The Mystery that is Edna Farnsworth

There are three versions of how a woman known as Edna Farnsworth came to live in Victoria. The earliest known record appeared on July 26, 1888, in the San Francisco Examiner. The article, “A Scarlet Bride,” introduced San Francisco resident George Farnsworth as “a young man, apparently 28 years of age, possessed of good looks, and with a dignified manner and of good repute.” It also noted that George was in financial difficulty and had devised a plan to defraud his wealthy brother. He put the scheme into effect soon after becoming acquainted with Ada Winants, who was described as “a woman of ill repute.” Aware of his plan, Ada agreed to participate. The paper reported that both parties were sober when they went to the notary. A legal marriage contract was drawn up and signed at the home of the notary, Lee D. Craig, at 11 p.m. on July 19, 1888. Thereafter, Ada took the name Edna Farnsworth. George’s plan was to ransom his family name and reputation by promising his brother that he would divorce his new bride for a sum of money. George assured Edna that he would use the money to take her to another city, where they could begin a life together as husband and wife.

Following the civil marriage, George moved in with Edna. After about a week, however, Edna changed her mind and refused to grant George a divorce. To avoid her, George left San Francisco for points north. When Edna discovered where he had gone, she followed him first to Seattle and then to Victoria. She was never able to convince George to fulfill his marital obligations. George returned to the United States, while Edna remained in Victoria.

The second version was also published in the San Francisco Examiner. Just over a year later, on June 25, 1889, an entirely different story emerged. An article titled “Edna Bruton’s Death” portrayed Edna as the temptress who, after knowing George Farnsworth only briefly, “set to work to make him drunk while she remained sober.” While he was in a state of complete drunkenness, Edna convinced George to legally marry her. Late that night, she took him to the home of notary Lee D. Craig so that a legal marriage could take place. After the ceremony, Edna took Farnsworth as her last name. George moved in with her. After about a week, he tried to obtain a legal divorce, but Edna refused. George went north, with Edna close behind.

A third version appeared in both the San Francisco Chronicle and the Tacoma Daily Ledger. These accounts reported that Edna left a boarding school in California to elope with George to Victoria. Once in Victoria, George “deserted her.” The San Francisco Chronicle claimed that, after being abandoned, Edna “drifted into the life she had been leading.”

Della Wentworth was an important figure in Edna’s life, although most newspaper accounts made no mention of their relationship. Linda Eversole described Della, also known as Dollie Wentworth, in her book Victoria Unbuttoned as an “inmate” at a brothel run by Marie Gordon in Springfield, Illinois, before Della was recruited to work in San Francisco. Edna joined Della while Della was living at a saloon/brothel at 108 Geary Street in San Francisco. The Oregonian described Della as “one of the demi-monde, who claims to be the dead girl’s half-sister.” The Vancouver Daily World recorded Dollie as Edna’s sister.

The various newspapers generally agree on many of the events of June 23, 1889. The story that emerged was that Edna had reconnected with Della, who was then the madam of a brothel at #14 Broughton Street. On Sunday, June 23, 1889, Edna had been entertaining John Croft. Around 4 a.m., the couple and several women from the establishment were having a meal. John announced that he intended to leave, but Edna protested. Unable to persuade him to stay, Edna said she would go with him. Most reports agree that John left by the back door while Edna went to her room. A shot was heard. John claimed that he was on Broughton Street with Thomas Hatton, his hackman, when the shot rang out. The men immediately rushed to the front door, where they were met by a woman from the establishment who said that Edna had shot herself.

The men ran into Edna’s bedroom and found her lying face up on a rug on the floor, her feet toward the window and a gun near them. Although Edna was bleeding from her right temple, she was still alive. John ordered Thomas to fetch Dr. Milne. When the doctor arrived, Edna was moved to her bed at John’s suggestion. She died about 15 minutes later. While Dr. Milne telephoned the police, John and Thomas went to get Dr. J.D. Helmcken, who confirmed that the bullet wound had been fatal.

A coroner’s inquest was held the next day. Both doctors, John, Thomas, the police officer, Della, and two of the women who lived at #14 Broughton Street testified. According to the Victoria Daily Colonist, “…after a few moments’ consideration of the evidence offered, the foreman of the jury announced as their verdict: ‘the deceased came to her death by her own hand, by shooting herself with a revolver.’”

Speculation about the motivation for Edna’s death included temporary insanity, jealousy, consumption, and despair over not being able to become a “respectable” woman.

Edna’s funeral took place on June 25, 1889. Rev. J.E. Starr, a Methodist minister, conducted services both at #14 Broughton Street and at Ross Bay Cemetery. According to the Victoria Daily Times, the room was filled with “an unusual number of beautiful and costly floral offerings,” and the coffin was made of polished oak with silver mountings. The service at #14 Broughton Street began at 11 a.m., attended by two Christian ladies, two or three men, and the women of the establishment. Rev. Starr read two short passages of Scripture, recited a few prayers, and gave a short address in which he asked, “in the face of these divine words, how shall we condemn this dead girl? Shall we not rather pity her?”

According to the June 26, 1889, edition of the Victoria Daily Colonist: “The magnificent casket which enclosed the body of the poor unfortunate was covered with a wreath of flowers, while the treasures of the hot-house made fragrant the death room.” At Ross Bay Cemetery, Rev. Starr was joined by “companions of the dead girl and a few sympathizing strangers.” Edna was buried in an unmarked grave in what was then a stranger/suicide plot. Today, the location of Edna’s plot is considered part of the Methodist Section.

According to the undertaker’s records, John Croft paid $224.50 for Edna’s funeral. Most funerals at that time cost well under $100.00. Only the former premier, Hon. John Robson, had a more expensive funeral, at $264.00. In Edna’s day, most burial robes cost around $6. However, Edna was buried in a silk burial robe that cost $25.00. At $24.00, even Marion Dunsmuir Houghton, the daughter of one of the richest families in B.C., was buried in a slightly less expensive robe.

At some point, Edna’s grave was marked with a distinctive polished red granite stone bearing a cross and the words:

In Loving Memory
of
EDNA FARNSWORTH
Died June 23, 1889
Aged 20 years

The grave is delineated by marble kerbing. A low pipe fence is attached to granite corner posts. A marble slab covering the grave is carved with an image of two birds sitting on a birdbath shaped like a flower. To this day, it remains one of the more distinctive graves in Ross Bay Cemetery. It is unclear who paid for the grave, but speculation has centred on Edna’s lover, John Croft; his half-brother, Henry, who had previously bailed John out of trouble; or Edna’s possible sister, half-sister, employer, and friend, Della Wentworth.

Sources:
“A Scarlet Bride”, The San Francisco Examiner, July 26, 1888
“Edna Bruton’s Death”, The San Francisco Examiner, June 25, 1889
“A Short Road to Death”, San Francisco Chronicle, June 6, 1889
“A Sunday Tragedy”, Daily Colonist, June 25, 1889
“The Suicide”, The Victoria Daily Times, June25, 1889
“Victoria News”, Vancouver Daily World, June 24, 1889
“Victoria News”, Vancouver Weekly World, June 27, 1889
“Victoria News Items”, Morning Oregonian, June 25, 1889
“Victoria News Items”, The Oregonian, June 25, 1889
“A Ruined Girl’s Death”, The Tacoma Daily Ledger, June 28, 1889
Linda J. Eversole, Victoria Unbuttoned; A Red-light History of BC’s Capital City, TouchWood Editions, 2021