The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-07
Girl Only Fifteen Years Old and
Three Times Separated in
Two Years of Marriage.
BABYS DEATH SEWERS LOVE.
Anger Because of Her Refusal to
Become Reconciled and Return
to Live With Him Prompts
the Double Tragedy.

Riley Watkins shot and killed his child.
wife. Lille. in the presence of her younger
| sister at O'Clock last night in front of the
home Of her parents. No. 5304 Wise avenue.
| Ihen, in the presence of her parents and
| a group of neighbors who had been at
| tracted by the shot, the murderer with n
! smile at his bloody work, placed the muz-
| zle or the revolver in his mouth pulled the
trigger and fell a corpse on the body of his
victim.
! Ine tragedy had long been expected by
the family Of Mrs. Watkins and the neigh
| DORIS who knew of the domestic differences
OF the couple, which began almost imnaedi-
ately after the ill-starred marriage two
years ago. Watkins was a laborers. "a
I years ago. Watkins was a laborer. 2s
TWO years ago. Lille was a child. Is years
DID, when she surrendered her future into
his keeping
her father, Louis De Moss. is carpenter
IN the employ of Evens & Howard, where
Watkins worked as a laborer. Watkins
! boarded with De Moss and formed an at
tachment for the girl, who was the Oldest
| OF the four children. After a brief but ar
dent courtship on his part they were mar
ried much against the wishes of the par
| ents, but with their reluctant consent.
YOUNG COUPLE WE'RE
THREE TIMES SEPARATED.
The marriage proved unhappy, as the
! neighbors predicted. Watkins was averse
to work, developed a jealous temper and
frequently abused and beat his child-wife
Her condition became so intolerable that
she left him on three occasions and went
| back to her parents. Watkins succeeded in
effecting a reconciliation twice on promises
| to behave but each time he resumed his ILL
treatment. On June 9. while they were liv-
ing on Norfolk and Manchester avenues she
was again forced to leave him, taking with
her their months old child.
Watkins called at the house on several oc-
casions since and endeavored to persuade
her to return to him, but she steadfastIy
refused to listen TO him, and her parents
counseled her to have nothing more to do
with him. He threatened to kill her II she
persisted in her refusal. but she scorned
his threats. Three weeks ago the baby died
and with its young life disappeared the
last shred of affection for her husband
After the funeral the young wife sought
employment and obtained a position in IN
electric supply concern on Nineteenth and
Olive streets Tuesday.
HAUNTED HOME OF
HIS WIFE'S PARENTS.
Watkins had given up his work in the
works since the last separation, and haunt
ed the De Moss home day and night, seek
ing an audience with his wife. He did not
enter the house, but on Sunday and Monday
night he succeeded in meeting her in the
vacant lot back of the house, and spzak ng
to her The burden of the conversation was
plea on his part for her to return to him
and a refusal on her part. He made no at
tempt at violence on either occasion, but
the girl told her parents she was afraid
of him and his constant harassing depressed
her.
Yesterday evening about o'clock Mrs.
WatkinSs sister, Annie, standing in the
road a: the gate of a neighbor just east
of her own home. saw Mrs. Watkins and
her husband alight from a Suburban car
at Macklind avenue and walk northward to-
ward the house across the weed-grown lot.
MAN IN SAVAGE MOOD
STOPPED THE FRIGHTENED GIRL.
When they reached the road where Annie
and the neighbor were standing. Mrs. Wat
kins stopped to chat moment, while her
husband, sullen, stood a few feet away.
He was apparently in a savage humon, for
during the few minutes she was chatting
with the neighbor he angrily commanded
her to come on" She paid no attention to
him until he repeated the command, and
then she said:
"oh. am SO hungry. I just have to go
home"
As she turned into the road Watkins
stepped close to her and said: Well. are
90 ~
NO" she replied, without halting. 'I
will never live with you again.
Without another word he drew a revolver
from his pocket, placed it behind her ear
| and fired. Without a groan or a cry she
fell dead in the dust at his feet. Her sis
| ter, Annie standing directly behind the
| murderer, stood horror-stricken, unable to
move or cry out. as she witnessed the cold
! blooded deed.
Holding the smoking revolver in his hand,
| Watkins, with a cruel smile on his face,
| gazed upon the corpse, and remarked:
Now you've got It at last
| STOOD GUARD OVER BODY
WITH DRAWN REVOLVER.
Mr. and Mrs. De Moss, the parents of
| the murdered girl, attracted by the shot,
ran out of the house, fifty feet away,
| dreading the worst. When they saw the girl
/ lying in the roadway they ran toward
leveled the revolver at them and ordered
them to stand back. Mr.. De Moss was un-
/ armed, and ran back to q neighbor's house
! TO borrow a revolver.
The shot had aroused the neighbors, and
| in a moment q dozen persons, including
several men, were hurrying toward the
scene. Watkins. seeing them coming.
showed the muzzle of the revolver into his
mouth. pulled the trigger and sent bull
let through his brain. He fell across the
body of his victim, and when the first
comers arrived they found life extinct.
Death had apparently been instantaneous
in both cases. The bullet that entered
Watkins's mouth emerged at the back Of
his head.
The police were notified and both bodies
were removed to the morgue. An inquest
will be held to-day.
Mrs. De Moss is prostrated by the shock.
Watkins had been twice married, his for
mer wife dying short time previous to
his last marriage.
MRS. MARGARET RUSSELL.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL