The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-16
Silas Smith Shoots William
Murphy in Head and Then
Gives Himself Up.
DECLARES MAN HAD
INSJILTED DAUGHTER
Wife OF Prisoner Says He Was
Crazed With Drink and That
He Had No Cause for
Suspecting Employc
OF Improper
Conduct.

4 LONE in the front room of the
N overseer's little house on Acca
~ Stock Farm, near Deep Run
4 a Hunt Club, in the early hours
of yesterday morning. William
Murphy. white groom, employed on
the place, was shot and instantly killed
by Silas Smith, the manager.
The only other occupants Of the house
at the time were Smiths two little
children, who were asleep two rooma
farther down the hall, and who were
not awakened by the sound of the pis-
tol shot. Reports concerning the trag-
edy are conflicting and misleading.
Smith maintains that he was Justified
In his action, and says that IL he had
to go over the experience again he
would take the same course. intimating
strongly that Murphy's demeanor to-
ward Mrs. Smith and her sixteen-year-
old daughter was improper. On tha
other hand, Mrs. Smith and the few
people in the neighborhood who are
acquainted with both Smith and MUIR
ply declare that they can assign no
reason for the murder except that tia
manager was crazed by whskey when
he got home from Richmond on Satur-
day night, and with no foundation save
that of a drunken imagination. took up
the insane idea that Murphy was seek
Ing to wrong his wife or daughter.
Hils NO 1tcErCtS.
Whatever may lie behind the tragedy,
Smith. though deeply moved by the
affair. has no regrets, and discusses it
in way which would lead one to be-
lieve that the fatal shot was fired after
mature celebration. When he arrived
at the county Jail yesterday morning at
| Z o'clock. delivering himself UP and
handing his pistol--a thirty eight cali
bre Smith & Wesson-to Deputy Sher-
liff Garnett he gave every appearance
of being sane and well-balanced. So
calm was he that Mr. Garnett was sure
the negro boy who drove Smith down
was the prisoner and the manager q
detective.
IT am your prisoner" Smith told the
deputy. t'I have killed a man. but
think am justified in doing 1t. / was
protecting my family he added. as he
passed over his weapon. three cham
bers of which were empty.
When questioned by reporter at the
jail. Smith was very reticent about the
affair, and refused to discuss 1t except
to give a bare recital. concluding with
the statement that 1t was family
matter which he did not care to have
aired"
He admits that when he returned
from the city early on Saturday night
he had been drinking little. Soon
after his arrival he said, he became
involved in quarrel with his wife
about their daughter Marguerite. who.
In opposition to his wishes. wanted to
go out. At this point according to
the prisoner. Murphy rushed in and
said to Mrs. Smith: IT will protect YOU"
And l will shoot you" said Smith
PROMPTLY; whereupon the managers
wife. her daughter and Murphy, with
Mrs j. S. Harris, of Danville, Mrs
Smiths mother who is visiting her.
ran from the house. Two shots were
fred after Murphy at this time After
having Iut the two little children to
bed in the back room, Smith said that
he lay down with his gun beside him
in the front bed room.
Shot Him in Head.
AT 1 o'clock in the morning. or per-
iaps little later. declares the prison.
err Murphy came into the door, saying:
Il have carried Your wife and daugh-.
ter to the Deep Run Hunt Club and
Will take care of them" II will pro-
tect myself" said Smith, as they ran
together. For a short time they strug-
gled until Smith could get his arm
free: then the bullet was sent through
Murphy's brain. They We're still
clnched when Murphy tottered and
fell across the bed. AS soon as the
shot was fired Smith awakened the
| farm hands, sent over to the club
had boy hitch up a buggy and drive
| him to the jail.
Murphy" he said yesterday. "had
been with me since November and had
sought every opportunity to hang
| around the house. repeatedly warmed
! him to keep away, saying that his
place was In the field and that he
| should not come to the house except
at meal times and at night. I have
often had arguments with my wife
about his persistence, and told her pos-
| itively not to let him hang around"
What Wife Says.
| At the scene OF the murder Mrs.
Smith said yesterday that she could in
no way account for the action OF her
husband, and declared that unless the
| two men had some alteration on the
farm, there had never pissed between
them an unpleasant word Although
Murphy had lived in their home f0.
several months, she and her daughter
knew him but slightly seeing the man
only at meal time and when he re-g
turned from work at night. AS far as
she knew. she stated, the groom had
conducted himself in an exemplary
manner and had never made any adj
vances either to herself or to her
ldaughteg Even when they went to tho
clubhouse on Saturday night they went
| by different routes, thinking that Smith
was trying to shoot her or her daugh-
ter.
Furthermore, Mrs. Smith said that
Iwhen her husband arrived from the
/ city he was CRAY drunk "---drunker
than she had ever seen him before. alf
though according to her, he sometimes
"gets on sprees." AS soon as he reach-
ed the house. she says, he went into
rage, and acted as though he Wouli
L II 1, ON Oh