Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-07-25
MOST ATRocIoUs MURDER.

Danddge Epes of the county Of DinwdJh, who has for
the present made his escape, but whs trust will be
rested and suffer the punishment due his offence
against the laws of God and man.
The annals Of crime scarcely furnish aggravated
of cool and deliberate murder Whether look al the char
acter Of the paes the motives which prompted the Deed or
the mode Of its accomplishment the offence stands out with
an appalmgIy bold relief.
The murdered Of the most respectable, anna
BILE, and inoensve in county He was connected
with of the respectable families in State, and
possessed qualities which commended him to the and
love of all who knew him. There not in Dnwidde
county man more universally popular than r. Adoiphus
Muir.
His murderer is also connected with family respectable
any the country His character, tar as we have
heard unimpeached up to the period OF this horrible al
fair and he upon terms Of friendship with his victim 70
the very moment that he slew hm-indeed, Mr. MUIR had
been at the house Of Epes the very day he was killed
and had accepted invitation to return there to dinner out
the who rendered him his hospitality became his muir
derer What il will be asked the motive which prompt
ed Epes to the horrible deed The accursed love OF money
prompted the Muir held bond bonds amounting TO
&c. 200 against Epest being The balance which Epes owed
for of land bought by him of Muir Il was to get
possession OF this bond that Epes murdered Muir.
The circumstances which first created the impression that
Mr. Muir had been fouly dealt with, and which finally led to
the detection of his death, and the author Of it.
are explained in the following extract from the advertisement
which appeared lately in our paper
Son the I'd February last Adophus Muir left the house
Of hsbroher John A. MUIR the county OF Dnwiddic He
empated protraced absence from the county About the
18th OF February his BROTHER John A. Muir received the fol-
lowing letter:
"PErERssuRs, FEBRUARY A, 1916.
"DEAR JOAN have arrived in this place and will give yeu
small sketch OF the times On my here my horse threw
me- spained my right hand and got from My hand
is at this time painful obliged get friend to write
this letter tor me- hope my horse has returned either 10
your house or Peters Fortunately for gentleman
along in buggy, and offered town, which ac
eepted. -" has paid me every dollar due upon his
shall leave Immediately for the North where shall remain
several weeks and see the prospect laying stock Of goods
shall not be in part Of the country for several weeks
"F ADoLPHUs MUIR,
About the 9Th February aleter dated New York. i2th
February, s46, and signed IF. Adophus MUIR directed
ceived lie still complains that his hand painful
he has heard from his relatives in Missouri and spoper he
ance the greater part of the He further that he will
send the letter he writing by acquaintance and him
That TINS letter. though puportng to be written by f. Adolf
phus Muir, is in his handw ritfng
Nothing further heard from about him, until
OF May first OF June when John A. Muir received letter
signed ''Junus p. Rollins and dated Petersburg MAY
or 18TH 1885, The writer states that he is by birth
g'nan that some years ago he moved to Arkansas and
thence to Texas where he resides that his
place he met with F. Adophus Muir in New Orleans that he
had known him in Richmond and afterwards Missouri that
he the evening gentleman who said he had travelled
with Adophus Muir in February, from New York that
place that he spoke OF going business in New Orleans
and seemed to have plenty of money that morning
after this he understood hat picked up floating the
Mississippi RIVER and underworld the leather lining f.
plus Muir, Dnwiddie, Va written that he neither
heard Of him afterwards He die feels his
duty TO write, though painful so upon u-
curry he had found that he Johu A. Mur) brother
OF f. Adolphus MUIR
This awkwardly fabricated of the cause of Mr.
Murs absence from home of course excited the suspicion Of
his friends The blank, appears in the first letter, and
which refers 10 the payment for the land the original
filled with the name of Captain cambridge Epes
On inquiry, found that the I'd Of February, Mr.
Muir had gone the house Mr. Epes thnt after he had
NAMED there time Ees remarked TO him there
deer in the woods aud proposed that M should accompany
him to see him kill it and return with him dinner To
TINS M consented and they together M the house horse
back, Epes with doublebareed gun and Muir entirely
armed This was the last time Muir in life.
u This account given by the amable and deeply
distressed wife Epes before she her husband
suspected of the crime She further stated that Epes
turned to his house alone and being asked by her why
Mr. Muir had redeemed his promise return 10 dinner
replied that Muir had found it necessary go Brunswick
The first letter. dated Petersburg, February 4, 1916, hav-
ing stated that Epes had paid the money due the land f.
asked where he paid the money He replied that he paid
Muir the 4th of February, Jafras Hotel in this town.
On making inquiry at Mr. Jarras, Muirs friends ascerained
that neither Mr. Jarra any else had him there
nor could any one be found IN Petersburg where Muir
| well known, who had seen him in that time
careful examination made of the Handwriting OF
the three letters mentioned in the advertisement and
asceaned that they all written by the person,
ugh attempt had evidently been made vary the hand
writing These letters next compared with the haud
writing of Epes, and resemblance between them detected
Suspicion against Epes strong enough warrant
Murs friends IN searching Els premises and charging him
with the murder.
Accordingly, Thursday Of last week, large party
to Epess house They found him home and told him that
he suspected Of the murder He of his
innocence most strongly but being told that he would be
sued upon the bond bonds 2eO which he had his
possession he replied that rather than have any trouble about
It he would pay the bonds again. The plantation and
woods then searched but vesge Of the body
could be found and the friends Of Muir thinking that
they had any right to arrest Epcs that time, permitted him
/ to remain at large.
Matters stood thus until Sunday last when Mr.. Lumslen
respectable matchmaker Of this town. stated MAY
last Mr.. Epes had sold him. traded him. gold watch,
down the number. On examination the numbers correspond
ed and the friends Of Mr. Muir identified the watch having
belonged to and been by him at the time Of his disap
pearance. This development coupled with other crcum-
stances, justified the arrest Of Epes and accordingly
rant issued for bis apprehension. II was however, is
sued too late Epes left his house Monday, and has
since been heard from.
On Wednesday party went TO Epess, and there in
formed by his that he believed certain negro the
plantation could tell where Muis body could be found His
for thinking that for time Epes would
not permit this negro be chastised for his faults The
gro called up and nterrogae and forthwith proceeded
TO spot about 600 yards distant from the house, and pointed
out the grave On opening il, the body found, and,
although good deal decayed, readily identified by all the
acquaintance Of Muir who present.
The account given by the negro is that the day after
Muir was killed his master took him spot the grave,
where Muis body lay covered up with pine burs and rah
and ordered him 10 dig grave The negro says he was
fffueen ka,