The San Francisco call., 1896-01-12
MADDENED BY JEALOUSY,
B. L. Hill, a Brakeman, Shoots
His Wife and Gives
Himself Up.
The Murderer Calmly Tells His Story
Behind the Bars Between the
Puffs of Cigarette.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI

NAhbANb VI ANA '0'AA' i 4tEA-NNlHNO thlIL,t
sos Broadway.
B. L. Hill, a brakeman, shot his wife at
Thirteenth and Kirkham streets, tonight.
The murder was instigated by jealousy.
Hill returned from Portland this morn
ing on the State of California, and took up
his quarters at the International Hotel in
San Francisco. He came TO Oakland and
saw his wife and learned from her that
their two-year-old boy was with family
in East Oakland. Hill visited the boy and
returned to San Francisco. He came back
to Oakland tonight, waited on the street
for his wife TO come out, walked half a
block with her, and on the corner of Thir-
teenth and Kirkham streets, fired three
shots into her head.
After the shooting Hill walked toward
the neighboring carhouse and gave him
self up TO two men who came out when
they heard the shots.
''Thats what I've DONE" he SAID, point
ing to his dead wife.
The murderer was taken to the city prison
and was as calm and deliberate as man
could be. Within an hour of the murder
he told the following story to a CALL re-
porter between the puffs of cigarette
with as much sang froid as is attributed to
the most hardened murderers.
This thing has been going on for some
time" said Hill, land l have been very
quiet about it. Not long after we married
trouble began and there has been more or
less of it during the four years since we
were married in Suisun. do not wish to
cast any reflections on my wife and conse
quently | cannot say much at this time.
| kept a saloon for four wears at Suisun
and thev vva-a ia from ha INV
Last March l moved to Oakland and
we went to housekeeping on Willow street.
| was employed by the Southern Pacific as
brakeman, but on account OF my wife's
behavior l made up my mind that we
could not live together, and last Novem-
Der [ went to Oregon.
81 threw up my job and went north
solely because my wife was not behaving
herself. She did not drink but she kept
too much company. We wrote to each
other and about week ago l received
letter that induced me to return. She said
that all would be well if l came back, and
that she would see that | should have
nothing to repent of if / came back.
81 arrived this morning and called on
her. She had given up housekeeping and
was living with q Mrs. Thompson, at
Eleventh and Kirkham streets. / was not
pleased with what | discovered, and after
going out to East Oakland to see our two
NedI-Olu pOS l. returned 10 Sau L francisco.
Tonight l came over here and went to
Mrs. Thompson's house. l did not call on
my wife, but waited on the sidewalk till
she came out. Then / walked with her to
the corner, where she was to take an
electric car.
eve had some words and when we got
to the corner | did it. | think | fred
three times. There was no scuffle and she
made no effort TO defend herself l heard
something which if any man had heard
would have made him do the same thing
l will not say ow who has caused all this,
but there was somebody taking my place
and that is all there is to it. l made no
effort to get away as l might have done,
for there was no one near. | gave myself
up and can put up with the consequences. !"
Hill told his story very deliberately and
seemed totally unconscious of the enor-
nifty of his crime. When he was finished
he asked the jaller for something to read
and was given volume OF Mary, Queen
of Scots"
The murder was carried out so suddenly
and so deliberately that not a minute
elapsed between the firing of the first shot
and the arrest of the murderer. The pistol
was held close to his Wifes head, as the
hammer dragged out some tufts OF hair as
it fell, which were on the pistol when it was
taken from Hill at the prison. Two of the
shots are just above the right ear and one
through the left cheek.
The victim was woman about % wears
old, pronounced blonde OF rather
heavy figure and tall. Before her marriage
to Hill in Suisun she was a Miss Nelson,
So far as known nothing can be related
against her character
The murderer came here from Wisconsin
in 1890 to play in the Oakland baseball
team. He made good record in the sea-
son of 1890, and after that went to Suisun,
where he conducted "a saloon. He is q
big, heavy built man, with large red
face that appears to be devoid of gentle
ness or refinement.