The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-10
CITY SHOCKED. BY
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Orphans Of F. w. Hill.
Excite Deepest
Sympathy.
HUSBAND CRAZED
BY FAILING HEALTH
Had Come to Imagine That He
Was Being Followed by Man
Who Wanted to Kill Him.
Couldn't Sleep-Said
That He Was
Worthless.

The friShtful tragedy that occurred on
Littlepage Street early yesterday morn
ing, graphically described in yesterday
mornings paper, was the all-absorbing
subject of conversation throughout the
the city during the day An, endless
stream of citizens called at the home Uf
the orphan children. all anxious to show
the sympathy that Is felt Tor the young
family throughout the city and the sur
rounding county.
Rarely has SO terrible fatality occur
.:ed In this community, and the entire city
sis shocked beyond words. 4
a family, united and hapy, LIVING to-
Eether in affection and harmony, by
the mad act OF the head OF the house
Is cast into deepest distress, the father
end mother killed and eight children.
young and unprotected, cast adrift upon
The world.
The little home on Maddox Hill" H.,
indeed. place OF mourning. and the
shock Of that awful early morning will
remain forever impressed upon the minds
cf all who witnessed the nadman's rage
followed by the mystery Of sudden DEATH
An added horror to the mournful act
liz the fact that the murdered wife and
mother was In a delicate state OF health
and the bullets that caused her death
were Ia III Also 10 tne UdOt EuHDoIIl..5
Once a Happy Family.
Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick William, Hill
and their eight children. Nellie, aged nine
teen; Annie, aged sixteen: Lena. aged
.fourteen; George, aged twelve; John.
five. and Earl, aged three, were once a
Happy family. That was before Mr..
Hills health failed.
Mr. Hill was forty-four years OF age.
born and reared in Richmond h For years
lie had been In the employ OF the
Chesape and Ohio Railway Company.
az brakeslnan and conductor. White
serving In the capacity$of brakeman Mr..
Hill was crushed between two freight
cars and to this accidentsis attributed the
I loss tof mind that brought about the
tragedy.
II is also stated that Mr.. Hill was
sufferer from kidney trouble, and that
his health had become! SO bad that he
could only work at his trade OF poltmaker.
at the Locomotive Works.
Mrs. Hill was Miss Elvina Bowler. a
native OF Goochland county. thirty-sevcn
years of age. Married while a mere girl;
at the time OF her death she still pre-
served her youth. Shey was beloved BY
her friends and neighbors, who unite
In extolinR her virtues.
depressed more than usual. He had not
been able to leave his home for several
days. and the state of his health preyed
upon his mind. He confded to his family
that he knew OF a plot to kill him. and
remarked that II any one entered his
house that person would never leave 1t
alive. All through the early part of tho
night he prowled around his room and
about the passages, peering in doors and
out through the windows into the dark
ness Some time after midnight Mrs.
Hill left her room with the idea Of going
next door to call her brother-in-law.
Mr.. John Hill, to her assistance, hut
thinking that her husband would COM
pose himself. she went instead into the
front room occupied by her daughters
and stretched herself upon their bed.
About half past 2 she decided to go back
to her room to get an alarm clock that
stood upon the mantel shelf. and, fol-
lowed by her children, she approached
the closed and locked door Of the room.
Mr.. Hill refused at first to permit her
to enter. : His daughter then called
through the door: 1T Is mama
Mr.. Hill then said Come In: I wouldn't
hurt hair of your head"
The Fatal Shots.
Mrs Hill entered the room, took the
clock from the mantel SHELF and was
about to leave when her husband, with.
out a word OF warning. pointed his pistol
point blank at her breast and fred. the
bullet passing through her left breast
near the top. AS she rushed screaming
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