The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-07-26
THE JETRR PHILLIPS WIFE
MURDER,
A remarkable chapter OF crime.

morning LOT Ape murder OIL blpry Emmy
Phillips, bis vile on tue 17th Of February,
1857, ....
at the time ofhiS marriage, IN July, 1855
He Ind served In the confederate ranks
as u member OF the Thirteenth Virginia
cavalry. The close Ortle war found him
lying sick ut the house Of Alr. 3. i. Pitts,
ID Essex county, where lle wis nGrscd by
u daughter Of his host-a lady five years
his senior-whom he afterwarl married,
and whose murder lie has today cXpia-
ted upon the gallOWs. lp -,I.HN %.
Soon after Ills recovery and marriage
Phillips came TO Richmond, leaving his
wife ut her fathers house, where he often
visited her, alleging want Of means as his
excuse for not providing homo for her.
Among hisfriends and relatives here lie
stuAOusly concealed the fICt O(hls mar
riage; though he continued to write and
make claudeStinG visits. To his wife. Du-
ring this period, 1t Is said, he fell IN love
with and paid attention TO a. young lady
at whose mthePS House lie boarded. In
February, 1858, q letter from Phillips to
his wife fell into this young lady's; hands,
and she Immediately wrote TO Alrs. Phil.
Lips. She received a reply which con-
firmcd her suspicious; but while she dc.
clined TO receive his attentions she did
! not make known the fact Ofhis marriage
! TO the friends Of Phillips or her own. On
! tic witness stand at The trial this young
lady exhibited much emotion, but testified
that Phillips "always treated her as q
! brother, nothing more Mpi .G5.... yt';iII
In February 1867, Phillips brought his
wife to Richmond. Taking rooms at the
Virginia House, in tic upper part, Of tic
city, on / Saturday they'remained until
Sunday ailcFnoOun when they, went out;
she telling tho landlord that Phillips iHi
tended To take!lier % his fathers house.
They were noticed walking together 1T
Twenty.tifth street, after. which Mrs.
PHILLIPS was seen mo more alive This
was on the 17tlI dRyoG February On the
night Of. that day Phillips, arrived at tho
house Of the father ol the young lady pre-;
viously mentioned. On tile Inst day Of
February eleven days After Mrs. Phillips
was last4 seen, a farmer, residing q few
miles below Richmond found the corpse
Of b woman lying about twenty yards,
from IN old military road On LIS lands
There was bullet #otihd' on stlIe right
side Of the head the threat was blue with
prints Of tIngers, and one NJ the Shoulders
was broken. Tie body lay face down:
ward, QUO hand elptchipg the earth and
leaves lis IN tile final agony. Fhe dress
was that Of q neat country girl, Blue
eyed. with fair COhfple xion and light hair,
the victim had been a woman Of no little
personal beauty. The. body was carried
10 tue farm house of Mr.. George Eqrncr,
where Phillips boarded. 1T was the
| l5dy d Ills murdered wife; but while It
lay lin an clubhouse that night Phillips
scented quite uneonEernedJ ate hiB supper
as usual, and retired without exhibiting
tho slightest interest In tho matter. He,
however, carefully avoided looking ut tic
I hOdy.tJs it1nIlar h@U7bmf. Hii""- p"
Noone identified the murderedIwoman
and the corpse was brought to Richmond,
wherOit,was visited BY thousands bfipar-
sons, the discovery Of the murder having
created great excitement, 1t is remark.
able circumstance that Tho body and
clothing were positively identified asthose
Of their daughters by Tho parents Of Miss
Jenny Edwards and Of Miss Slaughter,
both then missing, but as both proved Y
be living, and as no clue 10 the muraercI
could ',e obtained the matter soon pasSou
from the public mind. 2. t6'' =, ,,' -.
After tho murder OF his wile Philips
wrote several letter. S +. a Ss ES5 ,dI;o [S
ora III @n@ . Huo Ia n5I ;I,oti,
Ei , ,eos %S' NO fson Isr w her f,,I'es
a AH mntEcr IL" 90 Tin limo i s@ouo mo "S #
liz H GaasfI,I crinc r,o,iiJ ~ SnI;scoverc
Rnt tTo,,ah tI,e nntIic hsI 't5r%StteS ia
m nat s tSs dctactiycs had rSf - The IsfI
t Terri. from If Phillins' wifc to his vo,,n@ latIy
friend WINS fsrrcted out, lie parents 81 tile