Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-22
the specialities Of dozen circus-this is
"the ideal circus, which comes to town
tomorrow. T-
THE VALLEY FORGE MURDER


An Alleged A.apsaptes Co0Dty Clue.
Shortly after the murder of Clugston a
Valley Forge and the discovery that til,
murderer had left behind him a pawr
ticket for the watch stolen from Chas
Laverty, at Leaman Place this county, tbs
INTELLIsENcER got information that 9
young man named Brainerd Stewart, who
had been SUSPECTED of tie Laverty robbery
and had disappeared afterwards, had beer
seen i'm the neighborhood of Leaman Place
about the time of the Valley Forge crime
and was in a suspicious hurry to go West,
together with tramp looking fellow who
was lettering about Leaman Place in Stew
arts company. They were placed under
surveillance of an INTELLIGENCER repor-
ter. who satisfied himself that Stewart wa
not and could not have been near Valley
Forge the night of thu murder that the
tramp acquaintance was only vagabond
companion that they did not go West
together that Stewart came to this city
and ordered a single ticket for the West
and came in at his leisure, took it and
tions expressed before the Valley Forge
murder Therefore we concluded that he
had nothing at all to do with this crime
whatever other disreputable associates
he may have had. The Philadelphia
Times OF to day has the following:
"Thc pawn-ticket in the name of E. A.
Abbott, found among the effects left be.
hind by the criminal, is likely to play an
important part in the detection of the per-
petrator of the deed. A man calling
himself e. A. Abbott, accompanied by one
Spiclmann, came to this city from Down.
ingtown on February &c. and remained
two days at a lodging house, No. SO7 Vine
street, during which time both men are
said to have been on friendly terms will,
Edward H. Johnston, who is now in Jail al
Norristown. Abbott did not afterwards
return to the lodging house, but told
Johnston. as it is said, that he was going
to Washington. Spiclmann, however, it
will be remembered, came back and re-
mained until about March 8. when he
went away, saying that he. intended 10 go
to Baltimore. and returned to this city OH
March 10. The watch pawned in Balti.
more March 10 was large silver one, and
was stolen from the residence of Charles
Laverty. Pennsylvania railroad ticket
agent at Lcaman Place, on the night OF
February of the present year. With the
watch disappeared a vest, a pair of pant-
aloOns, about forty dollars in money. a
bone handled two bla led pocket-knifc and
a number of keys. The paEtalooas were
found some days after i'm creek near Mr..
Laverty's house, but the vest was never
recovered.
"Mr. Laverty was yesterday shown a
photograph of the vest left behind him by
the Clugston murderer and instantly re.
marked striking resemblance between it
and that which was stolen from him. He
showed the photograph to his wife and
daughters. who agreed with him that the
vest as shown in the picture, if not the
one stolen from him, was as like it as any
thing in a photograph could be-. The pat
tern of the cloth, the cut of tho vest. the
fraycd edgsS-Wnd binding Mr.. Laverty
said almost convinced him that the vest
shown in the picture belonged to him. He
says that he will take the earliest OppOr-
tunity of going to NOrristewn to see the
original. now in the custody of District
Attorney Wangcr.
Although evidence enough was never
discovered to convict any one of the rob-
berry, Thomas Rice and Brainerd Stewart,
two alleged members of the OctOrarO
Hills gang Of thieves, are commonly be-
licvcd by the residents of Leaman Place
and the vicinity to have committed the
theft. Rice and Stewart are well known
in and about Lcaman Place, near which
they have lived since their childhood.
They have the reputation of being bad
characters. Stewart was wanted by the
Lancaster county authorities about a year
ago for completely with a number Of the
Hills gang in the robbery of an oyster
pcddler, but escaped, and did not return
to the vicinity Of Leaman Place until late
last fall. He is said to have spent a
part Of the time of his absence in this
city. Stewart and Rice were both, it is
said, seen lettering i'm the vicinity of Mr..
Lavcrty's residence on the sday and cven-
ing on which the robbery took place.
About ten o'clock at night they wele
turned out of the hotel at Leaman Plat Q
by Isaac Diller, the brother Of the pro-
prietor, who remarked that it was time to
shut up. Mr.. Lavcrty was detained at his
Office until late. When he cane out of
the office he noticed two men standing out
in the roadway. Some timo after mid
night on the same evening the robbery
occurred. Mr.. Layerty is confident from
the description given that the men who m
he had seen lettering around his office
were Rice and Stewart. On the day fol-
lowing the robbery Rice and Stewart it is
said, disappeared and were not again seen
until March 1, when a family with whom
they were acquainted set out for Kansas.
They went away again Immediately and
have never been seen there together again
since. But on the morning following the
murder at Valley Forge Stewart is said to
have been seen at Leaman Place in COM
pany with strange man. The latter re-
manned near the bridge above Leaman
Place and skunk away into an old stone
quarry on anybody's approach. Stewart.
it is said, was apparently troubled in mind
and avoided talking, but would occasionally
70 up and consult with the stranger and
then 60 down to the station telegraph
Office, where he was thrown package
from train which passed there about
o'clock.
'Stewart left in the 6:55 train for Lam
caster, where he remained until Monday
morning, when he took train westward
and said that he had been sent ticket
from Philadelphia for Missouri. Isaac
Dillcr says that the clothing worn by Stew
art ON the night in question was different
from that which he had ON whenihe turned
out of the hotel on the night Of February
%. On the former occasion he: wore a
black slOuch hat and was without any
overcoat. On February % he had on a drab
overcoat, dark iKossuth hat and wore
boots. Personally, he is described as about
% years of age, 5 feet or inches high,
compactly built, of fair complexion, viii,
small brown eyes and a sandy moustache.