Solve It! The Savage Slaying of a Humble Housekeeper

— From the Archives: A 1920s Article by Lanie Price —

Dear Reader:

The events of August 21, 1924, unfolded on a sweltering late afternoon, with the oppressive weight of summer heat clinging to every surface. Inside the stately Fifth Avenue townhouse of Mrs. Rhoda Thompson, the heavy velvet drapes were drawn in a vain attempt to block out the relentless sun. The air inside the townhouse was stifling, thick with the smell of sweat and dust. Even the polished marble of the vestibule seemed to radiate the day's heat, trapping it within the walls. 

As the clock ticked toward evening, long golden shadows stretched through the half-shuttered windows, amplifying the simmering tensions inside the house. It was against this suffocating backdrop that a brutal murder occurred. 

Woken from her nap by the sounds of angry voices and a violent crash, Mrs. Thompson rushed downstairs to find her loyal and long-time housekeeper, Mildred Evans, a Harlem resident, lying dead in the vestibule. An extensive investigation ensued and strong suspects emerged, but no one was ever charged, leaving our community to grapple with the question: who could commit such a horrific crime?

The Sinister Scene

Mrs. Evans, known for her dedication and kindness, was found with a lamp cord cinched tightly around her neck and torn pieces of a letter stuffed into her mouth. She had also bled from a blow to the back of the head. Investigators believe it briefly incapacitated her before the fatal strangulation.

The clues found at the crime scene included a torn letter, a piece of black lace fabric clutched in Mrs. Evans' hand, a broken Asian porcelain lamp, and a small screwdriver near the body. Here are the details:

- The Torn Letter: It was a letter Mrs. Evans had written to her husband, Henry, expressing her frustration with his continued unemployment. In the letter, she told him to either “find a job or get out.” 

- Bloody Fingerprints: The letter bore two bloody fingerprints, what appeared to be a thumb and index finger, presumably those of the killer.

- Broken Lamp: The Asian porcelain lamp whose cord was ultimately used to strangle Mrs. Evans lay next to her body, shattered into multiple pieces. 

- Screwdriver: A small screwdriver lay on the floor near the body.

- Missing Fabric: Mrs. Evans clutched a piece of black cotton fabric in her hand, possibly torn from the attacker during the struggle.

The Witnesses

Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson was a prominent and wealthy widow in her fifties, well-known in Harlem's elite circles for hosting lavish parties in her downtown home and supporting Negro artists. She had employed Mrs. Evans for years and appeared distraught at discovering the housekeeper’s body. “Mrs. Evans was like family to me. This is all too much to bear,” she said.

Mrs. Thompson explained that she had been taking an afternoon nap in her upstairs bedroom when she heard the sound of a crash. Disoriented by being awoken so abruptly and unsure of what she’d heard, she hesitated before going downstairs to check. That, she said, was when she found “the horror of what somebody had done to poor Mrs. Evans” in her vestibule.

When asked whether she knew of anyone who would harm Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Thompson said she did not, stating that “Mrs. Evans was the kindest person in the world.” However, Mrs. Thompson did note that Mrs. Evans had seemed to be under a lot of pressure lately and that, while Mrs. Evans was very private, the housekeeper had confided that she was having trouble with her husband.

Mrs. Louise Waites, a neighbor across the street, said she happened to be watering her plants in the window when she looked up and saw a man storming out of the Thompson house around the time of the murder. She later identified that man as Mr. Henry Evans, the victim’s husband. Mrs. Waites said she also saw a man she recognized as a local handyman entering the house earlier in the day. She said she did not see him leave.

The Suspects

Mildred Evans' husband, Henry, in his late fifties and once a steady factory worker, had fallen on hard times after losing his job defending a co-worker from an abusive supervisor. Labeled as “unruly and disrespectful,” he’d been struggling for more than a year to find work.

Neighbors described him as a proud man, one who refused to do “menial labor” or accept hand-outs. He generally had a quiet demeanor but was said to lash out in frustration and had, of late, turned to drink.

Mr. Evans was heard arguing with the victim two days before her death, and a neighbor believed she saw him slam out of the Thompson house around the time of the murder. His fingerprints did not match those on the pieces of the letter stuffed into the victim’s mouth.

He said he was out walking when the crime occurred but had no one to confirm his alibi. He told investigators: “I would never harm her. We argued, yes, but when I left her, she was alive.”

The Evans’ troubled son, Thomas, also drew scrutiny. In his early thirties, he’d been battling addiction for several years. Once a promising student, his life had taken a dark turn after he fell in with the wrong crowd.

His addiction led him to make poor choices, including stealing from his mother and knocking her unconscious when she confronted him. He displayed deep remorse for the pain he’d caused her and said he’d been trying to get clean. However, they’d repeatedly argued over his future and his recent requests for money.

Drug paraphernalia and the pawn shop ticket suggested he might have again resorted to stealing from her. His fingerprints did not match those on the letter. He said he was at home alone at the time of the crime: “My mother was everything to me. I was angry, but I’d never hurt her.”

Mrs. Thompson’s handyman, Jasper Collins, was a handsome man in his early thirties, with an athletic build and a charming smile that made him popular with lonely, wealthy women. He came across as laid-back but had a temper that flared when he was cornered. After serving time for seducing and blackmailing women in the South, he’d headed to New York City.

He worked for several wealthy families along Millionaire's Row, but Mrs. Thompson eventually became his most regular employer, summoning him to her townhouse several times a week. Though he had a steady income, reports suggested that he wasn’t satisfied. Some said he had resumed his habit of cozying up to wealthy women and exploiting their vulnerability.

Police learned that Mrs. Evans, who worked closely with Mr. Collins in the Thompson household, had recently grown wary of him, possibly after learning about his past. If she’d confronted him or threatened to expose him, he would’ve had a strong motive to silence her.

His work as a handyman had so damaged his fingertips that they were smooth, making fingerprinting difficult. His presence at the Thompson house on the day of the murder and the discovery of his screwdriver near the body made him a prime suspect. Associates confirmed Collins’ claim that he was shooting pool with them at the time of the murder, but police suspect the alibi was paid for.

“I’m a changed man,” Collins said, “And I liked Mrs. Evans. She was a Christian woman. We used to read the Bible together. I must’ve forgotten the screwdriver when I stopped by the house to do some electrical repairs the day before the murder.”

A Chilling Mystery

The facts of the case present more questions than answers, and the killer's identity remains a chilling mystery. We invite you, our sharp-eyed readers, to delve into the clues and weigh the evidence alongside the investigators. Could it be one of the suspects we know, or is there a darker secret yet to be revealed?

Step into the shoes of a detective. Share your theories and insights on this troubling case. Who do you believe is the culprit, and why? Join the discussion and help us bring justice to Mrs. Evans and those who cared for her. Your input might be the key to unraveling this enigma. Stay tuned for further updates as the investigation progresses.

Yours in pursuit of the truth,

Lanie Price
Society Reporter for The Harlem Chronicle
23 August 1925

(Note: This case is a work of fiction and the characters involved are entirely imaginary.)

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