Addie Gilmour was one of six children born to Irish-Canadian immigrants; John H. Gilmour, who worked as a shoemaker and County Assessor, and Elizabeth, a well known dressmaker who worked along side her own twin sister in Colusa, California. Twins ran in the family and Addie also had a twin sister, Emma. Addie and her friend, Laura Allen, were well known for hat and dress making. Addie and Lauren would often make trips to and from San Francisco for their business.

In June of 1892 on one such trip to San Francisco, Addie met John McGrury "Little Jack" on the train. They began a correspondence which turned to a romance and an engagement. Addie found herself pregnant and couldn't bring herself to tell her parents because she knew they would disapprove of his bartending career. She wrote Jack to inform him that he was going to be a father and coldly got no response. She eventually confided in her twin sister that she was going to San Francisco to obtain an abortion to salvage her life.

Laura Allen, had prearranged to meet Addie in San Francisco on September 2nd, but actually arrived on the 12th after not hearing from Addie. Laura came to San Francisco to search for Addie, and upon hearing she had left her room at the Elmer House a few days before, she sent a message to Addie’s family because of her concern that something was not right.

The family visited, Dr. Eugene F. West, whom Addie had written that she was seeing for an operation. West admitted that Addie had died due to complications for an operation and that he had given her body to medical students. John Gilmour took this to the police, who already knew West from a similar incident in July in which a girl died after an operation. The police went to arrest him for Addie’s murder, but he had disappeared, only to be found a few days later following a manhunt. Dr. Eugene F. West was charged with murder and housed in city prison.

Soon an investigation into all of Dr. West’s known associates narrowed down two witnesses; Annie Staley, who nursed Addie while she was in the care of Dr. West and May Howard, who was present at his office during initial questioning. Howard said that she saw Addie on the Oakland ferry threatening suicide, but later recanted the statement saying that Dr. West had asked her to tell the police that story. Five days after he was arrested and just one day after Annie Staley was arrested, with the help of his lawyers, Dr. West married Staley to keep her from testifying against him.

On September 14th, 1893 around 3 pm a woman’s severed head found neatly encased in wire netting. It was found 1 mile East of Lime Point, just north of San Francisco at the Government Tidewater Building. The Woman’s head had remnants of dark hair and they theorized it belonged to a woman about 20 years with no recognizable facial characteristics due to being crushed. Eventually she was identified by close friends and relatives from a scar on her face that had gone to the bone. She was also identified by her dentist.

On September 17, 1893 the upper breast portion and below waist remnants of a woman’s body were found at the Long Wharf in Oakland, California. Then on September 20th, 1893, more remains wash up at the Oakland Mole: part of the lungs, trachea and part of back/ribs, which showed saw marks from a skilled surgeon, done with great care. On September 27th, 1893, young Lloyd Hughes and Eddie Menzies spotted a 5 gallon coal tin bobbing in the water while swimming in the Oakland creek. The can contained the remaining parts of Addie Gilmour. The contents of the can were two thighs, two legs, a foot and two arms with the hands attached. Emma Gilmour, Addie’s Twin, positively identified the hat pins, buttons and purse found in the can as belonging to her sister

Additional remains were eventually found; and some of the the remains were buried at an unmarked grave at Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery and her head and some other body parts in her home town of Colusa with a very large funeral procession

The first trial of Dr. West Ended in a guilty verdict, with imprisonment for 25 years, but his lawyer helped him escape to Mexico. An appeal was later taken to the Supreme Court where Dr. West was acquitted of all wrong doing. The tragedy seemed to destroy the Gilmour’s with Addie’s family dying off with no known descendants and her father eventually committing suicide.

John Gilmour of Colusa, the father of the unfortunate Addie R. Gilmour, the young woman who was cut to pieces and cast into the bay, paid a visit to Oakland yesterday.

His errand was a sad one. He called on Coroner Evers with the request that the official send the fragments of the daughter's body found on this side of the bay to Colusa for burial.

The poor old father appeared bent and broken with grief from the events of the past few weeks. Yesterday morning the portions of the remains which had been buried in Mountain View Cemetery were disinterred by the Coroner's assistants and brought to the Morgue, where they were placed in a handsome rosewood casket. The head will be brought from San Rafael and placed in the casket and today the body will be shipped to Colusa. *Source- The morning call, October 01, 1893, Page 6

1870 Colusa City, Colusa, California
John Gilmere Male 33 Canada
Elizabeth Gilmere Female 29 Canada
William C Gilmere Male 10 Canada
Luke J B Gilmere Male 8 Canada
Ada Gilmere Female 6 Canada
Emma Gilmere Female 6 Canada
Mercilla Gilmere Female 4 Canada
Clifford Gilmere Male 1 Canada

1880 Colusa City, Colusa, California
John Gilmore Self Male 43 Canada (boot maker)
Elizabeth Gilmore Wife Female 39 Canada
William C Gilmore Son Male 20 Canada
Luke J Gilmore Son Male 18 Canada
Ema P Gilmore Daughter Female 15 Canada
Ada R Gilmore Daughter Female 15 Canada
Mercella Gilmore Daughter Female 13 Canada
Cliford Gilmore Son Male 11 Canada
Mrs K Kearns Other Female 19 California

1910 Colusa, Colusa, California
John Gilmore Head Male 74 Canada
Luke J Gilmore Son Male 48 Canada