Researcher Anne G. Dickerson of Dillard, Georgia found and made a copy of the following news account which appeared in The Franklin Press (Franklin, North Carolina, a few miles north of Dillard, Georgia) on July 21, 1897, in column one of the editorial page with spelling, capitalization and punctuation unaltered:
"Robert L. Dillard of Dillard, Rabun County, Ga., was killed on Wednesday morning, July 14, 1897. From a special correspondent we have the following account:
On Wednesday morning about 3 o'clock, the quiet slumbers of the people living about the store and Dillard P. O., were broken by loud screams, at the late residence of J. B. Dillard, deceased; and hastened to learn the cause. On arriving it was found that Mrs. Robert Dillard was screaming and saying "Lord have mercy. Bob has killed himself." she was in her night clothes, bareheaded and barefoot, running toward Mr. J. M. York's her brother in law and calling him. Mr. York met her and carried her to him home and then went back to see what "Bob" had done. he in company with three or four others went into the house where a dim light was burning and into a back room and found the lifeless body of R. L. Dillard on a bed with a bullet hole in his right temple. I, in company with Dr. Green arrived about this time, and the body was straightened out, his people were hastily sent for, and also the Coroner was sent for, but he was away from home, so if an inquest was to be held the Justice would have to do it, but he was in doubt as to his duty, so he went to Clayton for advice, and the next morning the inquest was held. The substance of the evidence was about as follows: Bob and his wife had not been getting along together for quite awhile, he had been dealing in whisky and drinking hard for some time. On Monday before he had told Mr. York that the way Albert and Anna (his wife) were doing he could stand it no longer and would kill somebody, had given his wife a severe beating on Monday evening, and when his brother Bead interfered, said he would kill her if she did not behave herself, she also had said that if he ever struck her again she would kill him, had said this different times, he had threatened to kill himself several times. When found was lying on left side with bullet hole in right temple, eyes and mouth perfectly closed as if asleep, was covered up all but arms and shoulders, right hand open left closed, pistol lying about six inches from right hand; bed had appearance of but one person occupying it, the blood had all run down
"The verdict of the jury was: "Deceased came to his death by a pistol in the hands of an unknown person".
Column three on the same page captioned "Tennessee Valley News" reads as follows:
"About 3 o'clock last Wednesday morning the alarm was made that Bob Dillard had killed himself. In a short time six or eight men were gathered and found him lying on the bed with his brains shot out, lying as if he had been asleep. There was a lamp burning in his room. It seems that there was no one present that night but himself, his wife and two children. His wife gave the alarm, and was gone from the room before anyone got there. An inquest was held, and 12 or 15 witnesses were examined. It seems to be a complicated matter. The verdict of the jury was that he killed by a pistol shot fired by an unknown hand. A pistol was found lying on the bed. There was a great deal of excitement about the matter........
....."Mr. G.W.C. Wikle and wife, Mr. Geo. M. Dillard, Mrs. Jno. H. Corn and son, Mr. Sumner Berrong and wife, attended the funeral of their brother, Bob Dillard, last Thursday. The services were conducted by Rev. W. S. Whitmire, of Clayton....July 19, 1897. A.G.D."
Editor's note: the public records of Rabun County prove that Albert Lafayette Dillard (1864- 1907), a former sheriff of Rabun County and brother of Robert L. Dillard, served as conservator of the property of his mother, Rachel McKinney Dillard, who was judicially declared incompetent in July, 1897. Albert Dillard also served as executor of her estate two years later in 1899. Albert L. Dillard about 1900 moved to Westminster, South Carolina. South Carolina censuses show that prior to his late in life marriage, he lived in the house of his brother, William McKinney Dillard. He married Callie Hull (later Owens by remarriage). He died and was buried in Westminster at age 43 survived by a daughter who was born two days prior to the date of his death. This daughter was Alberta Calhoun Dillard (Thurman) Scarborough who resided in Atlanta, Georgia and died childless. Anna Sams Dillard left her native Rabun County for employment in Greenville, South Carolina after the above incident occurred. Lillie Dillard (Fowler) and Robert Dwight Dillard, the two children of Robert L. Dillard and Anna Sams, were taken in and raised for a year or two by Beavert R. Dillard and Fannie Green Dillard. The descendants of these two children regularly participate in Dillard reunions. Anna Sams Dillard later married David M. Layne by whom she had two more children, resided, died and was buried in Forest City, North Carolina.