The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-04-07
THIRD VICTIM
AssassinatfOns Mark the Course o1
Celebrated Law Case,

fAsS"ssiuutWus MARA tne course OF
Celebrated Law Case.
McRae. Ca. April o-That Pope
Hill. a prominent attorney of Macon,
Is the third victim of an assassin
in the now celebrated Dodge case. is
the belief of authorities of this coun-
ty. The coroner's jury. after a care
ful examination, declared yesterday
afternoon that Hill, was murdered by
parties unknown"
Hill was found dead in the Office of
local attorney at 2 a. Ill.,, bullet in
his brain and revolver. with one
chamber discharged. grasped in his
right hand. The condition of the Of
nee indicated a desperate struggle.
The stove had been turned over, the
coal scuttle was crushed, and the fur
niture was broken, On the floor lay
an unfinished court motion in the
Dodge case. drafted by the dead law
yer, which he came; here to file.
Hill arrived here at noon Sunday
and went into friends law office to
work on the case. Later he went to
tthe home Of the proprietor of hard
ware store and said he had received
some threatening letters and wanted a
revolver. He was so insistent that the
hardware nlan opened the store and
sold Hill the revolver. which was
found clasped in his hand. Hill re-
turned to the office and was not seen
again alive. His body was found on
the floor. He had been dead several
hours. The bullet had pierced his
right eye and entered the brain. From
blood stains on the wall. he must have
been shot when standing up. The
first, idea of suicide seemed contra
dicted by the fact that there were no
powder burns on his face and that
there was every indication of des-
perate struggle in the office. which
apparently began while Hill was in the
midst of the work of preparing his
motion for court.
. When his body was searched note
addressed to hi mat Macon was found.
1t was written in a childish hand. and
said: Pope Hill. the next time you
interfere with our settlement you will
be broke"
Instead of a signature. there we're
a rudely drawn skull and crossbone.
The authorities believe that Hill re-
ceived other threats after he arrived
here Sunday. which impelled him to
buy the revolver. 1t was found. too,
that after his arrival here Sunday. he
wired to woman in Warrenton. Ga.
regretting that he could not spend
Sunday with her. but promising to call
on her later in the week. He was in
terested in the case which was to have
come up today. and had spent much
time in preparation.
The trial of deaths and injuries in
the Dodge case began in 1891. In that
year Capt. John c. Forsythe. who rep
resented the n. w. Dodge estate. was
assassinated. After six weeks trial,
five men were sent to prison for life
for the crime. Soon after this. Lucius
Williams. one of the claimants attor-
neys. was killed. and for weeks the
entire country was in state of great
excitement. Since then. there have
been numerous encounters growing
out of the case in which the partici-
pants received severe gun shot or stab
wounds.
The Dodge lands cover some 4OO,-
600 acres in Pulaski Dodge. Telfar
and Lawrence counties. The titles
rested on ancient land grants and
since 1882 there has been continuous
litigation over their ownership. Many
squatters settled on different parts and
there was trouble every time an evic-
tiOn was attempted.