The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-29
GREEN SPRINGS MURDER
MAY BE CLEARED UP
Detectives Arc Said to Have Reached
Cancellation ms to Who Killed
Victor *. Hall.
WIDOW TELLS STORY ON STAND
Nelates How Her Husband Was Called
to Door OF His Homo and Shot Down
After burning OF Nearby store

After burning OF Nearby store.
Especial to Tho Times Dispatch.J
charlottesville. Va, April 2s.--The
or tho murder in Green Springs, Louisa
county. nearly fortnight ago, seem
convinced that the detectives and 9TH
crs who have Investigated have reached
conclusion as to who was responsible
for the killing Of Victor *. HILL. the
postmaster. The story is rounding out
gradually. but TO the public there arc
many dark places.
Mrs. Hall, tho middle-aged wife OF
tho twenty -fouryear-o old Victim OF the
aasassin's bullet, told the story Of the
tragedy In very brief fashion Her
gone to bed early tho previous eve
ming. Both OF them were aslaep when
his father. Nicholas ". Hall. awolle
them soon after midnight with the
news that Dunkums store, across the
railroad, wac burning.
An interviewer story.
The story Of the Hall and Dunkurn
families is an interviewer narrative Of
intimate relations. Several years ago
, the Dunku,n brothers, OF Wilmington,
Fluvanna County. opened store FOR
tho sale OF general merchandise at
Green Springs. When they reached
that place Victor Hall. then little more
than youth. was tho village postmas
ter and station agent In time they
built up good trade, but death over
station master married the. widow and
took over the dead mans interests.
Latch. w. II. Dunkun retired from
the Arm and built It storcroom across
tho. railroad and began a business
which at once became popular with
the people Of tho community. The
murder. The marriage OF young Hall
and tho widow Dunkum. tho copartncr-
ship with the surviving Dunkum
brother. tho separation and tho cstaIb-
llshment OF another store across tho
railroad. Its destruction by fro and the
murder Of Hall arc evcnts crowded into
Tho pact year.
The Hall store and tho Hall residence
we're nsrts Of one building, The s ssore
farther from the street was occupied
az residence. Nan and his wife slept
in a room IN the rear or the gtore,
whiio the rooms upstairs were occupied
by Mrs. Hairs two dauDhters-ono
nearly srown, and Two youns women
The six inadc up the entire family.
Mrs. Halle shor, story OF the muir
iiiuminating facts. She sald ti.st she
and her husband we're awakened about
o'clock III the morning, three hours
after the burning Of the Dunkum store,
or within the stor-. He hastily lighted
lamp, and went into the store. She
God have mercy OH me-" Then pis-
tol shot rang out. and she hurried into
tho store. only to nnd her husband
stretched on tho noor with II bullet
through his brain. She says sne found
him lying about fifteen feet from the
front door. which he had left unlocked
when he returned from the Are. with
the key in the lock inside. Tho wound
as already described. ranged from tho
back OF the head through tho brain
lodging underneath the skin near tho
left eve.
PuzEitnx Point In Evidence.
The coroncrs jury ended it. invcsti-
cations with verdict that Hall had
come To his death TT the hands OF 4
person or persons unknown IL the jury.
in the evidence before the Jury Was the
fact that the body was not found at
the point indicated by Mrs. Hall. but
just inside the store from his and his
wifc's bedroom. There WAS no blood
at this point. This was puZzling cir
cumstancc tc the jury. inasinuch the
wound waH OF nature to bleed freely.
\ pistol was found on bureau in the
hall bedroom, with one chamber empty.
except for tho shell, and the others
loaded. The jury did not believe that
this pistol had been used.
There - intense curiosity TO what
the detectives Will report; whether they.
VIII find any connection between tho
burning OF tho Dunhurn store ard the
murder OF Hall: whether. In case they
do. the same hand used the torch ana
the pistol. and what was tho motive
for each crime and what linked the
crimes together?