Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-26
Prompt and Creditable Work Of the
Police

0reOtIADIe
Police.
Last night, between and 10 O'Clock, the per-
petraior of the last terrible murder-thst of
Samuel Rogerski, the pedder, whose body was
found in an alley on Monday night last, with
his face and head hacked TO pieces-was arrest
ca not far rom the spot where the body of the
Since the discovery of the body the detectives
have been on the search, aided by Lieut.. Cess
ford and his officers.
mysterious and horrible affair into considera-
ton which had come to their knowledge De-
tective McDevitt and Lieut.. Gessfcrd last night.
In company with Officer Hughes, by direcffon
Of Chief Clarvoe, went TO the house on fhbss
southwest corner OF L and 10th streets south
west. occupied by
A soIoKIoUs coLoRKp Roue.
nsmed Tom Wright "a pal Of the notorious
hro'Iers, Jim and George Burnett, one of whom
Was killedby policeman recently Margaret
Eo2ds, colored, her son, a colored boy, named
george WOODS, and boarder named Sam Be m
bry, aud took them all into custody and lodged
the M in the first precinct station-house. Here
tn were questioned separately. Tom denied
al knowledge of the deed, and would own m to
nothing, merely saying that he was bad enough.
but not bad enough to kill or rob. MarpaIet
was mere talkaiive, and said she was not pres
ent az tie time OF the murder, but confessed th
TOM COMMITTED THE ACT
while she was absent, and t. at che came home
and found what had been DONE AMI that tine
goods belonging to the Pedler were concealed
Il
GERS started back at once, and, obtaining n lam
tern, searched the house and she'd Thoroughly.
but could discover nothing OF the goods, and
were on the point of giving up the search when
Officer Lewis overturned q large pile OF lumber
and discovered that the earth underneath had
been disturbed. A shovel was procured, and
after digging down about three feet they
UNRARTHED A BED sACKING
ccntsining al the goods OF Rogerski, consisting
OF shawls, laces and fancy articles. These were
removed to the station house, together with a
"A EsfH hRf rT1RQ f1a 49,
room, where Margaret directed them to look for
the weapon which the assassin used in his work
OF butehery A light was brought to bear in
first placed after the murder, and marks of
blood were found on the door and wall but the
moor had been carefully washed, as also the floor
ot Inc ne. front room where the killing took place.
instructions to remove nothing or admit no one
and watch was kept there ali night. This
morning the prisoners were brought to police
headquarters, where they now are; and Major
Richards, with Chief Clarvoe, Mr.. Harrington.
Mr. Evans, Of the police court and reporter
Of 1RE STAR visited them.
THE SCENE OF THE MURDER.
The house is an old frame structIre standing
IN a large enclosure, the nearest house to il
being at least one hundred feet distant. Tie
iront or main building is two stories high, with
a shed-roof back building connected with it,
the Whole containing but three rooms. with a
rubbish lott over the kitchen. The front room
and the one Immediately over it are of the same
one, under which Is a closet opening into the
lower front room, and is the closet in which the
dead body was temporarily deposited after the
murder. The back lower room Is used for a
kitchen, and contains a cooking stove, table,
dishes, and loads Of old rubbish. In cupboard
were tcUnd the rem airs of heir Christie a 4
and any quantity OF bottles, Jars, &c. On the
side OF the passage connecting the two rooms
we've spots Of blood, as also c n the closet door.
THEOEY OF TIE MURDEa.
inf frnr oil
ton obtained 80 tar is that the peddler was
sitting in the front room exhibiting his goods
when he was struck heavy blow from behind
and Knocked senseless, and that other blows
followed in quick succession while he was down.
and that the blood was washed up carefully
after the body had been dragged into the closet
CareiuI search was made OF the premises, and
everything ON which blood was found retained
by Major Richards. Among these articles ar
several hatchets and knives, a screw diver and
sone clothing.
used was such as is used by plasterers in lathiay
There are two OF this kind. On a close exaili-
nation blood was found on one of them. and A
lev bits OF hair, CORE spending in color and s.p
Iearance 10 that OF the murdered man.
TIE HOUSE Is VERY OLD AND RICKErY,
but standing, as Il does, by itself, away from
PetretHg such a deed unotserved. The shutters
on the east side OF the rear room are quite d!-
Iapidated. and TO completely screene the inside
a heavy piece OF Gotten canvass, probably a
piece of an old sail, has been tackled up, COW
eTing the window. The clean appearance OF the
hoCr by the closet door, evidently recently
washed, and extt nding as far as the hearth, at
tracted attention, ana that Is no doubt the exact
spot where the man bled to death. On re.
moving some of the bricks from the edge on the
hearth hey were found 70 be
DKEPLY STAINED WITH BLOOD,
as II the pool had run over them and down the
cracks and seams between them. The woman
Margaret states that when she came home Tom
was engaged in washing up tae floor, and that
m VI hat he hal don he
had
KILLED THAT D-D DUTCH PEDDLBR,
and put him in the closet; that after night Tom
fastened the straps of his pack about his neck
and legs and carried him ont on the commons
The valise which the peddler was seen TO carry
has rot yet been found, and it is supposed to
have been burned.
BOLDNEss oF THE ACCUSED MAN,
. ON Tuesday following the discovery of the
CODY The Otncers went through this house and
lkt0 the closet described, but as il was a very
DARK corner the marks OF blood were not dis.
covered at that time, and Wright offered to
assist Detective COomes IN upturning eyery-
thing IN the house, and afterwards asked Mr.
Coomes II he was satisfied During the search
about the commons for hood marks Tom was
among the rest with a bold front.
DESCRIPTION AND ANTsCEDENTs OF TOM
WRIGHT.
He is nearly six feet tall, very black, about 81
years old, a mont tooth out in the upper law
which shows distinctly when in conversation,
and Is amusculer and powerful fellow. The
hsve been living together as man and wife for
about two years, be having no trade or occupa-
non IN particular, and bears very
BAD character among the police as a
desPerado. be has occasionally labOred in un-
loading coal and oyster boats, but has never
keen known TO DO much labor. He came here
from Richmond after the close of the war and
has a brother rowing about here also bad char
aeter. In October last, II will be remembered,
Tom ~ shot In the thigh by captain or an
oyster boat, named John Z. Hooper. The cir
cunstdnces OF the case were published in
TEE STAR at the time in the proceedings OF
the police court. He obtruded himself on board
the captains bost, and was ordered of as A
suspicious person; and after an alteration,
during which he called the captSin all the worst
names he could, he caught up heavy log OF
wood, used as a fender, and flung il at Hooper
just grazing his head; when the latter fired; the
Pisto! shot taking effect in Toms thigh
hooper was arrested. charged with assault and
oatteLy with intent 20 XIII, and IL now under
500 bonds TO answer before the grand iury
Inc wound did not prove of a very serious ma
tcre, and Tom soon recovered to range about
again. He took great an crest i'm the recent
murder trials. ard attended the executions of
both jenkins and johnson.
HAD wPI6Hr AMY PARTNER IN HIS CRIME
III Is not known whether or not the man Benz
Dry toek any part In the bloody trapsaction.
put the whole party are retained until a
thorough investigation can be had. On a pair
or pants belonging 10 the boy George, hanging
on tRe kitchen door, was found marks of blood
but that he took any part in the killing is doubt
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