Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-08-18
Outrage In Delaware-Marder Of
aYOunR GIRL

aYsang Girl.
The people Of Mfiferd Del and vicinity. are
the preparation Of one Of the most heinous crimes
that has ever occurred In Delaware, the partic-
ulars> Of which the Smyrna Times gives a. fol-
On sunday afternoon last. about S Z o,cloct. an
Interesting Young gin, aged about fourteen years
daughter Of Mr.. Zas, Griffth, on returning from
WISH g nelg hborang g.:i Of the anne age, was
wa IN woods her person vo,aisd
woods and an adjoining cofn-feld, to a ditch,
where, 1t is supposed, the fiend intended to bury
her In the mud, which he would doubtless have
done had il not been that man happened to be
passing near the place at the time 70 feed some
hogs, whom the rascal saw, and made a hasty
retreat, unfortunately unnoticed. The body was
warm when found by the man above named On
examination the skull on the back part Of her
head had been crushed as il by brick or stone,
and there was a small rope around her neck,
used doubtless, for the purpose Of stranguation.
a coroner's inquest was held, the result OF which
has not reached us, but which, no doubt, gath
cred all the facts that could be ELECTED. negro
man, about twenty-one years Of age, belonging
10 ID. Curry, Esq, Of Milford, has been arrested
on suspicion of committing the deed, as he was
seen by Or. Mitchell (who was returning from a
professional visit to the residence Of Alex. John
son, ESQ near whose house the outrage occurred)
TO enter the woods shortly before the young lady
did. The unfortunate individual, we learn, was
very lovely and interesting young lady, and
was, at the time, or had shortly previously been,
a pupil at the seminary In Milford. We learn
that the people Of the ighborhood are so in
censed that they intend to lynch the perpetrator
OF the deed as coon az they obtain sufficient proof
Of his guilt -
LATER ---Contsssion ofths Cxrprit and Attempts
20 Lynch Hi,n.-On Tuesday afternoon John a.
Cannon, the mulatto boy accused Of the murder of
Miss Grinith, made a sonfession. There is among
many, and particularly negroes, a belief that III a
murderer places his hands upon the corpse of his
victim blood will start forth. Some one casually
mentioned to Cannon during the progress of the
inquest that he would have TO place his hand
upon the corpe. Thi as he was fully imbued
with the superstition, he refused 10 do and finally
begged the gentleman who had him in charge to
prevent them from making him 20 through with
the ceremony, and he would tell all about It, as
ne said ne :. could never bear TO have the blood
flying over him"
He then stated TO the jury that he had seen the
two girls pass along, and knew Miss Griffith
would have to go back along the by-road 90 he
went down among the bushes and pretended to be
iack6errying When the girl came along he had
provided himself with a club about three feet
long and an inch thick. AS she passed him he
struck her the blow which made the cut upon the
back of her head, and resulted i'm her death AS
she dld not fall he caught her by the arm and
throat and threw her down, and was ATTEMPTING
To- rayish her when he found she was dead He
.hen became frightened at what be had done. and
dragged her TO the tied the string round her
neck, threw her In, and made off
cannon is vicious looking fellow who has FOR
some Time past been living with Andrew Lord, i'm
Esq l., Il Milford
AS soon as the business of the inquest was fin
lshed, Mr. Baker prepared to take the prisoner to
georgetown, but the fact of his confession having
become known, the people assembled were I'm no
alsPoslt,on 10 let him go, and began preparations
Tor lynching him without ceremony, and the Off
Ger was competed to stratdgem TO get the fell
low away Ats Jamestown a crowd of excited
people were assembled, and another attempt was
made 10 get the prisoner out of the officers hands
Dut oy running his horse he succeeded in getting
away He arrived in Georgetown about eip ht
o'clock on Tuesday, and the boy was Immediately
lodged In jail During the mig bit several excitable
people about the town talked strongly of having
him out and strnging him up On "wednesday
morning Sheriff Loa flud had Cannon aiken 10 the
garnet OF the Jail and roned fast to the DOR where
ne now remains. Thus ends the first chapter of
what ioprobably the most feBdish and coid- blood
ed murder ever committed in Delaware
MI Grin is well known and respected far.
ner, and his daughter, who was about fifteen
years OF age, was beautiful and accom plisbed
young lady Her murder, and the circumstances
attending 1t, has raised storm of indignation
against the perpetrator, and drawn to the afflicted
family the sympathy of the whole community