Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-03-19
TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR.
THE GALLONS.
EXECUTION IN VIRGINIA.
HANGING OF JESSE FOUKS.
MURDEROF THE EXTRAORDINARILY
An AWFUL CRIME AND ITS PENALTY.
THE ICE FLOODS.
MARYLAND TOWNS UNDER WATER.
AN EDITOR FATALLY SHOT.
TIE BEECHER Trial.
BROTHER HALLIDAY UNDER FIRE.
An AWFUL CRIME AND ITS PENALTY
THE ICE FLOODS.
MARYLAND TOWNS UNDER WATER.
AN EDITOR FATALLY SHOT.
THE BEECHER Trial.
BROTHER HALLIDAY UNDER FIRE.
JESSE FOLKS HANGED.
ENecution Of the Murderer Of the
Herndon Family.

Herndon Family.
ESPECIAL TO THE EVENING SrAR.l
BRFSTsvILLE, PRINCE WILLIAM Co.
VA, March 18th, Is75-Jesse Fouks a negro.
the murderer of the Herndon family. was
hanged in the jail-yard here to-day, be tween
the hours of y and O'Clock D. m. The
crime for which he suffered the last penalty
of the law, and an account OF which has
already been printed in THE STAR, needs bat
brief reorganization here.
The Murder.
On the Attn day or December last, Mr.. Jere-
miah Herndon and his wife and a col
ored boy named Addison Russell were muir
dered at their residence, near Cedar run, in
the lower part of this county. Mr.. Herndon
was well-tO-do farmer, and was about 30
years of age. His wife was few years
younger; the colored boy was about Il years
old. On the morning after the murder, Mr..
Summerfield HeTndOn, a son OF the venerable
coul ,le, who resided not far from their farm,
went 10 pay visit TO his parents. Entering
their yard lac saw bloody footprints, which
led to the door OF the dwelling. Passing into
the house a CHASTITY sight was presented to
his view. Upon pallet on the floor the col
ored boy Addison lay cold in death, with his
head split open. Upon the bed lay Mrs.
Herndon weltering in blood. A little later
the old man was discovered lying in a field
about four hundred yards from the house,
barefOoted and bareheaded, with his head
and face cut and bleeding in many places.
On being asked who had done this deed. the
old man, who seemed TO be bewildered, said
he did not know who had done il; that he had
been walking about all night, and felt cold
when he walked I'm the water. He was con-
veyed TO his home, and there told a clearer
story to Justices Horton and woodward of
quarrel with Jesse Fouks, who had been
hauling wood for him.
ARREST OF FoUKS.
II was found on searching the house that
S2S5 had been taken from the house by the
murderer. Fouks was arrested on suspicion
at the house of a neighbor the day after the
murder. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Herndon lin
gered some days; Mrs; Herldon dying on the
don on the succeeding Friday. Both Of them
made dying declarations,
MRS. HERNDoN's DECLARATION
being 10 the effect that after having quarreled
with her husband at dark about the meat he
was accused of stealing, Fouks returned an
hour and a half afterwards, and in an excited
manner demanded the meat which had been
taken from him. Her husband and Fouks
then got into fight, and she showed Fouks
out OF doors, when she heard him eXclaim:
at would not take me long &c Kill you two
old wretches." She turned TO go back from
the door and was struck by Fouks AMI
Knocked senseleSs.
MIR. HERNDoN's DYING STATEMENT.
Mr.. Herndon made the following declaTa-
toni had been to Bristee, and on returning
home, about shutdown, Sinah told me that
Jesse had been Quarreling with her about
some meat which the little colored nov Ad-
olson Russell, had found hid in the kitchen
and which she felt sure was our meat. went
and examined the meat, and found ham of
meat tied up in piece of white cotton. A
Whlle after dark Jesse came TO the house and
demanded the meat. i told him il was nv
meat; he said his sister gave il TO him, who
mad been living with Mr.. Luckett. told
him i would swear ii was my meat but In
the morning we would have the matter in
yestigated, and If he could bring better proof
man 4 could he could have il; he insisted to
nave the piece of cotton il was tied up i'm: L
told him / could not go 10 the meat house for
that tonight, you can get that in the MORN
ing; he then went out, and my wife came i'm
and SAID be would not eat his supper. do
not know whether he eat at all or not. I
did not see him again until one hour or more
after daylight down, when he again came i'm
the house and commenced quarreling about
the meat, and said he must have it; he went
on very abusive to me, and 1 ordered him out
OF the house, and told him if he did not 90
out would give him stick. which / took
ID my nandi he then said something which 1
did not understand, and asked Slnah NV
VIE, what he said, and She said he SAID he
would not go out for me or nv stick either: /
then got up and took an axe, and he grabbed
IL aud knocked me down, and that is all thar
remember.
THE POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS.
Dfs. Leach and SmOot, who made the post
mortem examinations, found that Mrs
Herndon had two cuts, supposed TO be made
with the edge of the axe, one of them trans
versely across the forehead four inches long
extending to the brain, which was Sufficient
10 cause death. Mr.. Herndon had received a |
blow over one OF his eyes, which caused two |
fractures of the skull, one across the fore |
neau anu Tue otner across the temple, which 4
were the cause OF his death. His feet were /
terribly frozen, and would have reauirei i
TO avoid modification had not |
death from the blows interviewed. The coli /
ored boys mead was split open, causing his |
death instantly.
ESCAPE AND REcAPTURE OF FoUKs.
The criminal stoutly protested his inno- 1
cence, even after his trial and conviction,
going so far as TO endeavor 10 cast the blame /
upon colored man named Willis Tibbs. /
About one month ago the prisoner made his
escape from the jail, by burning through the
partition a hole large enough for him 10 i
creep through. How he managed TO keep his
work secret from the jailer for so long
time-as il must have taken him week to
downstairs with his wardrobe tied up in his 1
bed-sheet, he Unexpectedly encountered thu
ailors wife 1.-THE jailor being absent,) aud
% reiinquish his Clothes in order to MAKE
rood his escape. The following morning
Sunday he was tracked TO his hiding place,
about seven miles from here, and was found
unoef q straw-rl upon the farm
1f Mr.. Allan Howison. He promptly sur
rendered TO the officers and was again con
lined in Jail. Not long since the murderer
lone the deed alone and unaided-that he
lid it, not for money, but because he was
mad with his victims.
Confession Of the Murderer.
This confession was made nrst 70 Mr.. 4
of the Manassas Gazette, and suO-
seouenfly was written out and repeated 10
Mr. Sinclair and Others. After relating the |
irst Quarrel about the meat he said that he !
eft the house. His confession then proceeds
Is follows: sin about an hour i went back TO |
ne house and told Mr.. Herndon wanted my
srapped); Mrs. Herndon opened lf the door and
went in and told Mr.. Herndon L wanted
ny handkerchief; Mr.. Herndon told me /
ould not get my handkerchief until in the
said must have il, i was not
.oing TO work for him any longer. Mr.. Hern-
lon picked up the axe and told me IL did
lot go out OF the house he would hit me with
[: told him was not afraid of him hitting !
ne; did not curse him; Mrs Herndon
hoved me out of the door and said: Jesse
lon't have no fuss here she pushed the door
O, but did not prop IL; picked up the axe
,andle which stood beside the door on the
,orch and pushed the door open, aud as Mrs.
derndon was walking TO her chair struck
Ter on the side OF the head and knocked her
Iown. Mr.. Herndon was standing near the