Well, finished reading the copies I made at the archives. Always enlightening but this time just a little sad. One of the documents that I copied was a report on Vivian Chase's funeral. At the end of the report there's an addendum detailing what happened the night she was killed.
Vivian and other members of her gang had finished a robbery. They decided to have a few drinks. Vivian said something to one of the men, Clarence Sparger, and he shot her then he ran away from the group. Evidently the remaining gang members took Vivian to St. Luke's Hospital. They left her inside the car at the hospital's parking lot. She died a couple of hours before anyone found her body.
There has always been speculation that Vivian was executed because of a double cross. The truth is it was a drunken quarrel.
8 comments:
So are you going to do a book on Vivian? She's a mystery to most of us and she certainly deserves it.
I love research...I also like to write but I've never tackled anything more than an essay! I just get obsessed with a topic and find out as much as I can about. I agree with you that Vivian would be a great subject, but she's a subject that's worthy of a larger talent than mine.
I'm not so sure about that. It could be a daunting project for sure but I've got a feeling there's an author inside you yearning to get out.
I love your blog. Maddog is right; you should write a book, or at the very least an "On the Spot" article, about Vivian Chase. Check out this link http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/
for Missouri death certificates. I think I found Vivian's parents in there: Alfred W. Davis died May 26, 1936, Sarah Elizabeth Davis died May 2, 1931, both in Greene County. If their obits appeared in the Springfield newspaper, that could tell you more about what they did, where they were from, etc.
Thanks!
We're planning on On the Spot issue for next year sometime themed around "Black Widows & Gun Gals" or somesuch (tho I may expand it to also include "Ladies of the Law" as well). You've turned up such wonderful info that would make a great article and Vivian is such a natural. So much of what's been written (including by me) has been based on that erroneous old detective mag article. Of course I don't want to compromise your research either if you have other plans for it, but I would welcome an article from you on Viv.
Thank you for the suggestion. The idea for that issue is great and I'd like Vivian to be included. I'll send you an email via On the Spot requesting the specifications for the article.
Sounds good.
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