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 .38 caliber bullets, fired by an insanely jealous husband, had cleared away, there lay the body of his 22-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 his bed on the first floor.
L. Gruver Meadows, aged 34, well-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 arrival of Greene County authorities. It was first thought that the crime was committed in Rockingham, but it was later learned that the Meadows home is more than 100 yards over the Greene County line.
Mrs. Serena Meadows, aged 34, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Meadows, of Thoroughfare Mountain, and mother of six children, ranging in age from eight months to 11 years. Four shots were fired into her body as she met her husband at the head of the stairs on his return from the first floor.
Stanton Dean, aged 22, son of Robert Dean, of the Dean Mountain section; first cousin and hired hand of Meadows, who leaves a bride of only two months. As he lay sleeping in his room on the first floor, Meadows fired two shots into his head. Dean never awoke.
Meadows proceeded to Harrisonburg immediately after the shooting, which occurred about 11 o’clock and consulted 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 Commonwealth’s Attorney Barman and Sheriff Dove, according to the officers.
“I lost my nerve; or I would never be here,” Meadows told the authorities, “for I fully intended to kill myself.”
His moment of insanity, however, apparently passed when he emptied a revolver into the two victims. Leaving the two bodies where they were shot down, Meadows locked up his five youngest children ranging in age from 10 years to eight months, and came here with his eldest son, Cecil, a bright little chap of 11 years. The five children were alone in the house with the two bodies, more than a mile from the nearest neighbor, from about 11 o’clock until friends and neighbors arrived at the lonely mountain home after daybreak Tuesday.
Meadows told the officers here that he had been jealous of Dean for some time and that, shortly after retiring Monday night, his wife admitted that she had been untrue to him. Meadows said this so aroused him that he went into another room, obtained his .38 caliber revolver and dashed down the stairs to the room where Dean lay sleeping.
Meadows then calmly told how he went to Dean’s bed, located his head by the light shining in a window, and then fired two shots into the head, just behind the ear. He said that Dean never moved. The body lay yesterday just like it was sleeping.
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 woman’s body and she sank to the floor. 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, begging 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 Spotswood Trail, and asked him to take him to Harrisonburg, as he “had some trouble with his wife.” Smith knew nothing of the tragedy until he returned several hours later from his visit here.
Meadows’ only expression of regret over the rash act, according to the officers, was that he said, “I did not wait for the right time to do this killing; I acted too soon.”
Being informed that the Meadows home was in Rockingham County, and not Greene, Mr. Barman made plans at once for a coroner’s inquest. The officers, however, climbed the five miles through ankle-deep mud to the Meadows home, to make sure that relatives and neighbors were taking care of the children. Cecil Meadows accompanied the officers up the trail.
Early in the afternoon, the Greene County authorities arrived to hold the inquest.
Several hundred persons had gathered at the Meadows home in the afternoon and the feeling was high against Meadows. Had he gone to Stanardsville, only 15 miles away, instead of coming to Harrisonburg, where he transacted most of his business, the officers said they would have felt some concern for his safety. The bodies were removed to Elkton late yesterday to be prepared for burial.
This is the first tragedy to mar the peace in the Dean Mountain-Fern Hill section for years, old residents said yesterday. This section of the Blue Ridge is unusually peaceful, and officers could not recall the last time they were called to this vicinity.
The three principals were members of the best families in the section.
Meadows, a son of Mrs. Elijah Meadows, who resides with another son, Leonard, on Swift Run Turnpike, was regarded as a well-to-do lumberman, owner of a farm of 500 or more acres and operator of sawmills, stave plants, and the like. He was also said to have shrewd business sense and had made a success in the lumber business.
While having a high regard for his business ability, those in the section said they knew Meadows’ mind was somewhat "flighty" at times. Many expressed the opinion that he was "half crazy," his actions and words at times indicating that he was unbalanced. He was regarded as religious at times and on other occasions he was reckless and seemed to express his feelings. Mr. and Mrs. Meadows often turned the five miles to the Fern Hill G. B. Church to attend services.
Mrs. Meadows was held in high esteem by everyone who knew her, according to many expressions heard in the section yesterday. She was described as a good, hard-working woman. That Meadows’ jealousy was unfounded, was the popular verdict.
The same high regard was held for Stanton Dean, son of Robert Dean, residing on Dean Mountain, some distance from the Meadows home. He had been employed as a teamster and general handyman by Meadows for some time and lived in the Meadows home. Only two months ago, he was married to Miss Carrie Dean, daughter of Will Dean, of the Mt. Pleasant Church section.
Justice L. H. Bruce said that Meadows was in the habit of carrying a revolver and that only recently he came into his place at Elkton, laid his gun on the counter and declared that “If things don’t change, something is going to happen.” He told the justice to keep this in his mind.
Mr. Bruce also said that he believed that Meadows contemplated suicide for some time.
"I was talking to him about taking out a life insurance policy some time ago," said Mr. Bruce. "He asked me then how long the policy had to be in effect before it was incontestable. I told him one year. Then he asked if the policy would be paid if the insured committed suicide. I told him it would under certain conditions."
Another story of Meadows’ queer behavior was told by the younger Dean shortly after he left the man’s employment. The lad told, before a crowd in the Fern Hill Post Office, some time ago that on several occasions he had awakened at night while sleeping in the Meadows home and found Meadows standing over him.
