Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-05-15
SHOOTS WIFE DEAD
MURDERS HIRED MAN
Greene County Mans Nerve Fails
Hi matter Deed-Planned Self
Destruction

Tragedy stalked into a little
mountain home, located in the Blue
Ridge. five miles north of the
Spottswood Monument at Fern Hill
late Monday night, and when the
smoke from six .3S calibre bullets
fired by an insanely jealous husband
had cleared away, there lay the body
of his 32-year-old wife and mother
of six children at the head of the
stairs, and the lifeless form of his
22-year-old first cousin and hired
hand, in bed on the first floor.
l.. Gruver Meadows, aged "a, we'll
to-do lumberman residing on top of
Dean Mountain, the confessed killer
of his wife and first cousin, is in the
county Jail here, awaiting the ar
rival of Greene County authorities.
1t was first thought that the crime
was committed in Rockingham, but
it was later learned that the Mead
ows home is more than 100 yards
over the Greene County line.
The Dead
Mrs. Serena Meadows, aged "a,
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Leonard
Meadows, of Thoroughfare Noun
tain, and mother of six children,
ranging in age from eight months
to IL years. Four shots were fired
into her body as she met her hus-
band at the head of the stairs on
his return from the first floor.
Stanton Dean. aged %, son of
Robert Dean, of the Dean Mountain
section; first cousin and hired hand
of Meadows, who leaves bride of
only two months. AS he lay sleeping
in his room on the first floor, Mead
ows fired two shots into his head.
Dean never awoke.
Meadows proceeded to Harrison
burg Immediately after the shooting,
which occurred about IL o'clock and
his attorney, George
Harnsberger, who advised him to
surrender to the sheriff. Meadows
arrived at the jail about 4:30 O'Clock
Tuesday morning and later made
a complete confession to Common
Attorney Earman and Sher-
iii Dove, according to the officers.
Intended to Kill Self
Il lost my nerve, or l would never
be here" Meadows told the author
tiles. for fully intended to kill
myself"
His moment of insanity, however,
apparently passed when he emptied
his revolver into the two victims.
Leaving the two bodies where
hey were shot down, Meadows
ocked up his five youngest children.
ranging in age from 10 years to
eight months, and came here with
lis eldest son. Cecil. bright little
hap of IL years. The FIVE children
we're alone in the house with the
.wo bodies, more than a mile from
he nearest neighbor, from about III
o'clock until friends and neighbors
arrived at the lonely mountain home
after daybreak Tuesday.
Jealous of Dean
Meadows told the officers here
hat he had been jealous of Dean for
some time and that, shortly after re-
firing Monday night. his wife admit
ed that she had been untrue to him.
Meadows said this so aroused him
hat he went into another room, OBJ
aimed his .3S calibre revolver and
dashed down the stairs to the room
where Dean lay sleeping.
Meadows then calmly told how he
vent to Deans bed, located his head
~ the light shining in window,
md then fired two shots into the
head, just behind the ear. He said
hat Dean never moved. The body
ay yesterday just like it was sleep
ng.
Shot Wife Four Times
Meadows then told of going back
up the steps and being met at the
head of the stairway by his wife.
He then fired four times into the
body and she sank to the
foor. The body lay Tuesday at
The head of the stairs, where it
had dropped, and the position of the
limbs indicated that the woman
might have been on her knees. beg
ging her husband to calm himself,
when the shots were fired.
After all of this, Meadows said
he locked the five children in the
room, and told them to stay there,
adding that in case of fire they
should jump out of the window.
Meadows then walked FIVE or six
miles, to the home of Quinn Smith,
on the Spottswood Trail, and asked
him to take him to Harrisonburg, as
Il have had some trouble with my
wife" Smith knew nothing of the
tragedy until he returned several
hours later from his visit hare