Conimicut Shoal Lighthouse in Rhode Island
Murder-Suicide by Keeper’s Lonely Wife of Her Children at Conimicut Shoal Lighthouse in Rhode Island
In 1922, Ellsworth J. Smith was given the position of keeper at Conimicut Shoal Lighthouse. He and his young wife Nellie had been married six years by that time, and they had two children, one named Russel, who was two years old, and the older brother Robert, aged five. The lighthouse was in a more remote and rural setting than his previous station at Great Beds Light in New Jersey, with fewer opportunities for enjoying social activities. Keeper Ellsworth wanted the entire family to stay offshore at the lighthouse and work together as a family unit. This daily routine of maintaining the lighthouse and buildings did not fare well with the young mother, who longed to socialize with women her age on the mainland.
The weeks went by as Nellie constantly asked her husband to be allowed on shore, and he repeatedly reminded her of her duties at the lighthouse. She became depressed and begged him to let her leave, and even threatened to kill herself multiple times if he didn’t let her go. Smith refused her requests, possibly because of issues or jealousy he may have had concerning her much younger age than he, as she was only around 16 when they married, and he was 40. Nellie realized the isolation at the lighthouse was too much to bear and started planning to end her life and her children.
In the days before antibiotics, physicians used mercury bichloride to treat various diseases, notably syphilis. It was also used in a significantly diluted form for tonsillitis and as a medicine for other ailments. Three tablets, however, are enough to kill an adult, and in the early 20th century, most anyone could buy them at a pharmacy without a prescription. Keeper Smith had some of these pills in a medicine cabinet at the lighthouse.
Conimicut Lighthouse Rebuilt in 1883 with Platform and Keeper’s Quarters Inside (circa 1907)
On June 9, 1922, at around 10 a.m., Smith left for Conimicut Village for supplies as Nellie played with the children. When she observed the keeper out of site, she opened the medicine cabinet and took out some mercury bichloride tablets. Nellie told five-year-old Robert that she would bring his little brother to bed. She placed two-year-old Russell on her lap and gave him a tablet, telling Robert she was giving him a piece of candy and she would give him some when she came back down. She brought the toddler upstairs to his bedroom and laid him on his bed, and he soon fell back unconscious. Realizing her deeds were nearing their end, she returned downstairs and sat at the table with Robert. She gave him a couple of the tablets, telling him it was candy, as she took a few for herself and put her head down on the table. The young boy could not handle the bitter taste, and after trying to swallow the pills without success, he spat them out as he watched his mother slump into unconsciousness, thinking she was in a deep sleep. Meanwhile, he was starting to get stomach pains.
It was 4 p.m. when Keeper Smith returned to Conimicut Shoal Lighthouse with a boat full of supplies. He called out to his wife, but no one answered. He entered the house with two armloads of groceries into the kitchen and found Nellie and Robert at the table. His son was pale and looking too sick to talk. He called out to his wife but didn’t get any response. He put down the bags and shook her shoulder, then lifted her arm above her head, let it go, and watched it drop without resistance. He knew she was dead. Looking around the house for Russell, he finally ran upstairs to the bedroom and found the toddler in his bed; he had perished.
In a state of shock and grief, he ran downstairs to grab Robert, who was in agony from the poison. He immediately put his son in the dory and rowed the mile-long journey back to shore to find a doctor’s office to get aid. After an antidote was administered, the boy survived the ordeal and was taken to the home of the keeper’s sister to recuperate.
Meanwhile, Keeper Smith, always responsible for the lighthouse, notified the proper authorities why he had to abandon the lighthouse as the beacon stayed dark that night, and a warning was issued to mariners and those on shore in the vicinity. Keeper Smith would tell the authorities and reporters that his wife had repeatedly asked him to give up his post at the lighthouse, which he said he promised to do before the following winter. In the newspapers, Nellie’s age is given as thirty years old, which the keeper probably had reported purposely to avoid public scrutiny about her much younger age and give her peace. Nellie and Russel were quietly buried in a grave near East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Unable to return to the lighthouse daily and relive the incident, Keeper Ellsworth J. Smith retired from his position.
Conimicut Shoal Light – Digital Paintng
Epilogue and Hauntings
Since the tragedies, past keepers and Coast Guard personnel have reported weird occurrences at the lighthouse. Some have reported hearing a woman crying and a young child laughing when no one else was around. Others have reported that items and tools have been moved from their original locations.
Books to Explore
The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships
The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships: Stories of the Six and Seven-Masted Coal Schooners of New England. In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms. These giants were the ten original six-masted coal schooners and one colossal seven-masted vessel, built to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies and measured longer than a football field! This self-published book, balanced with plenty of color and vintage images, showcases the historical accounts that followed these mighty ships.
Available also from bookstores in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
Book – Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions in Southern New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. This 300-page book provides memorable human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses, and there is an abbreviated version of the above story; you’ll also find many stories of hauntings around lighthouses. You can explore plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions, including whale-watching excursions, lighthouse tours, windjammer sailing tours, parks, museums, and even lighthouses where you can stay overnight.
Book – Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions in Northern New England: New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Northern New England: New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. This 300-page book provides memorable human interest stories from each of the 76 lighthouses. It also describes and provides contact info for plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions and tours. These include whale watching, lighthouse tours, unique parks, museums, and lighthouses where you can stay overnight. There are also stories of haunted lighthouses in these regions.
Book- New England Lighthouses: Famous Shipwrecks, Rescues & Other Tales
New England Lighthouses: Famous Shipwrecks, Rescues & Other Tales contains over 50 stories. This image-rich book also contains vintage images provided by the Coast Guard and various organizations and paintings by six famous Coast Guard artists.
You can purchase this book and the lighthouse tourism books from the publisher Schiffer Books or in many fine bookstores such as Barnes and Noble.
Copyright © Allan Wood Photography; do not reproduce without permission. All rights reserved.
American Lighthouse Foundation
Join, Learn, and Support The American Lighthouse Foundation
