 Lillie Elizabeth Booth Lillie was born on July 12, 1864 in Adams County, Illinois to William Anderson Booth and Nancy Jane Bradley. She was my 2nd cousin 4 times removed. Her lineage: Lillie - 6, William Anderson Booth-5, Stephen Booth-4, William Booth-3, George Booth-2, Thomas Booth-1). My lineage: Vicky - 10, Jan - 9, George Oval Booth- 8, William Anderson Booth - 7, John William Booth -6 , .Anderson Booth-5, John William Booth-4, William Booth-3, George Booth-2, Thomas Booth-1) (The number after the name is the number of the generation from the earliest known ancestor, Thomas. The names in bold lettering are the ancestors we have in common). Lillie was born into a very prosperous and well-regarded family. Her father and grandfather both owned large farms among other business ventures. Lillie's brother, Christopher held many patents one of which had to do with the bar that was part of the typewriter. Their stories will be featured in another blog. Lillie's life ended in tragedy and because of her being part of a well-known family, the circumstances were published in papers not only in Illinois but also in the LA Times and a German language newspaper and others. Please read the story of Lillie Elizabeth Booth and learn about her story! The following news article is an excerpt from the book "Descendants of Thomas Booth of Amelia County, Virginia" compiled by Jeanette Wolter Pearce, pages 210 - 216: THE QUINCY HERALD: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1890 Page 5 TO AVENGE HONOR. ______ Miss Lillie E. Booth Shoots Mr. Daniel G. Price. ______ AND PRICE THEN SHOOTS MISS BOOTH. ______ A Sensational Event Brings Sorrow to Two Prominent Famlies [sic]-Price Dead; the Woman Badly Wounded. The double shooting of yesterday proved the biggest sensation which has struck Quincy in many a day. The prominence of the parties and the fatal results combined to stir the community up to the highest pitch of excitement. Sixth Street, a busy one at all times, is not at its most crowded condition at two o'clock in the afternoon, and Seymour Price and Dan, his brother, found no difficulty in wending their way northward from Maine street, towards Gatz's tailor shop, where a suit of clothes was in waiting for Dan's approbation. The brothers had past [sic] Ever's door, when a woman stepped behind Dan, and aiming at his back below the shoulders blades, she fired the contents of a chamber of a 38 calibre American bulldog revolver into him. Dan ran into Lock's wall paper store and in the presence of Mr. Lock and Frank Burnham pulled a revolver from his pocket and rushed out on the street again. Competent wit-nesses say that Dan ran to the place where the girl was struggling with Seymour Price and, placing the revolver within two feet of the woman's back, he fired, and then ran back into the store. The revolver in the woman's hand discharged almost simultaneously with that of Dan Price's, skinned her finger in its passage and struck a wagon across the street. It is claimed that it was the bullet from Dan Price's weapon which struck the wagon and that it was the bullet from her own revolver which entered her back. Seymour Price says that he stood behind her and held her hands in front of her when her pistol was discharged a sec-ond time. The course of the bullet proves conclusively that it could not have been fired by herself. There is no possible position in which she could have held the pistol and fired it with the same results. The pistol was then wrenched from her by Seymour Price, when Ed Prettyman relieved Price of the gun. Just then Miss Booth, for the woman was none other than the Miss Booth who has figured as the plaintiff in a sensational bastardy suit against Dan Price, espied her uncle, Jim Bradley, and called to him to come to her aid. He came to her assistance, but Seymour insisted that she should be handed over to the police. A carriage was called and the woman was taken to Dr. Lee's office, where Dr. Johnson assisted by Drs. Lewis and Deering, removed the ball. An examination of the wound dis-closed the fact that the ball entered the back about an inch left of the spine, took an up-ward course and then followed the ribs forward to a point above the waist line, where the ball was found. The surgeons bandaged the wound , and she was removed to St. Mary's hospital, where under the influence of morphine she was quickly quieted. Both revolvers were of 38-calibre. Miss Booth used an American bulldog and Mr. Price fired from a Smith & Wesson. Both were double action weapons Firing his shot into the woman, Dan Price returned to Lock's store and catching hold of the railing near the door followed its length, dropping down on his knees, as he turned. "I'm shot," he said as he went down. Those in the shop went to his assistance and he was placed upon a cot and made as comfortable as possible. Drs. Robbins and Nickerson, advised his removal to the hospital, and willing volunteers lifted the stretcher and bore the wounded man to Blessing hospital, where his clothing was removed and he was placed in bed. Scarcely had he touched the bed before the shock relieved his stom-ach, and he soon rallied under the administration of stimulants. The doctor examined the wound and decided that the lung had been pierced. Dr. Robbins advised against probing for the bullet, and Dr. Nickerson agreed with him. The patient remained in a quiet, con-scious condition until 4 o'clock, when his pulse began to indicate internal bleeding. Turning to his brother, who was devoted in his attendance, he said, "Seymour, I am will-ing to die at her hands rather than live to bear the disgrace. I am innocent." A little later, just previous to the last hemorrhage, he said to his sister, "I am about to go into the pres-ence of my Maker, and I tell you that I am innocent. Tell mother I never wronged the girl." With these words he lost consciousness, and the man went to his grave protesting his innocence. ______ The Story. The events of yesterday were but the sequel of a long story. It is the old story of a woman's confidence and man's perfidy. It is the story of seduction, which has disgraced two families and results in the killing of a man who, whether innocent or guilty, has gone to meet the Judge of all men. The two families represented in this tragedy are among the most respectable in Adams county. Upon them the shadow of reproach has never been cast. All the parties to the event of yesterday were born and raised in this county, and up to a recent date there had been attached to none of them the suspicion of disgrace. The Prices were well known and respected. The Booths were held in just as high esteem. Al-though both families were raised here it was not until 1886 or 1887 that Dan Price met Lillie E. Booth. He was introduced into the Booth home by the girl's brother. The acquaintance then formed ripened into friendship. Price was at the time engaged in the fence business in Minneapolis, and was doing well. He was a frequent correspondent and the courtship was successfully carried on, for in December 1888, the two became engaged. In February, 1889, Price visited the Booths, and again in June of the same year. In the meantime he changed his place of business and removed from Minneapolis to Salina, Kansas. Now this is where the road of true love began to roughen. Price became enamored of a girl in that salty city, and somehow or other the salt seemed to have lost its savor. But Dan was equal to the emergency. Dan joined the Baptist church, went into the Sun-day school, became a member of the Young Men's Christian association, and identified himself with every religious organization [unreadable] Balius[?], which did not [unread-able] with his Baptist predilitions [sic]. As Dan expressed it himself, "He loved a religious life, gave half his possessions to feed the poor, and his body to be burned." But while Dan was paving his way to the New Jerusalem, another scene was being enacted in the Booth house. June had passed to September, and the evidence of everything not being all right, first aroused suspicions then, and confirmed belief that Lillie E. Booth was in a delicate condition. Mrs. Whitlock, her sister, then approached the girl, accusing her of being enciente [sic]. The condition was admitted, and in time she told the story of her shame, and also who the father of her child was. Of course the family were made acquainted with the facts. The Price family were apprised of the condition of affairs, and to their credit be it said, they made very endeavor to force an immediate marriage. Dan persisted in his innocence, and began to throw out insinuations against the girl, and her relations with others. Finally Dan Price signed an agreement, agreeing to marry the girl, provided the child was born prior to March 1, 1890. Believing in the girl's story, her friends agreed to this, but before the copy of the agreement was signed by the girl Dan wrote to his family repudiating the contract and refusing to marry the girl in any event.confirmed belief that Lillie E. Booth was in a delicate condition. Mrs. Whitlock, her sister, then approached the girl, accusing her of being en-ciente [sic]. The condition was admitted, and in time she told the story of her shame, and also who the father of her child was. Of course the family were made acquainted with the facts. The Price family were apprised of the condition of affairs, and to their credit be it said, they made very endeavor to force an immediate marriage. Dan persisted in his innocence, and began to throw out insinuations against the girl, and her relations with others. Finally Dan Price signed an agreement, agreeing to marry the girl, provided the child was born prior to March 1, 1890. Believing in the girl's story, her friends agreed to this, but before the copy of the agreement was signed by the girl Dan wrote to his family repudiating the contract and refusing to marry the girl in any event. Time sped on and the girl, to hide her shame from her immediate neighbors, sought a home in the town of Missoula, Montana, where at 6 o'clock on the night of February 28, 1890, her illegitimate child was born. It seemed as though every honorable means had been exhausted to bring about a marriage. Finally the friends of the girl resorted to the courts. Their counselor advised bringing suit in Kansas, and so a warrant, charging Dan Price with bastardy was sworn out, and the case came up for *trial before Judge Welling-ton. It is not out of place to state that while the laws of Illinois limit the penalty in the case of conviction of a bastardy suit, the laws of Kansas place no limit to the penalty. The trial was had and herewith is given the decision of Justice Wellington in the case: "We will look at this demurrer. It is divided into three different parts, that is, on the evidence, on the jurisdiction, and on the contract. I will take them in the order I think they merit. I will take it in the order of the evidence. Now, what do we have in that? To begin with, we have, as far as the evidence is concerned, we will say the defendant's first. He comes on the stand and when he is asked if he is the father of the child his only answer is no. Now what do we have on the part of the plaintiff? We have the answer yes, with a full and complete detail of all the circumstances in connection with it, and I do not think there is any one of you gentlemen here but will hear me out in saying this: That the whole of her testimony bore the impress of truth. Now I do think there can be any question at all as to where the weight of the evidence ought to be. I do not thing there is any use of enlarging upon that, because I think it car-ries conviction with it to all. I think on that portion of the demurrer that the defendant ought to be put upon his trial and the demurrer overruled." Although admitting the evidence to be conclusive, Judge Wellington discharged the defendant, taking the ground that the contract between the parties relieved the defendant of all responsibility. This was the contract which Price repudiated, and yet it was all that saved him from conviction in a Kansas court. An effort was made to rearrest Price, but he escaped from the state before papers could be served, and he has since been a resident of Illinois. Prior to bringing suit in Kansas Dan Price made many propositions for settlement, and almost begged that suit for bastardy be brought against him in Illinois. Since the return of Price to Illinois there have been many things said and done to arouse enmity, and perhaps hatred. The man who died in Blessing hospital last evening, to his last breath protesting innocence, has within a month said to a man of veracity and truthfulness, that he had been upon terms of intimacy with Miss Booth, which show him up in a light which must create sympathy for the woman who yesterday made an end of him. He told how he had familiarly approached her, and how, while he was a guest in her father's house, she came into his room in her robe de nit, saying, "I wanted you to see how I would look when we were married." He caused to be published in a local newspaper clippings of items reflecting upon the reputation of the girl, and thus had added to the sting of her shame the humiliation of public reproach. It would not be improbable that his continued effort upon the part of Dan Price to destroy Lillie Booth's reputation and still further disgrace her, had led up to a condition of frenzy which resulted in the fatality of yesterday. ______ Daniel G. Price. The man Price is well known in this community, being a son of one of the best known men in Adams county. He inherited from his father a good name, and one which, in a business way, he has always honored. In all his business transactions he has been the soul of honor. In affairs of the heart opinion is divided, and there are very few who speak of the man's private life with any marked degree of approval. His connection with the Booth affair will not elevate his memory, and in it he has brought disgrace upon a family which has always been honored. His thirty years of life are ended. He has made his own record, and by it he must either stand or fall before the great tribunal. ______ Lillie E. Booth. Coming from a good family, Miss Booth has enjoyed the advantages of a good education, having finished at Chaddock college with honor. Upon her name reproach has never been cast, and until she became acquainted with Price, dishonor was unknown to her. With that acquaintance, courtship and engagement came her downfall, followed by the events of yesterday. Last night she slept, with the shadow of a great crime over her, but it is said without regret. The sympathy of the community seems to be with her in her great trouble, while there is a large class of men who seem to think it their duty to side with the man. ______ Why He Went Armed. It is claimed by the friends of Dan Price, that he has been in receipt of various threatening letters, which are now in the hands of his Salina lawyer, which warned him that his time on earth was short. And one of them contained the interesting information that the flies would blow him before fall ended. Dan Price always insisted that the girl would never injure him, but he was finally induced to carry a weapon, and so yesterday found him armed, but he was not safe. "Thrice is he armed who cause is just," does not seem to be particularly appropriate in this case. ______ Seymour Price Swears Out a Warrant. Shortly after Dan Price had been removed to Blessing hospital, his brother Seymour came back down town, and swore out a state's warrant, charging Lillie Booth with an assault with a pistol upon Dan Price, with intent to kill. Patrolman Conklin was sent out to stand guard over Miss Booth. Dan Price died shortly after the warrant had been placed in the hands of the police. ______ Effie's Letters. Some two weeks ago the police found in an alley back of the Occidental hotel, two letters addressed to Dan Price and signed Effie. Upon examination these letters proved to be burning with love for the dead man, and in which she declared she could hardly wait for the time when she could call him all her own. She also stated in the letter that some one had been out to pump papa about what he knew of Dan Price's connection with the Booth girl. There was much more in the same strain. ______ The Man in the Wagon. There was a young farmer standing in the wagon in front of the European hotel, who claimed to have seen the shooting-fracus [sic], who is now missing. If any one who knows who the young man is, they will confer a favor upon the police department by re-porting his name. ______ The Inquest. Coroner Miller was seen by a HERALD reporter last night, with a view of ascer-taining the time of holding the inquest. The coroner, believing it would be impossible to gather up all the eye-witnesses, postponed the inquest until 10 a.m. to-day. The trial must have been held in September of 1890 because we have an envelope dated September 12, 1890, and addressed to Uncle Chris (Christopher Stephen Booth, Lillie's brother) in Salinas, Kansas, in care of his attorney, a Mr. Garver. THE QUINCY HERALD: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1890 Page 5 INQUEST ON PRICE. ______ An Effort Made to Show that Miss Booth Was Incited. ______ THE CORONER'S JURY OBJECTS TO IT. ______ Where Miss Booth Spent Friday Night-She Was Cheerful-Her Dan Grigg Heard From-Not His Wedding Suit. ______ .....Only four witnesses were called before the coroner's jury at police headquarters, yesterday morning, to testify as to the cause of the death of Daniel G. Price. The wit-nesses were Gerry VandenBoom, H. K. Bonner, Seymour Price and Dr. Robbins. The testimony of the first three named was substantially the same as they gave to the same jury at Monday's inquest in the death of Miss Lillie Booth. Dr. Robbins was called upon to testify as to the nature of the wound, the place, symptoms of the patient and the time of death. After the witnesses had testified, State's Attorney Bonney stated to the jury and the attorneys present that certain persons had been subpoenaed and that it was desired to put them on the stand to testify before the jury. He said that there was a desire on the part of some to have the jury ascertain as to whether there was a CONSPIRACY TO SHOOT DAN PRICE. The prosecuting attorney stated that he was willing that this should be done, and would lend his assistance with one proviso, and that was that he would not compel witnesses to go on the stand and make statements that might criminate them selves. Attorney Govert stated that he wished to show several things by these witnesses. He desired to show that at the time of the shooting there were five or six of Miss Booth's relatives on the block where the crime was committed. He also desired to show that James Bradley called out "That's my niece," or words to that effect, without waiting to see who it was. Also that one of the relatives of Miss Booth called at the residence of Mrs. M. Scarborough, Price's sister, on Saturday afternoon, a short time before deceased was shot. THOSE DIRECTLY INTERESTED. He suggested the name of Mrs. Scarborough as the proper witness to testify as to the visit paid to her home by the relatives of Miss Booth. Mr. Govert stated that Mrs. Scarborough was ill and could not appear. Mr. Bonney suggested that if such testimony was necessary Magistrate C. F. Perry could give it on that point. Attorney J. N. Sprigg, who was interested in the case and who was present at the Monday inquest, was again present yesterday. At this juncture he arose to say that he had not deemed it advisable to say a word during either of the inquests regarding the method of procedure. As the legal representative of Miss Booth's relatives he had studiously avoided any interference whatever with the course pursued by the coroner. The people whom I represent have absolutely NOTHING TO CONCEAL to this case that may be put to them. Thus far we have not interfered in the slightest, nor offered a single objection in the presecution [sic] of these inquests, and that shall be our course throughout. Attorney Bonner and Coroner Miller then held a brief consultation, at the conclusion of which Attorney Bonney proposed that the question as to whether or not the jury desired to listen to the testimony relating to who did or did not INCITE MISS BOOTH TO SHOOT DANIEL PRICE, be left with the jurors themselves. Attorney Govert agreed with Attorney Bonney and the jury retired. The jury decided not to go into the matter as proposed by Attorney Govert, agreeing that if there were reasonable grounds to believe that Miss Booth had accessories in the crime, there was another course and a proper tribunal left open to them. They then prepared a verdict to the effect that Daniel G. Price met his death by the intentional dis-charge of a revolver held in the hands of Lillie E. Booth. A HERALD reporter called upon Magistrate Perry to learn what he knew of the visit of Miss Booth's relatives to Mrs. Scarborough's residence. The magistrate stated substantially as follows: "On Sunday morning John L. Moore came to my house and informed me of the girl's death and said that Mrs. Booth, the girl's mother, believed that Seymour Price shot the girl. The girl, Mr. Moore stated, stayed at his house Friday night and was in a cheerful mood. In fact SHE WAS IN AN UNUSUALLY CHEERFUL MOOD. Mr. Moore said that he did not know that she had a weapon. She and her mother, he said, came down from Camp Point in a buggy and her brother Chris came down on the train. Mr. Moore then went on to tell me that Price had slandered the girl and said he went to Price's house (Mrs. Scarborough's) Saturday to amicably settle and straighten out the matter in a friendly way. He said that he knocked at the door and told the lady who answered the knock who he was and informed her that he had COME TO SEE MR. PRICE. To this the lady replied that she didn't want any conversation with him, and slammed the door in his face. I told Mr. Moore that I was shocked to hear of Miss Booth's death, and told him that if Mrs. Booth had any grounds for believing that Seymour Price shot her it should be investigated, and would be, no doubt, by the coroner's jury. I came down town Sunday morning and called on Mr. Bonney and talked to him about what Mr. Moore told me, and that is how he came to mention my name at the inquest, and knew that Mr. Moore had been at Price's house." The witnesses who had been subpoenaed by the coroner, and who were not per-mitted to testify, were Mr. And Mrs. John L. Moore and Mr. [sic] Whitlock, husband of the only sister of the deceased, who resides near Columbus. DANIEL GRIGG THE MAN. The farmer who stood in the wagon on Sixth street, near the scene of the tragedy, and whose address was greatly desired by the police and the coroner, has at last made [un-readable] name is Daniel Grigg [unreadable] ship, near the town of Cregg. It was reported yesterday that Mr. Grigg can give a somewhat different statement of the shooting than those already published. But herein lies the great trouble. There are too many different statements of eye-witnesses. It is remarkable how eye-witnesses differ in their statements, and it is doubtful if there was a person present who kept a cool head during the excitement and caught every act as enacted in the brief space of time with his or her eyes. SHE THOUGHT OF HER CHILD. After Miss Booth had been placed in the cab to be driven to Dr. Lee's office, she turned to her Uncle James Bradley and said: "Uncle Jim, tell mother to always care for my baby." AN ERRORNEOUS RUMOR. A rumor gained currency to the effect that Daniel Price was on his way to Alois Gatz's clothing store, to get a wedding suit, in which he was to be married to the Salina, Kan., young lady, when he was shot. A HERALD reported called on Mr. Gatz and asked him concerning the rumor. Mr. Gatz replied that the deceased had ordered a black business suit from him, but not wedding suit.
Sources:
"The Descendants of Thomas Booth of Amelia County, Virginia" compiled by Jeanette Wolter Pearce April 2010 "Portrait and Biographical Record of Adams County, Illinois... "; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1892; pg. 168-170 Newspapers listed above
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AuthorMy name is Vicky, and after researching my family history since 1999, I have found amazing stories that need to be told. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have! Archives
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