Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-10-25

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A startling case Of supposed murder in a
Broadway ~. " gambling saloon has created
great excitement in that city. 1t appears that
about ten DAYS ago Catharine Mulhearn, who had
been living Tor time domestic in the gum bling
house Of Robert Willis No. 5Sl Broadway, was
arrested on a charge Of lurceny preferred against
her by Willis or female inmate of his establish
ment. On Tuesday she sent for Justice Connolly
before whom rhe made an affidavit, in substance
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"On Sunday night, Sept 10Th, at 3 o'clock, A.
NJ, she was nwoke by a cry Of distress and morse
in the lower part Of said Willis house, and this
deponent says that. on listening she distinctly
heard some person exclaim in tho entry way Of
the lower part OF said house, "in the Lords name
spare my life and don tcare what you do to me;
deponont further says, that she heard the said
Willis say in reply at the time, THE - son Of
~, dump him." depOnent could not distinctly
hear or understand what else was said, but there
were some other hard words and some other noise
below stairs, deponent says she arose next morn
ing about 81 o'clock, and commenced to wash tho
foul linen OF the family; deponent further saws
that between nine and ten O'Clock in the forenoon
she went to the cistern 10 empty some suds, and
on removing the cover, she saw what seemed To
her m part of u coat sleeve cuff Just above the
surface Of the water in the cistern deponent furl-
or says that she took particular notice at the
time; deponent went again to the cistern about !
o clock ON the AFTERNOON VI inc same Jay tO empty
ulors wash suds and on removing the cover from
the same cis,crn she plainly and distinctly saw
the upper pnrt Of mans head and part of the
upper face, including the forehead, eyes and por
ton Of the above the water in the cistcrn.--
Noticed distinctly that his eyes were open, or
partly open: dcponent was much frightened, and
shut down the lid Of the cistcrn, aud ran away
with an exclamation caused by her fright; dcpo-
nent further says that she SON aiterw ards her
sister, to whom she related these facts and that
her sister made her leave the house forthwith
Before leaving the house she saw blood ON the
WALL and coored man securing it of with SOAP
and water. lie told her, when she a,ked him
about it, Ia mind her own business. Sir and her
sister were arrested four weeks after on IL charge
Of stealing some articles from Willis. who came
to the police office, aud told her that if she said
nothing about the house, the charge would 20 ensy
with her, and that there would be no further troi
BILE about the mntter, or words to that effect. De
ponent further lays that she was most anxious to
report the Tact OF seeing this dead man in the els
tern. but her sister would not let her. hut told her
If she did it would he lust such case as Dr. Bur
dels was, that she would be locked up AS a wit
ness get herself into some difficulty about it.
The scene OF THE MYSTERIOUS MuKDER.--The
bloody spots alluded to in the affidavit of the girl
Catharine. IRE on the wall in the rear entry. The
nppcrnost spots are about four feet and u half
from, tho floor, the b,ud spattered, and the spots
or NTtnkH are about one men III lenH'h. ! ne Top
spots streaks seem Ia Indicate the place where
the head OF the victim struck IN his struggle with
his assaants: there nre several hundred Of these
blood spots quite visible.
On the floor of the hail, directly under the spots
on the wall il n large spot, where there was c,i-
IDENTIFY pool of blood. 1t is beyond all cavl the
place where large quantity Of human blood has
been spilled. II is al~n quite apparent that every
cnlcavor has been made by scraping and scrub
h,ng to erase these blood marks. and the work was
no doubt thought 10 he accomplished, the entry
was very datk having n" permanent light in 1t.
The theory put forth hy Willis friends liz, that
tho blood spots were caused by n "black aud tan
dog that had lis ears clipped short time since
and in his ngnny sho * has head and spatcrcd tho
blood ON the wall
This theory is very weak subterfugc in expa-
nation of the mysterious pots Of blood on the
wall. Nine on o. every ten persons who have ex-
nmined the wall. give Ms their opinion that the
blood on the wal! il human. and that a desperate
struggle must have taken place in the entry to
srattcr 40 much blood on the wall.
Willis "hrll' is one Of the most notorious in
Broadway. lie has engaged large number Of
whit termed "rurcrs. who dress in the height
Of fashion. aud luiter about hotel bar rooms, to
pick up country gentlemen, and invite them to the
gambling he'll" where thousands are robbed by
these shnrpcrs.
In the rear Of NJ. ISL is a passage way that
l'"'S nv" u h'Pe '"cahi lo', iIoh1hE "h hei'''
street: the gamblers trt this house and other
sim.lnr establishments find this very secluded
WAY to make an egrrss from their haunts When
they have II victim in Charge they enter by the
front door.
The cesspo"l or cstcrn, AZ II Aas boon termed.
has been Thoroughly cleaned cut, and n"thing has
been found in II to indlcu', that IL murdered man
had been thrown there. Ar uEd the outside Of it,
the fence, are unmstnhr liable signs "t blood
Willis arrested ou cdnesdny, and alowcl
IL 20 ON his parole in charge Of an officer
The house is now in charge Of detectives k6cte.
Devoe Young. and Slowcy.
Dr.. Chiffon has portions Of the wooden fence,
on which there are stnns Of blood. for nnal.za-
ton, to ascertain. if possible, neither it be human
blood or not.