Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-12
TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR.
THE GALLOwS-
EXECUTION AT CULPEPER, Va,
TO-DAY.
Murder of a Young Farmer by an Is,
capped Prisoner Detection aud
Confession OF the Assassin
Last Hours of the Con-
yicted Man.


tloh Of the colored man Edward Brown aliss
William Jones, for the murder of VIM, q. Dir,
kin, took place to day in the outskirts OF tht
town. AT ll-30 O'Clock this morning the con-
demned man was taken out of Jail and placec
In wagon, in which was his coffin, aud driver
to the scatfold mile and a half from town. A
guard OF three hundred mounted men surround
ed II and kept the immense crowd back. There
were At least three thousand persons present
including many females, white and cOlored
he said he was willing TO die, and after religi-
Gus exercises on the scsffold, At II % o'clock thu
rope was cut, and he fell, dying in - minutes
by suffocstiOn. The body was then lowered
placed 10 the coffin, and buried just in the rear
OF the scaf.od.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE NANGLED BODY
| of MIR. Dirkin, who was young aud prosperous
farmer, on the evening OF Sunday, DecembeI
%, last, in the residence of Mr.. Marshall, neaI
Rappahannock station, on the o., A. and Ma
nassas Railroad, about ten miles distant from
here, where IL hsd laid for two days, created
great excitement throughout the county. Foi
time the mystery in relation TO the murder
seemed 80 deep that Ii was not thought it woulG
first clue the whole affair was so completely un-
raveled that in two days afterwards the perpe
TRAITOR of the terrible deed and the details tht
crime were as well known as II witnesses haI
seen him while at his bloody work.
BLOODY MURDER.
Mr.. Dfrkin, like great many other farmer
in this section. gave all of his farm hands hOl
day for the Christmas week. He had borrowed
an axe from neighboriDg house, and a. he wa
going TO the post Office for his evening mail b.
took It with him to return it. After calling a.
the post office, he walked over TO the residence
OF Mr.. Marshall and found that all OF the
family had gone on q visit, and that the hOust
was in charge of the colOred man, Brown. The
weather being cold, he was invited in. While
sitting in front of the fire. place. Brown, from
behind, dealt him a powerful blow over the
head with heavy iron pin fracturing the skull
He then took the overcOat, dresscOat, vest AMI
paLts from the murdered man and put them on
(leaving his own clothes laying on the body
went TO the residence Of Dirkin, AMI after
efecting an entrance rited trunk, securing 2
| five dollar bill. Returning to his victim, whom
| he found was stIll breathing, he finished hir
With three or four more blows, completely
MASKING ID The skull.
BROWNS wANDERISGs AND ARREST.
| RrCWn then walked TO Culpep5r, where NJ
took freight train for Washington. He re
| manned in Washington for a couple OF weeks
| living at the house of a friend on the Island
| While there. he with others got In some trouble
which resulted in Brown being severely han
| died. He appeared against the man In the Pc
lice Court, and his assailant was fined. Fearing
| arrest, he went TO Maryland, and after ards &
| FIeceTicb sburg, and later to Charlottesville
bemarle county, Va, where, on February p
he V6s arrested.
| TRB MOTIVE FOR THE CRIME LEADS TO TN
| DETECTION OF TIE CRIMINAL.
The clothing that he left behind him led e
which was held on The day following the discov
| cry OF the murder, IL was ascer.aned "a At l.
! was convict's clothing. Further inquiry We
made, when it was learned that two prisoner
! had escaped from a contractor 10 whom the,
were hired TO work on railroads by the authOri
ties OF the Richmond penltentiary. Ii was as
| certained that Mr.. Marshall had left his hOuss
in Browns charge without knowing him. 1t va
| apparent, then. that one OF the reasons for tht
commission of the crime was the purpose o.
| effectiDg bis escape from the officers who wer,
after him, by changing his clothing, preferring
| 10 commit cruel murder rather than to servt
! out the remaining four years, he having served
obe y ear Of the term OF his sentence-fiye years
| A LETTER.
| 4. was nearly two months Afterwards when 8
| letter was received In the Richmond post Office
| addressed to woman there thought TO be ni
| SISTER or vile. The authorities knew be hac
| a relatve In that city and were looking out for
such letter. The letter stated that he was IN
| Charlottesville, where he expected an answer
Two detectives from Richmond answered it thai
night by personal visit. They took him bach
| TO Richmond, where he was Identified, and tneI
10 Cuipeper, where, on February 24, he wa
| lodged In jail.
A CONFESSION.
Finding the evidence was almost positive, b,
concluded TO make q confession, saying that III
killed Mr.. Dirkin for his clothes, and that be
| was per suaded to do IL by VIM. Nelson, the mar
that escaped from the chain gang with him, snc
whom he had not seen since. He became very
;eli&ious. and was regularly attended while IL
jail by Rev. James Tay lor, q Baptist clergyman
TRIAL AND CONVICTIONS.
On April "a he was arraigned on a charge Of
murder before Judge Shsckelford, and pleaded
he was guilty, that he was going right to heaven
and that he wanted to be hanged as soon as pos
sble. Sufficient evidence was heard to sub
stant'ste the charge, andhe was sentenced to bt
executed on this day.
HIS STORY OF HIS CAREER.
For the past few days he was unusually
retieent, speaking but little except on religion,
matters 1t was learned from time TO time.
however, that he was born in Albemsrle county,
Va that he was thirty six years of age, uned
ucated, ard that he went north during the war,
serving four years In the sixth Pennsylvania
regiment, Col Ames, and that he had been sent
to the penitentiary for stealing mule. He
said he never drank drop of liquor, but al
waye would steal; that bad company ruined
| him. He said the spirit or Mr.. Dirkin had vie
tied him several times, and that he felt like
he had obtained forgiveness for all his sins
| by Saturday night at the furthest The execu-
| ton took place in grove about one mile from
the city, where the scaffold was erected, Oh
| Thursday. There was no sympathy expressed
for him in any quarter.
The Crisis in France.
IMPORTANT BILL TO BIZ INTRODUCED TO-DAY.
LONDON, June PA dispatch from Paris to
the Times says that the left center to- day will
probably Introduce bill, the first clause OF
which will provide for the organization OF the
republic according to the bill of 1873. The SEC
ond fixes the date of dissolution OF the present
arse mbly.
CIVIL WAR PREDICTED.
The Gazette de France SAYS a civil war will be
the immediate consequence of the dissolution
of the sembly: 1t is generally thought that
in the event of dissolution the assembly, before
dispensing, will authorize President MacNshon
| 70 govern some mon ths-probably year-with-
cut an assembly, and will also authorize him to
dissolve the next assembly.
THB PARIS POLICE IN SYMPATHY WITH THE
BONAPARTIsTs.
The crowds at the depot Thursday evening
numbs red 10, 600. The police clearly manifested
sympathy with the BoDapartists.
The Virgfnfus AfAfr Again.
POSITION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
NEW YORK, June 12-In papers laid before
the British Parliament I'm regard 10 the Vir-
ginius affair, wax q Letter dated February 10th,
from Gran willie 70 the minister at adrid, say
ing: "Her Majesty's government do not take
ground complaining of the seizure OF the Vir-
ginius nor of the dets ntion Of the passengers
and crew. The real ground OF complaint, Her
Msjesty's government hold, II that even assum-
ing the veeeel to have been lawfully seized. and
ere properly detained, there WAS no justidca
ton for their summary execution after irregu.
lar proceedings before q d'umhead court mar
tial. No possible aspect Of the character Of the
Virginiue and her crew could authorize or pal
late such conduct on the part OF the Cuban su
tborities There was no pretepce for treating
such an expedition as piracy jGre sentiHea.
New York Notes.
PoL1CKMKH AS THIEvES AND RUFPIAEs.
Nkw YORK, June IA policeman was dis
missed from the force yesterday for robbing q
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