Father: R.W. Hillis
Mother: Priscilla Hillis
Brother: Albert Hillis

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Emporia Gazette, Saturday, December5, 1891; p.1, c.2

SHOT!
Frank R. [P] Hillis Shot in the Head at 12:20 To-Day.
His Wife Suddenly Disappears.
He is now Lying Unconscious at Third Avenue and West Street - No Possible Chance for Recovery.

The city was thrown into excitement at a little after noon to-day by the sensational shooting of Frank Hillis on Third avenue and West street, near the Santa Fe depot.

At about 12:30 Deputy Sheriff, Lee Vernon was summoned to the spot and found Frank Hillis lying on the poarch (sic) of the house just south of the hotel on the southeast corner of West street and Third avenue. The ladies in the neighborhood say that at 12:20 they heard a report of a pistol, and upon looking saw the wife deliberately walking away, leading the younger child. She left him at the hotel, saying she would be back soon and went on her way peddling butter, as if nothing had occurred. At the Santa Fe depot she met a brakeman and seeing the brass buttons, she mistook him for a policeman. She approached him smiling pleasantly and asked if he was a policemen. He told her he was not and asked what was wanted.

She replied, "There is a man down there who shot himself and is now dying." Who was he? was asked. To which she hesitatingly replied, A man who was once my husband but who is not any more." She then pleasantly bowed and went on her way and has not been seen or heard of since.

Her story conflicts with the one the neighbors told. She told a by-stander at the depot that she was abut 100 feet away from Mr. Hillis when the shooting occurred (sic), while they say she was only 20 feet away.

They have been separated lately, but once lived on Badger creek, ten miles north of this and six miles west of Reading. They have two children, one six years and the other eleven years old. They have lived a very quarrelsome life. A few days ago he came to this city with the children preparatory to leaving for Kansas City. The wife followed here. They met to-day at the scene of the tragedy. She made the child come with her. At this point (she said) the Mr. Hillis asked if he could come back and live with her. She told him that he could not and then turned her back and started off with the younger child. He then turned and shot himself. The older child seems to have been near some place, but not at the scene at the time. The younger one says that his father shot himself.

The fact that Mrs. Hillis' story conflicts with the witnesses, her peculiar action in the matter, and also her sudden disappearance, have led many to believe that she did the shooting herself. A revolver was found lying on the ground in the direction which Mrs. Hillis took from the scene.

Mr. Hillis is now lying unconscious and at the point of death. It is thought that he can not last through the night. The bullet entered his head just above and behind the left ear.

Mr. Hillis has been arrested twice during the last year; once for cruelty to his wife and at another time for cruelty to animals. When Dr. Waite's Indian medicine company was here he acted, so it is reported, in a very strange manner, leading many to believe he was crazy. Besides being a farmer he has attempted several times to preach both in the Methodist and Baptist churches. Further and full particulars will be furnished in Monday's Gazette.

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Emporia Gazette, Monday, December 7, 1891; P. 1, c. 3

UNQUESTIONABLE SUICIDE.
So Said the Jury at the Coroner's Inquest over the Body of F. P. Hillis.

At the coroner's inquest Saturday evening the jury returned the verdict that "Frank P. Hillis committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol." All witnesses and everything that could throw any light upon the matter were carefully examined at the inquest and it was found that there could be no justified suspicion thrown upon Mr[s] Hillis.

Mr. Hillis was proven to have been a physical, mental and moral wreck. He was a drunkard and a morphine fiend. He had tormented Mrs. Hillis until she lived a life of great misery. He had agreed to a divorce and promised to leave her alone forever and in consideration of that promise, he received a sum of money from her brothers.

The coolness and what, at first, seem to be unaccountable actions, are both explained on this ground. He had tormented the poor woman so very much that she was in her heart glad of his death and had the honesty to say so.

In Mr. Hillis' room was found a whiskey jug, a flask under the pillow and other evidence of a debauch. He was a bad character and this is the end of his protracted spree.

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The Emporia Republican, 10 Dec 1891, Thursday

SUICIDE.

Frank Hillis Uses a Pistol With Fatal Effect Upon Himself.

On Thursday this week Frank P. Hillis took supper at Mr. Martin's at Third avenue and West street. That evening he went to Mrs. Alice Evans', at 224 West street, and asked for a room. Mrs. Evans rents the property from Mr. and Mrs. McCune, and sublets the apartments, and accordingly gave Mr. Hillis a room containing a bed and stove, and proceeded to make a good fire. During a conversation with Mrs. Evans he stated to her that he had just returned from a hospital at Kansas City, "having been pronounced incurable of consumption."

Hillis said he had a "wife and five children to care for." One of the boys was traveling with him.

Sometime during Friday Hillis asked for the room again, saying, "I am expecting my wife to come to town to-day, and I want the room if I can have it."

Mrs. Evans was away Friday afternoon and Hillis came and went away again. Mrs. Evans had not seen anything of him since 6:00 on Friday night until she was told at 12:20 Saturday that "a man had shot himself on her porch." One of her daughters heard the pistol shot and also heard a dull thud on the porch. However, no one was allowed to touch the prostrate form of the man. Medical assistance was called and the physicians stated that the man could not live but a short time.

The affair occurred at 12:20 o'clock, and at a few moments before 2 o'clock kind hands removed the suffering wreck of humanity from the porch into the house. All that was evident of life was the heavy breathing. The countenance had the hue of death, and the half-closed eyes showed that death was near.

The family resided together a few miles north of Reading until some time last summer when a divorce was granted them in the district court of this county. After that Mr. Hillis was in jail on two separate occasions, one for cruelty to his former wife, and later for cruelty to animals.

Since that time he has been back to see the family, but did not stay long. The former wife came to town Saturday and was selling butter about town. She and Hillis were talking at the porch when the shooting occurred. She said, "No I don't want to take you home, you are a bad man; I don't ever want to see you again."

She was standing about thirty feet north of the porch, when Hillis took the revolver, a 44-calibre bulldog, from his pocket and fired the shot into the back of his own head.

The ball entered his head in the region above and somewhat back of the left ear, and ranged slightly upward through the skull, and judging from a small black swelling over his left eye, lodged near the front part of the skull.

Of the incidents immediately following his fall no one seems to have any knowledge except the appalling fact that the woman left the two boys at Nutting's restaurant and while the form of her former husband was lying at the gate of death on the porch, she got into a wagon and drove away to see a butter customer, and at 2 o'clock had not returned, and strangers stood reverently by the cot in the room momentarily expecting the suffering man to die. He is a moral and physical wreck which in a great measure has been caused by liquor.

LATER.--The former Mrs. Hillis returned and told Mr. Vernon that "it was a sad affair, but she was glad of it," and "I have two more customers to see about the butter," then she went away again. She says, "I saw him with the pistol to the head."

It often has been expected Hillis would kill himself or someone else, more probably the latter. However, the bloody pistol is strong evidence he shot himself.

LATER--HILLIS DEAD

Hillis died at 3:30 o'clock, and as we go to press the coroner's inquest is being held.

His parents reside at Barclay and have been notified of his death.

Mrs. Hillis was seen at 3:50 o'clock, waiting for the coroner; she said, "He came to the house last October, and had a pistol and poison, saying he was going to kill himself, and then went away. He wanted me to go upstairs to his room; said he wanted to talk to me, but I wouldn't go. I was about thirty feet from him when he shot himself. I am glad it happened here instead of out at home."

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The Emporia Weekly Republican, 10 Dec 1891, Thursday

SUICIDE.

The Death of Frank P. Hillis Caused by a Pistol Discharged by His own Hand.

Saturday evening Coroner Frost held an inquest over the remains of Frank P. Hillis and the following is the verdict of the jury:

An inquisition holden before me, G. W. Frost, coroner of Lyon county, Kansas, in the city of Emporia, this 5th day of December, 1891, upon the body of Frank P. Hillis, there lying dead by the following jurors whose names are hereunto affixed:

The said jurors upon their oath do say that the said Frank P. Hillis committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol.

A. CHILDERS,
E. BRYSON,
ALBERT MARCY,
O. L. BRYSON,
M. M. SNOW,
G. W. BRYSON,
Attest, G. W. FROST, Coroner.

The body was taken in charge by his brother and relatives and taken to Barclay on this morning's early train for interment. Excessive drink was undoubtedly at the bottom of all his trouble. It was hardly to be expected, under the circumstances, that much feeling could be shown by his divorced wife who was near him when he committed the act.

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The Osage City Free Press, 17 Dec 1891, Thursday

Card of Thanks.
Barclay, Kan., Dec. 15th, 1891
To the Editor of the FREE PRESS:
We desire to thank our friends and neighbors for their sympathy and assistance at the funeral of our son.
R. W. Hillis and Wife

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Frank P. Hillis in the 1880 United States Federal Census

Name: Frank P. Hillis
Age: 26
Birth Date: Abt 1854
Birthplace: Ohio
Home in 1880: Arvonia, Osage, Kansas, USA
Dwelling Number: 14
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital status: Married
Spouse's name: Mary Hillis
Father's Birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Birthplace: Ohio
Occupation: Farmer
Cannot Read: Yes
Cannot Write: Yes
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name, Age
Frank P. Hillis 26
Mary Hillis 29
Rees W. Hillis 3
Albert J. Hillis 2
Robirla Hillis 5/12

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Franklin P Hillis in the 1870 United States Federal Census

Name: Franklin P Hillis
Age in 1870: 17
Birth Year: abt 1853
Birthplace: Iowa
Dwelling Number: 750
Home in 1870: Kansas City Ward 2, Jackson, Missouri
Race: White
Gender: Male
Occupation: Runs Express
Inferred Father: Robert W Hillis
Inferred Mother: Priscilla Hillis
Household Members: Name, Age
Robert W Hillis 46
Priscilla Hillis 44
Emma B Hillis 22
Prentiss H Hillis 19
Franklin P Hillis 17
George Hillis 16
Mary Hillis 15
Catharine Hillis 13
Elwood Hillis 12
Senora E Hillis 10
Albert Hillis 8