Wayne-Johnston County NcArchives News.....micro farmer kills wife,sets fire to house, shoots self. August 12, 1930
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sherri mitchell rae5@netzero.com April 11, 2007, 5:57 pm

Smithfield Harold August 12, 1930
MARSHALL  ROBBINS commits suicide rather than be arrested for shooting wife and 
burning house. no reason for tragedy.one of the most horrible ever perperated 
within  the bounds of johnston county occured yesterday near micro when 
marshall robbins age about 60 shot and killed his wife age 55 set fire to his 
dwelling and later that day to keep from being taken by ooficers blew his own 
brains out with his shotgun. yesterday morning about 10;30 o'clock, mrs 
robbinswas haning out clothes in the gardenwhen her son ralph robbins who was 
at a tobbaco barn near by heard a shot, young robbins started to the house and 
saw his father comming out of the garden.the old man coverd his son with his 
gun and told him to leave. the son together  with millards deans, who was also 
at the tobacco barn hurried off immediately going after the depty 
sheriff,jasper pittman they also summed dr m  hinnant fearing there had been 
some foul play. when these  men reached the robbins  dwellinghad been fired had 
been fired and when they got on the scene  the roof was already falling in they 
found the body of mrs robbins body in the garden hwre she had fallen when her 
husband shot her in the face but she was still breathing and lived about 20 
minutes after the doctor got there. neighbors gatherd quickly as they saw the 
burning dweeling but were unable  to save any of the  contents of the house. 
four barns of tobacco stored in the house were burned.all the out buildings 
were destroyed also a chevrolet and a ford car. after setting the fire to the 
dwelling , robbins made his escape and through a posse of officers scouring the 
country round about he evaded  them until about the middle of the afternoon. 
w.h. stevens of smitfield with the bloodhound  had joined the force of officers 
and about 3;30o'clock he discoverd robbins in the swamp about 300 yards from 
his burned residence when stevens got about 35 yards of of him  robbins saw 
that he was gonna be arrested and leveled his own gun abd his own head and 
fired a shot which proved fatal. dr parker of benson county coroner who had 
been summoned  to hold an inquest over the dead body of his wife earlier in the 
afternoon, conducted an in quest over the body of robbins after the which the 
selma undertaker took charge of the  bodies.upon the person of robbins were 
found  six or eight gun shells a small tobaco sack containing $7.90 and a small 
jar with $21. at the inquiest young robbins testified his parents for some tims 
had not been living peaceablebut he knew of nothing special that could have 
caused the tragedy,robbins was known to have a violent temper. mr and mrs 
robbinsleave five children all of whom are grown, the youngest being ralph 
robbins who is married and lives near his father's place.

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