The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-04
.CHAsTlYSIGH7
BY |. MOONLIGHT Ii| D [: |. [ 4
Double Tragedy, iii Which Hus-
band and Wife Die, Exciting
Widespread Interest.
THE JUaY's VERDICT SUICIDE
This Conclusion Not Unanimous.
People We're Noun
tailiecrs.
49, NJ
Especial to rho rlmes-D tell

/ # j9f4 !
[spccialto Tho Tlmes-D ispatclsl
WASHINGTON, VA, April s.--The
nrding or tho dead bodies 81 Henry
Foster and his wife, q Annie Foster,
near the top OF Peak Mountain, In a,
most isolated section OF RnppnlAlnnock
county, as already related N Tho
1imes-Dispatch, has excited muth in
tt1est, and q circumstantlal account O II
the double tragedy Will doubtless be !
eagerly read. -
Foster left tho house In the norm
ing Of the goth instant. his wifoAfol-
! loving him, and remained away fom
| the house some time. when she re
turned. When asked by her sisterAn-
Inv, Mrs. Jack Foster, whore He,t.y
Was, she replied that no said he wv $
going to neighbours to buy some
orion sets. but she did not believe him.
Then about 24:ao p. NJ. Mrs. Annie Eos,
| ter left the house. going In the diA
Erection of where the bodies were later
found, and after she had been goncY
n few minutes tho report OF gun
was heard by Mrs. Jack Foster, who
said she heard a scrcnm and in
short time she heard the report Of q
second shot
Jack Foster, brother OF Henry
the deceased, owned the house. and
the two families lived together. ana
Ed. 1'dster another brother, lived only
q short distance apart, and Jack and
| I'D. were the first ones to reach the
bodies, and found the clothing Of
| Henry on fire. and in order to extin-.
| sussh the flames it was necessary to
| move the dead man, as the body OF
! his wife WAS partly on that Of her
| husband.
(. The man was shot Just below the
! heart. and his wife was shot just below
the brenst bono, and the coroner's jury
rendered verdict that both came to
cir death by gunshot wounds, which
were self-inhicted.
a short forked stick was found near
the bodies, and the gun was resting
CT the woman when found.
When Foster left the house he h
his gun with him, and had three shells
/ one in the gun, which was SINGLE
h1rreled, and two in his pockets.
The coroncr's jury believed that he
shot himself, and that she, seeing him
commit suicide. she went to his body.
cFtained shell from one OF his pock-
| cts. and placed the gun to her breast,
shot herself using the same gun and
the same stick to shove the trigger
/ that he had used.
Foster was heard to threaten to
take his own life on several occa-
Is.cns, and onthe morning OF his death
lltc.ld his wife, 1t Is said, that he would
kill himself, and she begged him not
ITO do SO.
Cause Of Suicide.
Mrs Foster was Miss Corbin They
were married In October, 1906. and she
gave birth to a child in December,
i 1to6, or January, 1907. Foster denied
rarentage OF the child. and this. it Is
said, was the cause Of his killing
1 himself.
4 One member Of the coroner's jury did
not believe that 1t was a case Of suicide
but there is no evidence to contradict
the verdict, and people in the neighbour
A hood believe that both killed themselves.
Foster Is a second cousin Of Lillian
4 Young, alias Lillian Riley, who was con-
vIcted OF criminal assault and sentenced
to be hanged by the Circuit Court OF
this county, and whose sentence was
committed to life imprisonment.
4! The place OF the tragedy Is near the
top OF "The Peak" one OF tho highest
points Of the Blue Ridge in this section,
and at the head OF 'Horseshoe Hollow
and while the house and little mountain
farm are plainly visible from this place,
it Is about three miles from here, and
\ almost inaccessible.
Gruesome Sight.
Both the man and womnu were OF a
very plain family, and 1t Is thought
strange that suicide should be committed
by people in their station in life. How
: ever, Henry Foster was considered the
. best one Of his family,
The Fosters are Woodworking people.
and had saved sufficient money to buy
the mountain home.
A man who lived nearest the place
l and whose lands adjolned them, said that
1 It was the most gruesome sight he ever
r saw, especially 80 on account Of the late
t ness of the hour OF holding the inquest
: While nearer Washington than any
. other place. the tragedy occurred In tho
Flint Hill District. and a corone err ar1t
jury had to be obtained from that dis
trlct, and It was after night when tn
investigation began.
The place Is on the side OF the noun
y tain, rugged and wild. with the neares
! dwelling Of any si2e about two miles dis
/ tant, ana the moon shining SO brightly
: that no ARTIFICIAL light was needed wifi
: which to view the CHASTITY spectacle
s Tho coroner. Justice j. 3. Baggarly
held the inquest, and the jury was com
. posed OF y. NJ. Yates, Joseph Reid. Johr
Moore, Jordon Turner, George Boiling ant
John Bowen.
pr. u. r. Browning OF Flint Hin. mad
the examination of the wounds. Tht
only Witnesses were Mrs. Jack Foster
Ed. Foster and his WIFE
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FINES SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
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