Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-09-05
CONFESSION OF MURDER
Singular Story About a Robbery and ASSASSINATION.
AsTRanGERs THROAT CUT FROM EAR TO EAR.
SOPHIA Beatty Seeks Death AS n Re-
lief from n Burdened Conscience
for her Participation i'm
the Crime,
A Queer Middle Of Fact and Fiction
WERE THE POLICE sOLDr

Among the many abandoned females Of that
notorious section Of the city called "the Di-
VISION" one of the most noted for her drunken
ness and degradation is Sophia Beatty, as the
records Of the Police Court will fully show
Sophia is Of large frame and good constitution
originally, which has kept her up through the
varied scenes of dissipation through which she
has passed, but OF late she has been showing
some evidences OF a shattered mind, as well as
being physical wreck.
There is hardly a vile den in "the Division"
where she has not been an inmate, and her
love of drink has been the cause of her appear
ance before the Police Court on almost every
charge in the calendar of misdemeanors. While
in the court on several occasions recently, she
has been
ATTACKED WITH DREADFUL sPAsMs
in the dock, and carried below for medical
attention. 1t has not been long since she served
out a term of 90 days in the wOrkhouse, on'the
charge of yagrancy, and tt hope was expressed
by Judge Smell at that time that by keeI sng
alOof from whisky and evil associations for three
months she might seize the favorable opportu-
nifty to reform her course of life. How well she
did so will be seen in the sequel After she OBJ
tanned her liberty, she, by the aid of some OF
ton, obtained decent clothing, and for a time
kept alOOf from her old haunts, but not for
long, and she again fell from grace, and seemed
to sink lower than before in vice and degrade
ton. Her male companion, with whom she had
been living for some yeaIs-Skinny Dougherty-
had forsaken her, and Sophia has since been
The STAR published an account of
HER ATTEMPT TO DROWN HERSELF
in Rock creek, and her rescue by some specta-
tors. The cause of this rash act, she stated was
remorse of mind-that she was tired of witness
ing the dreadful scenes of depravity to which
she had so long been accustomed, and wished
TO end her misery by death. Yesterday after
noon she was picked up by some of Lieut..
Greer's men, of the fourth precinct, in a
beastly state of intoxication, and locked up un-
TIL sober. When she awoke from her sleep In
the station house she called for Lieut. Greer, to
whom she made disclosure OF being accessory
to the
MURDER AND ROBBERY OF STRANGER
at GROCERY on ID street, between 18th and
18th streets. She stated that she had been stop
ping at this house near 18th street for few
days, and on Monday night last stranger came
in and after drinking freely at the bar accom-
panied her to her room in the second story back;
that while there she relieved him of his watch
and discovered that he had $500 in money with
him; that Mitchell, the proprietor of the house,
came into the room and finding the man with the
money and stupid with liquor sci zed billy and
attempted to strike him on the side of the head
but he raised his hand to ward of the blow, and
she seized it, while the proprietor drew a razor
and
CUT THE MANS THROAT PROM EAR To EAR,
and he fell on the floor, expiring in a few min
utes. She did not know what had been done with
the body, but she saw Mitchell take the $500
from HIM, and he offered her $50 of it and the
watch to keep quiet. In the morning she
buried the watch in the yard where she had
BURIED SKINNY" DoUGHKRTY, HER MAN.
(Ihis expression is explained belOw) Many
little incidents connected with the alleged muir
der were also related circumstantially by So
phia, andishe asserted il over and over again,
never deyiaung one iOta from the first state
man Skinny-this she said was practice
among her class when they are deserted by their
male companions whom they call their hus-
bands, buryiDg them in a bottle of whisky,
the man being represented by a breastpin or
any article of jewelry, with piece of red fan
mel. This is cOrked up in a bottle, and buried
in the ground, and it means that they bury all
their love and kind remembrance with it, never
to be re- kindled.
INVESTIGATION BY THE POLICE.
Satisfying himself, from her earnest manner,
that there had been something wrong commit
ted Lieut. Greer visited police headquarters
and communicated the statements made to him
to Major Richards and Chief of Detectives
Claryoe. a telegram was sent to the fourth
precinct stat1on-house ordering that Sophia be
sent TO headquarters, which was cone, and here
the same story was recited to the Major and the
detectives, all OF whom were present. On being
cross questioned, she did not deyiate at all from
her original statement, every particular being
the same. Major Richards asked her if she
would be willing to confront Mitchell with the
charge, and she said. {" Yes, willingly; / am
anxious to do IL, and am willing to suffer as an
accessory, for have had
NO PEACE OF MIND SINCE"
Major Richards then ordered Messrs. Coomes
and McDeyitt to arrest Mitchell at once and
take him to the central grardhouse. These of
hcers started off to perform this duty, and So
10 the guardnoUse, where soon after Mitchell
was brought in, considerably agitated. His frs
sslutation on seeing Sophia was-"Soph, what
Sophia.-''You know it's true, that you cut
that mans throat and robbed him of his money,
and offered me thirty dollars of it not to tell on
you, and his watch besides"
The whole circumstances as above related she
boldly and pertenaciously charged upon him to
his face, and he seemed quite dumb-founded,
and to convince the offic that it was true she
offered TO go with them to the yard and show
WHERE SHE HAD BURIED THE WATCH.
Detectives McDevitt and COomes then started
on with her TO ID street, and on the way Mr..
McDeyitt borrowed a lantern and spade at the
Franklin eDgine-h house, and soon all hands en-
tered the front door, which by this time was
guarded by several officers. Here a character
lstic alteration between Sophia and the wife of
MIR. Mitchell ensucd, the latter charging upon
the former all sorts of bad things, and how I'm
gutter and keeping her from starvation. Sophia
did not heed this, but walked straight back into
the yard, followed by the officers,
DEFECTIVE M'DEvITT LIGHTING THE WAY,
with his lantern in one hand and the spade in
the other, his partner, Coomes, bringing up the
rear with pickaxe. Sophia pointed out the
spot in one corner where she said she had buried
the watch, and all stood around to watch the
process Of digging. Mr.. McDevitt took the first
turn at 1t, after stripping off his coat, and
showed himself an expert at digging. as he is
in matters connected with his profession. All
were waiting in breathless suspense, while
spade full after spS1e full of fresh earth was
thrown up, ana after several cautions by Mr..
Coomes not to be too rough, as he might iniure
the watch, McDevitt finally turned up the pop
bottle containing the efigy Of all that was NOR
tai of
THE REMAINS OF "sKINNY' DoUGHERTY,
represented by a shawl pin stuck in a piece of
red flannel, floating in Division whisky. There!
there il is! Didn't tell you SOP" said Sophia
All were expecting to see the watch next; but
McDeyitt, having become somewhat heated,
turned over the job of digging to Officer
Coomes, who was good humored1y joking So
pbia about her long-lost Skinny and
THE JOB SHE HAD BEEN PUTTING Up on THE
POLICE.
After trying his hand with the pick and spade
TO no better purpose, Mr.. Coomes abandoned
the digging, and all reentered the house by the
back way TO search for further evidences of the
alleged tragedy.
"BLooD MARKS"
was the next thing suggested by several, and
the stairway was quickly assembled by all hands.
In the room pointed out by Sophia was a dirty
bed, washstand, and several articles of furni-
ture, but no marks of tragedy except one spot
on the wall, where blood was discovered; but
on a close inspection
THE SKELETON OF AN ENORMOUS MOSQUITO,
such as only the Division can produce, was
plainly visible. The floor had the appearance
OF having been recently scrubbed up, and at
this point Sophia asserted that she had carefully