Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis

by Alexis Coe

  Please send me your photo, and I will do the same. Well, I will not stop and write you a long letter next time. Hoping you will do the same, I am very truly yours.

  Freda Ward

  Please address Miss Freda Ward, care general delivery, Memphis, Tenn.

  Memphis, Tenn. Sept. 17, 1890

  My Own Dear Jim—Your appreciated letter was received yesterday with much pleasure. I knew very well Freda’s Jim would not go back on her. He is too cute to do anything like that.

  You may think I was joking, but, really, I admire you very much. I have written to others, and I think you are the nicest of the three. I prefer you and think I will drop the others entirely. I received a letter from one yesterday. I do not like him very much, and don’t think I will answer it.

  My dear Jim beats them all. He is my favorite.

  I will wait once more for your photo, but this is the last time I will trust you. As you have kept your promises thus far, I suppose you will send it. It is to be hoped you will.

  You are just the right age for me; you hit it exactly. I will always have you for my Jim, even if you do go back on me. I don’t think I will ever forget you, dear Jim.

  Yes, Freda Ward is my name. My true name is Freda Myra Ward, but my stage name is Myra Ward. I didn’t change it much as most of them in the first troupe I joined didn’t change their names at all.

  I am glad you and your girl “don’t speak as you pass by” or some other girl would be jealous. The fair commenced here yesterday. I expect I will go Wednesday.

  I wish you were here to go with me. I would enjoy it so much if you were only with me. You asked me where my company plays when in St. Louis. Once when I was there, I played three nights at the Standard Theater, but the other times I played at the Grand Opera House. I have played everything from soub parts to tragedy roles. I do not care much for tragedy.

  A comic opera suits me best. I dearly love the stage, and in fact, I enjoy my part. Little Lind has left the London Gaiety Company.

  Ben Lodge, one of our troupe, wrote me week before last and said he was looking for a job. I heard from him Friday, and he is engaged as leading comedian of the Bancroft Opera Company. He is a great favorite in Boston, where the company appears.

  As a professional, Miss Ruth Carpenter made her first appearance with Roland Reed in “The Woman Hater,” as Alice Lane.

  Will you please tell me the name of your chum that traveled with the company to which Edith Kingdon belonged?

  I will not send you a lock of my hair this time, but as I admire you so much will be sure to send it next time, and it will be my own hair. Have you a photo of yourself that I could put in my watch? That is the latest here.

  The little actress you were badly “gone on” last winter was Kate Castleton (or Mrs. Mary Phillips). I don’t much blame you. She is cute. I am her height; not quite so flashy: my eyes are a darker blue, and my hair is the same color (although she wore a wig). I think she sings the “Spider and the Fly” and “I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls” in that play. It was “A Paper Doll.”

  I am almost certain it was the same one you were speaking of.

  They have new words for the “Spider and the Fly” now.

  I can truly say I have loved some boys, but I think if I would meet you I “wouldn’t fall in love, but I would rise in love” with you.

  I loved one of the actors last summer, and I think he thought a great deal of me, too, but he has joined the Said Pasha Opera company now. He will come back again this spring.

  You come, too, and see if you can’t get ahead of him. He is handsome, but I don’t care for that.

  There is one in St. Louis now that I love. He is not good looking, but I am almost certain he thinks more of me than I do of him. Don’t get jealous, now, Jim. I don’t intend to marry an actor: in fact, I think I am too young yet to.

  Well, I think this letter long enough; longer than I expected.

  Don’t fall in love with another married actress before I come along.

  Kate Castleton owns property in California. I suppose that is what you were after. Please write soon to your

  Freda (Yes, I.L.Y.)150

  FROM ALICE MITCHELL (WRITING AS ANOTHER ONE OF HER ALTER EGOS, FREDA WARD’S SISTER, WANDER) TO JIM IN WELLSVILLE, MO.

  Memphis, Tenn., November 23, 1890

  Dear Jim—I have heard Freda speak of you so much that I have come to the conclusion that I can love you also.

  I am her sister and am the same size, same age, just like her and everything, except she is about an inch taller than I am, and she has dark blue eyes and I have dark brown.

  She says your eyes are blue. I love blue eyes, although I prefer dark blue, but of course you cannot get everything you wish for.

  Next Wednesday is my birthday. I will be 18.

  You are just the right age for me, dear Jimmie. Have me for your sweetheart, will you, Jim dear?

  I neither would want for my beau a silly little boy nor an old man. I think you will suit me exactly.

  Darling Jim, please don’t drop me as you did Freddie.

  I had my photo taken last week, and every time the photographer looked at me I laughed.

  In the end he took it while I was laughing.

  Send me one of yours, and I will send you one of mine in return.

  If you think Freddie is pretty you will think I am pretty, because you can hardly tell us apart, unless you look at our eyes.

  I will not write any more this time, so write me a sweet letter Jim dear.

  Yours truly,

  Wander

  Please address Miss Wander Ward, care of Edmonson’s drug store, corner Lauderdale Street and Mississippi Avenue, Memphis, Tenn.

  ALICE MITCHELL’S LAST LETTER AS FREDA WARD TO JIM IN WELLSVILLE, MO.

  Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 20, 1890

  Jim—If I have done or said anything to hurt your feelings please let me know. If not, please return my hair which I sent you, and oblige.

  Freda Ward

  LILLIE JOHNSON WRITING AS “JESSIE JAMES” TO A MR. ROBINS (UNKNOWN RECIPIENT)

  Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 30, 1890

  Mr. Robins:

  UNKNOWN FRIENDS—As I have heard Freda [Alice Mitchell’s alter ego] speak of you so much, I thought I would write to you. Freda told me you were going to a candy pulling, and I hope you will enjoy yourself. I wish I was there to go with you. I know you will have a fine time. When you are pulling the candy just think of me.

  I suppose you would like to have a description of myself as you have never heard of or seen me. I have light hair and blue eyes. I live in St. Louis, near Freda, on West Eighth Street near Charles Avenue. So you said you would exchange photos with Freda. I would like to do the same. Excuse this short letter as this is the first. I will write you a long one next time. Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain,

  Yours truly,

  JESSIE R. JAMES

  P.S.—Please address Miss Jessie James, care general delivery, Memphis, Tenn. Write soon.

  FROM ALICE MITCHELL (AS FREDA WARD) TO “VIRG” in CARBON, TEXAS

  Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 11, 1892

  Dearest Virg—Your highly appreciated letter was enjoyed and read with much pleasure. I thought you had forgotten me. I waited until December 30 and you didn’t come, so I then went to St. Louis with Jess [Lillie Johnson]. Had just an elegant time. Returned home night before last. Made a complete mash there. He just begged me to elope with him, but I loved some one better. A young man came to see Jess and me last evening and fell in love with my singing. I was real glad to be home with my friends again. Saw a great many pretty boys, but then their charms and sweet smiles are to me as naught when I think of one sweet boy in Texas. I would love to see you just splendid. I am quite fascinated with your letters, and also what is more previous your darling self. I am very sorry to hear of your illness and sincerely hope you will be able to come and see your Freda real soon. Certainly I will forgive you for not writing, as you were so ill. Give your brother
my congratulations for me. I hope he has a sweet pretty girl. I hope you won’t get married, dear, until you see me. I love you. I didn’t realize what real love was until you stopped writing, and I looked for you all in vain. Dearest, I love you devotedly. I have one question to ask you, and you must be sure and answer. Would you associate with an actress? I won’t worry you with a long letter, as you are not well. Please write a long letter real soon.

  Yours, forever, FREDA

  ARCHIVES

  Memphis and Shelby County Room, Memphis Public Library. Memphis, Tennessee

  Shelby County Archives. Memphis, Tennessee

  Tennessee State Library and Archives. Nashville, Tennessee

  CITY DIRECTORIES AND GOVERNMENT RECORDS

  Memphis Board of Commissioners. Report of Chief of Police. Tennessee, 1892.

  Dow’s Memphis Directory. Tennessee, 1892.

  R. L. Polk and Co.’s Memphis Directory. Tennessee, 1892.

  Tennessee State Board of Charities. Report to the General Assembly. Tennessee, 1896.

  Tennessee Western State Hospital for the Insane. Biennial Reports. Bolivar, Tennessee, 1890-92, 1892-94, 1896-98.

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  Pages 8, 9, 30: Memphis and Shelby County Room, Memphis Public Library. Memphis, Tennessee.

  Pages 84, 87: Shelby Country Archives. Memphis, Tennessee.

  PERIODICALS

  Atchison Champion. Kansas, 1892.

  Bolivar Bulletin. Tennessee, 1892-98.

  Memphis Appeal Avalanche. Tennessee, 1892.

  Memphis Commercial. Tennessee, 1892.

  Memphis Commercial Appeal. Tennessee, 1898, 1930.

  Memphis Evening Scimitar. Tennessee, 1892.

  Memphis Medical Monthly. Tennessee, 1892.

  Memphis Public Ledger. Tennessee, 1892.

  Memphis Weekly Commercial. Tennessee, 1892.

  Milwaukee Sentinel. Wisconsin, 1892.

  New York Times. New York, 1892.

  New York World. New York, 1892.

  San Francisco Chronicle. California, 1892.

  San Francisco Examiner. California, 1892.

  San Francisco Morning Call. California, 1892.

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