The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-23
CONF OF GU IL TT
DETAILS OF TIE MURDER NOT CON
Tanned THE CONFESSION.
THE AGONY OF DEATH!

TIL l. ~ Ct - N Ot DE, n IL !
The law demand, the sacrifice OF the mllr-
,!.rrr'- life iol' The life which he has taken.
,tud on Yesterday James Jctcr Phillips, in
,,l..hrnCc 10 that demand. cXpiatcd his
ralnc by eioath Oh the scallnld. The exc
,iitiun was quietly conducted, and the prl-
..rn,r met his death under circumstances
That afford 10 his friends the hope that he
l,i indeed M assurance OF the forgiveness
{" his sins.
rl,. crime for which Jetcr Phillips was
condemned 90 death, by Il sentence which
Throughout Virginia rs the Drinkers Farm
murder, and although the pitiable tragedy
occurred more than three years ago, the de-
tail, are tGo fresh IN the public mind to ne-
,r>>itate their rehearsal III. this place. a
.,ri recital viii suffice to recall each scene,
with all is original and painful vividnesS.
Stripped oi nil imaginative description, the
ltci- arc these:
A DEAD WOMAN IN THE WOODS.
Gn the 2Slll Of February, 1861, Mr.. George
+. pIiikcr, of IIcurico county, walking
through The woods on his iurm, found the
dead h",ly oi IL woman lying almost inulc-
d.lr!y in iis path. There WAS bullet
Wuirri in tho right sdo Of her head, the
impressed fingers was upon her Throat, one
81 her shoulders was diSlocatcd. and on her
l,rk i;u.r, and other parts Of her body
were other marks of violence. She lay face
downward. @1;. under one Of her breasts
there wu3 >ccu what appeared to be pool
Ui blood and water. She appeared to have
been not more than twenty years of age,
wa- hluc-cyrd. Of fair compile yion, and was
clad iu garments Ui domestic manufacture.
llirre WAS the pri,lt OF Il mans foot hear the
head Of III" coypS9, and tracks Of iolT-
wheeled vehicle were observed OH tho dis
used rund leading 10 the spot.
Mr.. Drinkcr failed to recognize the
corpse, and had heard of no ono missing in
hiI neiyhborho"l. Under the circlInl-
stances he did what was boSt. lie ut onfe
notified the nearest ovcrsccr of the poor,
and preparations were made to give the
poor woman '..
rArpER's BURIAL.
The corpse WAS therefore placed in cart
aud carried To the residence of Mr.. George
Turner. where il was viewed OH the second
day after it discovery by II jury of inquest
summoned by order of Justice George ID.
l'lcaSants. In the mean time inquiries had
been made throughout tho county and in
the city OF Richmond, but without elicit
ing any identification Of the decompOsing
remains. The jury therefore contented
themselves with the simple verdict sot
{" Death by violence at the hands Of some
person or persons unknown.'
But the excitement caused by Mr..
Drinkers discovery did not so quickly sub
side. The newspapers spread the mteIli-
active everywhere, the affair was talked
about, and probable and improbable sur
misses were made as TO who the victim was
aud how She met her bloody death. 1hc
result WIS seen i'll several cases OF a-s
MISTAKEN IDENTIFY.
The two most remarkable instances of
this mistaken identification occurred in the
cages of Jenny Edwards alas Grimes and q
Miss Slaughter. In the iirst it was conf
IDENTITY believed that the whole mysterious
problem had been solved, and some of the
Richmond papers ycnturcd to congratulate
the community on the final detection Of the
criminal. The mother of Jenny Edwards
declared her daughter to be missing, and
She and others found so many proofs in the
description of person and apparel that tho
body, which had in tho mean time been
buried, ..1:
WAS DIslSTERRED ''
Oh the llth Of March and brought to the
city, where It was deposited ut the county
jail. There the jalor and two negro wo-
men III his service positively declared that
ii was the body OF Jenny Edwards, and GER
tain sears on the deceased seemed surely.to
establish the Identification. Certain parties
who had disappeared with Jenny Edwards
were even arrested in Norfolk; but at
length some OF the Richmond detectives
visited That city and found Jenny alive and
robust. In like manner detectives found
Miss Slaughter living quietly ut her home
III New Kent county. $50
Other cases proved as delusive Of the
hopes of the friends Of law and justice. AS
weeks passed on the papers seemed to grow
tired OF recording them, and soon the mys-
terious tragedy seemed to haye been en-
tlrely forgotten, even in the vicinity OF the
scene OF its commission.
AN ARREST At Last. .t #.
But Justice was not thus to be fOiled.
faithful magistrate and skiliul detective
had taken the case in hand, and the result
WAS that after nearly three months the peo-
ple Of Richmond and Iienrico were startled
by the announcement that one James Jcter
Phillips had been arrested Us tho murderer,
ana that the battered eorpsa in Drinkers
woods was the wife whom he had sworn to
love, protect, and cherish. 1t was indeed a
Startling announcements, for until tho mo-
irnt that the hand OF Detective Knox was
l'isfScu upoH VIC cHlpFlts SA0uf9ef tie
nearest and dearest friends Of .Jeter Phil
Hips believed him single man. lttf,g
WHO lie WAS.
The accused was surely the last 1nanlto
he charged with such an offence. He casne
OF most respectable family, and was o be.
loved younger son. His character had
hitherto been without even slanderous
hiem'sh, and on many battIe-Gelds, and
through years Of sutierings, In the ranks of
the Thirteenth Virginia Infantry, he bad
won the title Of 3 good and gallant soldier.
lis very face repealed tbs charge. Even
The stern officer OF the law found it hard tod
believe as he gazed into. % bli1shing, hoy
lsh lace and heard from :unfaltering lips the
words, "Ion shock mel never haH q