Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-04-24

found very large lock of hair torn up by
the roots.
The hair was at first thought to be Miss
Fanshawe's own; but, on examination, none
was torn from her head neither did the
lock correspond in the least with hers either
in color or length. This was also the case
with Eveleen and, after most patient in
vestigaton at the inquest, all concerned
unanimously admitted the inexplicable fact,
that this lock Of woman's hair, was neither
the murdered lady's nor that of the accused
Eveleen herself gave the following volunta-
~ explanation of The position in which she
was found
! was aroused from my sleep, by hearing
what conceived to be u struggle, mingled
with smo,hered screams, going on in the
sleeping apartment of Miss Fanshawe.
listened, and hearing scream still more dis
tinctly, and also wha. thought to be a cry
for help, hes,ated not a moment in hurry
ing towards the room. As approached
the door, which was at the end Of long
corridor. and at considerable distance from
the sleeping room Of any one else, my own
chamber being the nearest to it, heard
wha, thought to be voices of individuals
hurriedly conversing; but when | reached
the door, which Miss Fansl,awe never lock-
ed. found it slightly open, and, on entering,
discovered her ifeless body on the floor, in
pool Of blood. There were no persons
visible in the room. screamed repeated
ly at the sight, and in dreadful agitation,
sank on my knees, and then fell across the
body. by which became besmeared with
the blood ofmy dear murdered friend, whom
| loved as myself. On arising happened
to see dagger, and lifted it up by The end
Of the blade, hardly knowing what ] did,
At this moment, the butler entered the room.
The defence of counsel was unavialIng :;
a sentence of guilty was rendered, and
Eveleen-al'hough subsequently found to
be innocent-was executed.
Al the very next Assizes, man, who was
surrounded by an appalling mystery, was
accused Of being the sole perpe,ra,or of the
deed. Circums,antial evidence brought the
act home to him, with conviction to the
minds of all men, and he was also sentenced
but anticipated his doom, and poisoned him
self in prison, by the aid of female accom-
plice, leaving the following confession be-
hind him:
"In few moments shall be dead, and
now write all wish to say, and, whatever
my life has been, or whatever my religious
notions are, all men may believe every word
| here write to be the solemn truth. | am
innocen, of the murder Of Miss Fanshawe,
aud have not the remotes. idea who mur-
dered her. The night she was murdered ]
was many miles distant, and this could
have proved on my trial, but could no.
have done so without confessing that was
engaged that nigh, in committing murder,
but where or on whom will never be known.
My hands were cut in the death grapple,
and my clothes smeared with blood. As
to the witnesses who asserted they saw me
lurking aboul,he Abbey grounds, they either
wilfully lied or were mistaken by my re-
semblance to another. The dagger with
which Miss Fanshawe was murdered really
was mine, although denied it on my trial.
being desrous to make the best of my
chance Of acqui,tal. As deposed on my
trial, was in the habit Of carrying it about
me, but lost it a week before the murder
was committed, near to the Abbey, and
have no doubt the real murderer had Picked
i. up, and used it as the instrument of the
deed. What my real name, rank, or coun-
try is-who | am or what | have BEEN
will never tell. That secret, and many
others, perish with me.''
1t appears, then, that the latter was not
guilty., from the dealh-bed confession made
by an old woman, the substance Of which
is as follows:
"She said, that A years by-gone, she had
lived as lady's maid with Miss Fansha we
of Abbey, and that lady having sever.
al times scolded and threatened to discharge
her for gross neglect of her duties, an awfu
spiri. of revenge took possession of her, ant
she determined to murder her Mistress
While pondering the matter over, she hap
pened to find a dagger Cha! left by Rodericl
Madden) near to the park palings. Abou
a week afterwards, she murdered her mis-
,ress with this very dagger, and being dis.
.urbed by the approaching footsteps of Eve
leen O'Neill, who heard her death struggle
she hurried back to her own chamber, leav
ing the dagger behind her. She had on a
the time only thin night dress, which be
ing sprinkled with blood, she hid, and has
tily washing her hands and face, put on
clean one. Then, when the alarm was give,
by the butler, she joined the res. Of the fami
ly in rushing to the apartment. of the mur
dered lady, and was loudess of any in he
outcries and lamentations. She sand, ,ha
when she saw the turn the affair had ,akeI
by shifting all suspicion from herself t
Eveleen, she no longer feI. any fear Of de
lection. She availed herself of an early op
portunity to burn her CORY night dres:
which she easily effected at the kitchen fir
during the great confusion Of the morning.