The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-02
EXECUTION OF HILLARY PAGE.
A BUNGLrNG JOB.
HISTORY OF HIS CRIMES.

| HISTORY OF HIS CRIMES.
field Court-Housa.
At u O'Clock yesterday morning Hillary
Page was taken from his cell, in Henrico
County Jail, by Sheriff Flournoy, and con-
yeyed to Chesterfield County courthouse,
where he was to be hung.
Before entering into the details Of his exc
cution we give history of his crimes:
PAGES CRIMES. :.
The history OF Hillary Pages crimes is
one OF an unprecedented nature in the an
nails of inccndiarism. The persistency with
which he perpetrated crimes which have
nearly ruined one OF our most estimable
citizens, and endangered the lives OF the
members Of his household, finds no better
excuse than in his own utterance: 81 had
the devil in me-" He was valuable and q
imucll-esteemed servant, and was treated
with marked favor by Colonel Ruftin and his
family. For this reason it was ha to fiX
the crime upon him, because the very peo-
pie he was so grievously wronging would
not believe he was the guilty party until the
proof became positive, and the confession
OF the criminal himself left the matter be-
yond the peradvcnture OF doubt.
The following is resume OF the lncen-
diary work done by Hillary:
1st. On the 18th OF March, 1874, he fired
and destroyed entirely the house Of +. &.
Ruffin, Jr This crime, however, he denied
lust before he died, as will be seen from our
report which follows.
I'd. On the Esd OF March, 1874, he fired
the mansion-house stables, and they were
altogether destroyed with four fine horses
Sd. On the 31st of March Colonel Rutlin's
house was fired in the night, but the fire
was extinguished before any considerable
damage was done.
4th On the 2Gth of April similar at
tempt was made OH Colonel Ruffin's dwell
ing with the same results.
5th. On the I'd Of May Pages mothers
house was fired but not burned.
9Th. On the 7th of May Pages mothers
house was fired again.
eth. On the Sth OF May he fired his mo-
theirs house again.
Sth. He set fire to the smoke-housc, which
was but slightly burned, on the same date
9th. He again set fire to his mothers
house. in the daytime, but the fire was en-
tingrlished before any harm was done.
10th. On the 29th July, 1874, the barn
courthouse, and stables were all burned
with their contents and two horses.
11th. On the 18th of january the mansion
house stable, newly erected over the RUNS
of the former stable, was again destroyed
with three horses. One of the horses whicl
escaped was burning in such peculiar
manner as to lead to the conclusion thai
the animals had been smeared with kerosene
ftai,. Ta ctr11nf
18th On the 23d of January there wa;
another attempt to fire the dwelling at the
same point where the previous attempt hat
been made. .-,..
Besides the attempts above enumerated
the chimney of the dwelling was subjected
to three explosions of a damaging nature
1t is supposed that kerosene was the agen
employed From all these acts five actua
conflagrutions resulted, causing loss o
over $4,000.
WHAT WAS LEFT OF SUMNER HILL.
Summer Hill, the beautiful homestead o
Colonel Ruffin, is situated three miles belo"
Richmond. On the Richmond and Peters
burg turnpike. Two hundred yards from
the turnpike, in a large and thick grove, il
Mr.. Ruffin's mansion. On line drawn nortl
and south through therear Of this dwelling
fifty wards north of the house, is large
garden of probably three acres twent.
wards south of the house, on same line, ant
ten yards east, is 4 smoke-house fifty yard
south Of same is a servants house OF 81,
rooms: forty yards south Of servants
house, on the same line, are the ashes OF :
stable and equipments the graves OF foul
horses roasted and burned to death while
tied to their managers, and the ashes OF ;
carriage; thirty yards east OF servants
house are the ashes OF another stable, th'
graves OF three other horses, and the ashe
OF another carriage. On a line runnini
east from the turnpike, two hundred yard
south of the dwelling, is q road which
runs for one mile to the ashes an(
empty walls of what was one Of the larSes
barns in Virginia-113 feet long and 80 fee
wide. This at the time Of the fire was sup
posed to have contained 125 tons OF hay
besides large, rare. and costly collection
of agricultural implements, and also seven
teen horses. OF the entire contents OF thu
barn: fifteen horses were saved. About 15(
yards north Of this barn is the vacant chlm
ney OF 4 house which was occupied by Mr
F. G. Rufiin. Jr. This was the house burn
ed on the 18th OF March, 1874. The fire
was discovered about s o'clockeA. Al. by
Mr.. Rufiin, Jr., who was experimenting
some ploughing about half mile off. Hi:
attention was directed to the fire by one O.
his negroes, who said, "Lord, Mas Frank
amt that fire."
Mr.. Ruffin: Well, yes, it looks like it.
At that time the fire was coming out o.
the roof of the house near the chimney II
a blaze about as large as mans hat. B.
the time Mr.. Rufin could reach the house
with his men the flames had made such pro
greSs that there was nothing left to do Du
save the furniture and take out the door:
and sashes. It was generally thought to bt
an unfortunate accident, and nothing wa:
said Of it. "'p p' -.
,t THE OTHER FIRES.
On the 23d of March. ten days afterwards
lust about l O'Clock ut night, Mr.. Rufir
was aroused by Page stating that the stable
was OH fire. Every one was aroused to save
: the horses; one out Of five was saved
EVERYTHING else connected with the stable
was destroyed. The fire originated proba
bly about 12t O'Clock. 1t was supposed tc
have been discovered by Pages little sister
1t was now very evident that an lncendlary
was at work, but the police, the detectives
and every one, were at fault as to who tc
suspicion. Finally some negro men who
had been discharged from the farm for mis-
conduct were thought to be guilty. But
nothing developed which gave the least
hone Of establishing case against them.
On the 31st OF March, eight days after
wards. Mr.. Ruffin was called off on business
to Danville, and sent for his son to come uI
from the barn to spend the night and ASSIST
in taking care OF the family until he should
ret,,rn A little before daybreak old Hill.