Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-08
NNOCENTS BRUTALLY SLAUGHTERED.
The Mysterious Murder Of Two Children in the
County.
AN ADJOURNED INQUEST.


atrocious when the deed is contrasted with the
youth and innocence of the victims. was discov-
cred in the county Saturday evening. At what
time the murder was committed is still mys-
terry. as is also the manner of the crime. and the
name and motive of the murderer. The murder
occurred on the farm of Joseph Fisher. a
market man. which stands on the Fort Bunker
Hill road. about mile north Of Brooks sta
ton. in the county. Here Fisher lived with
his wife. and widowed sister-in-law. and the
two children of the latter, Lizzie. aged six
and Joe. aged three years. Saturday the
older members of the family came into the
city to attend to their business and left the
children-as they were accustomed to do-alone
in the house. Mr.. Fisher returned to his home
from the Northern Liberty market about six
O'Clock saturday evening. drove his wagon
through the grounds to the barn. noticing as he
passed near the house the children living on the
ground near to trees.
THE MURDER DISCOVERED.
Having attended to his horse he walked to
the house and thought he would wake the
children, whom he believed were asleep. When
he approached them the sight that met his eyes
was horrible. They were beyond waking. Their
clothing was stained with blood. The girls
skull was crushed in, and there was terrible
wound on the boys forehead. Mr.. Fisher at
once gave the alarm. The police of
the second precinct were notified. and
an investigation of the murder was begun
at once. Mr.. Fisher returning to the city. took
his wife home, who was at the market and the
mother Of the children Mrs. Simon Fisher. who
is employed as a domestic in the family Of Mr..
c. HOrner who keeps an eating house on 9Th
street, opposite the Center market.
ARRESTS MADE.
The first arrests made by the police were those
of Mrs. Christina Taylor, and her daughter, Rose.
two cOIOred women. living in a stone house
on Fishers place. Just at the gate leading from
the main road to Mr.. Fishers house. Mrs Tay-
Tor was arrested because she was seen to leave
Fishers house in the afternoon by the farm
hands working near by. Yesterday Thomas
GOff, grandson of Mrs. Taylor. was arrested.
Coroner Patterson held an inquest yesterday
morning. and as little light was thrown upon
the murder after all the available witnesses.
were examined, adjourned it until Wednesday
next.
SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY.
Fishers house, which is a neat little cottage
stands among the trees on little emnence off
from the road. 1t faces south. The children
were found at the nOrthwest corner of the house,
about thirty feet away, lying between two trees,
a walnut and a cedar. Near them was an axe
which had been left i'm the morning at the wood
pile northeast of the house. Some suppose that
this weapon had been used by the murderer
though there were no marks upon it, The face
have died without a struggle. The boy had one
arm over his face. and seemed to have
struggled. Ephraim Barnes and two cOlored
men. who work on the place. were hoeing in a
field southeast OF the house in hollow about
$50 yards away The house was exactly between
them and the spot where the bodies were found
These men saw the old c0lOred woman. Taylor.
leave the house about four o'clock. their atten-
ton being attracted to her by her efforts to get
rid OF dog which pursued her. barking frir-
ously.
The Coroners Inquest.
Yesterday the inquest was held at the house.
The following jury was empaneed: James Nc
Nabb, jr.. W. H. Harvey, John b. Lord. Ebert
6. Benson, Lewis Behrens and Francis OK
raneter.
The first witness was Ephram Barnes, who
works on the place. boarding with the family
He testified that he was at work in the field near
Dy with the cOlOred men: that everything was
quiet about the house till three or four o'clock
in the afternoon. when the dogs made a racket.
and looking up he saw an old cOlOred woman
coming away from the house: that one of the
colcred men told him that it was the old woman
who lived at the cate that Mr.. Fisher returned
home at six O'Clock, and about ten minutes
called, and witness ran to the house
where he found the children dead: that the col
Ored woman afterwards returned to the house.
and he asked her what she had been to the
house for. to which she replied that she came
TO return a waShbOard that she had knocked at
the front door about half an hour and could
neither see nor hear anyone; that about seven
o clock he saw her again west of the house aD-
parently looking about the bushes. he asked her
what she wanted and she said: Il thought |
heard somebody halOa; he asked her what she
had done with the washbOard. and she said she
took it into the house and set it down by the
table i'll the back room: that she had got in ard
come out by the front door; that the washboard
was found where she said she nut it.
Thomas Ham. cOlored. one IF the men working
with Barnes. testified to seeing the old cOlOred
woman leaving the house.
Margaret Lynch, neighbOr living at Fort
Bunker Hill, testified that Rose Taylor came to
her house. apparently much excited. about a
quarter after Z o'clock, Saturday evening and
called her nephew. who worked there. saying
that he must come at once.
THE UNCLE's STORY.
Joseph Fisher. uncle of the two murdered
testified that they We're his brothers
children, and had lived with him for two years:
that he came home Saturday evening be-
tween and o'clock; put the horses i'm the
stable. and as he returned to the house found
the children dead: that the old colOred woman
Taylor had picked peas for him some time he
only knew of her coming to the house
to borrow the washbOard from his wife:
the dog. would generally bark at
her when she came; there was no trouble with
the mother of the children about them: she was
"LHhS W nave CiiiluEen at tnc snOuSe. ana
he and his wife liked to have them
DIR. Hartigan. who made the autopsy assisted
by DR.. WOhaufter. testified to having found
transverse wound. lacerated and elliptical
shaped. Is OF an inch long. above the boys left
eye. and another Of the same nature dagonally
above and behind the left ear: besides
several bruises of the scalp. indicating repeated
blows by a blunt weapon. The skull was extern
sively fractured and crushed in two or three
places. The examination of the little girl showed
a wound of the scalp above the right ear. ano-
Their below. and a smaller one three inches above
the ear, and there were bruised spots on the
same side of the head. The skull was extern
siyely fractured and the brains were exudng
These wounds, the doctor thought. were made
with the same weapon as was used on the boy
Thomas Goff. cOlored grandson of Christina
Taylor. testified that he was tending cows for
Mr.. Lynch on Saturday; that his Aunt Rose came
for him while he was at supper. and said she
wanted him at home; she said nothing about the
children being killed and he did not know about
it until that Sunday morning; he had not heard
his grandmother say anything about the chill
dren; she did not seem excited, but her aunt
did.
Peter Overton colored who lives at MAJOR Good
Toe S place. near by. testified that when passing
the stone house Saturday evening. he asked
the Old woman christina Taylor where her
daughter Was She jumpad I'm and said. Il