Bloodshed at Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Love Cottage”
The official cause of death ― “killed by a Negro,” Aug. 15, 1914
Wright, the famed architect, was not at home when a hatchet-wielding employee murdered seven people and set fire to the house he had built for his mistress.
The killer was Julian Carlton, a 30-year-old man described variously as a chef, cook, butler and/or handyman on the property. His wife, Gertrude, also worked in the home, and he told her to leave the property before he picked up his weapon. He used a hand ax — also called a slinging hatchet which he struck several victims in the head and face with, killing them instantly. The others were struck with the ax as well, but died from injuries sustained from a fire Carlton set igniting gasoline in the dining room as they ate lunch.
Carlton was Black, and his race dominated headlines and was a lightning rod for local outrage. (A gathering group of people threatened to lynch Carlton before the sheriff intervened.) It even received a mention in the official cause of death for three victims ― “killed by a Negro,”
Regarding motivation, both among historians and in contemporary reporting, it seems to be retaliation for a racist confrontation is one of several theories put forth to explain Carlton’s murderous rampage. Several days before the massacre, Carlton was reportedly humiliated when Brodelle, another Wright employee, called him a “Black son of a bitch” — perhaps a sanitized reporting of a racial slur — after Carlton refused his order to saddle his horse.
Vengeance for another reason has also been suggested: Aug. 15 was the Carltons’ last day of work at the estate. Whether Carlton was fired or chose to depart is unknown, but historians have found evidence that the couple may have already planned to leave.
In a blog post about the fire, Wright historian Keiran Murphy casts doubt on other possible scenarios: that Wright had hired someone to kill Borthwick, that it was a mob hit, or that Carlton was so scandalized by Wright’s extramarital relationship that he was acting as a sort of avenging angel.
Historians like Drennan and Hendrickson believe that while the confrontation with Brodelle might have been a precipitating factor in the murders, Carlton — who had previously shown signs of paranoia — was more likely suffering from some kind of mental illness or breakdown.
The official cause of death ― “killed by a Negro,” Aug. 15, 1914
Wright, the famed architect, was not at home when a hatchet-wielding employee murdered seven people and set fire to the house he had built for his mistress.
The killer was Julian Carlton, a 30-year-old man described variously as a chef, cook, butler and/or handyman on the property. His wife, Gertrude, also worked in the home, and he told her to leave the property before he picked up his weapon. He used a hand ax — also called a slinging hatchet which he struck several victims in the head and face with, killing them instantly. The others were struck with the ax as well, but died from injuries sustained from a fire Carlton set igniting gasoline in the dining room as they ate lunch.
Carlton was Black, and his race dominated headlines and was a lightning rod for local outrage. (A gathering group of people threatened to lynch Carlton before the sheriff intervened.) It even received a mention in the official cause of death for three victims ― “killed by a Negro,”
Regarding motivation, both among historians and in contemporary reporting, it seems to be retaliation for a racist confrontation is one of several theories put forth to explain Carlton’s murderous rampage. Several days before the massacre, Carlton was reportedly humiliated when Brodelle, another Wright employee, called him a “Black son of a bitch” — perhaps a sanitized reporting of a racial slur — after Carlton refused his order to saddle his horse.
Vengeance for another reason has also been suggested: Aug. 15 was the Carltons’ last day of work at the estate. Whether Carlton was fired or chose to depart is unknown, but historians have found evidence that the couple may have already planned to leave.
In a blog post about the fire, Wright historian Keiran Murphy casts doubt on other possible scenarios: that Wright had hired someone to kill Borthwick, that it was a mob hit, or that Carlton was so scandalized by Wright’s extramarital relationship that he was acting as a sort of avenging angel.
Historians like Drennan and Hendrickson believe that while the confrontation with Brodelle might have been a precipitating factor in the murders, Carlton — who had previously shown signs of paranoia — was more likely suffering from some kind of mental illness or breakdown.
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