Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-04-06
|BEL|tVtO;UWYtR Was
] VICTIM OF ASSASSIN
Prominent Macon Attorney Mys'
terIous|y Shot 10 Death in
Georgia Town.
BEARS sEhBlANcE Of SUICIDE
But Powder Burns Are Absent--Re-
eeived Threatening Letter and Arm
ed Himse,f-Enaased on Case In
Which Two Others Have Lost Lives
Signs Of seuffIe.
Try Associated Press.l

MASREA GA, April 5.-That Pope
Hill. a prominent attorney of Macon.
who was found shot to death today. Is
the third victim OF an assassin in the
Dodge land case. Is the belief Of police
ocefIirs. a cOrOucr'S jury, after a
careful examination deriarei that Hill
was murdcrel hv parties unknown.
Hin was 70 md d, I'd IN the Office OF
an attorney early t>t1' n b lilet In
his brain and Il r"rn.N'r with one
rhoml'or d srh"rSra craSrei In the
right hand. The condition of the Of
flee indicated Il desperate .irlegle.
The stove was upset. the coal scnt-
tie was crushed and the furniture was
broken. On the floor lay an unfinish-
ed court motion in the Dodge case.
and which Hill had drafted and
brought to MacRea to file.
Bought a Revolver.
Hill arrived in McRea at noon Sun.
day and went into q friends law Of
fee to work on the case. Later he
went to the home of the proprietor Of
a hardware store and said he want
ed revolver. as he had received
some threatening letters. He was so
insistent that the hardware man open.
ed the store end sold him the re-
vClver that today was found clasped
in his hand Today Hill returned IN
the INV Office md was not again seen
alive by friends.
When found, Hill had been dead
: several ho'!rs. Tho bullet had pierre
ed the right eve and entered the
, brain. From blood stains on the
wall he probably was shot while
standing.
Hill. who was 40 years OLD. was a
member of the law firm Of Harris &
| Harris. A widow and one child sur
| vive him. His friends are employing
-: detectives.
Note Written in Sers~!.
A note which Hill received at Ma
con yesterday was found on the body.
| II is believed that this Is the note
| Hill referred to when he bought the
! revolver on Sunday. II is written in
a childish scraWl and reads:
: Pop" Hill the next time you inter.
, fere with oar settlement, you will be
broke
! II is signed with a crudely drawn
; skull and cross bones. The authori-
, ties are convinced that the note refers
| to the Dodge case which was on the
! verge OF settlement when the new and
/ unknown claimant put in an appear.
J ancc He was represented by Hill.
Convinced Of Murder.
: The authorities are convinced like.
wise that Hill was murdered. They
point to the warning note. the lack
! OF powder burns on his face and the
! fact that Hill was in the mids, OF the
! preparation Of a motion when he was
killed.
The Dodge case Is one OF the most
famous in the staaie nd three persons
connected with II met with myster.
; ious deaths.
! The list Of deaths and narrow es.
capes in the Dodge land suit began in
1891. In tina: year Captain John c.
Forsythe. representing the Norman
Wilder estate was murdered. After a
six weeks trial Ave men we're sent 10
prison charged with the crime.
| Shortly aiterward Captain r. L. vii
, l:ams. one Of the claimants in the
! case, was killed For weeks after.
wards the entire neiehborhood en-
| bracing four counties was in a fever
! Of excitement.
Besides these deaths there were
several encounters In which the par.
Elephants received gunshot and knife
wounds The Dodge lands cover
about 900. 900 acres. Since 1852 there
has been almost continuous litigation
over portion OF the property.