Jilted: The Della Artin Story
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| Della Artin |
John and Della Artin lived in Granville, Massachusetts, with their five children. The small Artin farm served as a lodging house for the workmen of the new Springfield waterworks at nearby Borden Brook.
John started displaying symptoms of insanity in 1908. In June, he attempted to kill himself by drinking carbolic acid; this led to a short stint in the Northampton State Hospital.
Authorities deemed his condition improved, and they released him from the asylum sometime around October; gross overcrowding may have played a part in their decision as the hospital was a dumping ground for the poor, elderly, and homeless.
John had a bit of a jealous streak, something the workers said was without reason. But John saw otherwise, having found some letters he thought more than justified his suspicions. On the evening of December 3, he complained bitterly about Della's conduct to Officer Maloney, sharing his supposed evidence with the lawman who said he was powerless to act.
Della did not notice John enter the kitchen where she was busy working on December 4. As she bent over a basket of clothes, John fired a shot into her in the back, killing her instantly in full view of their children. He then went outside and turned the gun on himself, blowing off his bottom jaw. His injuries proved fatal. He died about twelve hours later in Noble Hospital.
Authorities removed their bodies to the undertaking rooms at Lambson Furniture Company in Westfield, followed by burial in St. Mary's Cemetery on December 8.
Granville selectmen sold off the Artin's pigs, ducks, and chickens, a controversial move that led residents to question whether elected officials could legally perform such action; they also accused town leaders of selling the livestock for less than market value.
Della's father picked up the orphaned children and took them back to Ohio with him on December 9; unable to care for them himself, they were likely placed in institutions or provided for in some other manner.
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| Della Artin's Death Record |
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Edited Out/Author's Notes
In 1910, Borden Brook Reservoir in Granville became the main water supply for the City of Springfield— the newly constructed West Parish Filters Water Treatment Plant in Westfield treated the water.
The Artin's oldest child was a son from Della's first marriage to John Mikler. The pair wed on January 11, 1898. Della was a widow when she married John Artin in Ohio on January 28, 1901. He was about 25, and she was 20.
Della had a sister who apparently died under mysterious circumstances in Pennsylvania. Della's father accused John of living in Pennsylvania under an assumed name.
Before marrying John, Della operated a boarding house in Ohio.
A cousin who lived in Holyoke refused to get involved with the disposal of the Artin's bodies.
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