Joseph Bowne Elwell

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Joseph Bowne Elwell
Born 1874
Died 11 June 1920
New York City, NY
Nationality U.S.A.
Occupation Writer
Spouse(s) Helen Derby

Joseph Bowne Elwell (1874–1920), was a popular author of books on Contract bridge, a sought-after tutor, and successful player of the game, most famous for having been the victim of an unsolved murder.

Elwell was the son of Joseph E. Elwell, attended Phillips Academy, Andover, and engaged in a short career as an insurance agent as a teenager. He learned the game in the course of establishing a young men's club in church, where playing was one of the popular activities. His fascination with it took over his life.[1]

Elwell married Helen Derby, who also liked the game, and who was socially well-connected, her cousin Richard Derby having married Ethel Roosevelt.[2] Elwell's other social connections included his bridge partner Harold Stirling Vanderbilt.[3] These social connections provided Elwell with affluent students and gambling opportunities. Elwell ultimately became wealthy enough to own property in Palm Beach, 20 horses, 5 cars, and a yacht.[1] He also took a fancy to some of his female students and acquaintances and developed a reputation as a womanizer.[4] By 1916 his wife took their son Richard and filed for separation, and by 1920 was negotiating a divorce.[1]

In the dark of early morning on 11 June 1920 Elwell was murdered with a gunshot to the head by a .45 automatic in his locked house. The murder has never been solved. A 1921 confession was determined to be the false utterance of a deranged man.[1] This classic "locked room" murder was the inspiration for Van Dine's The Benson Murder Case. The case generated considerable publicity: the New York Times covered it almost daily from until the end of July; the Chicago Tribune published 18 articles, and the Los Angeles Times 12 articles.[3]

Works

  • Advanced bridge; the higher principles of the game analysed and explained, and their application illustrated, by hands taken from actual play (1904)
  • The analysis and complete play of the bridge tournament hands : Evening Telegram (1904)
  • Bridge, its principles & rules of play (1906)
  • Practical bridge a complete and thorough course of in the game, with over 100 illustrative hands (1908)
  • The principles, rules, and laws of auction bridge (1910)
  • The principles, rules and laws of auction bridge stated, explained (1911)
  • Auction bridge to date (1912)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Katz, Helena. Cold Cases: famous unsolved mysteries, crimes, and disappearances in America. ABC-CLIO. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-313-37692-4. 
  2. ↑ Sterling, Hank (2006). Ten Perfect Crimes. Kessinger. p. 79. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Van Dover, J. K. (2010). Making the Detective Story American: Biggers, Van Dine and Hammett and the turning point of the genre, 1925-1930. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-4895-1. 
  4. ↑ McNamara, Joseph (2000). The Justice Story. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-58261-285-0. 

Further reading

  • Goodman, Jonathan (1987) The Slaying of Joseph Bowne Elwell. London: Harrap

External links


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