The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-08-08
MURDER OF INNooENrs.

tor-SeveraI Parties Arrested--Thc
Police Trying 10 UnraveI the Mys-
terry.
Saturday may we'll be termed Murder
ers' Day" in this vicinity, so common has it
become of late for blood-thirsty wrctches
to stalk forth on that day to commit deeds
of violence. To begin with the Fitzgerald
Murphy murder occurred on Saturday
night. On Saturday, June %, James Y,
Christmas shot and killed VIM. q. Whit
ney. The assassin Guiteau shot President
Garfield on Saturday July 2. On Saturday,
August /, Stephen Tyrrell was killed by
Robert Orr, and last Saturday, August z
the
Most DastartIIy OF All
these murders took place at the farm of
Joseph Fisher, near this city, the victims
being two helpless children, little Joe
Fisher, aged . years, and his 6-year-old
sister, Lizzie, Joseph Fishers nephew and
neicc The facts of the murder were not
known until about z o'clock Saturday
night, when Joseph Fisher visited
the Second Precinct Station and re-
ported it. He said that Saturday
morning himself and wife left home for
market, leaving the children at home.
Three laborers were at work in the field,
and a colored family, Christina Taylo~,
Rose Taylor and Others were in their house,
which stood at the entrance to the farm,
about 200 yards from his residence. He re-
turned home about $50 o'clock and found
his two 81 90. NJ aN
Little Ones Lying Side by side
under the trees in the rear of his house
brutally murdered. The little barefoot boy
lay on his back, his right hand uplifted, rs if
to ward of n blow, and there was deep
rent in his forehead, while his shirt and
pants--all the clothing he wore-were be-
smearcd with blood. The little girls head
was burst in, and brain and blood had come
out. Her plain check dress and bare arms
and feet were bloody. On Fishers alarm
the men In the field came up. From their
report no stranger had passed that way. No
one had been seen near the house except
Chrstiana Taylor. Ephraim Barnes, one of
the men at work in the fields, said that
when the old woman came from the house
the dogs ran barking after her, and she
drove them back, throwing stones Mt them.
The woman said that she had gone up to the
house to carry back borrowed washbOard,
but that she saw nothing of the children. Tho
police secured the neighborhood. The ter
rible deed created intense excitement in the
neighborhood. Suspicious were announced
freely against several persons, but the gen.
eral suspicion fell on the colored woman
| living in cabin on the place. Christiana
Taylor and Rose Taylor were arrested, and
arc held on suspicion.
The COrOner's Inquest.
Yesterday there was considerable excite
ment at the farm, where an inquest was
held.
Ephriam Barnes testified that he was at
work in the fields few hundred yards from
Fishers place yesterday morning and after
noon. All was quiet until between 3 and 4
o'clock, when he heard the dogs at Fishers
tls.
the dogs off. He knew nothing more until
Mr.. Fisher came. Fisher unyoked his team
and in ten minutes came down and told
witness of the murder. When witness got
there the little girl was stiff but the boy
body was warm. There was blood on the
faces of the children. Witness described
the movements of the old woman, Christi
ana Taylor, after the discovery of the dead
bodies. She was very much excited. Thos.
Harm, a colored boy, who worked in the field
with Barnes, corroborated his testimony.
Mr.. Fisher was then examined at some
length but there was nothing other than
the facts stated above elected. His story
was simply that he went to market with
his produce as usual, and OH returning be-
tween and 6 o'clock, after having put
away the horse preparatory to taking sup
per, he found both the children lying dead
near the house. He ut first supposed they
were asleep, but on looking at them closer
he saw blood on their faces. At their head
stood cedar bush which had been used for
q Christmas tree, and with which the
children played at times since. Near their
feet laid an axe. Both children laid on
their backs, and it was evident that they
had been placed near each other. The body
of the girl was stiff, while that of the boy
was still warm. He Immediately gave no.
tice to the farm hands and then informed
the police 1t was his custom, he said,
to drive home for supper, leaving
his wife ut the market, and re-
turn for her about o'clock. They, how
ever, did not leave the market usually till
midnight. He did not inform the mother
of the children, his sister-in-law, for the
reason that he knew she intended to go to
his place anyhow, to remain there for q
month. The mother of the children had
no homo for them, hiring out as q servant.
She was employed until Saturday evening
in restaurant in the city, but gave notice
some days since that she would quit work
Saturday. The relations between the
mother of the children and his wife had
always been of the pleasantest character.
She was always willing. that they should
remain with them, and they had been there
nearly two years, or since her husband died.
DR.. Hartigan, who made the post mOrtem
examination Oh Une murucreu cnllurcn, Salu
they were undoubtedly
Killed with AN Axe.
Both of their skulls were smashed in as
though they had been struck several times.
He was of the opinion that the blows had
been inflicted by no very muscular person.
Lewis Odenton, colored testified that
Christina and Rose Taylor acted very
strangely late Saturday afternoon, rs though
anxious to avoid people. Rose had said that
she spent Saturday at Mr.. Fairfax's house
nearly two miles away, washing. She was
rather confused and excited when she made
that statement, and was consequently ar
rested ON suspicion. Subsequently suspicion
was strengthen by the discovery that she
had not been to Fairfax's place for nearly +,
week.
Thomas Golf, the nephew of the woman
Rose, and grandson Of the older woman
testified that his aunt Rose came over t.
Mrs. Lynchs, where he worked, about
o'clock Saturday night and asked him to e
home right away, refusing to allow him Il
D finish his supper. He said she acted as i
. she was scared and acted funny" but or
returning home she did not tell him wha
7 she wanted of him. Further than this TIL,
t boy, who was somewhat excited, told moth
: ing connectedly, although he asserted one,
c or twice that his aunt had nothing to d,
, with it," He saw the officers when the,
/, arrested his aunt and her mother, but main