Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-19
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
a MAN SHOOTS HIS SON AND THEN
COMMITS SUICIDE.
The End Of q Very BAD character--A
Fire In Amherst--News
Jottings.
Special telegram to the nIspa,ch.I

LYNoHDURG. VA. December IS. A terrible
tragedy occurred to-day about 10 O'clock
in Amherst county opposite this city.
Thomas V. Marks. the owner OF small
furniture store on the road leading from
the bridge. last Monday night had diifi-
Guilty with his eldest son, Willie :. Marks,
who is about twenty years Of age, in which
the father was badly hurt in two or three
places on the head with some blunt instru-
ment As a consequence the two had been
on very bad terms. Ever since the difficulty
the elder Marks had been threatening that
he would have vengeance. and several
times during the past week he showed
parties pistol and stated he intended To
get even with his son. To-day the elder
Marks drank more liquor than usual. and
returning home 10 dinner inquired OF his
wife where his son Willie was. He had
hardly spoken when the young man en-
tered tho room, aud the father without
uttering n word drew his pistol aud fred
three shots. The first and second were
without effect. but the third lodged N the
abdomen of the boy and he fell to the
floor. The elder Marks then walked out Of
the house and sat down on wall on the
opposite side Of the road. hardly realizing
in his drunken condition the awful deed
he had done. The Young man was taken
up and placed in bed and medical assist
ance sent for.
CRASHING INTO MS BRAIS.
Marks had been sitting on the wall some
ten or fifteen minutes when some one came
from the house and told him bis sOn was
dead. He did not even then appear 10 un-
derstand, but Il moment later when q
nelghbOr, William A. Irvine, passed by hlm
going up 10 his house. he called out.
Squire. am going 10 leave yOu.' with
thaea rynrI. ba firaVr tho revolver hp
had used on his son, and placing II TO his
right temple sent a bail crashing through
his brain.
The young man ia not thought to be
fatally wounded. The hall entered the
middle OF rho abdomen, passing to the lettt,
and 1t is thought no vital spot was touched.
ABAD cHARACTEB.
The elder Marks had been very bad
character and several times had tried 70
Kill his wife. but as ne had been converted
under sam Jones while he was here II was
thought ne was reformed. and IN fact he
had been doing n little better than before.
A FIRE N AMHERST.
The frame factory of Love & Scott. on
the Amherst side OF the river opposite the
city, was burned to the ground this morn
ing between , and : o'clock. Notwith-
standing the efforts of forty or fifty men
TO check the fire. adoublc-tenement house.
also frame. about 100 feet away, caught
fire and was burned. Several other build
ings were badly damaged. The factory
WAS valued at $4,000 and was insured Tor
- coo. The total losses 10 Che factory and
fixtures are ostimntcd at 5000, with an
insurance Of $4,000. 1t is thought the fac
tory was fired by an incendlary.
JOTTINCs.
The ladies of the different denominations
here under the society name of the Kings
Daughters intend giving an entertainment
and Christmas-tree on Friday the 9th 10
the poor children of the clry.
Colonel Thomas j. Spcrry, of Bedford,
found ten wild turkeys in hIs hock Friday
evening. and - they seem 90 be on good
terrs and ike the change he has deter
mined TO try to tame them. They roost
with the tame onos every night.
A valuable deposit OF brown ochre has
been discovered on the farm OF Mr.. Crane,
near Cloyerdale.