Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-05-30
HOMICIDE NEAR cREENvlLLE.


On the afternoon of last Wednesday, May
23rd, at the residence of Mrs. Phillips neal
Greenville, Benz. L. Hite shot Henry Weeks
with a rifle who died in few minutes, the ball
passing through the breast from the right to
the left side. Hite voluntarily surrendered
himself to the authorities, and was commit
ted to Jail last Thursday. Weeks was la
borer aged "A years, and leaves wife and
five children. Hite is photographer and has
his gallery near Vesuvius.
The following is Hites statement as given
in the jail last Thursday to representative of
the Staunton Nems:- lrs-.
81 am photographer and have my office
located at Vesuyius, Rockbridge county. Have
been married. but my wife and l separated
about sixteen years ago. She has since mar
ried. 1 have been making my home with my
mother, Nancy E. Hite, who lives near Lotion.
| have five adopted children given me by
Jacob Coffey's wife, in writing, certified be-
fore Notary Public. One of my daughters,
Stella, was living with John P. Smiley, she
having gone there for the purpose of nursing
an old invalid body named Mrs Hanger. This
girl was the principal witness in the case of
Coffey and Tappy, who are charged with rob-
bling the postotfice at Lotion, and she was
under one-hundred dollar bond to appear
before the United States court at Harrsonburg
when the case came up for trial. Weeks and
Tappy went to Smiley's house recently, and
while there made arrangements to steal her
away, and late at night came back and took
her of. They brought her to Staunton on last
Monday and took her before magistrate or
commissioner and made her change her evil
dence Yesterday (meaning Wednesday, af-
ternoon l took my gun and started to Mrs,
Phillips. always take my gun with me
when go out as | am very fond of SPORT
especially hunting While / was standing on
the porch talking to Mrs. Phillips. Weeks and
his son, who was carrying gun, came up. /
spoke to them as l usually do. When he
(Weeks) came upon the porch l said to him.
what Gan OATH right did you have for going
over yonder Cat Smileys) and decoying that
girl away? He said 1 don't know that I
done it, said, BY God, l know you did do
die with your business wheneverI feel like it,
and grabbed up a chair with which to strike
me-Do not know whether he said G. d.
you, Z II mash you head or break your head,
but one or the other | saw when he raised
that the devil was in him and that he was
spot; he fell i'll the door, and don't think he
uttered word. l went down in the yard and
Mrs. Phillips came down screaming and said,
you have killed him. l then left and went
to Lotion and told Ran. Smith and Alex
Harry, the postmaster that had killed Weeks
ana that they mad better go down there. Harry
grabbed me and said he was going to arrest
me. l told him that | was going to give my
self up and didn't want any one to arrest me.
After that went down to Magistrate Mex ee's
house, but they told me he was in Staunton.
stayed there an hour or more, waiting for
him to come. They told me that it was very
likely that Ran. Smith has met him at the
train and took him out to hold the inquest l
left there and went over to my brothers and
sisters at Arch Sprouts, near Middle
brook and went back to Mckee sat two O clock
in the morning, and stayed there until he
came. When he came home, told him
wanted him to take charge of me, as l wanted
to go to Staunton to-day. We came down on
the early morning Baltimore and Ohio train
this morning. And here am -