Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-06-28
Correspondence Of the Baltimore Sun.
Remarkable Murder Casc-The Mystery Of
Wife's Disappearance-Her Husband
s. Charged with her Murder.

!
Remarkable Murder Casc-The Mystery OF
Wife's Disappearance Her Husband
Charged with her Murder.
RICHMOND, Va, June %.
The city is very much excited over one Of
the most remarkable murders which has ever
occurre ] in Virginia. 1t will be recollected
that some time in February astthe dead body
of young lady of handsome appearance and
neatly dressed, was found on Drinker' farm,
near Richmond. There was bullet hole in
the head, the imprint of a hand on the throat,
and other evidences Of foul play. Somewhat
more than week afterwards it was suppos-
ed to be identified as the body of Jennie
I Grimes, girl of bad repute. Itturned out,
however, that Jennie was still living in Nor
folk. In the case of two or three others a
similar result followed. All hope of identi-
flying the body had been given up, and pub
lie opinion had settled down to the conclu-
sion that it was only 'one more unfortunate
hurried over the dark river by the hand Of
some male companion in guilt. Thus mat
tiers stood till lately, when the community
was startled by another direction given tc
suspicion by an apparently accidental cir
cumstace, and which led to the arrest Of a
young man named Jeter Phillips, on the
charge that he had murdered his wife, An
ME Phillips. The responsibility Of the pris-
oner's family, his father having been sheriff
of Surry county, his unblemished character,
and his gallant services as a soldier in the
Confederate army, invested with additional
interest this mysterious and cruel murder
| Phillips was living on farm near, the
scene ofthe murder, with Mr.. Turner
He was not then supposed to be married, and
was in fact paying particular, attentions to a
young lady in the neighborhood. A letter
was found addressed to him from one claim
ING to be his wife. This singular circum-
stance recalled the fact that he had shown
unusual nervousness at the time Of the dis
covery of the murder, had declined to attend
the inquest, and had afterwards manifested
much anxiety and excitement in his inquiries
about the crime. Mr.. Turner communicated
the facts to a magistrate, and the result of a
correspondence which that official opened
with persons in different portions of the State
was letter from the sheriff Of Caroline coun-
ty, which stated that Phillips had married
Miss Annie Pitts, of that county, in July,
1865. He left his wife at her home, return
ing occasionally to see her, and took her
away with him on the 18th Of February last
saying that he was going to his brother Lew
lis, in Surry county. Since that time his wife
has not been seen by her family, nor heard
from. They, however received three letters
from him, in one of which he represented his
wife as very sick. Upon these developments
Phillips was arrested, and when told that.he
was charged with the murder Of his wife, be-
came very much agitated, and denied ever
having had wife. An examination of his
trunk discovered number Of articles Of fe-
male attire, some of them of the material
the murdered lady was wearing, and a da-
guerreotype recognized as that Of the lady
murdered 81 ~
On Tuesday evening last the prisoner was
brought. up for preliminary examination be-
fore Justice Nettles. The county court
room was crowded. He is a young man,
apparently about twenty-four years of age,
Of genteel appearance, about five feet nine
inches high, handsome countenance, and
one which looks as if he might be trusted.
There is no particular expression about the
face except look Of great firmness. Miss
Roxana Pitts and Mr.. B., E, Pitts, sister
and brother of the deceased were in court.
swore to the marriage, and fully identified
the. prisoner. In fact, they had an inter-
view with him in the county Jail before the
examination, and taxed him with their sis
ter's death ) In answer to them, he did not
pretend to say where his wife was, refused
to convict himself, and referred them to his
counsel. Miss Pitts, in her testimony, des-
cribed the clothing Of her sister, and identi-
fed the various articles. She described
infinitely, before she saw it, wooden petit
coat, which was taken from the body Of the
deceased, and certain mending which she
had done to it. The petticoat was then
shown, answering the description, the mend
ing being as she had pictured it. Crowds
are daily attending the examination Of this
extraordinary case. The prisoner is ably
defended His counsel have intimated that
he was trying to keep his marriage secret
because the match was distasteful to his fam
lily. What their theory Of her disappearance
is [ have not heard.