Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-05-20
Horrible Murder.
From the Lynchburg News.

From the Lynchburg News.
One of the most brutal and cold. blooded muir
ders which we have recorded for a long time
was perpetrated on the premises of Mr.. Frank
L. Lee, about one and a half miles from this
city, last Saturday night, the particulars OF
which, as near as we have been able to ascer-
tain them, are about as follows:
Jane Coleman, a colored woman employed as
cook at Mr.. Lee $ has for some time lived very
unhappiiy with her husband, Richard Coleman,
and their mutual dislike has frequently pro.
| duced heated %quarrels, sometimes ending 10
blows. 1t is said that these disputes arose from
| jealousy, and also from the wlfe's habit OF maD-
aging her fuaucial affairs in her own way, and
laying up money for future needs, instead OF
dividing with her husband as he wished her to
DO. A quarrel occurred Saturday night result
ing in the horrible death of the wife. The
family of MIR. Lee were at supper 10 the dung
room, when a servant went to the kitchen and
Immediately returned, telling Mr.. Lee that the
kitchen was full OF smoke. That gentleman
FASTENED to the kitchen and saw, upon opening
the door, that there was a bright light up stairs.
| Ascending the stairs Mr.. Lee saw an object
wrapped 10 a ~bcdquilt, lying on the floor, aud
enveloped ia f mes. There were two buckets
of water in the room, and with this he sue
decided in putting out the fire, when he dis
covered that the object Was the dead body Of
the cook, whose head had been beaten almost
into a Jelly with some heavy instrument, sup.
posed to have been a bar of iron, which was
found lying on the floor, though some of the
cuts had the appearance Of having been made
With a Ratchet. There were sixteen wounds
on the head, either of which would have been
fatal. besides several on other parts OF her
body. The quilt in which the body was wrap
ped had been saturated with kerosene oil be-
fore being set on fire, and one leg and one arm
Of the murdered woman were burned almost to
a crisp.
The intelligence of the tragedy spread rapid
ly among the negroes IN the vicinity, and a con-
siderable crowd soon gathered on the premises.
Richard Coleman, the husband of the murder
ed woman, is said to have COM upon the scene
soon after the alarm was given, and to have 10.
quired with great apparent innocence, what
all that excitement was about?' 1t does not
appear that he eviuced any emotion from first
to last. Although he was suspected of being
the murderer, he was not arrested until Sunday
morning, when a large number of colorcd peo
pie of the neighborhood, confident of his guilt,
determined to hang him, without waiting tor
the slow process of the courts. Accordingly
they provided a rope, and would undoubtedly
have made short work OF it, had not a constable
arrived aud placed Coleman under arrest. He
was lodged in the city jail for safe keeping un-
til yesterday morning, when he was taken to
Jail at Campbell Court House. The constable
thought it prudent to summon an assistant to
bring Coleman to the city, fearing that the in
turiated mob would overpower him and lynch
the prisoner anyhow. A large number of them
followed Coleman to the jail door, vowleg that
be should be hung, regardless OF consequences.
TNlaS Io1o-,,n -oe ,rroetal tIa arIIopoa NJ
his guilt was conclusively shown by the spots
of blood on his sleeve and shirt bosom. Some
ofthe spots had the appearance of having been
lightly spriukled or spattered, and others were
much larger. He had attempted to wash out
some Of the larger stains, but failed. When
it became necessary to remove the body from
the floor to a bed, it is said the negroes com
PEELED Coleman to lift it, aud that he evinced
great terror, ran from the room, and fell on his
face in the yard. When asked to account for
the fresh blood on his clothes, he said his nose
had bled several days ago, aud that was the
only way he could account for it.
An Inquest was held on the body of the de-
ceased Sunday, when the testimony taken was
substantially as above stated, and verdict was
rendered that the deceased came to her death
by blows on the head, inflicted with some MUIR
derous instrument 10 the hands of Richard
Coleman.
Upon the rendition of this verdict Coleman
was committed for trial.
The murdered woman, we learn, was native
of Rappahennock county, Va, where her rel
atives now reside. Her remains were inferred
yesterday at the old Methodist buryiug ground,
10 presence of a large crowd Of colored persons.
THE NUpTIALs OF Miss NELLIE GRANT
Workmen yesterday commenced the deeora-
ton of the East room of the Executive Man
sion, in which is to take place, the marriage of
Miss Nellie Grant to Mr.. Sartoris tomorrow,
Three hundred invitations have been issued.
the larger number to persons residing outside
of Washington. The object on the part of the
Presidents family has been to render the we'd
ding as private as possible. carefully avoiding
everything that would give to it an official
character. The only foreign representative
present will be Sir Edward Thorton, with
Lady Thornton, they being of the same
nationality as Mr.. Sartoris. The guests will To-
clude the more intimate friends OF abe Presi-
dents family, such as the Justices of the Su-
prene Court, members of the Cabinet, Speak
er Blaine, Senators Conkling, FrelinghuyseD
and \. g. Thurman, Gen. Sherman, Admiral
Porter, George w. Childs, A. j. Drexel and
and Adolphe E Borie, with the ladies of their
respective families, and others of various cities.
On the morning Of the wedding the gates Of
the Executive Mansion will be closed to all but
invited guests. During to-day a large number
Of splendid and valuable presents to the bride
we're received, principally from Philadelphia,
and a few from New York.
The removal of the Capital of the United
o.. 4