Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-05-24
From, The fre1e,ickto,rn (lNa.) Citizen, May 90.
TRIAL & CONVICTION OF MARKLEY.

TRIAL. & CONVICTION OF MARKLEY.
The trial of John Marley. charged with the
uarder of John Newey and family, commenced
in Frederick County Court on Wednesday
morning. and was brought to close last even
ing at six O'Clock. The Jury retired for about
2Ominutes. and returned with verdict OF GULL
TY OF MURDER IN THE FIRST DE-
GREE.
Mr. Dixon, District Attorney. conducted the
prosecution for the State, and Mcssrs. Ross and
Palmer appeared for the prisoner.
No cause which has ever been tried in this
country, has excited more general and intense IN
terest. The Court Hall has been full to over
flowing from the commencement to the concu.
sion of the trial. The testimony was OF the most
conclusive and unequivocai character.
Col. Flautt and his son testified that they re-
side near the former habitation of the late John
Newey. in Harbaush's Vaiiey-That some time
before daylight on Thursday the S0th day of De-
cember last, they discovered that the dwelling
Of Newey was in ilames-That on repairing thu
Their, they found the house partly consumed, the
roof having been burnt off, but the rafters had
not yet fallen--As no outcry was made from
the family from within. it was concluded they
had all been murdered-On gong round to the
front of the house, 1t was discovered that several
of the LOGS Of which j. was built, had fallen in
wards-the wooden pins by which they had at
each end been attached to the window and door
faciuss having been burnt off-By getting upon
an old chest at the outside of the house, they
were enabled to look through this aperture, and
examine miautely The whole appearance Of the
interior of the room in which Newey and his ia
m;Iy usually slept-A most blood stirring scene
was there presented to vlew-Ihe hoor, the beds
and other furniture Of the room were on lire
near the middle OF the floor lay the body of Mr..
Newey, at full length upon bis back; his feet to-
wards the bed, his head towards the front OF the
house-the fire had partly consumed the body
the ha,r and exterior covering having been burnt,
fracture of the skull the crown was distinct
IL visible, which, from its appearance the wit
hess thought had been made by severe blow
with an axe-at that time no timbers had fallen
from above so as to have caused the fracture.-
Mrs. Newey lay on her face IN the large bed,
and the two children in a small bed near her, all
of whom were dead and nearly consumed by the
fire-The wind blowing against the front OF the
house, the interior was free from smoke, and ev-
ery object could be distinctly seen.
Col Flautt testified that on first discovering
che fire he directed one Of his to spread the
alarm, and summon the neighborhood TO assist in
pulling down the house-As soon as sufficient
sumber Of persons arrived, they proceeded topuli
il down, when no remains of the two persons who
usually occupied the upper room could be dis.
covered, but double handful OF bones that had
fallen down into corner of the room in which
the other members Of the family lay-The en-
tire body of the two children, and the heads and
some of the limbs of the father and mother we're
burnt to ashes-'The whole body of Newey was
by this time so much disfgured that no other
marks of violence could be discovered on it
The bed from the upper room had fallen on the
body Of Mrs. n. and preserved part OF it, and a
small niece Of her linen on which she lay-irom
which the witnesses discover that three wounds
had been inflicted by knife or sharp instrument
After an inquest had been held. the bodies
we're buried; and two days after, that Of Mrs.
Sewey waS disinterred for further and more par
ticu,ar obseryation-It was then discovered to
have been pierced in three places by sharp In
strument, once in the stomach, once near the
RIGHT breast, aud once near the shoulder blade
On accurate examination, 1t was discovered
that there were three cuts in the linen. which
corresponded exactly with the three wounds in
the body.
The circumstances by. which Markley was
proved to have been the perpetrator of this aw-
iul, revolving and unparalleled atrocity, were
distinct aud conclusive.
1t was proved that in 1895, Markley, who is
an illegitinate nephew Of Newey, was convicted
in Frederick county court Of having stolen sun
dry articles from his (Newey's) house, and SEN
fenced to five years imprisonment in the Mary
land Penltentiary-That after receiving his sem
fence. and before he was taken from the Court
house. he declared he would have revenge out of
Newey for having testified against him-After he
reached the Jail, he said to one of the witnesses
that when he should be released from the Peni-
Tertiary, he would take vengeance on the Judges
of the Court, the States Attorney, and New
ey-The witness remarked that five years was
long time, that he would grow cool and forget his
threats No. said Markley, l will have ven
eeauce. if have to murder them all and burn
them up afterwards. His term of confinement
in the peniteatiary expired about the last OF DC
. tober, iSs0-and the Newey family was murder
ed on the night Of the 2eth and S0th of Decsm-
Der following.
He was first proved to have been at Blacks
tavern, 8 or 9 miles from Neweys residence, on
Tuesday week preceding the murder-at which
- & al. L. Ia pf 10th ho