Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-13
MURDER OF HIS WIFE
Benjamin G.. Hill Held by the
Coroner's Jury.
STORY OF THE TRAGEDY
ACCUSED MANS EYES FILL WITH
TEARS AS HE LISTENS.
Woman Receives Three Pistol Shot
Wounds While Seated at Dinner
Saturday Evening.

|
sixth police station this morning, having
| been brought from Jail to be present at the
inquest held over the body of his wife, Mrs.
| Carrie Marsden Hill. Hill shot his wife
| three times at their boarding house, 315
Missouri avenue, Saturday night. Death
! occurred about 9:15 o'clock last night at
| the Casualty Hospital, where the woman
| had been under treatment since she receiv-
/ ed the fatal wounds.
| Not more than fifty feet from the cell in
| which the prisoner was confined was the
| dead body of his victim. After the autopsy
| had been performed by DR.. Glazebrook the
! prisoner was conducted to the morgue,
where he took the last look at his wife's
| form. He said nothing, but was unable to
| keep back the tears.
Attorney r. Golden Donaldson was pres
| ent at the inquest as counsel for the man
charged with murder, while the government
| was represented by Assistant District At
| torney Taylor. During the entire hearing
| the prisoner remained perfectly quiet, al
| though he showed the result of the mental
| strain he had undergone since Saturday.
| From time to time tears filled his eyes. He
| made no statement of the affair to the jury.
| After a number of witnesses had been eX-
amined the jury held the prisoner respon-
| sible for his wife's death, and directed that
| he be committed to Jail. Before going to
! the prison he was taken to police head
quarters and photographed for the gallery.
Statement Made by Physicians.
DR. Grafton Bailey, who had been Mrs.
Hills attending physician, was the first
witness examined. He told the jury that
| he saw Mrs. Hill at the Casualty Hospital
| Saturday night, and found her suffering
| from the wounds She was hysterical ard
| was suffering from shock. Witness de-
| scribed the three bullet wounds. There
was one in the neck, he said, and two in
| the woman,s left side. One of the bullets
was found, but the others could not be
| traced One Of the wounds was near the
| left nipple, while the other penetrated the
| side of the body.
DR.. j. r. Wellington, visiting surgeon at
| the Casualty Hospital testified that when
! he first saw the patient she was suffering
| intense pain, and was very nervous, al
| though her heart was in good condition.
| Witness said the wound in the neck was of
| no consequence. He succeeded in remov-
ing the bullet from the wound of the chest,
| but could not trace the third leaden missile.
| Witness told of the woman's condition as
| it was from time to time until her death oc-
| Cured Death, the doctor stated, resulted
| from sepsis.
DIR. Edgar Y Gilchrist, acting resident
| physician at the Casualty Hospital, was
! also examined. He explained that he as
sisted in the treatment of the wounded wo
man from the time she reached the hospi-
! tai until she died.
The patient did not become deliriouS until
| yesterday morning. Sunday Mrs. Hill ex-
pressed the belief that she would not get
well. Witness told her he hoped she would
| pull through, and Mrs. Hill concluded the
| conversation by saying she was prepared to
! die. The patient told witness that her hus-
band shot her. She made no statement Of
| the shooting after witness had told her she
| could not get well.
Testimony of Eyewitness.
Harry c. Watson, an ornamental wire
worker, who boarded at the Hill home, was
| no
shooting occurred. Mr.. Hill entered the
room at two minutes before o'clock. There
! were five persons seated at the table. When
! Hill came in he said Good evening. ladies
| and gentlemen" and rushed past several of
| those who were at the table. Reaching his
| wife, he said, Hello, Carrie He then
fired three shots
What did you do?" the witness was
asked.
we were dumbfounded." he answered.
| "and sat still about a half minute. Then
! Mr.. Hill shot al Bertha Marsden, his step
daughter
Mr.. Kane, one of the boarders, knocked
| Miss Marsden out of the room to save her.
| At the time he fired at the child witness
said, Hill remarked, And YOU
Mrs. Hill left the room and managed to
| reach the parlor unassisted. After the
shots were fired Hill pointed the pistol at
Miss Dillon and witness and ordered them
f! out.
The witness was the last Of the boarders
to leave the dining room.
Started Toward Dining Room.
Mrs. Hill started back to the dining room
with her daughter holding to her waist.
Witness took hold of Mrs. Hill 10 keep her
out of the dining room and the wounded
woman said:
I'm going back to let him finish me-
Wilson said he then took Mrs Hill and
her daughter to 800 Missouri avenue and
telephoned for DR.. Bailey. Mr.. Kane
manned in the house to watch Hill. About
| ten minutes after the shooting occurred
witness saw Policeman Bean and Mr.. Kane
with Hill. He heard the prisoner say:
I'm sorry l didn't finish her; that was
| my wish
Mrs. Hill was a nurse, and had just re-
turned from COS Sd street, where she had
been caring for a sick woman. She
| turned only few minutes before the shoot
| ing occurred
| Edward Francis Kane, another bodrder
gave similar testimony. He heard Hill
say: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen"
| when he entered the room, and also heard
him say: Hello. Carrie" just before he
shot. Witness also heard him say 20 the
child, And YOU" when he fired at her.
| Witness afterward found Hill seated on
| a coal hod in the rear of a carriage shop
| on Missouri avenue, and pointed him out to
! Policeman Bean The officer asked the
prisoner where his revolver was and he
| pointed to the weapon on the ground, say
| ing:
'Thats what I shot the - with, and if
| | failed to kill her, made the saddest mis-
take of my life"
When the officer reached the street with
the prisoner, the latter said to the crowd
Here l am: look at me-" and repeated
what he said at the time he was placed
under arrest.
| Witness pushed Bertha Marsden from the
room, he expected a bullet would be
sent in her direction when he heard Hill
make the remark: And you
i've been In a number of shooting
scrapes, and | didn't lose my presence OF
mind"
Bertha Marsden Witness
Miss Bertha Marsden next appeared on
the witness stand She turned and looked
her stepfather full in the face she passed
him, and turned toward him several times
while giving her testimony. The young
lady described the shooting as the other
witnesses had related 1t. The bullet that
was intended for her, she said. passed
through her storm coat in the hall.
Miss Mary E. Dillon, who was at the din
ner table when the shots were fired, gave
her version of the affair.
Two roomers in the house and Policeman