Gwendolyn Harriet Burrows
b. April 9, 1890 Grass Valley, Ca. d. June 9, 1907 Los Angeles, Ca.
Colorized picture using Ancestry.com edit feature.
18 November 1903 The Morning Union Grass Valley, Ca.
Gwendolyn's budding stage presence was noted during the Episcopal Bazaar that evening. She had a beautiful singing voice and sang in the choir of the Pro-Cathedral on Olive Street in Los Angeles at the time of her death. Despite offers from a number of theatrical managers to go on stage in Los Angeles, her widowed mother (Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows) resolutely refused the tempting offers for her daughter.
Old St. Paul's Cathedral, located at the present site of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles (Olive Street). Photo: Archives of the Diocese of Los Angeles. This was an Episcopalian Church, built in 1883.
I last posted about Gwendolyn Burrows way back on 8/22/21 detailing her short life and tragic death in a railway car accident in Eagle Rock, California on June 9th of 1907. At that time, I had very little information on what happened after the accident. The driver John Harris went on trial in October of 1907 for causing two deaths on that evening. What was the outcome of the trial? Who was held responsible? Was there compensation paid to the family?
Newspapers.com recently had another free weekend, which I happily used to look for more details to help tell the rest of Gwendolyn's story. I was able to access more articles from Los Angeles newspapers that added to the newspaper clippings my Great Grandmother kept, and I was able to piece together what happened during and after the trial.
My Great Grandmother Vere Burrows Hansen was deeply affected by her younger sister's death, as was the rest of her family. Just three years prior their father Alexander Burrows had committed suicide in San Francisco. My Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows and Gwendolyn had moved to Los Angeles to be closer to daughter Maud and her family sometime between 1904 and 1907. Gwendolyn was supporting her mother.
Cause of Death
13 June 1907 Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Evening Post-Record 12 June 1907 page 7
Newspapers.com
The coroner's jury found John Harris, the motorman, responsible for the accident just 3 days after the incident. He was not found criminally responsible at that time, and a warrant for his arrest was not issued by the district attorney who was not present at the inquest. It appears there was some interesting goings on between the District Attorney and the Coroner's Jury in Los Angeles County in 1907....
Los Angeles Times 12 June 1907 page 13
Newspapers.com
Los Angeles Evening Post-Record 14 June 1907 page 4
Newspapers.com
John Harris was charged several days later with manslaughter and spent the next few months in the county jail. During the summer, a monetary settlement appears to have been reached with the family. Elizabeth Jane Burrows was a lawyer in her earlier years (although there is no evidence that she practiced law as her husband Alexander did) and clearly had the skills and force to threaten a lawsuit against the rail company (or knew of resources to help her do so). The company evaded a lawsuit by settling for $3,000. There are no other records or family history to corroborate this article. Elizabeth Jane did purchase property in Santa Rosa Farms, East Oakland, in 1909. Perhaps she used some of the settlement money to acquire this property.
The Morning Union 25 July 1907
Newspapers.com
This next article was in the original post of 8/22/21 and was found in the papers kept by Vere Hansen. John Harris went on trial October 2 of 1907.
And the verdict......
Los Angeles Herald 10 October 1907 page 12
Newspapers.com
One wonders how John Harris lived the rest of his life. His draft card from 1942 gives some information...he was still employed by the Los Angeles Railway Corporation. He died in 1978 at the age of 88 years and was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. It strikes me that he and Gwendolyn were very close in age. That day changed both of their lives.
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 for John Harris. Ancestry.com
Gwendolyn Harriet Burrows was buried in the Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Relationship Reference:
Me----> Margaret Hansen Boothby ----> Harold Hansen----> Clara Vere Burrows Hansen (older sister to Gwendolyn Burrows) ---->
Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows m. Alexander Burrows
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