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It was estimated that the murders occurred around 12:45 a.m. based on a broken clock in the cabin that had stopped at the time, along with a neighbor's report that his dogs had begun barking loudly around this time. The bodies of Ruth and
William were discovered entangled in bed, Ruth's lying beneath
402:
Upon further questioning, Riggin changed his account of events, instead claiming in a formal statement (made July 21, 1917) to have participated in the robbery and murders with Ramsey, not the anonymous Brown and Flynn. Riggins' two diverging accounts were riddled with inconsistencies regarding the
344:
Upon questioning Harvey's neighbors in
Ardenwald, Mass reported that several women told him Harvey had made "improper proposals" to them, as well as insulting them. Mass subsequently stated that he had "absolute proof" that Harvey had taken the last train to Ardenwald on the interurban railway from
398:
and that they planned a robbery scheme together, looting local homes. According to Riggin, he watched outside the Hills' cottage while Brown, armed with an axe, and Flynn entered to rob the family. Riggin claimed to have waited outside the cottage for approximately thirty minutes, during which he
273:
that extended from above her right eye across her whole face, as well as another fracture that broke her teeth and lower jaw. Dorothy had sustained several skull fractures to both the front and back of the head from an axe blade, while Philip's head wounds appeared to have been inflicted with the
332:
native and local landowner, had been in a land dispute with
William Hill prior to the murders. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Harvey had already been loosely connected to various gruesome crimes: In 1894, an 18-year-old woman named Mamie Welch was murdered in a strawberry patch on
159:. Nathan Harvey, a landowner who lived adjacent to the Hills' home, was charged with their murders on December 20, 1911, but these charges were dropped one week later, and further investigation into Harvey's possible involvement was ceased in February 1912 following an
235:
The bloodied axe used in the murders was left in the Hills' home, propped against the foot of
Dorothy's bed. It was determined by authorities that the axe did not belong to the Hills and had been stolen from the front porch of Joseph Delk, who lived approximately
303:
while attempting to float on a makeshift raft. After his arrest, it was believed by authorities that Ramsey had been the subject of a series of complaints—spanning several years—regarding an unknown man lurking in the communities east of
Portland. Ramsey, a
206:
At approximately 8:00 a.m. on June 9, the wife of C. W. Matthews, a neighbor of the Hills', knocked on the front door of their home after her husband noticed that
William had not left the residence as he normally did each morning to catch the interurban
362:: "Except by his friends, Harvey is feared...There are those possessed of evidence in the case that could incriminate Harvey. If fears of possible retribution from the man are allayed I think they can be induced to tell what they know."
399:
heard children screaming inside. After the murders, Riggin claimed Brown and Flynn exited the cottage with approximately $ 1,400 worth of gold and silver. For his role in the robbery, Riggin claimed to have been paid $ 100.
268:
who examined the bodies stated that
William's injuries had left his head "completely chopped to pieces on the right side; especially on the right side above the eye, deforming whole face." Ruth similarly sustained a severe
389:
in
October 1915. During his confession in the killing, Riggin also claimed to have witnessed the Hills' murders along with a Mexican man who went by the nickname "Brown" and a man named William Flynn, the latter an
182:
Cowing; born March 26, 1878); and Ruth's two children from her previous marriage, Philip
Rintoul (born October 14, 1902) and Dorothy Rintoul (born June 2, 1905); moved into a cottage in the rural community of
403:
Hills' cabin and other logistics. Despite this, Riggin was able to point out specific locations regarding the crime, including the site of the cottage, which had been demolished after their murders.
365:
While Mass was convinced that Harvey was behind the murders, the charges against him were ultimately dropped on
December 27, 1911, pending further investigation, and he was released during a
170:
named Edward Ramsey. In 1917, a man named William Riggin confessed to having participated in the murders, but provided significantly varied accounts that were inconsistent with one another.
328:
On December 20, 1911, a 55-year-old nursery owner named Nathan Harvey, who lived 100 yards (91 m) from the Hill residence, was charged with the murders of all four victims. Harvey, an
144:. The victims were the Hill family: William Hill, his wife Ruth, and Ruth's two children from a previous marriage, Philip and Dorothy. All four victims had been bludgeoned to death with an
333:
Harvey's property, and her body found lying next to an adjacent road. A series of other murders and mysterious deaths occurred within the Harvey family: in 1896 one of Harvey's brothers
198:
On the morning of June 8, Ruth visited the law offices of her brother and father in Portland, who later stated that she seemed "disturbed about something" which she never disclosed.
356:, during which over 500 signatures were gathered calling for the charges to be dropped. Some locals, however, spoke out against the protests, with one anonymous landowner telling
352:
Despite the charges, Harvey had a large number of supporters who professed his innocence and protested his arrest. On December 23 and 26, mass meetings were held in Milwaukie and
308:, lived in the woods and subsisted by trapping animals and stealing food. Though initially considered a suspect in the Hills' murders, he was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
246:
mile (1.2 km) north of the Hill residence. Most of the windows of the house had been covered in cloth and garments by the perpetrator, ostensibly to conceal the crime.
227:, Ruth was then struck twice in the head. After both parents were deceased, eight-year-old Philip was subsequently bludgeoned to death, with Dorothy being the last to die.
411:
The Ardenwald axe murders have been described by historians as one of the most brutal murders in the history of Oregon, and in the enduring years became subject of local
253:
as a motive for the crime. Because of the violent and sexual nature of the murders, Mass believed that sex was the motive and that the assailant may have been a
215:. Upon receiving no answer, Mrs. Matthews peeked into the front window of the home and saw the bloodied body of five-year-old Dorothy laid out on the floor.
349:, which arrived in Ardenwald at 12:25 a.m. on the night of June 9. Two witnesses stated they saw Harvey exit the train at Ardenwald station at this time.
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Though some jewelry was missing from the Hill residence, other valuables and money were left behind, leading Sheriff Mass to exclude
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653:. Santa Rosa, California. December 21, 1911. p. 1 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
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prior to her murder. Bloody fingerprints were found smeared on Dorothy's body, as well as on Philip's arm.
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to complete searches of the Hill property and surrounding area, but these efforts did not prove fruitful.
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353:
195:. William had built the cottage himself, and the family moved into the home in early May of that year.
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155:, it was believed by authorities that the murders were motivated by sex and possibly the work of a
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that of her husband's. It was determined that, after William had been bludgeoned to death with an
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369:. In February 1912, a Clackamas County judge formally closed further investigation into Harvey.
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handle of the axe. Based on examination of Ruth's body, it was determined she had likely been
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From left to right: William Hill, Ruth Hill, Philip Rintoul, and Dorothy Rintoul
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738:. Anaconda, Montana. February 10, 1912. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
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550:. Pendleton, Oregon. December 21, 1911. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
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In the spring of 1911, William Hill (born December 19, 1878); his wife Ruth (
884:
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Sheriff Ernest Mass arrived shortly after the Matthews reported the crime.
879:. Portland, Oregon: Press of Pacific Coast Rescue and Protective Society.
856:
The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery
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257:. In order to assist the investigation, Mass brought a bloodhound from
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In May 1917, William Riggin confessed to shooting William Booth in
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Several other suspects have been considered, including a
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of Edward Ramsey. Riggin claimed to have met the men in
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that occurred in the early morning of June 9, 1911, in
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335:shot their mother to death before killing himself
140:, United States, then a neighboring community of
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876:Why Some Men Kill; Or, Murder Mysteries Revealed
730:"Grand Jury Takes Hand In Investigating Mystery"
839:. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press.
854:James, Bill; James, Rachel McCarthy (2017).
932:Unsolved mass murders in the United States
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295:On the morning of the Hill murders, a
299:named Edward Ramsey was arrested at
191:, then located immediately south of
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907:1911 murders in the United States
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858:. New York: Simon and Schuster.
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645:"Charged With Killing Them All"
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544:"Hill Suspect Human Pervert"
213:Portland Natural Gas Company
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425:List of homicides in Oregon
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927:People murdered in Oregon
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278:, while Dorothy had been
106:Ruth Cowing Hill, aged 33
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902:1911 in Portland, Oregon
873:Thacher, George (1919).
835:Chandler, J. D. (2013).
112:Dorothy Rintoul, aged 5
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381:Riggin in 1917 mugshot
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109:Philip Rintoul, aged 8
39:June 9, 1911
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123:Ardenwald axe murders
103:William Hill, aged 32
19:Ardenwald axe murders
809:, pp. 102–105.
780:, pp. 101–102.
768:, pp. 94, 101.
367:preliminary hearing
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650:The Press Democrat
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280:sexually assaulted
211:to his job at the
153:sexually assaulted
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865:978-1-476-79625-3
846:978-1-609-49925-9
735:Anaconda Standard
690:, pp. 84–85.
634:, pp. 80–81.
619:, pp. 95–96.
578:, pp. 80–84.
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276:raped after death
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922:Murder in Oregon
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396:Oregon City
301:Oaks Bottom
130:mass murder
81:Mass murder
54:12:45 a.m.
912:Axe murder
896:Categories
431:References
174:Background
157:sex maniac
43:1911-06-09
387:Willamina
339:Milwaukie
255:pedophile
209:streetcar
185:Ardenwald
134:Ardenwald
66:Ardenwald
885:36275094
419:See also
413:folklore
354:Sellwood
347:Cazadero
286:Suspects
193:Portland
142:Portland
127:unsolved
91:Unsolved
62:Location
829:Sources
306:drifter
297:vagrant
266:coroner
259:Seattle
251:robbery
241:⁄
202:Murders
168:vagrant
161:inquest
87:Outcome
41: (
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407:Legacy
189:Oregon
138:Oregon
125:is an
97:Deaths
72:, U.S.
70:Oregon
392:alias
881:OCLC
860:ISBN
841:ISBN
330:Iowa
324:1911
121:The
77:Type
51:Time
36:Date
225:axe
180:née
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146:axe
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264:A
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