Marshall Field, Jr., heir to the department store fortune and holder of the most famous name in Chicago history, died here at his home of a gunshot wound on November 22, 1905. Who fired the shot? There are three theories.
The official inquest concluded that Field had accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun. Practically everyone saw this as an unlikely story from the start.
A number of witnesses claim that Field was a guest of the famous Everleigh Club brothel that evening, and was shot during foreplay with one of the residents. Fearing public embarrassment, he asked to be driven home, where his wounds proved more serious than expected. However, some of these supposed witnesses cannot be considered reliable, as they stood to benefit from selling their stories to the press.
A third theory -- and possibly the most likely -- is that, regardless of whether Field was at the Everleigh Club that evening or not, he was severely depressed and committed suicide in his bedroom. On the other hand, no suicide note was ever discovered, although it is possible that a note may have been suppressed by his powerful family to avoid embarrassment.
Field's mansion on S. Prairie Avenue still stands, and is currently being renovated into a six-flat condominium. It's not clear whether buyers would find Field's history a positive attribute in a home, but the developer certainly seems to be making it a keystone of the advertising campaign.
Actually, although he was shot on November 22, Marshall Field, Jr died on November 27, 1905.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading every book I could find written by newsmen of the day, it is my opinion that he was shot while gambling at the Everleigh club. The sisters banned gambling immediately after his death. The whores at that place were carefully vetted by the sisters and they wouldn't employ a girl nutty enough to do that. But if Field was cheating at cards, a wealthy, big ego man who could afford to go there would get that mad and be carrying a gun.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about everyone else, but I quite enjoy the fact that he was shot in the house I live in. I move things around to screw with my parents and make them believe it's a ghost.
ReplyDeleteMy great grandmother was his housekeeper and was home that night...
ReplyDeleteDid your great grandmother say whether or not Mr. Field was already wounded when he entered the house? Also, if he entered the house with his injury - was it inflicted by an Everleigh "butterfly," or by another patron?
DeleteTo Chicago girl....what was your great grandmothers story??
ReplyDeleteWent all around that house in the late 70's as a prospective "buyer". It was for sale for years then and the realator was angry thatshe couldn't sell it. I believe it was an ex-retirement home then: you could see how the big rooms were all split up. No one wanted to live behind the R.R. Donnelly printing behemoth.
ReplyDeleteI’ve done some genealogy and it was indeed a retirement/nursing home. I have since learned I had a great Uncle who lived there and other relatives who visited him there described it as a creepy place...
ReplyDeleteLos Angeles Sunday Times on November 23, 1913 gives an account from the woman who claims to have shot Marshall Field , Jr. after an unacceptable sexual encounter. Check out Vera's story.
ReplyDeleteI am reading Sin in the Second City now. I think he did get shot somewhere he shouldnt have been. I think he was shot in the stomach. not a good place for an easy suicide. I would have loved to have seen the interiors of the marshal field mansion before it was turned to generic boxes. The everleigh club old pics make it look amazing.
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