The New York herald., 1869-09-18
CRIME IN WASHINGTON.
Double Murder-A wife and a Mother.ln.
law-HOrrible MutilatiOn Of the Bodies.
from the Warrington Chronicle. Sept. Ill


law-Horrible Mutiiation Of the Bodies.
fFrom the Washington Chronicle Sept. Ill
murder, the particulars of which are the most
atrocious and cold b!ooded, was enacted yeste rday
morning between the hours OF six and seven O'clock
in the house No. Al Maine avenue, between Third
and Four-and-a-haf streets west, South Washing
ton, the victims being Ellen Smith and Lucinda
Nicholas, mother and daughter The comparative
calm In iniqultous deeds into which the city Of
Washington had reiapsed has been aroused and for
iendshness Of purpose and brutality OF design the
tragedy will vie favoraby with the dark deeds OF
crimes, the demon whiskey lured the actor Of this
terrible murder on, and goaded him with sufficient
unnatural courage and biOOdthirstlness to usher
prematurely two innocent victims into eternity
THE SCENE OF THB MURDER.
Ine i0caaom waeSia .1e W % was naa Is
the canal The neighpOrhOod Is none OF the best the
residents being mainly the lowest grade Of both
cOlor5 and that too, OF suspicious character. Fre
quent troubles have taken place near thereto, mas
much as to be regarded by the police who do duty in
The house wherein the murder was committed Is o
two story frame structure, the lower portion or
which is occupied by q woman named Maggie Allen,
occupied BY the murderer and his Victims. That
strange and unearthly noises should be heard COM
lug from the house and no attention paid to the
same by the nelghbors is attributed to the fact that
the class Of persons who inhabt that portion OF the
city IN which the murder occurred have become
used to the noises and screams tnat have made night
hideOus in that neighborhood on more than one oc-
were heard at late hour the night previous to the
murder.
THE MURDER.
About six O'Clock yesterday morning the neghbors
became alarmed by screams or murder" coming
from the house. Previous to that hour the quarrel
ing and general disorder which had prevailed at In
tervals during the entire night increased, and Mrs.
Matthews, white woman, residing next door,
thinking that the police should interfere, despatched
Maryland avenue and to the station at the corner
OF Fourand a-half and streets, when the disturb
vnn nm DQf0
the cry OF murder" murder" was heard to ring
out upon the still morning ar. and the demon was
for by Mrs Matthews arrived after the screams
had been heard, In company with ohicer Hill, and
stairs leading to the rooms on the upper door
scene met their eyes calculated to unnerve
the heart yns ana On the S So S in s ces sSGs
OF the was Mrs. Smith. with blood oozing from
seven wounds and IN an lnsenslbIe condition FIVE
left cheek and one on the right cheek breaking the
Spparenty pa With Within the blade Or 6atchet or axe ~
She was speechless when found, and continued to
remain In that condition until her death, which
occurred at fifteen minutes past eleven O'Clock. To
the right and In the bed lay the wife Of the murderer
horribly gashed with the marks OF eleven blows on
her head, the skull being mangled and battered, and
the brains and blood emitting from the wounds.
She was not dead when found, but died at quar-
room they found The perperator % this hss6
murder, perfectly composed and seemingly expect
Ing their arrival His pants were bloody. as also the
side Of the bed the room, under which he had con-
cealed the instrument Of death, hatchet. He was
arrested BY officer Hill and taken to the Seventh
STATEMENTS OF THE MURDERER.
On the arrival Of the prisoner at the station house
him to commit the deed. lie at nrst denied that he
had strack his wife or her mother. subsequently,
however, he said that he had done the deed be-
cause on Wednesday night the mother had advised
her daughter not to sleep with him because he was
drunk; that he went to- the room yesterday morn.
ing, and the mother ordered him out, at the same
time picking up hachet; that he seized the hatchet
wrested 1t from ner, and knocked his wife down and
then his mother in-law and beat her with the hatchet
| until he broke the handle. and then used brick,
aud that he did not use the knife at all.
OTHER STATEMENTS.
appears @ that on wednesday % night he threat
| ened to kill his wife, and that she was about to
consequences OF these threats that the two
| women refused to allow HIM to stay In the
Excitement in the nephborhoOd where it occurred,
especially among the coored people, and, as the
news spread, very large number gathered about
the particulars, and among these were several rela-
tives Of the deceased.
THE MURDERER
The perpetrator OF the murder, Albert Nicholas Is
man OF large proportions and splendid physique,
between the ages OF thiry:.hve and forty years He
came to Washington city from North Carolina sew
eral years ago. and has borne good character pre-
vous to this unfortunate occurrence. For mum.
Der Of years he worked as fireman al the United
states Hotel and since then has been in the employ
Of MIR. @. w. King bricklayer, as hodcarrier. He
having been confined about three weeks since (the
child being stll-born and wednesday was her first
day out since confinement.
THE VICTIMS.
The victims of this atroci0us act, Ellen Smith and
Lucinda Nicholas were mother and daughter,
the latter being the vile Of the murderer. Tho
two women have borne envlable reputation since
they have resided In Washington, as FAR as known.
Tbey were brought up house servants, and were
possessed Of more than ordinary intelligence Lu-
cnda had two children one BY Nicholas now dead)
the other between four and i've years OF age IAN
issue by the previous marrlage the latter OF whom
was found In barrel In the back yard. where 1t had
either run or been concealed Tor safety. II appears
that the child the prime cause OF the dissensons
in the family, Nicholas charging that It was iliegi-
innate.