National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-12
4 AYSTERIO US MURDER.

VIM. C. HUMPHREY KILLED NEAR UP
PER MARLBORO'-No CLUE TO THE
MURDERER.
The Baltimore american Of yesterday gives
the following account of the murder Of VIM.
c. Humphrey, on the farm Of his father, near
Upper Marlboro, in Prince Georges county,
Nd:
The country residence and farm of Mr.. Pun
phrey is located on the line Of the Baltimore
and Potomac railroad, about four miles from
Upper Marlboro, in q well-settled part of the
county. On the fatal morning the unfortunate
victim of the dreadful crime, VIM. c. Pun
phrey, a young man only eighteen years of age
rose rather earlier than usual, and about s
o'clock left his home to 60 to the meadow after
bis horse. The meadow is only about five hun
dred yards from the dwelling, and in full view
Of 1t.
As the young man did not return within a
reasonable time, members Of the family began
to inquire for him, and as the morning wore
on and he did not return, some anxiety was
manifested to ascertain where he could have
gone. Finally, about II o'clock, a colored man
was sent to search for the youth, who, after an
hours search for the young man, was Mortified
to find his apparently
LIFELEss BODY
lying in a corner of the meadow, presenting
CHASTITY spectacle. with terrible wounds on the
head, from which the blood and brains of the
poor fellow were oozing. Upon making this
terrible discovery the man rushed back to the
house and gave the alarm, when the whole
family started toward the scene of the tragedy.
1t was found that the youth was still alive, al
though quite insensible. Immediately he was
removed to his fathers house, and the best
medical skill in the neighborhood was sum-
moned to his aid. A servant was despatched
on horseback for DR.. Dyer, who soon reached
the distressed home, and proceeded to make q
careful examination of
THE WOUNDS.
Young Pumphrey's skull was found to have
been fractured IN four places, the wounds hay
ing been evidently inflicted with some blunt
instrument or club, and the Doctor imme-
diately gave It as his opinion that the injuries
were necessarily fatal. Notwithstanding, how
ever, the deadly character of his wounds the
young man continued to linger on, hour after
hour, until Saturday morning, when death
closed the scene. He, however, remained IN
sensible throughout, and consciousness never
once returned, so that neither by word or ges-
ture could anything be learned from him to in
dictate who had been his cruel murderer.
CoRoNER's INQUEST.
So soon as death had resulted, DR.. Dyer
made post-mortem examination Of the body,
and Justice Walters summoned Jury of in.
quest, who rendered q verdict that the de-
ceased had come to his death by wounds in
1icted with a club in the hands of some person
to the jury unknown.
A careful examination of the meadow where
the murder was committed was made, and
about twenty yards from the spot where young
Humphreys was found there was picked up
HEAVY OAK CLUB,
hora r,vor abundant avf1apoas hot u
had been employed by the murderer in the ex-
eCution Of his fendish purpose. The end of
this club was smeared with the blood of the
victim, in which was matted some of his hair
This deadly weapon, that so plainly told the
shocking story of brutal violence, was found
lying near a foot-path leading out Of the field,
where It evidently had been cast by the muir
derer as he fed from the scene Of his great
crime. Near this path were discovered also
some foot marks far apart, as If made by some
one in rapid flight.
The dreadful tidings OF the murder spread
rapidly throughout the Deighborhood, and all
day Thursday and since the farm Of Mr..
Humphrey has been visited by hundreds Of
sympathiziug friends to inquire into the par
ticulars Of the terrible deed, and to express
their regrets. Young Humphrey seems to have
been general fayorite in the neighborhood,
and the greatest Indignation has been expressed
that he should have fallen victim to such a
ruthless assailant. The county authorities
have been making strenuous exertions to dis
cover the perpetrator of this shocking crime,
but up to yesterday morning no arrests had
been made.
THE THEORY OF TIE MURDER
is generally thought to be about as follows: It
Is not known that young Humphrey had any
personal enemy, nor is there any reason TO sup
pose that the murder was prompted by cupid
ity, but It 10 supposed to have been the sudden
act Of some malicious vagrant who had been
ordered on the place by the young man.
For some time past Mr.. Humphrey has been
annoyed by trespasses upon his grounds CON-
mitted By vagrant colOred people, and from
time to time he has had to drive them of. 1t
Is now thought that when young Humphrey
went into the field after his horse he eneoun-
tered one Of these Migrants and attempted to
drive him Of, and that in the alteration which
ehsued be was assaIled ana beaten to death.
There are, Of course, strong grounds Of suspi-
cion' entertained against various persons belong
ing 10 the vagrant class, and II Is probable that
by this time some arrests have been made.
EXCITEMENT.
There Is great excitement on the subject
among the citizens of the neighborhood, and
should the murderer be caught it will require
some care upon the part Of the authorities to
prevent the people from visiting the misc-eant