The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-23
John Dillman, Flat Rock, ILL.,,
Comes to Richmond and
Tries to Kill Divorced Wife
and Daughter.
YOUNG WOMAN FOILS
MURDEROUS ATTEMPT
Grapples with Maddened
Man Until Her Mother 'Es-
capped Dillman Attempts
Suicide with Laudanum.

Bearing a fiendish hatredtoward.h his
wife. who secured a divorce from him
the frst OF this week. John>E. Dillman.
of Flat Rock. Ill.,, formerly Of near
Warren. Ind. came to this city'yester-
day afternoon and shortly after
o'clock last evening went to the flats
above the Starr Piano parlors on
South Tenth street. where he attempt
ed to shoot his former wife. and his
daughter. Mrs. p. Marsh. and later At
tempted to end his own life by drink.
ing poison. In each instance. however,
his attempt failed. Tho man was ar
rested. In police court this morning he
pleaded guilty to the charge onassault
with felonious intent and was bound
over to the Wayne circuit court, his
bond being fixed at 5000.
Mrs. Sarah Dillman, tho wife, came
to this city yesterday and Joined her
daughter. who lives in the flats above
the Starr parlors. Dillman learned that
his wife was coming to Richmond and
he decided to follow her.
When he arrived here shortly before
o'clock yesterday afternoon he went
Immediately to purchase a revolver,
and going to the Main street entrance
to the flats he rushed up the stairs
and breaking into the apartments yell
ed, now, will kill you"
Fights With Father.
Quick as a flash his daughter jump
ed to her feet and pounced with goril-
la-like strength upon her father. A gen.
eral "rough-house" ensusd. In the
meantime Mrs. Dillman had rushed In
to another room and opening the door
leading into the hallway she rushed
out and down the stairs. Dillman who
has been in a weakened condition for
several years, encountered great DIM
Guilty in breaking away from tho grasp
of his daughter. He heard his former
wife opening the hall door and he
rushed to the top of the stairway. BY
this time his divorced wife was within
few steps from the Main street door.
way. but she tripped, falling headlong.
Just as she fell Dillman shot, but tho
bullet missed the woman and crashed
through the front glass Of tho large
door.
Dillman turned and ran back into DO
flats where his daughter was hiding.
She, fearing he was going to shoot
her, rushed at him and struck him Z!
censed Dillman attempted to shoot h1s. .
daughter, but he found that her
strength was too much for him and A.
ter breaking away from her ran from
the apartments and down tho stairs,
evidently to chase his former wife.
When he reached tho street she Vas
not in sight. He walked TO tho aoor-
way of the Richmond Steam laundry,
where he sat down. Some ono yelled
That's the man who did tho shoot
ing" and within a few minutes Z
crowd of about two hundred persons
had gathered about him. The police
were notified and Sup. Gormon ana Pa
trolman Longman with Patrol Driver
Wenger were soon on the scene.
He Attempts Suicide.
While sitting in front Of tho laundry
Dillman pulled a three-ounce vial Of
laudnum from his pocket and tipped
it too his lips. 1t Ia said that he would
have ended his life IL the bottle had
not been knocked from his hands. The
city physician who cared for him said
that he had not taken enough lauda-
mum to injure him.
Dillman was carried into the patrol,
he declaring he was too weak to walk
He was taken to the city building
where he made confession.
A letter in his coat pocket was en-.
ough evidence for the police to prove
that Dillman premeditated numbering
his wife. 1t was addressed AZ follows:
Dec. %. 1911-Mrs. Suse Ray. Sam
Miller and wife and the lying J. Bar
ber and some more" The letter read.
Il am on the train between Indiana
polls and Richmond and expect to kill
my x-wife as soon as see her. If
youall had a keep still would not do
it, you pie-mouth hipocrite.
tSigned) J. e. Dfllman."
Below the signature was Sam Mil
the outside of the envelope. which was
not stamped, was written Send this to
address"
On a slip of paper which Chief Cor
mon found in another pocket was
Give this revolver to o. p. Mercer,
Flat Rock, Ill" ..+.
Buys Revolver Here.
Dillman informed the police that he
started to 90 from Flat Rock to 60 t.
Button, but at Indianapolis he chang
ed his mind, deciding to come to this
city. He arrived In Richmond at 4:5e
O'Clock on train No. 20. He inquired
at the passenger station where h4
could find hardware store, and hS