Suspicious Death of Martha Mansfield

 

Martha Mansfield was determined to become an actress at the age of 14. Her first role would happen in a play of Little Women in 1912. She would act, sing and dance in some plays, and model in photographs before being signed by Essanay Studios.

On November 29, 1923, 24-year-old Martha was working at a location in San Antonio, Texas. She was playing the role of Agatha Warren in the movie The Warrens of Virginia. Because it was based in the Civil War she was wearing a costume based on the time. Which was of hoop skirts and flimsy ruffles. 

After filming was done Martha went to her car where her chauffeur was waiting. Her skirt would burst into flames. Those around tried to save her. The chauffeur tried to take her clothes off and the leading man Wilfred Lytell threw his heavy overcoat onto her. 

Both Martha and the Chaufer were burned. Martha's body was severely burned, but her face was not because of Wilfred's jacket. The Chaufer's hands were badly burned. They would be taken to the hospital. However the following day Martha would die. It was from burns of all extremities, general toxemia, and suppression of urine. 

It's unknown what exactly happened. It was known that a match was the culprit of the fire, but it was unknown who had done it. Some witnesses stated that they saw the match go through the window. Others theorized that Martha was trying to smoke and accidentally dropped the match. However, her mother stated that she didn't smoke and that it in fact made it uncomfortable. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Muskogee Daily Pheonix  and Times-Democrat November 30, 1923

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News November 30, 1923

Pensacola News Journal December 1, 1923

News 4 San Antonio Nevember 30, 2020

December 29, 1923 London, England Jane Doe

 On December 29, 1923, a woman's body was found in the Chelsea Basin area in the Thames River in England. It was not stated what they thought the cause of death was or if they thought it was foul play. It was not known who she was and police took her fingerprints in hopes of helping identify her with them. This was a first, but however never gave fruit to her identity.

She would be misidentified by a man who had not seen his wife for 2 years. By the end of the month, a family member would tell him that they actually spoke to her recently and could not be Jane Doe.

It was found that the woman had the habit of staying at a common lodging house in Walham Green. The manager of the house however did not know the woman's name.

She was a woman around 45 to 50-years-old. She was well dressed and had a bag with when she was found. Inside the bag was a handkerchief with an M on it, a photo of a man cut out from a larger photo, She had two £1 notes, eight 10s. notes, and 4s in silver and copper.

SOURCES:

Daily Herald January 5, 1924
The Kensington News and West London Times January 11, 1923
Chelsea News January 18, 1924
Chelsea News January 25, 1924

December 14, 1923 London, England Baby Boy Doe

On December 14, 1923, the newborn body of a baby boy was found in the Regents Canal near Grove Road, Marylebone district in London, England. A man on the towpath next to the canal found the body in the canal. He was wrapped up in a piece of calico cloth. It's believed that the baby died from inattention at birth and was in the canal for around 17 days. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

December 11, 1923 Sheffield, England Baby Boy Doe

On December 11, 1923, the body of a newborn baby boy was found dead in the Endcliff Park boating dam in Sheffield, England.  He had been burned about the head and arms before he was placed in the water. It's not stated what his cause of death was.

SOURCES:

 

Unsolved Murders

December 7, 1923 Sheffield, England Baby Jane Doe

On the morning of December 7, 1923, the body of a newborn girl was found at the Encliffe Park boating dam in Sheffield, England. There was evidence of animal activity on the body as she was missing her left leg under the knee, and left hand. She had been born alive but likely was asphyxiated. Her arms and head were shown to have been burned after death. She was then placed in the water.


SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Suspicious Death of Elsie Payne

 On December 7, 1923, 12-year-old Elsie Payne was out on an errand in Cardiff, Wales by one of her neighbors. Elsie was walking with a friend, 14-year-old Susie Phillips, but the two separated and Elsie proceeded down Iron St. Soon after at 8:40 pm Elsie would enter her aunt and uncle's shop on Clifton St. 

She was bleeding from the throat and said "A man asked me where Clifton Street was" before collapsing. By the time she was at the hospital she had lost too much blood and even though family members wanted to donate it was too late and she died before they could. 

There was a blood trail that led 103 years down the street across from some railings on the other side of the road in Iron St. off Clifton. Susie stated that she did not see anyone following them, and didn't notice anything when she left Elsie. 

It was stated that her injury likely was caused by a knife or piece of glass, but it was also possible that it was caused by falling on the railings or onto broken glass. The wound was up and forward. Another girl was injured similarly by slipping and landing on the railings on her chest. In several articles, it states there was no evidence of what had happened to her. 

It was believed however that she had been murdered as her last words mentioned of a man looking for directions. There seemed to be no evidence at the scene of the accident. 

One article claims that there were two witnesses of Elsie on Iron Street. One man, a painter, saw a man with his hand on a girl and ran away. This made the painter think the man had stolen something and chased after him, but lost him. The second witness stated that they saw a man and a girl and heard the girl screaming and running across the street thinking the man had hit her.

The family would receive a 3-page letter from a man claiming to kill the girl. He claimed he used a corkscrew, but evidence showed that she was not killed with one.

SOURCES:

Daily Mirror December 10, 1923

The Gloucestershire Echo December 11, 1923

The North Star December 21, 1923

Daily Mirror December 21, 1923

Evening Express December 31, 1923 

Lost Film: Innocence (1923)

Innocence is a U.S. silent film released on December 1, 1923. It was directed by Edward J. Le Saint and produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It is a 58-minute film and is now presumed to have been lost.

 
PLOT:

Actress Fay Leslie marries a wealthy socialite, Don Hampton, though his family is against it. They'll snobishly accept her for the time. Don is jealous of her fellow actor and friend Paul. Paul would then convicted of a robbery he did not commit. He escapes a work gang, and after fighting with a crew of a train he jumps from it while it's crossing a high trestle bridge. He would dive into the river below.

Fay would help Paul knowing he was innocent. This puts Don and Fays marriage on the rocks as his family is telling him that she is unfaithful. This will lead to Don filing for divorce as he believes it to be true. Fay will visit the attorney and theough her clever acting convices them that she is guiltless and the circumstacial shouldn't be credited. Afgter clearing her name Don and Fay recocil their marriage

CAST:
.
Anna Q. Nilsson as Fay Leslie
Freeman Wood as Don Hampton
Earle Foxe as Paul Atkins
Wilfred Lucas as Collingwood
William Scott as Publicity Agent
Marion Harlan as Chorus Girl
Lillian Langdon as Mrs. Hampton
Vera Lewis as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Jessie Arnold as Wedding Guest (uncredited)

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

All Movie

October 14,1923 Boistfort, Belgium Jane Doe

On October 14, 1923, an unknown woman was found shot dead in the Sonian Forest near Boistfort, Belgium. Due to the items on her person, it was likely she was a foreigner from France or Italy. There is little information on this case. It's not stated whether or not her murder was solved.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Wikimedia

September 6, 1923 Bellevue, Michigan Unknown Boy

On September 6, 1923, at 4:15 a.m. a young man who was also stealing a train ride found the body of another young man stealing a train ride. He made the discovery and stated that he remembered seeing him boarding in Lansing at the freight yards, but did not see him after that. He was further back on the train and had seen the body notifying the train staff. The Eaton County Sheriff and coroner were called to view the body of a young man near the train tracks in Bellevue, Michigan. 

It was believed that the boy was a hobo who had died when he fell from the top of the train car when the train lurched. The automatic airbrakes set and brought the train to a sudden stop throwing the boy to the ground causing his death instantly. He had a broken neck, crushed ribs, broken hip, and a fatal wound from a gun. It was not a bullet that killed him, a loaded .22 caliber in his pocket had been pushed 6 inches into his chest from the impact. 

He was a white male around 17-years-old. He was 5'6" and 125 to 135lbs. He had light brown or sandy hair and blue eyes. He had 2 scars between the fifth and sixth intercostal spaces, and these scars may have been left from drainage tubes that were inserted, and 2 marks on his right arm indicating vaccination. His hands were soft but looked like he worked in a machine shop or garage with grime under his nails. 

He was wearing common blue overalls, blue workshirt, jacket, shoes, socks, and brown textured cap. His clothes were dirty. His pockets had no wallet or money and only a few items. He had a Chicago subway token and bullets. 

It's possible that he had recently become a hobo as his body did not show the signs of living that type of lifesyle. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Find a Grave Newspaper Article

Bellevue Historical Society

Battle Creek Enquirer September 8, 1923

August 25, 1923 Raleigh, North Carolina John Doe

 On August 25, 1923, the body of a man was found in a wooded area in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was believed that he had been dead for around a month before he was found. His cause of death is either unknown or unstated. 

John Doe was a black male about 45-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

Lost Film: Law of the Lawless (1923)

The Law of the Lawless is an American silent film released by Paramount Pictures on July 22, 1923. The film was produced by Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky and directed by Victor Fleming. The film was 70 minutes long and is believed to be lost.

PLOT:

Tartar girl Sahande is auctioned off so that her father can pay off some debts. Her fiance Sender wanted to buy her but is outbid by Costa, a gypsy chief. Sahande is furious at the outcome and after their wedding night, the newlywed couple makes a deal. She has 10 days to love him or have Sender fight him for her. Sender turns out to be less than honest. He enlists a crowd of men to capture Costa. They lock Costa in a tower and it catches on fire. Sahande comes to the rescue and admits to Costa that he was a better man than Sender. The couple finally falls in love.

CAST:

Dorothy Dalton as Sahande
Charles de Rochefort as Costa (credited as Charles De Roche)
Theodore Kosloff as Sender
Tully Marshall as Ali Mechmet
Fred Huntley as Osman
Margaret Loomis as Fanutza
Frank Coghlan, Jr.
The German Shepherd "Beneva", later "Thunder the Dog" (uncredited)


SOURCES:
Wikipedia
IMDB
All Movie

June 23, 1923 Charleston, West Virginia John Doe

On June 23, 1923 a man died in Charleston, West Virginia. He was either found dead in or near the Kansas River. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

May 23, 1923 Walkley, England Baby Doe

 On May 23, 1923, a woman with a parcel would be seen loitering about Walkley Cemetary in Walkley a suburb of Sheffield, England. 30 minutes later a black bag was found by some children in the Cemetary. Inside the bag was the body of a newborn boy.

SOURCES:
Unsolved Murders

May 11, 1923 Southern Pines, North Carolina Stranger

 On May 11, 1923, a man was found shot to death near the corner of New Hampshire Ave and Leak St.in Southern Pines, North Carolina. He had been shot to death with a pistol either on the 10th or the 11th. There is little information in this case. I'm not sure if anyone was arrested for the murder only information is from the Find a Grave. 

John Doe is a black male. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Lost Film: The Purple Dawn

Bessie Love as Hulda in The Flying Torpedo (1916)

The Purple Dawn is a silent romantic film distributed by Aywon Film Corporation on May 10, 1923. 
The film was directed, produced, and written by Charles R. Seeling. The film was 5 reels long. At the time White actors were used to playing other races. This film is now considered lost.

PLOT:

In San Franciso's China Town Chinese American Mui Far falls in love with Bob, a young sailor. Bob gets involved with drug smuggling. When he is delivering a package of opium to Wong Chang, a tong leader, and Mui Far's Father. A rival gang would rob Bob of the goods which lead to his being beaten. Bob would flee to the country and falls in love with a white girl. He forgets all about Mui Far.

The original owners of the opium are furious. They believe that Bob was the one that stole the drugs. Wong Chang finds Bob and kidnaps both him and his new girl. He threatens Bob with death. Mui Far finds out that this had happened and goes to the police. She then reunites the couple and is heartbroken when she realized that their love was doomed from the beginning.

The ending of the movie is not clear as there are two separate claims to the endings. One with Mui Far giving up her love and committing suicide walking in the San Francisco Bay at Dawn. The other is that Mui Far almost does this, but instead doesn't and decides to Marry the man her father chose.

The original owners of the opium think that the sailor stole the opium, and kidnap him and his new sweetheart. Mui Far is heartbroken but rescues the sailor and his new sweetheart. She then commits suicide by walking into San Francisco Bay at dawn

CAST:

Bessie Love as Mui Far
Bert Sprotte as "Red" Carson, the sea captain and dope smuggler
Edward Peil, Sr. as Wong Chong, the Tong leader
William E. Aldrich as Bob, the hero
James B. Leong as Quan Foo
William Horne as Mr. Ketchell
Priscilla Bonner as Ruth Ketchell, Bob's sweetheart

SOURCES:
Wikipedia

IMDB

AFI Catalog

All Movie

Turner Classic Movies

Lost Film: Alice Adams (1923)

Alice Adams is a U.S. silent film drama directed by Rowland V. Lee and produced by King Vidor. It was released on April 8, 1923, and Distributed by Associated Exhibitors. It's based on the novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington. This film is considered lost.


PLOT:

Alice Adams is not satisfied with her family's financial situation. She makes up a personality and tries to convince others that she comes from a wealthy family. She tries to impress and make a wealthy young man, Arthur Russell, fall for her. Unsatisfied with whom she became in the end she goes to work and helps her father's failing business.


CAST:

• Florence Vidor as Alice Adams
• Claude Gillingwater as Virgil Adams
• Harold Goodwin as Walter Adorns
• Margaret McWade as Mrs. Adams
• Tom Ricketts as J. A. Lamb
• Margaret Landis as Henrietta Lamb
• Gertrude Astor as Mildred Palmer
• Vernon Steele as Arthur Russell

SOURCES:

Wikipedia (film)

Wikipedia (book)

IMDB

All Movie

Lost Film: The White Flower (1923)

 On March 4, 1923 the film The White Flower was released by Paramount Pictures. It was an American silent romantic drama. The film was 6 reels. The film was set in Hawaii and filmed in Honolulu at this time Hawaii was not a state. This was the last picture directed by Julia Crawford Ivers and the film was considered to end on a good note due to this film. She would though continue to write screenplays until her death in 1930.  This film is now considered lost. 

PLOT:

Konia Markham is the daughter of an American father and a Hawaiian mother. She and her father, John, live on the islands. A sorceress would tell her that the person to present a perfect white flower would be her true love. At a banquet, Bob Rutherford, a man visiting the island, offers her a gardenia. She would soon fall in love with him and reject a native priest, David Panuahi. Konia soon finds out that Bob has a fiance, Ethel. Due to jealousy, David would convince Konia to put a death curse on her love rival. Konia soon regrets this and repents her wrongdoings and halts the proceedings. Filled with guilt she prepares to throw herself into the volcano. However, Bob stops her as he loves her and declares his love. Ethel admitting Bob loves Konia willingly gives him up.

CAST:

Betty Compson as Konia Markham
Edmund Lowe as Bob Rutherford
Edward Martindel as John Markham
Arline Pretty as Ethel Granville
Sylvia Ashton as Mrs. Gregory Bolton
Arthur Hoyt as Gregory Bolton
Leon Barry as David Panuahi
Lily Philips as Bernice Martin
Reginald Carter as Edward Graeme
Maui Kaito as Kahuna

SOURCES:
Wikipedia
Silent Era
All Movie
IMDB

Coming Attraction Lantern Slides

March 2, 1923 Tempe, Arizona John Doe

On March 2, 1923, a man was found in the bed of the Salt River in Tempe, Arizona. It's believed that he had died of exposure or old age. He had died within hours of discovery.

He was a white male around 65-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

January 23, 1923 Yuma, Arizona John Doe

 Around 6 pm on Jan. 23, 1923 a man was struck by Train No. 102 in Yuma, Arizona. He was buried at the Yuma Pioneer Cemetary. 

He was a white male around 60-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

January 17, 1923, Blyth, England John Doe

On January 17, 1923, a police inspector was at Amble Sands in Blyth, England. They had spotted a human bone protruding from the sands. The skeleton was believed to belong to a man and the skull had no marks of violence. It's possible that the body may have been there for up to 60 years and he may have been a crewmate on a shipwreck that had happened 60 years before. 

John Doe was believed to have been a male between 30-40 years of age.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK