The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-14
CHARGED wTH WIFE MURDER.


AS RELATED by A cHILp--A WOMAN FOUND
DEAD AT SPRING Dr TWO LITTLE cSEs--
THE HUSBANDS ARREST AND INCARCERATION.
Louisa cornr Housr Va. Oct. 10. isTp.
Scarcely has the September Tcrin OF the Louisa
Circuit Court expired. at which term ave alleged
murierers were tried for the commission Of two Of
the most hendish crimes that blaekenoi the
nails of Virginia. when another foul aud brutal muir
der is perpetrated In the county The victim in th.
instance was white married lady. the scene OF the
horrible affair is in the upper end OF the county.
near Gotham depot on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad. The body was discovered Wednesday AZ.
ternoon at spring some hundred yards
from the residence OF tho deceased. An
inquest was commenced that night and
concluded the next morning. the verdict OF the Jury
being "that the deceased. Mira. william Beaver came
to her death by violence from some unknown per
son.. Suspicion attaching to the husband OF the
deceased lady Mr. William Beaver. he was forthwith
arrested and after examination. was sent on to the
County Court for indictment and was lodsed An
Louisa jail to-day.
PARTICULARS OF THE MURDER.
The particulars of the crime as developed at tho
examination, are as iollows:-A young sister of
the deceased lady bright Intelligent little thing
aged about nine years stated that the prisoner came
from Union Mills about three O'Clock on Wednesday
afternoon. He told his wife to go to the
spring for bucket OF water and also to
get some light wood from the woods near by. She
went i'll the direction of the spring and her hus-
band soon started after her. In about an hour she
thinks. Beaver returned, and the child being rest
less at the long absence of her sister. he told her
not to cry. and offered her Inducements, such as
giving her sugar. not to fret at his wife's absence
and then went the door and called his wife. and
told her that she had answered him and would be
there directly. The little girl heard answer to
his calls. Beaver then told the child he was going
away and If his wife did not return pretty soon to
go over to certain colored womans house and get
her to and stay with her and his little chill
dren. He then lett for Gotham he said As soon as
he out OF sight the girl. together with Beavers
little boy. about five years DID, proceeded in the di-
rection their sister and mother respectively had
gone. Upon reaching the spring the little glri OBJ
served the motionless and PROSTATE form of her
sister. and. with no thought OF death in her mind.
said to the boy
'.There she is, Georgia. asleep
She then went up to the body and put her hand
Oh her forehead She thought she observed the
eyes culver as If in an attempt to open them, but
soon realized that she dead. The little ones
alone with the inanimate body OF their sister ana
mother, now gave vent to their anguish in screams
of distress They finally went over to the
house of Il Mr.. Reynolds by, and no one
being at home but the old cook they impored her to
go the spring. Mrs Beaver lying there dead
The old cook could not leave, but got another col
ored woman to accompany the children. They first
went by the spring, where the woman found the
body as described and at once proceeded to inform
the nelghbors and soon quite number gathered at
the spot, and an inquest was held with the result
above stated. The prisoner arrested after one
o'clock that night Doctors Shackleford and Dickin.
son dissected the body and were OF the firm opinion
that death resulted from violence. There were
bruises below and above the elbow of and
on the back Of the neck, giving evidences that
the deceased had been grasped violently if to be
precipitated to the ground.
THEORY OF THE MURDER
The body was found with the feet lying in the
spring and is represented having been thoroughly
saturated with water. water bucket found
between her body and one OF her arms but any
lecture that deceased died of ut and that the wet
clothes the result Of the water bucket falling
and wetting her is precluded by the fact that had
such been the case the bucket would have fallen to
distance from her. and the quantity of water con-
tanned i'll it could not thoroughly saturate the
clothing had it all fallen ON her. The supposition
is that an attempt made to strange her. but the
perpetrator of the crime fearing that he ha not
accomplished his fendsh design threw buckets OF
water in the face Of his victim to make Of his
work by drowning her it he had not succeeded in
distinguishing life by strangulation.
EVIDENCES OF A STRUGGLE.
Moreover, evidences OF struggle plainly
visible fifteen or twenty yards from the spring-the
spot at which the body was found-and also evil
dences Of the body having been dragged thither to
the spring. And moreover, to confirm this fact,
briers and leaves were found in the hair of the de-
ceased The prisoner was accosted the road late
that evening by Mr.. Charles Reynolds. who stated
to him that he had sad news to tell him, and then
related the circumstance of the children going
his and reporting the death Beaver
wife aud the finding Of the body. Mr.. Reynolds
says the prisoner remarked on being told that his
seem anyway surprised or aggrieved.
THE EXAMINATION.
The examination ELECTED the facts above men,
toned and further fact, that the prisoner told his
little sister-in-law when he returned the house,
after he had gone in the direction OF the spring with
his wife and about to start for Gotham. that
she must not 60 down to the creek out in tho
field.
Beaver asked why he did not leave when he
knew he was suspected and replied che ought to
have done it,. He protests his innocence vigorously,
however.
PERSONNEL OF THE PRISONER.
The prisoner Is quito wild looking man. His
age in the neighborhood OF thirty He has always
borne fair character for morality, though he
represented not being of industrious habits. He
and his wife have always lived together peaceaby
far as is known and no seems to be appre-
hended for the commission of the awful deed except
that he had become tired of his wife and wished to
rid himself OF her. He raised by his wifes
grandfather it is supposed had been married some
thing more than six years. and had been living in
the county since shortly after his marriage. He has
three little children.