Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-30
VENGEANCE AT LAST.
TOM VOOLFOLK, THE eeoH clA hU-
MAN BUTCHER, EXECUTE D.
s,eScn,nc Details of His Horrible Sfme-
Nine victims. Including Father. sisi ers'
Brothers. Aunt, and step Mother.
Especial telegram to the Dispsscb.i


murders for ITS atrocity and fiendishness.
Committed over three years ago, its de-
tails have become more and more horr1-
BILE as related by those who were early
ON the scene. Thousands Of the good
people of the county and State witnessed
the execu.ion. and few were the tears
shed. Voolfolk had the best OF legal
talent in the state 10 defend INN ana
twice the case was carried TO the Supreme
Court, once in the prisoners favor and
the lost sustaining the lower court ny
round figures the county has been forceu
10 spend 500, first and last for his
half dozen trials and mistrials.
EXPORTS TO ESCAPE.
A dozen times the famous prisoner at
TEMPTED to break jail, succeeding one hme
in getting portion of his body through
an outer wall, when he was detected
and hauled back. Dozens OF times ne
broke or picked the locks OF his cen
doors. until lie was only secure @heh
carefully guarded by trusted oihcers'
The confinement in jail since August
1897. in many WAYS improved hls APP
pearance and physical health. lie was
visited by over fifty thousand people.
and he remembered the names oil scores
of those who came frequently.
PLAYED CRAZY.
For three weeks one time he tasted
and tued 10 brighten the jailer by play
ing crazy. and II was not until lew
weeks AGO that he returned TO his former
normal condition and showed the true
character of the man-brutal, sullen,
and reyengeful. Shortly before ms
crime Voolfolk ran away from Macon
and married q young lady to spite his
step-mother. The marriage proved to
he an unhappy one, especially Tor the
Girl. who was a most excellent young
lady.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The story OF the wholesale murder
committed by this human fiend is I'M
narollelod in criminal history. Captain
Richard +. Voolfolk, his wife, six chill
dren. and m aged aunt of Mrs. voolfolk
lived twelve miles from Macon, on
plantation road leading from the Cuiio-
den highway. Captain Voolfolk was a
well edncated, prosperous farmer, and no
man in the county stood higher socially
or financially. The gentleman was twice
married. BY his first wife be had three
children. two daughters NOW marred)
and the son Thomas, who to-day paid the
Denalty Of his crime. BY his second mar
race faptain Voolfolk had six children,
the eldest being twenty-one and the
Youngest an eighteen months babe,
which was said TO have been the pref
TEST child in Bib county. For years he
had gradually accumulated property, nm
Ill at the time OF his death he was worth
considerable in real estate, which was
rapidly rising in value.
THE BLACK SHEEP.
He had supported his son Thomas for
wears and bad spent many thousands IN
having his bills contracted while sowing
wild oats. Tom at the age OF twenty
seven was still the black sheep of the
family. and his constant quarrels with hls
step-mother was the cause of much talk
among the neighbors, who knew Mrs.
Voolfolk 10 he a most excellent Chrs-
tian lady, ever endeavoring to do the
very best for the happiness OF her
family.
HATED HIS sTEP-MoTHRR.
Tom had frequently asserted to the
negroes on the place that the property
belonged 10 him and his two sisters and
that he would have it some day, and he
had even gone SO far as to boast to some
of his female relatives OF his intense
hatred of his step-mother. All these led
ND to the slaughter which took place be-
tween midnight and day on August 6,
1887. The chickens were just stirring
on that eyentful morning when a negro
laborer living only few hundred yards
from the Voolfolk house was awakened
by the step-son Tom, who was calling
loudly for assistance.
had KILLED ALL THE FAMILY.
When the negro responded young
Voolfolk told him that some one had
broken into the house and had killed all
the family. The frightened negro re-
fused to go 10 the house, and the step
son retraced his steps only to return a
second time after an absence OF ten
minutes. II tell you they are dead,
he said, and then he ordered some boys
10 90 and tell the neighbors. The boys
skipped oil, and by dawn a score oil
farmers were on the scene. When they
entered Captain Woolfolk's bedroom q
most sickening sight met their gaze.
A FRIGHTFUL SPECTACLE.
On the bed lay the form of the popu
iar citizen and farmer across his body
as If she had risen to protect him, la'
the dead body OF his wife between
them the eighteen-months. old babe
while across the foot OF the bed the bod.
of the beautiful seventeen-year-o I'
daughter Pearl, her legs dragging OF
the floor on the floor by the door tn
manly form Of Richard F., Jr., age
twenty one, and by his side five-year-ol
Charlie. The skull Of each had bee
crushed in by blow from the head G
an axe. and their faces and arms Dor
cuts and eashes which betokened tn
terrible struggle. The walls we're bt
spattered with blood and brains, Will
blood ran in streams across the hool
and CHASTITY eyes anu iealures 'oiu u
tale of horror.
ANOTHER CHASTITY SIGHT.
Almost as sickening to their eyes WI
the scene in the bedroom across ii
hall from that of Captain Voolfolk
There Pearl and her little sisters an
amt had slept. The aunt, Mrs Ten
perance West, aged eighty-four, lay
her bed, her brains ooZing out Of larl
cash. Across the foot Of the bed lay ii
body of seven-year-old Rosebud, brigl
and loving child, and crouching by Il
window, under a sheet. lay Annie.
ten, both with their heads split open al
Pasbed terribly. There also blood w
everywhere, and women tainted WIN
strong men turned sick.
THE ONLY SURVIVOR.
But one had boen spared. He lay {
the front porch on pallet during u
investigation, feigning sickness, obs
nate. sullen, and peculiar in his action
Though man of twenty-seven year
by his own confession when he hea
the first blows received 10y his father
he'd Jumped out OF his bed and throul