The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-07
THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA.
HORRIBLE DOUBLE MURDER NEAR
THE STATE LINE.
A North Care lima Cotton Grower and His
Aged Mother the Victims Romantic
EIopement In Lynchburg-Latest Re-
ports From the state mt Large.

NORFOLK, Va, Oct. Especial. A
special from Aulander, y. c., tells horri-
BILE tale OF a double murder which took
place there last Saturday night. Mr.. At
kins, prominent cotton grower and his
aged mother were both killed by negro
who crushed in their skulls with an iron
ball and then set the house on fire In three
different places. Julia Terry, the house
keeper for Mr.. and Mrs. Atkins, ran from
the house after she saw Mr.. Atkins killed
and hid under the yeranda. she beard the
murderer when he killed Mrs. Atkins as she
lay asleep in bed, and says that he struck
her three times. The neighbors were
attracted to the scene by the
flames as they shot through
the windows of the residence, and
by turning out promptly succeeded in eX-
tinguishing them before the body of Mrs.
Atkins had been roasted. They found Mr..
Athjrs' body ahcu, fits feet from the
house. stretched across the root OF tree.
His skull was crushed TO almost jelly and
his face was so badly battered that 1t was
almost unacceptable. A trail of blood
leading from the house showed that the muir
derer had dragged the body ofhis victim out
Of doors after he murdered him. People living
in the vicinity of the scene OF the crime are
greatly excited, and searching parties have
been securing the country for the murderer,
who made his escape, after completing his
work Of hutchery, on mule belonging TO
Mr.. Atkins. A negro, named kinch Free
man, who picked cotton for Mr.. Atkins, Is
suspected of having committed the crime,
but has 50 far eyaded arrest.
A large number of delegates from the
Peninsuar counties arrived III Norfolk
tonight, enroute to the Democratic Con-
gressiOnal Convention. which meets IN sur
folk tomorrow. They will leave in special
cars over the Norfolk and Western road
with the Norfolk delegates for Suffolk to-
morrow morning. The indications tonight
are that Judge ID. Tucker Brooke, Of Nor
folk, will be the nominee of the convention.
| He will be placed in nomination by Alfred
+. Thorn, member of the state Committee.
| DR.. }. W. Lawson, prominent Alliance
man of Isle of Wight county, will also be
probably placed in nomination.
At 1890 o'clock Saturday night, as the
Bay Line steamer Caroline, Captain Bloods-
| worth. was on her down trip and when
near the seven foot knoll IN the cut OIL the
channel, she was in collision with the
schooner Irene, bound to Baltimore with a
cargo of ninety cords OF pine wood. Inc
schooner was struck on her starboard bow
| and big hole cut in her which caused her
| to fill in short time. The steamer stayed
| by her 10 see that she did not sink nor cap
| size and then took of the captain and crew
of three men, who were placed on a
tug and sent to Baltimore. The cause OF
the accident was attributed 10 the narrow
ness of channel. The night was clear and the
schooner was beating up the channel in a
northwest wind. The Carolina had about
one hundred passengers on board, but no
alarm was caused by the collision. She was
uninjured except the scraping OF the paint
| at her bows.