Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-06
LOVERS QUARREL
LEADS TO MURDER
Miss Hester Dodson Shot and
Killed at Her Home by
]. E. Watkins.
MOTHER HEARS BODY FALL
Watkins Snaps Pistol at Himself
Without Result, and Waits
at House for Police.
MOTHER HEARS BODY FALL


Will" she was accusing him OF par-
ing attention to other girls and was
bidding him never 20 return to her
again, J. T.. Watkins nineteen. placed
pistol against the breast Of Miss
Hester Dodson. only seventeen years
old. ana Killed her in the lattcr's apart
mcnts AT 232o VI Street. last night at
$50 o'clock. The two had Just come
from little parlor on the second floor.
and were standing in the hallway. near
the head OF the stairs when the
quarrel was finished with bitter words
and the girl was slain bS her lovers
hand When the guns fash brought
an answering flare Of flame from her
breast the girl screamed. so that her
cry was heard throughout the house
ana out upon the street. And then.
with bullet through her heart. she
sped away from the man she had just
spurned. ran down half the length of
the hallway. entered her mothers bed
room and went into the little parlor
sh" had just left. There she fell in
a crumpled heap before the stove She
was dying when her sister Marie and
her mother picked her up and laid her
on lounge. On the lounge as she
was trying 20 speak. she died. and
there she lay until after kind hearted
policemen and detectives and friends
from the ne!ghborhood had left.
LOVERS QUARREL
LEADS TO SHOOTING
From such information as could be
gained from the distressed family. ii
was learned that il was only lovers
quarrel which led TO the shooting
They passed cruel words between them
in the parlor. and the mother OF the
girl heard them from the Kitchen in
which she was washing and laying
away the dishes from the evening
meal The door of the little parlor
hangs almost upon the head OF the
stairway. There it was than Miss Dod-
son told her lover TO come, to her no
more. They were standing close to-
getser, il seems, and when he drew n
pistol from his hip pocket and fired,
flames burst from her corsage. AS the
girl he'd. affrighted, Watkins turned
the pistol on himself. and t;.cee times
ver-Johnson--was broken and II
failed to fire the second time. Wat
kins. 1t is said. pulled the trigger
around the chamber. Then he dashed
into tho room OF his sweetheart's
brother Benjamin. The room stands
at the end of the hall, at the end oppo-
site TO the direction taken by the
wounded and dying girl Watkins
threw himself across the bed and
tainted. There Dodson found him and
took from him the revolver
MOTHER HEARS SOUNDS
OF FALLING BODY
Mrs. Dodson had heard the sound of
the shot. and she heard later the thud
of her daughters falling body She
ran out and looked down the stairway,
thinking that her daughter had fallen
to the bottom OF the steps. and then
she saw her son and Watkins in the
little hall bedroom. Watkins was still
lying across the bed, and Mrs Dodson.
whom Watkins had familiarly called
Mother Dodson.' went TO him Marie
Dodson, All elder sister responded to
the alarm. and the three gathered about
Natk!nSs g side. In the meantime the
other girl lay dying upon the parlor
floor, and there they found her. and
from there they picked her up and
laid her comfortably TO rest Marie
held her sister up in her arms, and with
a cry that resounded through the house
asked her to speak. The girl moved
her lips, but no sound came, and so
she died.
Watkins. rolling upon the bed Of the
brother of his slain sweetheart. received
All attention. No one then. 1t seems.
knew that the girl was dead. They
thought only that Watkins had shot
himself. And Mrs. Dodson united his
collar and tie and took them off. and
asked him why he had done it, Marie
asked him why he had shot, and then
she rushed 10 her sisters side. Her
sister was dead then, and when Maries
cries were heard through the house all
others knew the meaning of her walls.
WATKINS ARRESTED
ON MURDER CHARGE
Marie called the First Police sta
tion by telephone and sent a messenger
for Dr. j. Marshall Boyle f.. NJ.
Bosnuett was sent from the station
house. and he arrested Watkins In the
house. Watkins. according to the Of
hcer. appeared to be calm and sober
and when the officer first spoke to him
watkins said: Take me to the sta
on-house." Bosruett helped him nut
on his coat. and the two passed out.
At the station Watkins became hvstcri
cal again, and tho city ambulance was
summoned TO attend him. He was re-
vivcd With ammonia. but the police
said that he was taking, and the am
bulance surgeon said that he was no,
Ill. The ambulance surgeon character
lied il rs male Mysteries"
Watkins had known Miss Dodson
since August and had been in con-
stant attendance upon her Roth
worked In the Federal Cigar Company's
plant. where he was employed as an
oiler. AS their friendship ripencd he
called upon her more frequently. and
became recognized as a suitor for the
young girls hand The family. 1t
seems. liked him, and his suit was
progressing we'll when the quarrel
came
OBJECTED TO HIS ATTENTIONS
TO OTHER GIRLS
1t was said that watkins had been
out with several other girls last Mon
day. and this was learned by Miss
Dodson. She upbraidcd him for pay