1. Alice Jessie Mitchell was an American woman who gained notoriety for the murder of her lover, Freda Ward.
21 Facts About Alice Mitchell
1. 2.
On January 23,1892, the 19-year-old Mitchell cut the throat of Ward, then 17 years old.
3.
Alice Mitchell was found insane by means of a jury inquisition and placed in a psychiatric hospital until her death in 1898.
4.
Alice Mitchell was born in 1872 to George and Isabella Mitchell.
5.
Alice Mitchell was never interested in the toys that young girls were interested in.
6.
Alice Mitchell was interested in playing on the swing in her yard, and playing both baseball and football.
7.
Alice Mitchell had four siblings: her older brothers Robert and Frank, her eldest sister Mattie and her older sister Addie.
8.
Alice Mitchell liked horses and helped take care of her father's horse.
9.
Alice Mitchell's mother tried to teach her sewing and needlework, but Alice never enjoyed doing this work nor was ever able to learn how.
10.
Alice Mitchell was not interested in boys as a child as most girls her age were.
11.
However, their relationship was more serious than "chumming", and Alice Mitchell especially had an obsession with Freda.
12.
Freda was not as serious about the relationship as Alice Mitchell was, and was interested in two men in addition to Alice Mitchell.
13.
Alice had devised a scheme in which she would begin dressing as a man, marry Freda, and both would go to live in St Louis as husband and wife with Alice finding work to support Freda.
14.
Alice Mitchell was rarely with her family, would stay awake at night, and ate very little.
15.
Alice Mitchell would spend her time remembering her relationship with Freda: she would observe her photograph of Freda and reread letters.
16.
Alice Mitchell often signed receipts with the name "Freda Ward" and claimed that she did not realize what she was doing.
17.
Freda Ward was with her older sister Jo Ward and her friend Christina Purnell in Memphis when Alice slashed Freda with George Mitchell's razor.
18.
Alice Mitchell took the razor she had purchased to assist in her growing a mustache for her planned elopement with Freda from her pocket and slashed Freda across her face.
19.
Lillie was released on bond but Alice Mitchell had to remain in jail.
20.
Alice Mitchell was tried that summer and declared "presently insane," meaning that she was insane before the murder.
21.
All charges were dropped against Lillie Johnson and Alice Mitchell was ordered to Western State Hospital for the Insane located at Bolivar, Tennessee.