that people become so fascinated with it that it becomes larger than life. The tales and rumors then spread for over 100 years making it hard to decipher between the factual part and the fictional parts.  The rumors of  a young, beautiful southern bride-to-be who jumps to her death into a raging river, to escape an eminent and miserable marriage proved to be just that, a rumor! There are no historical facts backing these over embellished tales.

Corinne's monument (P-415/10)
Wilson Library UNC

In the end, we should all be happy that this young lady did not take her own life. We should be glad that she was not mistreated by her family, nor was she forced to live an unhappy life with a man she didn’t love. If that was the case, she would have been married off by her family at a younger age. No, certainly her parents loved Corinne so deeply that they never shunned her in life, nor in death and even erected a statue made by one of the most sought after Sicilian sculptor's of the 19th Century which I am sure cost a small fortune, and placed it at her grave to honor her memory. Thus, showing the love and respect they had for their daughter. In fact, genealogy records prove that Corinne’s niece was named after her, showing how much the family adored her.

Her death was tragic and very sad, because of the fact that she died so young. It was even more tragic due to the fact it was caused by an illness she could not recover from. But, we should take heart in the fact that she died in bed, surrounded by her mother, her father and her loving family, instead of dying all alone in a dark watery grave at the bottom of the river as others have claimed she did. Corinne’s story is one that should be told over and over again, but told correctly. We should honor her memory by stating the true facts and by remembering her for the good person she was. We should also take delight in the fact that she and her immediate loved ones are all together now, resting in peace.

 Rest In Peace, Corinne. You are not forgotten!

Photo Credit: Historic Cemeteries - Mary Homick © 2011

To read more about Corinne's life and death, including never before seen photos and newly discovered information, purchase your copy of:  "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered."  

(Original Copyright 9/11/2013, by J'aime Rubio)
Also published in the book, "Stories of the Forgotten: Infamous, Famous & Unremembered," by J'aime Rubio, 2016. 


To learn more about Corinne Elliot Lawton, please check out Ruth Rawl's blog. She is certainly dedicated to keeping the correct version of Corinne's life and death alive and available to set the record straight once and for all. Thank you Ruth, for your dedication to find the truth. You are a fellow truth seeker!


PHOTO CREDITS:

All historical photos were provided to me by Alexander Robert Lawton Papers, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Digital Southern Historical Collection: Series 6- circa 1860-1889
P-415/4, P-415/9, P-415/10, P-415/11
Thank you to Laura Clark Brown
Coordinator , Digital Southern Historical Collection

Cemetery Photos provided to me by Historic Cemeteries - Mary Homick © 2011

Thank you to Mary Homick @ Historic Cemeteries for allowing me to use her photos of Corinne's grave at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. To see more of Mary's absolutely amazing photography please check her out on facebook.

Yellow Fever Epidemic (1876) Savannah Georgia-  Information  -kristinekstevens.com

Sarah Lawton's diary is available at the Georgia Historical Society at: 501 Whitaker St  Savannah, GA

The Alexander Lawton Papers,  as well as many other documents regarding the Lawton family can also be obtained by Chapel Hill's Wilson Library (University of North Carolina).

The Gangster Squad: Who Were They? And Was The Movie Truly Accurate?

Gangster Squad (John O'Mara on bottom row/1st on left)

The film “Gangster Squad” came out recently, and being the 1940’s lover that I am, I went to see it. I have got to say, the director and producer did a great job giving the film that true Hollywoodland feel to the film. From the cars, the streets, the buildings with the old signs, the clothes, the actors demeanor and etiquette to the very music being played on screen—it was all on point!

However, upon leaving the theatre, never having heard of this “Gangster Squad” or the intricate details of Mickey Cohen’s reign of terror (or end of his reign), it left me asking questions. Since I just happen to be an investigative writer, who happens to love history, I took it upon myself to look into this story and found so many discrepancies.

Jack Whalen aka Jack O'Hara

Yes, Hollywood has to make movies to entertain, but to me it’s a sell out when you dilute or corrupt true events in history to make it more appealing to the viewer. If you do your research you will see that the events that take place in the movie either didn’t take place, or took place at a different time and in a different way.  Remember, this movie is said to take place in 1949. The entire movie is set for that one particular year, because John J. O’Mara’s wife is pregnant and towards the end of the movie she has her baby. So going by that timeline, most of the story in the movie is historically inaccurate based on the limited time frame of the movie.

Take for instance, the part of the movie where Mickey Cohen’s muscle Karl Lennox swarms into mafia boss Jack Dragna’s residence and murders him and his wife on the floor, that didn’t happen. The history of Dragna’s death does not even come close to the portrayal in the film.  In fact, Dragna died from a heart attack in his Los Angeles home on February 23, 1956.

Rondelli's on Ventura Blvd.

Another discrepancy was Jack Whalen’s death. In the movie you see Jerry Wooters’ love interest (played by Emma Stone) who is hiding from Mickey Cohen at Jack Whalen’s home, waiting to get out of town. In the movie, Cohen and two of his thugs show up at Whalen’s home and a fight ensues. Of course, Whalen takes down the two thugs and offers Cohen a shot at boxing one last time. Remember, Whalen was known for saying he was called "The Enforcer" because he was "so tough he didn't need a gun."  As the scene plays out, Cohen laughs and says “My boxing days are over,” while pulling out his pistol and shooting Whalen in the gut. He then throws him in the pool and shoots him two more times.

This is not how Jack Whalen died in real history. In fact, Whalen didn’t die for another 10 years! He met his end at Rondelli’s in Sherman Oaks (13359 Ventura Blvd.) when Cohen and some of his associates: Sam Frank LoCigno, George Piscitelle, Roger Leonard and Joe de Carlo, among others were present as a Whalen took a bullet in between the eyes.  Of course, although Cohen and his thugs were charged for the murder they were later acquitted.

As far as the actual Gangster Squad:

John J. O’Mara was a real person, and yes he headed the gangster squad, but it was even admitted by the writer of the screenplay that the many exciting shootouts in the movie didn’t actually take place in real life. Lieberman did admit that O’Mara did sleep with a Tommy Gun under his bed, though.

Jerry Wooters

As far as the rest of the squad- Jerry Wooters was married, so the idea he was sleeping with Cohen’s “etiquette teacher” is absurd. It was also said that according to Wooters’ military file, he was shot down over the ocean during WWII and he did float along on a raft until being rescued….how much of that is a fact we may never know for sure being that most military files are confidential and I find it highly unlikely that a journalist just happened to get the military to make an exception to open his file just for him. Maybe that story is true, maybe it isn’t, but I am not going to argue on that.

Conway Keeler, the member of the gangster squad who was the wire tapping genius, didn’t get murdered in his home as the movie portrays. In fact, he may be still alive, since I read he was interviewed by the screenwriter Paul Lieberman when he was researching to write the story. 

I tried to look into old newspaper archives to see what I could dig up on Max Kennard, the iconic Texan who joins the gangster squad and came up on nothing. I was actually disappointed about that, being he was my favorite character in the movie. The other two characters, Officer Ramirez and Officer Harris seem to be added characters to the cast that probably didn’t exist as I cannot find any information on them as well. 

The Shootout at the Park Plaza Hotel

In the near final scenes of the movie, O’Mara attempts to serve an arrest warrant for the murder of Jack Whalen (which in fact doesn’t happen until 1959) at the Park Plaza Hotel. The gangster squad and Cohen’s thugs shoot it out on the street in front of the hotel and in the lobby of the building. 

Mickey Cohen

I have looked into this, and cannot find any proof that this happened. In fact, there was mention of a shoot out at the Hotel Roosevelt in 1947 after Bugsy Siegel’s murder. It was said that Cohen showed up at the lobby of the hotel and demanded that Siegel’s assassins come down and face him. He allegedly fired many rounds into the lobby, however no one came down to face him. 

In the movie, the scene at the Park Plaza hotel is supposedly set in 1949. It’s obvious that if O’Mara had served a warrant, it wasn’t for the homicide of Jack Whalen, being that Whalen didn’t die for another 10 years. I know that Cohen was arrested in August 1949 for “disturbing the peace” in Los Angeles where he paid the $100 bail out of his own pocket to be released, but there is no mention of him shooting or causing a ruckus during his capture. Cohen was arrested again in Chicago at the Ambassador Hotel in August of 1950, alongside Johnny Stompanato aka “Johnny Stomp,” and later arrested and sent to prison for a short four years after being convicted for tax evasion through the Kefauver Commission U.S. Senate Committee that indicted him.

Once Cohen was released he became a celebrity and owned many “legitimate” businesses in the L.A. area. Unfortunately, Cohen couldn’t seem to keep his hands clean and when Jack Whalen died, he was thrust into the spotlight again as a notorious criminal. Although he was acquitted on murder charges, he later faced more tax evasion charges and was convicted on those charges in 1961, when he eventually was sent to Alcatraz. It was then that another inmate attempted to end Cohen’s life with a lead pipe to the head. Cohen survived the attack. 

Cohen arrested for the murder of Whalen

So you see, the movie was great as far as giving you that total 1940’s Film Noir feel. However, accuracy-wise it was lacking. If you are going to make a film about TRUE EVENTS, why not tell the truth? Isn’t it owed to your audience to teach them the real story, and not fill their minds with misleading information? I don’t know, I just don’t get it. I am a truth seeker and I research my stories and tell the history of whatever I find, regardless of whether it is “entertaining” or not. Sometimes I find out information about someone or something that is hard for me to believe or changes how I look at them. Perhaps, I find something that is disturbing about someone I have looked up to, however, it doesn’t mean that just because I don’t want to hear it, that it didn’t happen.  With the same token, we cannot fill our minds with fictionalized or romanticized tales of  history and think we can also preserve the past accurately. You can’t “have your cake and eat it, too.”  Either tell the story right, or don’t tell it at all.

--(Copyright, Originally Published 1/14/2013- J'aime Rubio.
Republished 3/28/2018 - www.jaimerubiowriter.com

Cemetery Secrets- Headstone and Grave Symbolism Revealed

Woman in Mourning

Have you ever walked around a cemetery and wondered what certain symbols or statues meant? I have been obsessed with cemeteries for quite some time and I frequent them quite often. During my times at certain cemeteries, I grew more and more fascinated with finding out the meanings for some of the beautiful and elaborate statues and stone designs on crypts and headstones.

This blog will touch on certain meanings of symbols one might find strolling along in a cemetery. I will also address more in depth meanings of statues that one may just overlook or assume is "art" for the the graves of those who have passed on.

 The Woman In Mourning-

In the first photo to the right (top photo), you see a woman looking downwards as if in mourning. She is holding a palm branch and is kneeling down just a bit. There is a large pot next to her that contains a plant. Well, at the time of this person's burial, they would have planted a century plant in it. A century plant (also known as an agave plant) symbolized immortality or everlasting life. Now sometimes you will find a live plant, while others might incorporate a statue of a century plant instead. The woman in the photo stands for sorrow, grief and mourning. While the palm branches she is holding stands for victory over death. Many times the woman may also have a fern branch in her hand, which then would mean sincerity and humility. In some cemeteries the woman is portrayed as a weeping woman, even crying and praying while looking upwards towards the heavens.

 The Angel-

A common statue one might find in a cemetery would be one depicting an angel. Many times the angel is female with her long flowing tresses and feathered wings. In this photo to the left, this angel is shown sad, sitting atop the family crypt protecting it while holding garland.  Angels in cemeteries symbolize protectors and people also thought of them as guides to heaven. The garland stood for ones victory over death.






 Lambs, Cherubs or Sleeping Children

A lamb atop a headstone

 One of the sadder symbols were the ones representing the death of a child. When you are at a cemetery many times you wish to imagine that these people lived long, happy lives before they died at an old ripe age, but sadly that isn't so. In fact, most of the graves you will find in an old cemetery will be of someone who died before the age of 18. In fact, it was so common for children to die that many times you will find several headstones pre-dating their parents deaths surrounding a family plot.

A child sleeping depicted the death of a small child

When a child died, their headstones usually depicted the age (down to months and days) of the child and usually had some sort of symbolism, whether it be a lamb, cherub, sleeping child or even just a carving of flowers (usually Daisies) on top or within the headstone itself. A carving of Daisies on one's headstone represented innocence, hence the reason they used them on many children's graves. Another symbol of the death of a child was the carving of two small empty shoes.

The Lady

 
The Lady (and her many symbols)-

In some historic cemeteries you will find statues of women and sometimes even men. In some cases the statues will depict the likeness of the deceased, while others use a standard statue with meaning behind it. Take this photo to your right as an example. The woman is atop an elaborate headstone. The woman has her hand raised towards the sky, with a closed fist. This symbolized strength and solidarity.

Another Lady

In the next photo just to the left, you will see a lady with her right hand over her heart and her left hand holding an anchor. The right hand over the heart meaning love of God and loyalty. While the anchor has two meanings, hope and eternal life. Many masons or sailors incorporated an anchor on their elaborate headstones. For masons, the anchor symbolized well-grounded hope.  Sometimes you might find a lady holding a cross, which stands for faith, while other times you might find a woman clinging to a cross which could mean that the family who buried them believed his or her "soul" was lost in sin, therefore the only hope for their "soul" was was through Christ.

 Masonic Symbols

Nearly every cemetery you go to you will find a masonic symbol, whether you recognize it or not. Here are just a few examples of masonic symbols:

symbol of Freemasonry

The masonic square and compass as seen in the photo to the right is the most common of all masonic symbols one could find in a cemetery. This particular photo comes from a grave of someone who died in the mid 1800s. Pyramids and the 'All Seeing Eye' (sometimes there is a sunburst coming from it) both depicted standard masonic symbolism. Anchors meant well grounded hope, a hand holding a heart meant charity (also used by IOOF), beehives meant faith, education, human industry and domestic virtues (also used by IOOF). A double-headed eagle and even a crown with a cross all have Freemason origins as well.

Masonic symbol

Another symbol of freemasonry is that of two hands shaking. This symbolizes the departing of ones life from its earthly existence. Basically, its allowing the departed to say his farewell to the living.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)

Headstone of IOOF member

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, also known as "The Three Link Fraternity", referring to the Order's "Triple Links" logo - three links contain the letters F, L and T, (Friendship, Love and Truth) derived from the British Odd fellows service organizations of the 17th century. Many masons are also odd fellows, or vice versa.

Friendship, Love & Truth (IOOF)

Urns symbolized the Soul

A pillar with an urn on it stood for remembering the soul. While an urn with a shroud placed upon it stood for mourning the soul.

 

A skull or skull and cross bones symbolized mortality and death. Other depictions of mortality and death were scythes and the grim reaper which meant the reaping of life, or death personified.

Hands

More cemetery symbols include the use of hands on headstones. An upward pointing hand stood for pointing up to heaven. While a downward pointing hand depicted God's hand descending down to earth. Hands reaching upwards towards another hand stood for God greeting the deceased. Hands praying stood for devotion, while hands writing stood for God writing that individual into the "Book of Life" as depicted in the Bible.

In my next blog I will touch on some more graveyard symbolism!

 J'aime Rubio (Copyright 5/15/2013)
Republished 3/28/2018 www.jaimerubiowriter.com
----
Photos were taken by J'aime Rubio
at Historic Jackson Pioneer Cemetery, Jackson CA
Historic Sacramento City Cemetery, Sacramento CA
Historic Stockton Rural Cemetery, Stockton CA
Copyright (2012-2013)