Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-04-25
From the N,r Inrk UcraM.
TIE RECENT TRAGEDY.

ne tACtclntnl Yesterday morning throughout
the city, was extraordinary. Every body excaim-
ed " " hat u horrible affair "" what a terrible
catastrophe ~ News was received from Texas
highly disastrous the Coonis,s, bu, the private
tragedy of Ellen JeWru almos, absorbed all public
attention.
The house No.. IL Thomas street is occupied
by Rosina Townsend, but this is not her real
name. She Is recently from Cincnnatti and is
one o the mos; datiIng IN her Infamous line OF
life.
Ellen Jcwett was we'll known To every pcdcs-
TRAN in Broadway. Last Summer she was IA
nous for palrolling Vail street in an elegant green
dress, and generally with letter in her hand
She used to look at the brokers with great bold
ness of dcmeanor-had peculiar walk--Some-
ll'ing in the sly lie of an English woman. From
these who have known her we have been inform
ed that She was fascinating woman in converse
ton, full of intellect and refinement, bat at the
same time possessed ola very devil, and species
OF moral antipathy to the male race.
Her great intellectual passion was for reading
the poem OF Byron, and particularly Don Juan,
which has no doubt, produced more Wretchrd-
ness in the world, than all the moral writers of the
age can check With a happier destiny, and IA
steady moral principle, this Young woman had tai
ens calculated for the highest sphere in lie. We
know no private circusmtance that has caused such
a sensation IN our city the recent transaction.
Ii i the whole topic Wherever one goes
Fmfhr Pmtionims.-From the testimony of
the witnesses examined before the Coroncr's jury,
II appears that Robinson came to the house about
ninc O'Clock with the cloak on. 1t was fully iden-
tilted from the following circumstances. There
were two beautiful nsslcs attached to the cloak
which Ellen had frequently admired, and which
he had promised to give to her. One evening last
week during sleigh ride one of the taS>lcs was
broken of and he put IT into his pocket. On his
return to tho house he showed the cloak with the
ia>>lr OH and also produced from his pocket the
one broken. \ few days after this, he came
again to the house, and showed the cloak, and
pointed out where the ta>Sc had been neatly sew
ed on. Ga the examination before the Jury he
denied the cloak but of the girls, who had seen
II since the tassc had been scwcd on, described it
accurately, and on examination, it was found TO
correspond precisely with the description. 10
this very tasslc WAS fastened piece of vine,
which, we have before said, tailed exactly with
ii piece on the handle of the Ratchet.
| Ills cloak was found in one yard, and the
hatchel in another. He had dropped them, il is
imposed, while alarmed by Mrs TownSrnd's cx-
claiming ""ho', that" This is Supposed to
have b,cn about 3 O'Clock. The deed mus,
have bcch done in the most profound silence. as a
g,tl who sleeps in the next room, separated only
by single partition, did not hear word or
"A groan, and during the rjeht. she herself got up,
and tastcncda shutter which was slammng with the
wind and nj that time all was silent. Mrs Town
send states, t|,a when She carried the Champaienr
up, ordered by Ellen, Robinson was in bed, but
t.llcn although alfred in her robes de INIT, had
not yet retired. The deed therefore must have
been committed between the hours of twelve
and three
About ; o'clock Mrs. Townsend was aroused
by knocking at the front door, and she got up to
let the person enter, who was a Young man. in the
frequent habit of visiting there She let him in
aud re-lochcd the door, and was retiring again
when she perceived light in the parlor, and on
looking in she perceived that the candlcstck in
which the light was was the one Ellen had in her
room, the other being in her own room. Al this
moment she thought that she smelled smoke, and
went directly up stairs to f.Ien's room, where on
opening the door, the smoke rushed out in volumes
She Immediately aroused the sleeping inmates and
her cries attracted the watchncn. They came TO
the house and cxtineushed the flames, and pre-
served the body of the unfortunate girl from them
Mr. Noble, the assistant captain of the Watch
then sent for officer Brink, and on his arrival be-
ing informed Of such facts as could be Obtained,
they started in pursuit. and about nine o'clock, on
Sunday morning, arrested the suspe ted murderer
in his bed at his boarding house, No. ~ Dew street
He said nothing when informed of the nature of
their visit. but dressed himself and proceeded |
with tho officers to Mrs. Townsend's The Coro-
ner was summoned, jury empannelled, and their
verdict, after patient and protracted examination
OF testimony, was as We stated Yesterday.
various rumors as TO the cause which excited
'he deed arr ahoa' oue Of winch Is tina, he was
JEALOUS OF her; another tina, he paw ng atten-