Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-07
WATKINS ARRA|CNED
ON CHARGE OF MURDER
Hearing Postponed Until February
20, and He Is Held With
out Bail.
FUNERAL OF VICTIM TO-DAY
Coroner Taylor ImpancIs Jury to In
vestigate Circumstances OF Shoot
Ing OF Miss Hester Dodson ut Her
Home on Friday Night.

ing OF Miss Hester Dodson at Her
Home on Friday Night.
with his mass of black hair still
,ouslcd from a restless night, and his
uerk eyes poignant with pain, John c.
watkins. nineteen years old, was ar
'aigned In Police Court yesterday
morning to answer to the charge of
numbering his sweetheart. Hester bod
son. on Friday night The hearing was
postponed ut the request of counsel,
Attorney Gilbert X. Pollock, to Febru-
AIRY 20, when the angushed youth Will
enter upon the battle for his life.
alter his case was called and post
poned. Watkins was led back into the
detention cell. There he broodcd upon
me dark fate which hung above him
ana thought Of the girl whom he had
Killed. There will be no necessity for
an autopsy, 1t was stated yesterday,
and the girl will be laid to rest to-day.
WATKINS COMMITTED
TO JAIL WITHOUT BOND
Watkins Will be In Jail, for he was
committed without bond yesterday
morning. He continued yesterday to
hvow hls love for Hester when friends
ana others conversed with him in the
detention cell. and said that she ought
not to have sent him from her. He
could .alk Yesterday morning but on
dead in his cell, and twice ambulance
surgeons were summoned to attend him.
lie could not be aroused from his stu
hor. though Ambulance Surgeon Stern,
who used upon him all the ordinary
methods OF resuscitation, said that
nothing was the matter with him.
Coroner Taylor impancled Jury yes
ierday morning. and the Jury viewed
me body Of the girl. and was then adj
lourned TO Tuesday morning, when the
inquest Will be held. Examination
showed that the bullet. which had been
nred from close contact. had passed
through the girls heart After being
wounded she walked half the length Of
me hallway whore she was shot, passed
through her mothers bedroom and en-
tered the parior In which she had been
talking with her lover before she was
overcome.
FAMILY RECOGNIZED
HIM As HER SUITOR
The two had known each other since
iast August, and Wattins's attentions
had become so frequent that the fam
NY recognized him ms "A sutton though
Inc elder girl, Marie, said that she
never liked or trusted him. Both
worked together In the Federal Cigar
tompany's plant, and the chance. ac.
quaintance ripencd into friendship and
then into love. Watkins has letters
which Hester wrote him. and all are
expressive OF her devotion. and occn-
sIonal!y IN the letters she shows traces
OF Jealous pang.
II was because she believed that he
had been too attentive TO other girls
that she upbraided him Friday night
and told him TO come TO her no more
BGt there has not yet been an cxpla-
nation OF why Watkins was armed.
Marie had once before discovered that
ne vas armed, and when she Ques-
toned him. she says, he laughed her
out Of further inquiry.
No ono. 1t seems. knew Friday night
that he had a pistol with him, and
when the boy and girl parted he drew
IT so quickly that she had not time
even To turn from the fire. The re-
yolver was evidently pressed against
her body. and the bullet. entering Just
above the LEFT breast. passed through
her heart
She screamed and walked away and
watkins. after trying three times to
shoot himself. ran into her brothers
bedroom, where he rclapscd into n sort
OF stuNor He was still in an apparent
dnze when Policeman F.. NJ. Bosquctt
arrived, and. after saying that he
wanted To be taken TO a police station.
refused to talk. Since, however. he
has bewailed his act
WAS GIRL OF MORE THAN
ORDINARY TALENTS
hcstcT Dodson was girl or more
than usual intelligence. She was an
adept with chalk and crayon. and many
crayon portraits which Rdorn the wall
OF the parlor OF the Dodson apartments
are tribute TO her skill. One of them
Is sketch of Watkins, and IT was
remarkably we'll done. Others are
studies OF heads.
The girl was high spirited. fond OF
fun and life. and always willing to
embark on the little schemes of pleas
ure OF the young. She was idol!zed
by her mother. and she and her sister
Marie. were constant friends. Both are
known for the remarkable length and
thickness of their hair When plated
the hair OF each reached below the
knees. and Hester was covered in her
long. blonde trcsses when she died
watkins did not see her again He
remained In Ben Dodson's bedroom
until the arrival of Policeman Bosauett.
and his sweetheart was laid on a
lounge In the parlor, where so often
they had planned their future.
Watkins Is a native OF King and
Queen County. His father James Wat
kins. now dead. was prosperous
farmer of that county