Just like the “locked door” murders mystery stories are so fond of employing, Mamie Grover’s inquest tells of a woman who “supposedly” committed suicide with a pistol behind a locked door with people still in the house. To unravel the complexity of this death and get a better understanding of the type of person Mamie Grover was the ledger recording the items found in her pocket at time of death is essential. The testimonies of those who knew her on the night of her death are also revealing, in some ways but flawed in others, and thus present only an incomplete or influenced view of what occurred. But read together these two forms of evidence within this primary source can speak to the reader and weave a tale which may prove closer to the truth yet provokes more questions and quandaries.
I must admit, the handwriting was hard for me to decipher, but I tried my best. Going off of witness accounts, Mrs. Grover was alive until about 8 o’clock that evening. Accounts place the pistol in her hand and the door having been locked promptly being pushed down after the shot rang out. Activities such as playing pool and drinking alcohol are mentioned, lending the impression that the space talked about was somewhat social in nature. And yet Mamie was found behind a locked door in a private space- indicating more of an intimate home-like space. It is possible a house party was in progress- but it is equally possible this could have been describing one of the middle to upper level prostitution catering institutions; like the one Helen Jewett worked at as described in the accommodating book we read this week. Furthermore, there seems to have been an argument between Mamie Grover and the witness Mollie Arlington concerning a female and from the why it was phrased this unnamed girl was an employee of some sort, at one point in the past.
But what was the argument really about? What was the relationship that connected all the players involved in this night of tragedy? And finally, who was Mamie Grover and what did she do to make ends meet? These are some of the questions which came to mind while reading the testimonies. I will now use the ledger to throw some light onto the conjectures the witnesses raised.
Going by the ledger, jewelry and clothing and the most cited items. The property she owned must have had a fair amount of room, because several entries are listed as “board.” Interestingly enough, in addition to the board entry two other subdivisions were possible: “Cash” and “Room money.” It leaves one wonders what the difference between room money and board were and why Mrs. Grover felt the need to define them in such a way. It should also be noted that the room money is a steep $5, expensive for the time period. Three other interesting listings were “beer,” “ticket” (theater ticket maybe?) and “express.” Not only were people being lent rooms and given alcohol but also sent letters; more and more this parallels the book we read this week about prostitution in New York where men bought romantic play acting with no strings attached and yet this is taking place almost 50 years after the events of the book. The ledger is very organized and business-like with entries dated by day of the week and month.
In hearing the voices of the testimony and ledger together I can cautiously deduce that Mamie Grover was likely an unusually sort of women who handled her own business and most probably a madam of a prostitution house. This reading gives one interpretation of why a married woman of this time period would be keeping the financial records, as shown by the ledger in her pocket, instead of the husband. It puts into context what the female worker argued over did and why it might spark a fight if she left for another place of work. It also helps explain the various entries of “Cash” and “Room money” as well as why money was more often spent on items such as alcohol, clothing and jewelry and “Express” (mail service?) instead of food, linen or other essential but less glamorous items usually mentioned in wills and inquests. Finally, if Mrs. Grover was a madam it helps to explain why, despite owning property and wealth, she did not have a will made at the time of her death and not many intimate details of her life are recorded (perhaps she wanted them to remain hidden and to become obscured by the wear of time’s passing).
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