Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-07
COMMITS MURDER
KILLS HIMSELF.
William Oliver Rice Shoots
Wife, Child and Self.
LITTLE BOY MAY RECOVER
Tragedy This Morning at 131 Heck.
man Street Southeast.
HUSBAND WAS IN ANGRY MOOD
Marriage Followed Short Acquaint.
ance and Elopement-Several Sep
arations During the Past Year.

aratlons During the Past Year.
William Oliver Rice, twenty-five
years of age, who was employed as
telegraph operator and SWITCH
man by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company, killed his wife,
Mrs. Lillian Groves Rice, shot his
one-year-old son, Earl Rice, and
then committed suicide, at the
home of his father-in-law, Special
Policeman William H. Groves, III
Hickman street southeast, this
morning about 9 o'clock.
The scene Of the shooting was the parlor
OF the house. The tragedy was enacted In
the presence OF Miss Ida Groves. sister Of
the murdered woman. Rice, who was a son
OF blacksmith at Boyds. Montgomery
county, Md, died almost instantly, two
bullets having entered his body. His wife
breathed her last while in the patrol wagon
on the way to Providence Hospital Mrs.
Rice's body was still warm when the hos
| pital was reached, and the surgeons had Il
| taken to the operating room, but they soon
| realized that nothing could be done for her.
so the remains were returned to the patrol
wagon, where the remains of her husband
were, for removal to the morgue. The
| bodies rested side by side. At the morgue
| the bodies were placed in adjoining COM
partments. Little Earl, who is only one
year old. was detained at Providence Hos
pital to be treated for a bullet wound in the
| feshy part of his leg, and while the sur
| geons think he will recover from the effects
| of 1t, they are not certain that an injury
| to his head, sustained when he fell from
his mothers arms, will not result seri-
Ousy
Rice his wife and child resided in the
| house of Mrs. Rfce's father and mother.
1 Her relatives think the crime was actuated
| by jealousy although, they say, there was
no reason for the same She was faithful
| wife. but the husband, 1t is stated had
made only feeble effort to properly pro-
! vide for her The marriage was the result
| of short acquaintance and an elopement
to Rockville, Md, September IL, 1905.
Several Separations.
On account of Rices disposition and fail.
ure to provide for her, II is stated, his wife,
! who was twenty-three years of age, had
! been compelled to leave him on two occa-
sions. Only last month he left her and re-
manned away about ten days. The cause
| of his leaving at that time. it is declared,
| was that he wanted some excuse to sepa-
rate from his wife and get out of the house
| in time to keep from paying his board to
his father-in-law. Next Friday he would
| have received $50. his monthly salary from
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, and this morning, 1t Is believed by
| those in the house. he started 4 row in or
der that he might have some excuse to
leave just before pay day, as he had done
upon other occasions.
Rice was employed on the night shift.
going away from the house about $50
o'clock pm. and returning In the morning
between o'clock and 8 o'clock. When
he reached the house this morning he ex-
pressed dissatisfaction because his wife
was still in bed.
where's Lip he asked as soon as he
entered the house. ''Ain't she up YETI"
She's upstairs" his mother-in-law told
him. She's not feeling well this morning."
Exchange Of Words.
Rice went to the upper front room, where
the members of his family slept. and had
some words with his wife. but others in the
house thought nothing serious would come
of it. They had heard him speak disre-
| specially to her many times before, and
naturally supposed that this mornings war
of words would end as had their previous
quarrels. Mrs. Rice put on her clothes
and went to the lower floor, reaching there
after her husband had had his breakfast.
She was fully dressed and had also dressed
the baby. intending to visit her brothers
wife at 800 H street northeast. She had
fed Earl and had left his nursing bottle
upon a table in the front room on the lower
floor.
Mrs. Rice took a seat in a rocker at the
| front window, her husband occupying a
chair at her side, and her sister, Miss Ida
Groves, sitting next to her brother-in-law.
Mr. Rice had started preparations to retire.
/ having removed his coat and vest and
shoes. He had his wife's wedding ring and
she asked him for 1t, saying she wanted to
wear II when she called upon her sister,
in-law, but her husband declared she
should not have 1t.
Wont you give it to me, WHIP" the wife
pleaded.
No" he answered in a tone which indi-
Gated that he meant what he said
Then" the wife retorted. IF you don't
give me the ring I'll keep your watch,
referring to his timepiece that he mao ieit
to have repaired.
Procured a Revolver.
Miss Ida Groves, the sister heard the dis
cussion about the wedding ring and watch.
and she felt relieved when her brothr-in-
law left the parlor and walked back to the
dining room. The mans demeanor showed
that he wss terribly worked UP about
something, but the two sisters thought
the trouble was over when he left the
room. When he reached the dining room,
however, he saw a .3S-caliber revolver be-
longing to his father-in-law, resting on the
mantel, where the special policeman had
been in the habit of leaving IL upon his re-
turn home from his tour of duty along 7th
street between d and streets every morn
ing.
Picking UP the loaded weapon. Rice re-
turned to the parlor where his wife was still
seated in the rocker with the infant in her
arms and where Miss Groves had also re-
manned. 1t was noticed by Miss Groves
that he carried his right hand behind him
when he entered the room. Suddenly he
aimed the weapon at his wife and fired The
first bullet from the revolver wounded the
child and caused him to make an cutlery
Mrs. Rice, realizing what she might ex-
pect next. arose and started to turn her
back toward her husband and just after
she turned the second shot was fired the
bullet entering the back of the wife, pass
ing through her body and falling upon the
floor. Then he turned the weapon and
shot himself almost directly in the center