Grace Sims (born September 21, 1886), Brickel Ridge, Tennessee.
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EXCERPT (Article 1 of 3): “Mowery’s family is astonishing in
several ways. Not only was her grandmother incredibly resourceful and
resilient, she was also a serial killer. Along with slaughtering pigs, her main
source of income, she desperately slaughtered man after man, sometimes for the
money in their pocket and often through the allure of love and sex. In her
mind, she was simply doing what she thought she had to do to keep her farm
financially viable so she could leave it upon her death to her three sons.”
[Jill Zima Borski, Book review: “‘Tragedy in Tin Can Holler:’ A Terrifying True Tale,” keynews.com (Key West, Fl.), Sep. 11, 2011]
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EXCERPT (Article 2 of 3): “In the early 20th century, Grace
Sims was known for her exploits. She had several children by married men, sent
for mail-order husbands who mysteriously disappeared once she had their money
and hired vagabonds who were never seen again after working on her hog farm,
according to legend. She never served time for her suspected serial killings,
but she was imprisoned for mail fraud over the mail-order husbands.” [“Meigs gets Grace Sims’
prison quilt,” Chatanooga Times Free Press (Tn.), Mar. 12, 2009
***
EXCERPT (Article 3 of 3): “As Grace approached her late teen
years she became very rebellious and began drinking. On one occasion she was
seen drunk, riding her mule through the city of Decatur wearing only her gun
and holster belt around her waist. In 1905, when Grace was 19 years old, she
met Cleveland Smith, a married man. She could always get moonshine from him.
They became drinking buddies and partners in crime. She and Cleveland Smith
were arrested numerous times for trespassing, public drunkenness, carrying a
pistol, public profanity, manufacturing moonshine, and lewdness. Lewdness
during that time period was unmarried couples living together. Grace never
served any jail time in Meigs County. She only had to pay the fines.” [Rosetta
Mowery, from Chapter 2, Tragedy in Tin Can Holler, 2007 (rev. 2009), Global
Authors]
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Grace Sims’ Mail Fraud Convictions
FULL TEXT: Convicted Friday [Nov. 21] afternoon of using the
United States mails to defraud, Grace V. Sims, of Meigs county, will be
sentenced by Judge I. T. Sanford in federal court Monday morning. The jury
returned a verdict of guilty in eight of the nine counts in the indictment
against the defendant. She was found not guilty in the first count, which
charged that there was a conspiracy between her and her father, T. H. Sims to
defraud merchants over the country.
Grace Sims is 19 years old, has lived in Meigs county
practically all her life, and on the witness stand claimed that she was the
mother of four children by J. M. Mowery, with whom she said she lived for about
nine years, passing as his wife and looking after his business. Practically the
only admission Mowery made was that he had improper relations with Grace Sims.
He denied that he ever authorized her to order goods and sign checks in payment
for same in his name.
One of the woman’s children is dead. The other three were
present in court Saturday morning with her aged father. They are all small, the
youngest being about 18 months old and still nursing, it was stated.
~ Suits Pending. ~
J. H. Daly, counsel for the woman, suggested that the woman,
after being sentenced, be held in the Hamilton county jail temporarily, as it
will be necessary for her to appear as a witness with the case of her father
stated that his client has two damage suits which are pending in Meigs county,
one for $2,000 and another for a smaller amount. One of the suits is set for
trial in December.
In regard to Grace Sims’ youngest child, District Attorney
W. T. Kennerly said that after the defendant’s arrest this child was taken by
the police matron, Mrs. Rachael Marshall, and placed in a home and was in good
circumstances when the mother repossessed it after she made bond some time
later.
The three children were turned over to the police matron for
the time being.
Attorney Daly asked that the forfeiture against T. H. Sims,
also charged with violating the postal laws, be set aside. When Sims’ case was
called two days ago it was stated that he was absent because of sickness. Sims
was arraigned and entered a plea of not guilty. The district attorney objected
to the setting aside of the forfeiture, explaining that the government had had
trouble in that connection since the beginning of the case. He announced that
Sims would go to trial at the next term of court and asked that a bench warrant
be issued and the defendant taken in custody and required to make bond in the
sum of $1,000.
[“Grace Sims Is Found Guilty – Will Be Sentenced Monday on
Charge of Using Mails to Defraud.” The Chattanooga News (Tn.), Nov. 22, 1919,
p. 1]
FULL TEXT: Convicted in United States district last Friday
of using the mails to defraud, Grace V/ Sims, of Meigs county, was sentenced by
Judge E. T. Sanford, in federal court Monday afternoon to eighteen months in
the penitentiary at Joliet, Ill. The jury found her guilty in eight of nine
counts in an indictment. She was found not guilty in the first count which
charged that there was a conspiracy between her and her aged father, T. H.
Sims, to defraud merchants over the country.
Attorney J. H. Daly represented the woman. At the time the
jury reported Judge Stanford postponed sentencing her until satisfactory
disposition could be made of her three children, the youngest of which is only
eighteen months old.
Grace Sims appeared very much broken in spirit, when the
court passed sentenced. District Attorney W. T. Kennerly paid high compliment
to be able manner in which Attorney Daly had looked after her case.
[“Long Sentence For Grace Sims – Is Given Eighteen Months in
Joliet Prison by Judge Sanford.” The Chattanooga News (Tn.), Nov. 24, 1919, p.
1]
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FULL TEXT: Love notes to men from California to
Massachusetts in which she complained of being “lonely,” and anxious to find a
‘true blue pal,” are copied in a Federal indictment here against Grace V. Sims,
gray-haired Decatur, Tenn., mother of two grown sons.
Uncle Sam’s post office inspectors charge that she was using
the mail to defraud. She is held under $1000 bond.
Three inspectors got hold of five letters to five different
men. In all of them she asks money with which to “come to you.”
Just how much she obtained is not known.
Here’s a copy of one of her letters to Fritz Hasching, 7
Baltic Lane, Fitesburg, Mass.
Assistant U. S. Attorney Doughty says it is a “come on”
letter, that is, just getting acquainted. She asked for money in the next
letter to him.
DEAR FRITZ: I saw your ad in a club paper. Description suits
me o. k. Here is mine. Age, 35, height five feet and five inches. Weight, 160
pounds. Dark blue eyes, dark brown hair, fair complexion. Am lonely, and would
like to meet a “True Blue pal.” I own 635 acres of land, and have a new house.
..… Dad is 75 years old. He made me a deed to my place, as I am an only child.
Here’s one to Louis Milner, Groom Creek Route, Prescott,
Ariz.
In this letter the love affair seems to have advanced to the
money stage:
DEAR PAL: Your letter came o. k. Was pleased to hear from
you. Am very busy trying to sell my peaches, getting 40 cents a bushel. And
have to haul them 16 to 20 miles and gasoline is 19 cents a gallon.
I have been selling around home, and taking work for fall.
That helps out.
I have worked so hard, thriving to get money, and I have my
fare, I leave Chattanooga, Tenn., to Chicago, then to Billings, Mont., thru the
parks to Cody, to Seattle, Wash., to Los Angeles, and we will meet there if you
wish, as I went to visit my friends and relatives there. We will come to your
place and arrange things and come home by way of Salt Lake City, Denver,
Colorado Springs.
Now we want to meet and not
make any blunders. I am asking a favor. Please send me $20 to help me out for
eats and spending money on the trains. I never saw times so hard as they are
here. Can’t get any money. Banks are closing, and people are starving.
Please send me the $20.
Your pal, CRACE V. SIMS.
Mr. Doughty said she didn’t
make the trip. She got the $20, tho, according to Postoffice Inspector Wooten
of Chattanooga.
At the same time she was
sending these combination love-business notes to Milner, she was in
correspondence with Sam Johnson, Route 1, Geyser, Mont.
To 18 months
It seems that this affair,
also, had advanced to the $20 stage.
DEAR PAL: I’m thru. I gave my
peaches away to the poor. …. Please send
me the $20, and I will be ready to rioll the last of next week. I hate to ask,
but I’m short.
I bought a new suit case, a
new hat, new shoes and some new dresses. They cost me over $100. Ticket, round
trip, cost $130. I am all fixed. Rush letter, and put $20 in it. Don’t fall.
Mail at once. Time short.
Your pal, MISS GRACE V. Sims.
U. S. records here show Mrs.
Sims was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison in Missouri ten years ago for
using the mails to defraud.
Post Office Inspector Wooten
said two or three years ago one of Mrs. Sims’ swains. Hector Saabe, Detroit
mechanic, turned the traveling around and came to see Mrs. Sims “down in
Tennessee.”
Mr. Saabe is said to have
hot-footed it back home on the next train after losing $800 to some “men
friends” of Mrs. Sims at Decatur.
Mr. Saabe later filed a
$50,000 breach of promise suit against her. What disposition came of this is
not known.
Attorney Doughty says Mrs.
Soms actually does own two farms in Meigs county.
Her case on the indictment
obtained by Post Office inspectors is to come up at the October term of court.
[“Charge Decatur Woman ‘Gypped’ Males by Mail - Police Officers
Reveal ‘Come On’ Letters Alleged To Have Been Written by Mrs. Grace Sims; Say
She Asked Money From Prospective Lovers.” The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tn.),
Jun. 28, 1933, p. 1]
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FULL TEXT: Chattanooga, May 2. – Mrs. Grace V. Sims, 48, was
under conviction in federal court today on a charge of using the mails to
defraud in a matrimonial scheme.
She was alleged to have obtained money from men to pay her
traveling expenses to their homes after she had become engaged to them through
a matrimonial bureau.
Convicted on five counts, Mrs. Sims was sentenced to five
years on each of two charges, the sentence to run concurrently. Upon her
release from the penitentiary she will be placed on parole for five years, and
if this is violated she will be imprisoned for an additional 10 years, the
court ruled yesterday.
Mrs. Sims testified she arranged to go west and obtained
money from men in good faith. She said she was to have met one in Butte, Mont.,
another in Arizona and a third in California, and planned to marry one of them.
Illness prevented her from making the trip, she testified.
Mrs. Sims lives on a farm in Meigs county.
[“Grace Sims Found Guilty On Scheme – Charged With Attempt
to Use Mails to Defraud in Marriage Scheme,” The Kingsport Times (T.), May 2,
1934, p. 2]
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CHRONOLOGY (in progress)
Sep. 1919 – Sims arrested
by Post Office Inspectors.
Nov. 21, 1919 – sims, 19, convicted of nine counts of mail
fraud.
Nov. 24, 1919 – sentenced to 18 months in Joliet Prison.
Jun. 27, 1933 – charged, released on bond.
May 2, 1934 – indicted on five charges; found guilty of 2;
sentenced to 2 concurrent 5-year prison terms.
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For links to other cases of woman who murdered 2 or more husbands (or paramours), see Black Widow Serial Killers.
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[3421-1/3/2021]
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