The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-08-09
THE MURDERED BABES.

ING Murucrcrs Not het Cnpiurcd---
pcctcd CoIored Women sin in GUS
tOdy.
The police believe that they have about
| fathomcd the mystery of the murder of the
| litth Fisher children. dashboard with
| blood and hair upon IL and soiled handlSer-
chief prove to be the agents by which the
murderer will probably be convicted. 1t
may be remembered that the old woman
Christina Taylor, stated that she visited
Fishers house Saturday afternoon to return
a washboard. The article found yesterday
where she said she had placed it. she adj
mitted was the one she had Saturday. Hair
found upon IL correspondent exactly with the
Hair OF the Murdered Children.
| Ii was developed at the inquest that the
wound upon the boys head, which il was
thought had penetrated the skull, was
nothing but an abrasion of the scalp. Such
"a wound could easily have been made with
either the sharp corners of the washboard
or with either foot In fact, from the pecu-
| liar shape of the feet of the board, a little
bluntcd aud turned up at the ends, the same
as u walking cane becomes without n fer
rule, the theory that the wound in the
boys head was made with this instrument
snot only plausible, but most probable.
The absence Of blood upon the washboard is
easily explained. A skull may be crushed in
without abrading the scalp, and for some
time, at least, the blood will not find an
outlet from which to oozc. This is tho OK
Iplanation of physicians who saw the bodies
Of the murdered Children.
The next clue that figures in the case is
handkerchief, and while it does not add
much to the chain of evidence, Mt least
corroborntes the witness Barnes where he
says that the old Taylor woman left the
house by the front door. The handkerchief,
which was dirty, was shown to the old
woman, and she promptly acknowledged
that ii belonged to her. The girl also said
the handkerchief belonged to her mother.
This handkerchief was found on the in
side of the house near the front door. 1t is
not known what business the old woman
had in the house. When Mr.. Fisher loft
home in the morning the front door was
locked when he returned In the evenings it
was unlocked. The finding of the hand
kerchicf belonging to the old woman in the
house, and Che evidence of the men who saw
her leave that way, and the admission on
her part that she was at the house, an k0t3
prove that she left the house in q diifereift
way from which she entered it,
The Theory
is, that when she approached the house
from the rear, she became angercd at
the children, and, with the wash
board, dealt the blows which sent
the little innocents into eternity. 1t is sup
posed that she then left the dashboard in
the kitchen and left the house by the front
door, as is in testimony. When she arrived
at the house she changed her dress and gave
it to man named Jim Taylor, who is said
to be the lover of Rose Taylor. This dress
has not yet been found, though an apron
belonging to her was found in the creek.
An Interview with Rose.
In compliance with the request of the girl
Rose Mr. Kline visited the station last even
ing and had long interview with her.
What she desired was some money. He
endeavored, by numerous questions, to have
her tell what she knew about the murder
but she protested that she was ignorant of
who committed it. "If knewI would tell
it out for the whole congregation" said she,
when pressed to reveal the murderer. The
result of the conversation was unsatisfac-
tory, though the police believe that both
the Golf boy and Rose know who did it.
The Children's Funeral.
The funeral of the murdered children
took place from st. Mary's Catholic Church
on Fifth street. yesterday afternoon. The
attendance was immense the church not
being large enough to hold one-third of
those present. Among the concoursc were
no'i0e" cspcoiahy hhauy HldrKeU people,
friends of the Fishers. Quite number of
colored people were also in attendance.
The two collins were borne into church and
placed upon stand in front of the altar
Father Alig, pastor of the church. read the
burial services, and then made q few appro-
pirate remarks, in which he referred to the
atrOcity of the crime. After the speaking
the lids Of the collins were removed and
those who desired took look at the muir
dered babes, The funeral cortege pro-
ceeded to the German burying ground,
where the double interment took place, the
sister and brother being buried in one
grave. Schoolmates of the little children
acted as pall-bearers. t'l'rftiD
3 The W dashboard story Too Thin.
In the opinion of some officers the state
ment with reference to the finding of the
washb0ard and evidences of hair and blood
upon it are too thin.s In the first place,
at least half dozen persons examined the
dashboard Sunday morning, and no signs
Of its having been used by the murderer
were apparent, There were no apparent
blood spots and no hairs, except a few
fbcrs, which possibly came from an old
blanket that the woman Christina Taylor
was washing during the day. Again,
no one murderously inclined would hold
such weapon rs washb0ard by the upper
euge. III would DC more natural for them
to take the board by it's legs and strike
with the broader and moro solid end. And
if the board was used, it is easy to conceive
that after so terrible usage, it would show
signs of a break or loosening somewhere.
There are no indications to that effect.
The board is as sound and as solid as it was
when first purchased, and does not look as
though it had been used to fracture the
skulls of two persons The impression
that the blows were inflicted with an AK,
hatchct'or hammer may be more readily as
sumed.
Reticent and Suiien stuI.
Christina and Rose Taylor, still confined in
coils at the Second Precinct station, were as
non-committal andsullen to-day as they have
been from the first. From confinement and
a constant questioning from officers and
Others they have naturally become nervous
and excited, and are given therefore to I'M
usual remarks. One point in their favor
however,is that they both slept soundly
and peacefully last night, and in no wise in
dictated that they were responsible
so fiendish deed
Queer Talk by NeigIibors.
The mystery of the murder has given
rise to much comment among the sturdy
farmers and others living IN the vicinity of
the scene, and although Joseph Fisher,
uncle Of the murdered babes, has stated
fhat thara wao nayor INV troubIa hat,,,ao,,