Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-03-24


Alleged Attempts to Commit Suicide in Jail
HIS "LETIEas To THE PUBLIC. 81
HIS T.sLhs Nv jail.
TIE CLOSING SCENES.
At the term OF the Criminal Court OF the Dis.
trict Of Columbia which commenced in Decem.
Der last, james Grady was indicted tor the
murder OF Mrs. Fanny Faulkner, an old ladv
about 70 years Of age, by an outrage upon her
person, the injuries inflicted resulting in her
death. he was tried, convicted and seutsnced
to be hanged On the 2ith of February 1871. IN.
President Of the United States subsequently,
granted him respite until the II tn instant, and
then again until the 24th instant; aud all effort.
10 procure q further respite or Communication OF
sentence having failed, the ccndemnei mar
Grady, suffered the extreme penalty Of the iAsv =
death by hangIDg-iD the yard of the jaiI OF this
District to-day at O'Clock.
THE VICTIM
OF me terrible crime, Miss Fanny Faulkner a
Two previous to her death occupi / a room ii.
he basement OF the house OF hrs. CIrtln, { :.
ohio avenue, above 18th street, in this city, ana.
m that room she died. She was looked n15n by
those who knew her as sincere cnrist IN
woman. She was very poor, and was sc pDCrted
mainly by Trinity Up. E.) Church, OF which She
n.
no relative in this part of The world: but ha,t =
son. a soldier in the English army, who visited
her some years ago. For some time previous To
fIom the a2ue.
GRADY's CRIMINAL CAREER.
James Grady was about 80 wears OF aSe. and
was born and raised in the over part OF the
Second Ward. He received a good com moi
school education, attending successfully the
western District school, (sIBOe known as the
EiTst pistIiet,l when in charge of the late
JOshua L.. Henshaw; the Christian Brothers
IN the basement or St Matthews Church; aud
the Washington Seminary, (since known a.
6onzssa Coilege). When boy he was a leader
IN all kinds OF mischief, being OF q theuehtIes
disposition BE learned the trade OF brass fin:sh-
er With Mr.. e. &. Schneider, with whom he
served nve years; and subsequently worked ar
the painting business, which trade he save he
picked up" At the commencement OF tb,,
NAf ne enlisted in Company ID, I'd battalion of
ID. Z. Volunteers, Captain John McCIeUan1
and served in "the Seneca Campaign Wiki
Wild and reckless men IN the command; but
" a. TIE life of the company by his chserfuln ess
Once during the cappaisc be deserted and came
to duty, remaining untfl mastered out. Ia the
fall OF 1861, he went South, and Joined the Con-
federate army, eDlisting In company b, 1st vir-
s g. nss ,n liant serving about Osnteryille and
near this city He states, however, that he did
not remain long In the service, and this would
appear 10 be the case, for in october, 1852, and
a. a
in this city for minor offences. After this he
Was employed in the Quartermaster's pepar1-
ment at Nashville, Tenn, under Lieut. Stet,herl-
son, and subsequently enlisted in the IA al H.
diana regiment, Col. Ferguson. in which he
stated he served until the close OF the wa II
IL believed, from his own statements to tie
guards at the jail, that driing most of the
war he was engaged in many unlawful acts
as he frequently boasted that while South
be was engaged in rObbiUg suffers, IS.
March Eth, 1s6l, he was arrested for the gran
nNn oil gr1xr1
lIsbment OF Mr.. George X. Hall, but through
the influence OF some OF his friends, the District
Attorney, April 10Th, entered a nolle BROS. IN
the same month he was again arrested. under
the name OF James Smith, alias johnson, alias
. Slim Jim.' for the larceny Of a email amol Mt
Of Money from Mrs. SeEell, bat the grand
jury deeWApg the case too small 70 engross tne
attention OF The court, dismissed him. On the
l. Tn Of May, with one Peter McCabe, lie was
arr ested for stealing pair or horses from Gen.
Hiram Walbridge, and committed TO jail. Ora
Nv, while awaiting trial on this charge, broke
jail, together with VIM. Fl. King, (hofSe thief1
. Wsmboid, (sneak theft WIN. Mortimer,
alias BuTch, burglar and Johnny Wilson
a a. Thomas, "a Young burglar but the entire
I aity' excepting Wamoou, were recap.nred.
Alter leaving the jail thew remained one night
AZ the gate house of kaiorama and then Tue
party csmped out on Kalorams Heights While
they were al this place the house OF Nrs Boy &c
Ia GeoTget was entered and a quantity of
ytOcs carried cff. A man named Joe Duncan
alas James Dainaise, an alleged burglar, who,
u IL stated, afteru ards robbed Senator Nye's
residence, was with the party ia camp. The
Georgetown officers found the camp ALI / arrest
Cd the party on Suspicion or being concerned in
the burglary, AMI they having been locked up
IN sepaI ate cells the officers tried to out OF
hem something which could be used as evil
fence. Grady denied that they were concerned
II any burglary and stated that they had escaped
from Jail with the exception of Duncan.
i he latter was thereupon released and the
Others of the party were returned 10 jail.
Hing had a bandAge on one leg over a
sore made by the leg irons. and the Off GERS OF
the jail found IN it knife Of the same descrip-
discovery led To the indictment and convection
OF King, Mortimer, and Grady for she burglary.
Grady was sentenced to tho Albany penitei-
tisry for four years on this charge and three
years on the charge OF horse stealing. On the
nrst OF March, 1893, he was psrdoned by Presi.
dent johnson, and returned here, WheR 1t was
hoped by the many friends OF the family tn At
he would reform. According to Grady's state
n,ohts King, Mortimer. and Duncan were the
parties who committed the burglary, ard ne (G.l
remained that night in the camp, but as Dun
yiction and punishment in order 10 screen him
Before their successful escape from Jail they
had made several Intellectual attempts to es-
cape, and GRADY stated few weeks ago that
after their recApture one Of the party obtained
false hey. and the plot was formed that when
the guard was making his rounds they YOU Id
unlock the cell door as he passed along the cor
ridor, seize and gag the guard, and that he (G)
WAS TO take offc clothes and put them on
and with th0baDterD come down and be let into
the hail by the outside man when the remain
der OF the party would oserpower him and
make their escape. IL Is hardly nj Cesary 20
state that this project could not nor nave been
carried out without the shedding OF blood al
though Grady says it was not hls or their in.
tehtion 10 hurt any one.
THE CRIME.
On the afternoon OF the 9th day OF October
last Mrs. Curtin had been from home, and On
her return she stopped at q grocery near her
home, where she WAS informed BY some chill
dren that Jimmy Grady was lin the cid
womans room eating her victuais." fastening
home she found Grady standing over or near
the PROSTATE woman, who appeared TO he SUIT.
feriDg greatly, and was unable to speak. The
prisoner At once left the house. and going To a
blacksmith shop near by, he infor med the 0ccu-
pans IN vulgar language that he had succeeded
IN committing an outrage upon the old woman
Mrs. Faulkner died on the follow dav and
Grady was searched for by the police, but with
out success. The announcement that such a
crime had been committed naturally caused
great excitement in this community, and some
even advocated the application OF lynch law 20
the Perperafor whenever he was found. The
body of the dead woman was removed from her
residence 70 the central guardh0 use, where An
Insuest Was held, and just A. the jurv had
agreed upon Yer dict the prisoner WAS brou sht
in, he having been
ARRESTED ON SEVENTH STREET