Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-13
CITY AND DISTRICT.
The Murder OF the Fisher Children.
NEW STATEMENTS OF THE NURDERESS--FRELISG


AMONG THE CoLoRED PEOPLE.
It was stated I'm THURSDAYS STAR that
some colored people had requested l. S. WASH
ington to appear for Christina Taylor. the mur-
derer of the two Fisher children. and that If
she was held for the crime they expected to re-
tain the services of Col. Cook or Col Christy
1t should be borne to mind that this was before
the old woman confessed. and that those who
took this action were of the opinion that the
police had arrested the wrong parties. meet
ing had been held on this subject. and the gen
eral belief being that the deed was not COM
mtted by the old woman. nor indeed by any
cOlored person. Mr. Washington was employed
to watch the preliminary proceedings. and the
names Of Col. Cook and Col. Christy were sug-
gested. Since the confession was made TO Capt.
Vernon there has been quite change of senti
ment among the colored people, and there is
now but little talk among them about defending
the prisoner. In fact some OF them say that
even If she is crazy she should be put out of the
way of doing further harm as soon as possible.
STATEMENTS OF THE MURpEREss IN JAIL.
The old woman, Christina Taylor. is confined
in one of the upper rooms of the women's de-
partment at the Jail with two other prisoners
Ellen Duckett and Lizzie Johnson. Christina
is judged to be about 20 years old She freely
converses with those in the CELL and they state
that she has told them that on Saturday after
noon the children said something to her and she
struck them with the washboard. Christina
states that she was formerly a slave i'm King
George county, Va. her masters name being
Chew; that she came here during the Mexican
war and has lived mostly since then in the east
ern part of the District, sometimes near Bladens-
burg aud over in Prince George county, and only
about four months on Fishers place.
The reporter asked If she knew the children.
and she replied, "Oh, yes!" Being pressed for
a relation of the circumstances of the murder,
she said that she went to the house to return
the washboard. and did not see the children
when she put it away. They were playing i'm the
yard and one of them said something but she
did not know what it was. and she then picked
up stick lying beside the pasture fence and
first; don't think she struck either of them more
than once, and did not hear either of them beg,
or see one tugging at her clothing
When asked what kind Of stick she used. she
replied. "a, piece of brush stick" describing q
stick about Il inches in diameter land it was
not long," What the children said didn't drive
her to madness. She said she did not tell Rose
anything about the children being dead. or that
they would have to leave the place.
Here, on a suggestion that she would be hung
she said, :" If they hang me they will hang me
for nothing, for l don't see what struck the
children for, if did strike them. What is the
use of telling the truth, for you won't believe
me? didn't kill them"
THE OLD wOMAN's DAUGHTER.
Rose Taylor, who is confined as a witness
still persists that after Fisher came home her
mother told her that the children were dead and
to 60 for Tom. the boy Her mother said. II
suppose now that We will have to leave the
place."
THE GENERAL IMPRESSION
is that the old woman is telling but one truth.
and that is that she killed the children but as
to the manner of the murder she is varying her
accounts from time to time.