The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-14
THE CLARKE COUNr9 TnAaeDY'
A FULL ACCOUNT or THR HOMICIDE.
] TESTIMONY AT TEE ENouEsT.AgHE CA1ysE
OF THE CRfdE--TaiE LITTLE YAMuY-
RED HAIR VS. BLACK. 81 ..F7s5 ~ n, /

lBerTyvlile Correspondence Baltinora San.l !
Beyond the tragic result the public, an yeE
know little or nothing of the terrible tragedy
by which QUE naa lost his, Life in Iris cor,ns
ty, and three other persons were &painfnilr
II not seriously wounded hat SatSlrrisS
morning. The announcements shat q murder
had been committed In their midst feli Ike 4
| thunderbot upon this law.abidIng conmu.
nifty, aud since tae occurrence the widest
con1ectures have been rife with regard to the
details OF the affair and the causes that oe.
caSioned It. The "knowing ones" early
acknowledged themselves at sea, and al.
tho9gh neasly a week has elapsed, eyen.at
the hands OF the cosnoscents the story of the
CRIME Deans ss many versions as the issue
IS singular and appalling. From careful
comparison and sitting oil the various state.
nepts, and an examination of the recorded
evidence, / have prepared the history below,
which Is In Its essential particulars correct !:
THE PARTIES ENGAGED. !
In 1857 Mir. Franklin Little, q resident of
Washington city, and canal commissioner
under Mayor Towers, moved with his family,
consisting Of q wife, six sons, and adaugh.
ter, to farm In this county. This farm
contains between four and five hundred acres
Of very valuable land, and is, situated six
dividing line from Frederick county. This
property was the dowry Of his wife, and had
been in her family for seventy or more years.
MIR. Little, after his removal, in conjunction
with his agricultural pursuits, carried on an
extensive business in Washington. He
started life as blacksmith, but soon entered
into speculations, which, 1t is said, have
proved very successful. He has the reputa.
ton of being shrewd and cautious business
man, and one who, to use homely but eX-
presSive figure, can succeed with " O number
of irons in the fire." In early life his habits
were wandering, and he has been engaged
in business enterprises from Washington
city to Washington Territory. His sons,
with the exception Of Clinton, the deceased,
inherited his passion for travel, without
the propensity to turn it to a paying ac-
count.
Oscar and Lycurgus, the alleged fratri-
cides, are. perfect nolnads. Since leaving
school they have spent their lives in roaming
| over the West, coming home occasionally to
renew their supply when their funds were
exhausted, until, as the other children claim
ed, they had received their portion of their
fathers estate. Somewhat more than six
months ago they returned home from Chilli
cothe, Missouri.
| Clinton was much more domestic in his
character, and for several years has been very
active and industrious in the management of
the farm. About two weeks ago he went to
Washington and sold some colts which he
had raised. His brother Wallace, the young
est, and Columbus, the eldest, who are en-
ployed in Washington, accompanied him on
his return, to spend the Fourth Of July at
the old homestead. On the morning of the
!, ~ Of
the father, were relinited under the family
roof-tree. There was also staying in the
| house at the time the wife Of Columbus and
two young ladies, who were on a visit to the
sister of the Titles. .... ~,
EVIDENCE BEFORE THE INQUEST.
It was IN evidence before Coroner Whar-
| ton, who held an inquest over the body Of
Clinton, and at which Mrs. Little, Columbus,
Gilbert, and Wallace, among Others, testified,
| that part Of the family were at the breakfast
| table Saturday morning-Mrs. Little, Clinton,
Gilbert, Columbus, and Walaee-when Ly-
| curgus and Oscar entered the room armed
with pistols. Oscar locked the door and put
| the key in his pocket; for some reason his
pistol would not go off; that Of Lycurgus
did, and the first ball entered the thigh Of
| Mrs. Little, who had at once jumped up for
l
second fire of Lycurgus's pistol mortal
wound was inflicted on Clinton, the ball
entering, rs technically described by his
physician, "anterior to the anterior superior
spinal process of the ilium."
| The pOst-n1ortem examination revealed
| this wound, commencing in the groin and
ending where the ball was found-near the
knee There was also confused wound on
| the head, produced by Oscars pistol. When
the firing commenced Columbus and Gilbert
rushed to the rescue of Clinton, and WAL
| lace jumped from the window and kicked
open the door from the outside, as is shown
by the foot-marks on it. Columbus wrested
pistol from one of the would-be murder
ers, and struck Lycurgus o severe blow
across the fingers Seeing means Of exit,
Oscar and Gilbert fled towards the barn, for
the purpose, it is supposed, of getting
! horses to make their escape. Columbus fol-
lowed in pursuit and tired with the pistol
which he held, but without effect, Gilbert,
| who in the meantime had ran up stags and
procured rifle, gotin range of the fugitives
when they were hundred and fifty yards
distant, aud fired, wounding Oscar in the
leg. This prevented his further flight. Ly-
cursus was also caught up with and ar
rested, either because he was detained in his
unwillingpess to desert him.
l Colonel beaumont testified that Lycurgus
borrowed pistol from him the morning OF
the homicide, saying he wanted to use it in
shooting at mark.
i Captain Bitter, who reached the house
before Clinton's death, testified that the latter
! in dying declaration asserted that I.ycur'
gus had shot him, and entirely without
cause.
4 Clinton, after lingering for several hours
in intense agony, died about midday Satur
day.
Upon the facts stated above the coroneri
! Jury rendered verdict that "Clinton Little
came to his death by pistol shot fred pre-
meditatedly by his brother Lycurgus."
TIE FEATRICIDEs
were guarded throughout the day by Colum
bus and Gilbert, and in the afternoon Were
lodged in Jail at Berryville. They were very
quiet and composed after their capture, and
made no effort to escape. The rumor that
! thew attempted to take their lives by NOR
phine probably has it's only foundation in
request that was made and granted by
I physician that they should have small dose
! of morphine to allay the pain of the wounds
under which they were suffering. col
WHAT TIE FAMILY THOUGHT OF IT. ,
The Little family during Saturday were
greatly exasperated against the alleged muir
4 derers. Columbus, who Is represented tt
he the father Of the statement that the shoot
ing was accidental, referring to the tragedy
said: cit has been brewing for some time
The killing of Clinton was a premeditated
murder, and want to see the utmost rigor
of the law visited upon the guilty parties"
When the hope was expressed to Mrs
! IT,. 4 4