The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-02-22

/ Vic cuIdHCS OpcU.
Finding no one in the store he went up
stairs to young Eyerett's sleeping apartment
| and there he discovered him stretched upon
the bed, his skull crushed in from two heavy
blows and wound on the cheek bone. The
bed was covered with q thick mass of clothed
gore, and an oaken club, part Of a cart
standard, about two inches in diameter and
| two and a half feet long, was on the floor by
the side of the bed. An examination Of the
| store revealed the motive. The money draw
| err had been rifled and the safe disclosed cvi
dencc Of an attempt to burst it open,
hatclict and chiscl being found by the side of
it. Some trifing articles were missing,
| among them pair OF shoes and carpet
bag. Pecuniarily the villainy was not sue
| cess. About $50 was taken from the draw
er, anc the other articles distracted would
scarcely amount to S. in value.
| The alsrm was given and the whole conn- |
| try aroused. The most intense excitement |
| prevailed and measures were Immediately |
adopted for the apprehension of the murder |
ers. There having been a slight fal Of rain !
| the night before they were easily traced by |
| their footprints from the store to a village |
! called Middletown, six miles from Pomon- |
| key. One OF them had pulled off his shoes |
| to climb to the porch roof Of the store, that |
| he might enter the window Of Everett's |
| room, and in his hurry to leave the spot had |
neglected to put them on again. thereby aid |
| ing his pursuers, who could easily trace the |
| print OF the stocking in the mud. At Mid |
dletown the trail was lost, and some hours |
| elapsed before 1t was found. Bat the muir
derers had clear start Of their pursuers. |
| They went from Midd.etown to White |
| Plains, and thence across the country to |
Washington, where they were temporarily |
| lost sight Of in Fighting and Tin Cup alleys |
-congenial haunts for depraveti villains like /
I themselves.
Rewards were offered by the Governor OF |
the State, the Commissioners Of Charles |
county, the citizens and the Masonic Lodge |
| at Port Tobacco. aggregatins sum in the
| neighborhood Of $4,000; but secure in the
Businesses of those almost impregnabe dens
| in Washington, they for time set at def
ance the efforts OF the authorities. Every
steamboat landing and railroad station WAS
carefully watched. Many were arrested on
suspicion in different parts of the country;
some in Virginia. some in North Carolina,
two in Frederick City, and several in Wash
ington, but in every instance they proved to
be cases Of mistaken identity. Detectives
from Washington and Baltimore, stimulated
to unusual exertions BY the large reward Of
Tered. worked faithfully. but all to no pur-
pose, and gradually the excitement died
away and the Everett murder began to be
talked of as one Of those awful and mysteri-
GUS crimes, from which only the Judgment
day would brush away the mask and reveal
the perpetrators.
AT length Simpson wrote y letter to Jane
Butler, employed by Col. l.. W. d. Hutch
ins, of ST. Mary's county Maryland. Jane 9
could not read, and asked Col. Hutchins to
make her acquainted with The contents Of
the missive. From some expression in it the
Charles county murder was called to his
mind, and lie suspected the writer to be one
of the cnlprits. Following up the clew with
TENDER last he found the guilty pair ut San
dy Spring. Montgomery county, Nd. lie |
industriously gathered evidence OF their !
identity with the two strange men who had ]
visited Wari ng 'sstort on the evening pre- q
ceding the murder, and had been traced
from the neighborloed ON the morning after
the awful discovery. Being separately ar
rested they both made confessions, each
blaming his companion as the man who
dealt the fatal blow while the relator stood
guard beneath the open window, was SUISSE
qnensly let into the store by his partner from n
within and joined in robbing the store. y
Henry and Simpson were brought to Port 4
Tobacco and tried at the November term OF
the Court. They were ably defended, the
case occupying three days, and resulting in :
q verdict OF guilty, when they were SEN !
fenced to death by Judge Brent, and Gov. !
Carroll named Friday, Feb. 8, az the day
for their execution. The prisoners. since
their arrest, were carefully guarded, day o. o,
and night, by detail Of six citizens to pre- ia
vent their escape. They were chained to a. a.
The floor aud handcuffed at night for greater IL
security, but with this exception they re-
,eivcd the kindest OF treatment from Sheriff :
Wade and his deputies.
Fathers Wiget ana Nc Atee, from the Jes- 1
lit station Of st. Thomas, we're unrcmitting
n their care for the souls Of the prisoners.
The former was the spiritual adviser Of Mrs. D
surratt in the last moments Of her troubled ia
life, and the spiritual attendant also of the Is
yrctched WirZ, who was executed in WASH tn
ngton shortly after the war between the |
North and the South because OF his alleged
ruel treatment Of prisoners at Anderson r
lille. Henry and Simpson both professcd L
repentance for their past misdeeds aud We're
incerely anxious to make their peace with
Tod. There was very little OF the stereo- bu
Up ed air OF the gallows piety about them. tai
hey were quiet, attentive to the instruc- a.
ions OF the holy fathers, communicative tic
pom the ordinary topics, but somewhat ret
,ent with regard to the numerous murders :
nd other crimes with which they were pop -
larly supposed to have been connected. i
The hanging took place this morning, i'm
in rear of the Court House,
sainst which the galows were erected as bu
ack- ground. The place was perfectly open, t nT
the centre OF the village, and the space Di'
aking down to Port Tobacco creek was Ito
rye enough to accommodate the vast T
owd attracted there to witness the CHASTITY y
,ectacle. The gallows was substantial
ructure, consisting of a heavy plank plat n
I'M, with trap worked by lever, which r
as entirely under the Sllcriff's control. 10
he ropes were of unusual thickness, and n
inced the Sheriff's anxiety to prevent any bur
cident which could be prevented by hui OF
an foresight. Simpson, who had been all sfif
ong the bold desperate Of the twain, sen Dis
bly, gave way in the last few days. The ~ ~
proacl of his terrible end, and the saving -
d hammering incident upon the erection
the gal!ows, which was distinctly seen |
d heard by him from his cell window, In
re 100 much for bis nerves, great physical !,
oei ration was the consequence. bur