Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-09
Hanging.

Simrson, and Charles Wilson, alias Martin
Henry. the two negroes convicted oil The MUIR
der of john W. Everett durlDg the night Of
the 10th Of July, 1916. were hung to-day at
Port Tobacco.
Johu W. Everett, The victim, was clerk 10
Mir Warino's store ia little settlement called
Pomcrkcy, about three miles from GIyuont,
one Of the steamboat landings on the Potomac
river. liz was about twcnty.tour years OF age,
universally liked, and was at the time engaged
to be married to = lovely and accomplished
girl, who has since his death become a raVlog
mauiac. The circumstances were as follows:
On the 9th Of July Two colored men landed at
Glymont from the Harry Lodor, steamer
which plyed between that landing and
this city Refusing to communicate with
parties on the wharf who knew them, they
proceeded in the direction CT Pomonkcy. Ar
irving there they visited several stores before
nine O'Clock p. H., among them Mr.. WarlDg 81
oil which young Everett had charge. There
was no unusual alarm during the night; but IN
the morning young man named barclay went
to Waring's store TO make purchase. llndlng
| The front door Of the store locked, and receiV'
| ing no auswcr to bis repeated summons, he
| trance open.
Finding no one 10 shc store he went UP stars
TO voung Everetts sleeping apartment, and
| there he discovered him stretched upon the bed,
his skull crushed in from two heavy blows and
8 wound 90 the check bone The bed was GOV.
cred With a thick mass of cIolted gore, and "a
oaken club, part Of cart standard, about Two
| inches in diameter and two and half feet long,
was on the floor by the side OF tue bed. Ao
examination Of tho store revealed the motive.
The money drawer had been rhed and the sale
| disclosed evidence oil au attempt TO burst II
OMEN. Ratchet aud chisel being found by the
side tit. Some trihiug articles were missing
amoog them pair OF shoes and carpet bag.
Pccuniary The vllIainy was not success
About $50 Vas taken from the drawer, and the
other articles atstlaclcd would scarcely amount
| to So IN value.
The alarm vas given and the whole country
aroused The most intense excitement pre-
vailed aud measures were Immediately adopted
for the apprehension OF the mnrderers. There
! having been slight fall OF rain the night tc-
fore they were easily traced by their footprints
from the store 10 a village called Mlddlctown,
six miles from Pomonkey. One OF them had
pulled of his shoes TO climb to the porch rc0i
Of the store, that be might enter the Window CT
Everet,'s room, and in his hurry to leave the
spot had neglected 10 put them on again, there
by aiding his pursucrs, who could easily trace
tho print of the stocking Id the mud. At Mid
dle,own the trail was lost, and some hours
elapsea before it was found. But the murder
ers had clear start Of their Lursuers. They
went from Middctown to White Plaias, and
thence across The country to Washington,
where they we're temporarily lost sight oil in
Fighting aud Tin Cup allcys-consenlal haunts
for depraved villains like themselves.
Rewards we're offered by the Governor OF
the Stale, the Commissioners oil Charles coun-
ty the citizens aud the Masonic Lodge at Port
I'Ohaceo. aggTegati0g a sum III the neigh Dor
hood oi - 900; but secure ia the businesses OF
thos, almost imprcgnabIc dcns in Washington
thew Tor time set at defiance the efforts Of the
authorities Every steamboat landing and rail-
road station was carefully watched. Many
we're arrested Oh suspicion in different parts Of
tho country; souc in Virginia, souie in North
Carolina, two 10 Frederick City and several in
WASHINGTON, but in every instance they proved
to be cases OF mistaken identity. Detectives
lrom Washington and Baltimore, stimulated 10
unusual cxcrtions by the large reward offered,
worked faithfully, but all to no purpose, and
gradually The excitement died away ami the
| Everett murder began 10 be talked OF as one OF
those awful and mysterious crimes from which
only the judgment day would brush away the
mask and revea! the perpetrators.
At length Simpson wrote letter to Jana
Butler employed by Col. l.. ". Is. llutchins, of
ST. Mary's county, Maryland. Jane could not
read, and asked Col. Hutchns TO make her &C
uuaintcd With the contents Of the missivc From
same expression iG it the Charles county
murder was called to bis MAD, and be suspected
| I. ho ri N
inc IN the cIew with great sagacity and deter
mioatiou. in September last he found the guilty
pair at Sandy Spring, Montgomery county, Md.
lie nlusri0usiy gathered evidence OF their
identity with the two strange men who had
visited Warnings store on tho evening prcccd
iue the murder and had been traced from the
| ncighhorhooi OH the morning after the awful
discovery. Being separately arrested they both
made confessions each blaming his companion
AS the man who deait the fatal blow while the
! re!atGr stood guard beneath the open Wlcd0W,
Was subsequently let into the store by his part.
ncr FROM within aud joined in robbiDg the store
| Henry aud Simpson were brought TO Port To-
| bacco and tried at the November term Of the
Court. They were ably defended, the case oc.
cupyug three days. and resulting in verdict
of guilty, when they were sentenced 10 death
by Judge Brent, and Gov. Carroll named Fri
| day. Feb. 9, as the day Tor their execution.
The prisoners, since their arrest, were carefully
guarded, day and night, by Il detail Of six citi
| zeus to prevent their escape. They were chained
| to the floor and handcuIfed at night for greater
security, but with this exception they received
the kiudest Of treatment from Sheriff Wade
and his deputies.
Fathers Wiget and McAtoc, from the jesuit
station or ST. ThOTaa were uurcmillng IN
al, r., -,,l, ST. In n
former was ihc spiritual adviser Of Mrs Sur
raft in the last moments of her troubled life
aud the spiritual attendant also of the wretehed
Wiz who vas executed 10 Washington short.
ly after the war between the North and the
South because o: his alleged cruel treatment
Of prisoners at .Audersonville. Henry and
Simpson both rrot:sacd repenteuce tor their
past misdccds and were sincerely anxious 10
make their peace With God. There was very
little Of The sterootypcd air of the galows pictg
about them They were quiet, attentive 10
Il L l.