The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-09
Our Leaders for This Week:
STEVENSON &JOHNSTONE
81 East Washington Street
A DOUBLE EXECUTION.
Robert G. Hall and David Vincent Hanged
History of the Crimes They Committed.

PHILADELPHIA, May a-Robk G. Hall and
David Vincent were hanged at the county
prison here at 1913 o'clock this morning.
The crime for which Robert G. Hall forfeited
his life a. q penalty WAS the murder Of his mis-
treas. Mrs Lillian F. Rivers, in this city on the
Sd Of June last year. The crime was the out
come Of an insane jsalously. and the history Of
the affair exposes remarkable story Of love,
hatred and Jealous madness. Mrs. Rivers.
whose maiden name was Sophia f. Smith, was
an English woman Of mature years. Some time
after her arrival In this country che met and
married James W. Rivers, An actor, whose stage
name was Japos Y. Reynolds, and assumed the
name Of Lillian In place of Sophia Rivers was
also somewhat OF . playwright, and with varying
success he followed the stage for number OF
years A few months before Halls crime Rivers
became jealous Of his wife on account Of her al
legged intimacy With Hall. and Ia q 1t OF passion
fred shot at hsr. which, however, did not take
any serious effect. He also attempted TO take
cred from the effects of his slight self-inficted
wound. he left the city with his two children.
with the intention OF going to Kansas bis at
tempt at murder and suicide had been caused by
his feelings of jsalousy toward Hall, with whom
he had often accused his wife OF being intimate.
Az soon as Rivers had left his wife. she took mp
with Hall, and he took her to lodging house.
where they lived rs man and wife until the muir
der Their life was an extremely unhappy one,
.: Hall was man OF most sxtrsor-
quarrel occurred folio wing each other in quick
succession. Hall would accuse his mistress Of
in6delity. and in order to keep her In the house
would hide her clothing He frequently threat
sned to kill her il she disobeyed him. After
Hall took up with Mrs. Rivers, he went TO work
a house painter, his efforts on the stage hav-
ing been unsuccessful from financial point OF
view. On the night Of June 2, 1857. MIRA Rivers.
smartine under Halls treatment borrowed SUI
6cient clothing of the landlady TO enable her to
lady friend, to whom she tearfully related the
story of her cruel treatment her lovers hands.
She asked to be allowed TO remain It her friends
house for the night, and her request was
Che secured from her friend loan OF . few
dollars. which she said she Was going to
use In procuring warrant for Halls arrest on
q charge Of threatening her life. She then re-
turned to her own lodgings, reaching there
At about 6:30 on the morning OF June 3, for the
purpose of getting some Of her clothing and
removing It She found Hall awaiting her In
one Of his jealous RACES, and be &C once began to
upbraid and accuse her. She returned kind
answers to his questions and charges until her
patience became exhausted, and when she sl-
most broke down under the weight Of his ap-
parently groundless accusations, Hall seized
revolver which be had laid on table and sent
bullet crashing through her breast near the
heart The defepseless woman fell at his feet.
Hall. to make sure that his purpose would be
accomplished, drew q razor, bent over the
woman's PROSTATE form and nearly severed her
head from her body. The landlsdy, hearing the
shot, rushed into the room, but whom Hall
pointed the pistol at her and threatened to kill
her she withdrew and ran for assistance. Tho
enraged man then laid his head upon pillow
he had placed on the foor, and drew razor
across his throat, producing Q terrible but not
fatal cash. He recovered In short time and
was tried and convicted Of murder in the first
degree
David Vincent, or vincsnso di Vita the Ital-
ian who paid the extreme penalty Of the law for
unprovoked murder, this morning was . runner
for . sailor boarding house. and among = gang
Of sailors whom he brought from Wilmington,
Del. last fall. was George Carlofatti. who
stopped at the house which Vincent represented.
The two formed an acquaintance and drank to-
of Sept. IA, while the pair were in Q saloon near
the corner Of Peru and Lombard streets. while
both were considerably under the influence of
liquor. q quarrel arose between them about the
possession Of q pipe which was in Carlofattis
possession, and the latter left the place Vim
cent followed him shortly after, and meeting
him Q short distance away from the tavern, Vim
cent renewed the dispute, with the result of
plungipe knife into Carlofattis body. which
caused his death soon afterwards. Carlofatt
was Q Greek sailor and was absolutely friend
less In this country Vincent was arrested i'm
nediately after the commission OF the crime,
and after short trial the jury brought in YER
dict Of murder In the first degree