Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-21
SHOT HER DAUGHTER.
MISS CARRIE o. HICKS KILLED ~ HER
moTHER's AlMLE5s BULLET.
The Girl sIIstaksu for Burgiar--Ths
Corener's Inqusst.-A Tssrfai Audisnes'
The Verdict OF Accidental Desth.

!
| Miss Carrie d. Hicks, o bright and lovely
Christian girl. who was just passing
through her 18th summer. was shot and
almost instantly killed by her mother
at 1915 o'clock yesterday morning Of their
home, ON Carter street near Powhatan ano
almost opposite the Male Orphan Asylum.
The affair was one OF the most depioraoie |
that has happened in this vicinity tor
many years.
For the past three months the young
lndy's mother, Mrs. Idzzie IL, hicks, mas
lived hapf lily in her little dweliing On sn,
ter street. She moved 10 this place ~
order that she might be near her lo-year-
old son. who was under the caro- on MIS- |
Gill. at the Maie Orphan Asylum. and TINS |
little fellow and lad named Samuel God.
sey. who is about two years the senior OK
young Hicks. have been sleeping ~ we
\ house as a sort of protection to the lonely
mother and daughter. II was Christian |
family, in which the. word or TOD was
reverenced and obeyed.
rH1EvEs STOLE HER CHICKENS.
Only few NIGHTS ago eome ono entered |
| Mrs. Hicks's back ward and stole about /
| thirty OF her chickeas When this oc, /
| cured she determined that che would /
| watch for the thieves, and accordingly Sc |
| cured 3s-calibre revolver and loaded IL, |
so that it would be ready for use IN case
of further trouble from midnigns plle.e,s;;
| On Friday night she did not retire until
| about 1880 O'Clock. and bad but dozed /
| into sleep when she was aroused by
| noise in her yard. She fancied that she |
heard some one raise the window 20 o lit |
| tie pantry at the rear end OF the house: |
| Mrs. Hicks arose and passed by the pea
| upon which her daughter was lying. Ap- |
4 L. o ba sryrl WI QQlopD.
mother, with the weapon in one hand and |
| A lamp in the other. tipped quietly into /
| the kitchen, where she placed the hght, 4
which was burning very dlmly. upon a |
table and went thence into the little pan
try.
She TURNED AND FIRED.
Mrs. Hicks went to the window which |
she imagined she heard some one raise
| while she was in bed and found it intact.
Putting her head through hole made by |
broken pane Of glass she peered into the |
yard tor several moments. Presently ner
attention was attracted by the approach OF
| some one behind her. |
Drawing her head in the window and /
| qlancing slightly around, Mrs. Hicks saw l
| what she thought 10 be a convict. She /
hesitated moment and then without even
| looking around fired az the figure, winch /
was nearly by her side at that time, and |
/ the girl screamed, Mamma, you have
| shot mel"
The reflection of the striped lamp-shade
| had fallen upon Miss Carries nigDt-cloth-
| ing and produced an erroneous impression
| upon the mind Of Mrs. Hicks.
HAD KILLED EEB CHILD.
| As soon as the girl was shot she. stag
| gered into the adjoining room the Kitten,
| en-, while Mrs. Hicks wrung her hands ana
! cried at the top OF her voice that she had
| killed her child. In this apartment the
| wounded girl stretched out her arms and
| cried. Lord, have mercy on me The
| dying daughter then fell upon her mother
aud kissed her. THIS was the last act OF
Carrie ID. Hicks, as she sank upon the
| floor and Immediately expired.
| Mrs. Hicks. perfectly frenzied with
| grief, rushed through the rooms TO the
| bed upon which the two little BOYS were
sleeping, and. awaking them. told little
| Sammy Godsey TO run over to the Orphan
| Asylum and arouse Mrs. Gill and the
| Others adding she had killed her daugh-
ner and that she was going to blow her
| own brains out.
| FREszIED WITH GRIEF.
Sammy saw the smoking revolver in Mrs.
| Hickss hand and realized that she was
| almost deranged. so he resolved that he
must get the weapon away from her.
struggle ensued. which showed the hero
| ism Of the little orphan, but be secured
| the pistol and planted 1t safely beyond the
reach of the crazed woman. He then ran
over to the Orphan Asylum aud alarmed
| the whole building aud soon great crowd
had reached Mrs. Hicks house.
BEGGED THEM TO ELL HER.
The mother had spasm after spasm and
begged those about her either to Kill her
or To give her the revolver SO that she
might herself put ON end 20 her own exist
ence. The unfortunate parent was IN such
an insane frame OF mind that she tore her
hair and when one gentleman attempted
10 pacify her and caught hold of her TO lay
her down she seized his wrists and forced
him TO the floor in an instant. The woman
was perfectly historical and her disease
was assuming violent form when DR.. Lee
w. Station, who resides near by, arrived.
After glancing at the ldeless body OF the
daughter and observing that nothing could |
be done for her the physician went TO Mrs.
Hicks and administered opiates to deaden
her senses. so that the great burden that
was preying upon her mind might ia a
measure be lightened.
II was heartrending scene In that lone
ly home, and every one who saw the fran
tie mother gaze upon the face OF the child
she had Just slain and then go of in one of
her frenzied spells well knew that her sut-
ferng was indeed unbounded.
Justice Lewis Of Hsnrico county, was
sent for soon after the shooting and ar
rived Just after Dr. station. After Mrs.
Dicks had been somewhat quieted these
gentlemen viewed the body, and after an
examination the physician announced that
the ball had pierced the girls heart, and
that her death was an almost painless one. |
The Justice ordered the corpse TO be
shrouded aud that the arrangements for
burial be proceeded with.
THE INQUEST HELD.
He fixed 8 o'clock yesterday afternoon
as the hour for holding the inquest. and it
was but "a little later than that when be
entered Mrs. Hicks house accompanied
by his jury, DIR. station, and one or two
Others. In the chamber of Mrs. Hicks
they found several good ladies endeayor-
ing TO console the grief-stricken parent.
In the apartment also at the time were
Mr.. Thomas b. Hicks, a relative of the de-
ceased husband of Mrs. Hicks. and DIS
PATCH reporter. This little party were
grouped around the pallid form OF the
Young lady who, just budding into wo-
manhood, was but few hours before
merrily singing with q heart treo from
care and unburdened with sin.
HE WAS BoY-HEBo.
Sammie Godsoy was the FIRST witness to
testify before the coroner's jury. He said
he was aroused by Mrs. Hicks, who told
MN 70 run over and wake up Mrs. Gill. as
she CMrs. Hicks had killed her daughter
and intended TO kill herself, as she had
nothing more to live for. The little fellow
told of his struggle TO get tho pistol away
from Mrs. Hicks, and all present were
greatly affected by his manifestation of |
courage and manhood.
The most trying ordeal was the taking
OF the testimony of Mrs. Hicks as she
leaned over the lifeless fgure of her only
daughter. Her story was exactly what is
given above. and there was hardly tear
less eye in the room while she was telling
of the occurrence. She begged those
present to put her in the coffin also. and
said she little thought when she loaded
that pistol that one of the bullets she
placed in IL should be fired INTO her
daughters heart by her own hand.
DIR. Station, Mr. James Z. Cook, and Mrs.
Gill all made statements 70 the jury which
were in accordance with this story. The
verdict was reached in very few mo-
ments after the evidence had ell been
heard, and it was TO the effect that the de-
ceased bad come TO her death by being ac-
cidentally shot by her mother.
The funeral wall take place this after
noon at o'clock from Grace Episcopal