Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-28

Lee Hefin and Joseph Dye. residents Of Fau-
quier comfy. Va, were lodged safely in the
Alexandria Jail yesterday after rough travel
through the country to escape q crowd of irate
country men who had formed a vigilance COM
mittee and decided to lynch both men well
as Detective ]. r. Dustin o: Williams & Neil
fresh's detective agency in this city.
Dustin has been held prisoner in the cell
with Hefiin for the purpose of obtaining con-
fession from him if possible, but his identity
was not known by the citizens who had deter
mined to take the law into their own hands and
save the country tho expense of a Judicial In
vestigation.
The crime was the most atrocious one ever
committed in the vicinity of Warrenton, If not
in the entire state, and Lee Helm in his last
confession takes the responsibility Of it upon
himself.
WIDOW AND THREE CHILDREN.
The victims were Mrs. Hines, widow, and
her three cbildren--a boy three years old and
two girls nine and eleven years. The first
known of the crime was the morning after it
was committed. when the house was discovered
to be on fire and the citizens in the neighbor-
hood rushed to the dwelling to save the inmates.
Mrs. Hines and two of the children were burned
- ashes. but the body of the remaining child
was recovered before it had been reached by
the flames.
Lee Helm. who lived at the house Of Joseph
DYE. was the first one to spread the alarm. and
after doing 1t he failed to return to the house
to lend any assistance. This was thought TO be
queer conduct OH his part but when questioned
about his actions he coolly answered: Il arn
afraid Of fire."
The efforts OF the county authorities to appre-
bend the murderer were OF no avail and re-
wa,d of 800 was offered for the capture Of the
cuiprit
The finding of the one body before it had
been charred and the discovery that blow on
the head or neck had caused death was suffi-
clent evidence that crime had been commit
ted and the smell of coal oil in the burning
timbers Strengthened the theory that the whole
family had been murdered and the house set
on tire.
DETECTING THE CRIMINALS.
The commonwealth attorney of the county
visited here week ago last Sunday and procured
the services of Williams & McLlfresh's detect
i've agency. Messrs. Robert II. Smith and J. P.
Dustin of the agency were sent down to inquire
into the case and secure the cuprits il possible,
and they succeeded.
After Hefiins arrest he implicated Joseph
Dye ard his family and for that reason Dye
was also placed under arrest. Sunday Detec-
tive Dustin placed in the cell with Helm
land the latter looked upon him as prisoner.
Hefiin's vague story of the crime implicated
Dye and after the latter the move was made to
lynch the trio They were in the jail Calverton
and fearing the jailer would he overpowcred
ami his prisoners taken. they left the Jail
Thursday afternoon and drove fifty miles in a
wagon. spending the night III the woods. Early
yesterday they boarded train at Nokesville
and went to Alexandria.
HEFLINs LAST CONFESSION.
On the way to Alexandria Helm made full
confession of the crime. exonerating Dye. The
confession was made in the presence Of a num-
Der of witnesses, that there will probably
be no difficulty in using it against him when
the ease comes to trial.
According to his confession Hefiin visited the
house about O'Clock on the evening before
the burning of the house and inmates and
knocked the door. Mrs Hines answered
his call and he asked her for some money, but
she told him that she had none.
Helm went in the house and on the hearth in
front of the fire place he noticed stick Of
wood with a rough knot upon it. He picked
UP the heavy instrument and with one blow ON
the head he felled her to the heor. The one
blow proved fatal. Turning, he saw
the three-year-old child in bed, and turning
over the innocent one he dealt the boy a
Then he took the other two children and killed
them. After killing the fourth one he secured
what money be could find. between S25 aud
SI5, and buried it in the county near a fence.
Inc next morning ue returned 10 the mouse.
saturated the place with coal oil and set iro to
it.
GONE AFTER THE MONEY.
He told the officers exactly where he buried
the money and one Of them went to Warrenton
this morning in search of the hidden treasure.
Joseph Dye will be released
Helm says he wanted the money because he
was going to elope with the wife and daughter
OF countryman who lives not far from the
n 81. ~ -
at all alarmed about what he has done and the
consequences that likely to follow. His
only trouble is that he connot get enough to
eat.
,.. An Interview With Hefin.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
ALEXANDRIA. Nov. ga representative of
The STAR visited Lee Hefin who murdered
whole family at Warrenton and was brought
here yesterday to avoid lynching, this morning
and asked him some questions. He is not a
tramp and has seldom been out Of the neigh
borhood where he was born and where he COM
mitted the murder. He is young white man.
twenty-eight years old and was born in tine upper
part oi Stafford county near Providence Church,
not more than thirty miles from the scene
Of the murder and his parents still reside there.
From his statements it appeared that he had
been out of place, and when he reached the
neighborhood of Calverton, Fauquier county,
he went TO work & farmlaborer for Mr.. Dye,
whose farm adjOiued that OF Mrs. Hines. a
widow lady. who lad son abroad at work and
three small children at home. There a report
in the neighborhood that Mrs. Hines had money
in the house, and Helm. after making him
self acquainted with the surroundings OF her
secluded cottage and ascertaining that no one
except the widow and her young children was
likely to be In the house its neighborhood
turned over the matter IN his mind and on the
evening of the 18th of November went to the
house and going in told the widow he wanted
some money
I've got no money" she said.
I'll see what's in here he responded, and
suitinS the action to the word, he sought to
open a trunk.
She leaped upon him and with all her
strength pulled him away from the trunk and
he rolled to the floor. while the children
Of an instant to seize billet of wood
and break the skull of Mrs. Hines,
telling her to the floor. Her blood spattered
the screaming children and the Oldest started
to run. The next blow of the bloody bludgeon
fell on the Oldest child who was seized and
murdered. and then the two younger ones were
beaten to death.
His story as to his subsequent movements is
practically as told above.
Commonwealth Attorney Jeffries Of Fauquier
is expected here today TO determine how long
Hefiin shall be kept at Alexandria
Held as n Suspicious Character.
Yesterday while Detective Proctor was in the