Joseph Walter Andrew (Gilliam) Watson (abt. 1871 - 1939)

Born about 3 Jul 1871 in Paris, Logan, Arkansas, United States [uncertain]

Husband of Alice Marie (Ludvigsen) Hilton — married 6 Oct 1917 in Port Townsend, Washington, United States

Husband of Katherine (Merkley) Cramer — married 31 Oct 1917 in Kootenai, Idaho, United States

Husband of Agnes Wilson — married 19 Sep 1918 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Husband of Eleanor (Davis) Holden — married 1919 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Husband of Beatrice Maud (Schollar) Lewis — married 5 Feb 1919 in Pierce, Washington, United States

Husband of Elizabeth (Prior) Lewis — married 25 Mar 1919 (to 25 Mar 1919) in Kootenai, Idaho, United States

Husband of Anna Bertha (Goodnick) Gordon — married 11 Jun 1919 in Yakima, Washington

Husband of Elizabeth F. (Williamson) Lewis — married 28 Aug 1919 (to 1924) in Davenport, Lincoln, Washington, United States

Husband of Kathryn Ursula (Wombacher) Prebyl — married 8 Nov 1919 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Husband of Nina (Jackson) Harvey — married 5 Dec 1919 (to 26 Jan 1920) in San Francisco, California, United States

Died 16 Oct 1939 at about age 68 in San Quentin, Marin County, California

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kristina Wheeler [send private message]

Biography

Christened Charles Gillam. His father left when he was nine. His mother remarried to a man named Olden, possibly Joseph. He ran away from home whan he was 12.

Also known as

• Walter Andrew Watson
• Charles Newton Harvey
• James R. Hilton-Huirt
• William B. Huirt.
• Milton Lewis
• Harry Lewis
• Andrew Hilton
• James M. Cramer

In 1920, he was living in Sacramento, CA under the name "Harry Lewis" with one of his wives, Elizabeth, and his six-year-old stepdaughter, Jane, at 1231 N Street. He claimed to work in the banking industry. ^[1]

A partial list of wives that Watson confessed murdering includes:

• Nina Lee Deloney, of Eureka, Montana, married in San Francisco, Dec. 5, 1919, struck on the head with a hammer and smothered in a blanket at Signal Hill, Los Angeles County, on Jan. 26, 1920; Proven existance newspaper article transcription gives enough info to start

• Elizabeth Prior, of Wallace, Idaho, married Mar. 25, 1919, at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Her skull was crushed with a sledge hammer. and body was burned near Plum Station, Wash. Married under the name of Milton Lewis 'Proven Existance, basic profile written

• Alice Ludvigon of Seattle, married at Port Townsend, Wash., Oct. 6, 1917, and drowned under logs in the St. Joe River near Spokane; He married her under the name of Andrew Hilton Proven Existance, basic profile written

• Bertha A. Goodnick (or Goodrich) of Spokane, married at North Yakima, Wash., June 11, 1919, and drowned in Lake Washington, Seattle.; Proven Existance, basic profile written

• Agnes Wilson of Edmonton, Alta., married at Vancouver, Sept. 19, 1918, and drowned in Lake Washington; Proven existance basic profile written

• Beatrice Schollar Andrewartha, of Rossland, B.C., married her using the name of Harry Lewis on the 5th of Feb 1919 in Pierce, Washington^[2] and drowned in Lake Washington; Proven existance, basic profile written

• Eleanor Fraser of Calgary, Alta., married in Seattle in 1919, and thrown into the Spokane River where, according to Watson, she was carried over the falls and crushed on the rocks below; Seeking Evidence of her needs profile

• Marie Austin of Calgary, who was beaten with a rock and drowned in Lake Coeur d’Alene; Seeking Evidence of her basic research notes made

• Mrs. M.A. Watt of Winnipeg, who was drowned in Lake Coeur d’Alene; Seeking Evidence of her needs profile

• Katherine Kruse, married at Nelson, B.C., and, at the time of the trial, was said to be living in Salem, Oregon.Need to create profile

• Gertrude Wilson - married under the name of J.P Watson in Seatle in 1917, she was a widow and young by Need to create profile

• Helen Gordon before 1912 Need to create profile

• Elizabeth Williamson Lewis - May 1924 annuled Seeking Evidence of her needs profile

• Kathryn Wombacher - Seattle Nov 1919 - under the name of Walter Andrew - Proven Existance basic profile written

• first Wife - Marie Hollingsworth - Kansas 1903 - as himself - ended in divorce need to create profile

• Second Wife - Olive Green need to create profile

• Alice Freeman - 2 years need to create profile

• Cora macy need to create profile

• Katherine Katie Merkley Cramer Proven Existance

need to write basic profile

Death

He died on the 16 Oct 1939 in San Quentin, California and is buried in the San Quentin Prison Cemetery in San Rafale, California^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
2. ↑ Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 marriage certificate #63063
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #112945633 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 18 January 2021), memorial page for James P. “Bluebeard” Watson (3 Jul 1871–16 Oct 1939), Find a Grave Memorial no. 112945633, citing San Quentin Prison Cemetery, San Rafael, Marin County, California, USA ; Maintained by HWA (contributor 46565033) .

• https://www.kimberleybulletin.com/opinion/the-horrifying-marriage-career-of-james-bluebeard-watson/
• Find A Grave: Memorial #112945633
• Dowd, Katie, (4 October 2019). "'Object, matrimony': The forgotten tale of the West Coast's first serial bride killer". SFGate. Retrieved on 2 December 2019.
• "James B. Watson | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers". murderpedia.org. Retrieved on 2 December 2019.
• American Bluebeard: Lies and Dead Wives Alene Lorraine Burnett-Reaugh printed 2020