National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-04
WILIL4H sBAYER's MURDER.

DISCUSSION IN THE OLDEST 1NHABIT-
ANTS ASSOCIATION-wILL MURDER
OUT?-THE OLD PROVERB IN THE
LIGHT OF HISTORY.
The discussion yesterday in the Society Of the
Oldest Inhabitants relative to the murder OF VII
liam Seaver, in 1871, at point on the Alexandria
and Washington turnpike, alongside the turn
pike or near the stopping point, now called Fort
Runyon recalls the fact that no thoroughly rei-
able account Of that murder has ever been made,
and in the fifty years which have interviewed, 1t
has never been discovered, Notwithstanding the
rewards offered, by whom the murder was COM
the Marine hospital, near Norfolk, who, It Is al.
legged, confessed that many years before, ne cOuio
not remember the date he started aiter MS ais-
a shfpmate, to walk TO Alexandria, ana that on
the road he met man from whom they attempted
to take some articles Of value, and on being re-
"A romantic account Of the murder and its res-
sons was published in the Alexandria Gdzete In
1896, derived, it was said. nom confession made
in Central America and sent TO q member Of the
Spanish American Legation at Washington The
murdered man was there stated to be an old man,
who. Iust before the late war, made his home in
cave near Four-mile run. The only Wellauthen-
ticated facts are that pedler, named William
ming from Alexandria to Georgetown, left Alex
andria on the evening OF July 8, 1871, to
walk to Washington, and that he was never
blood were found on the road, near Roach's
spring, and the whole population Of the neigh
bOrhOOd, insisted by many persons from Wash
iDgton and Georgetown, turned out to search for
the body. They cut down all the underground
for half a mile, and at last discovered the body
under culvert in a stream near by. A gambling
haunt at the spring, near by, was soon after set
on fire and burned to the ground, and several
persons were arrested on suspicion, but the muir
derer was never brought to justice.
A similar case Of murder, without detection,
occurred about mile from the same point in the
March Of Gen. Pieree's Inauguration. The body
of white man, with his throat cut from ear to
ear, was discovered a few days after the tnaugu-
ration on the tOw-path of the Alexandria canal,
near Arlington. The body was brought and eX-
posed to public view in the jail yard. Among
those who saw it was a leading citizen, president
of one of the city fire companies, who recognized
the body as that of his wile's uncle, resident Of
Charles county, Md. The lady, when brought to
identify the corpse, exclaimed that it was her
uncle, and tainted. But when messenger dis
patched to give his family information Of the
murder reached the house, the supposed muir
dered man was sitting at his table enjoying
a photograph of the dead man was taken by
Mr.. Grub, Of Alexandria, and the mangled body
bid from sight under the elOds of the valley; but
some two years afterwards q gentleman from
Pennsylvania, whose father had been missing at
the time Of Pierce's Inauguration, came to Alex
andria in search Of Information as to this murder
with view of ascertaining if the murdered man
was not his brother. In this search he called at
carried to Mr.. Grub. Upon seeing the photo.
graph he recognized 1t as that Of his brother; but
he, too, was mistaken, for the brother returned
within year after this recognition.
If murder will out" 1t is a long time getting to
light in these cases.