Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-03-17
Shocking Murder in Albemarle.

John o. Massey and his wife, both near
ly seventy years of age, who owned and
had for thirty years lived on their farm at
Buck Island. eight miles from Charlottes-
vile, were found murdered on Wednesday
morning. the 9Th inst, in their home. 1t
was one-story dwelling, having hall in
the centre, with the parlor on one side Of
the hall and the chamber, which connect
ed with the kitchen. on the other. The
murderer took an old axe from the wood
pile. got in the window Of the kitchen.
went down into the cellar underneath and
came up the stairway into the hall. A
correspondent of the Lynchburg I'D
vance, writing from Charlottesville, says:
1t is supposed the horrible crime was
committed in the early part of the night,
as Mr.. and Mrs. Massey, who were found
early in the morning. had their clothing
all on, and their bed showed no signs of
having been occupied. The murdered pair
were found ia the passage of the house,
and presented sickening spectacle. their
brains being knocked eut-it is supposed,
with an axe, as one was found i'll their
bedroom. on the foot of the bed. The axe
was bloody on both sides of tho blade,
with two gray hairs across it. The house
showed signs of having been plundered,
and it is thought the robbers had murder
in view on entering the building.
The theory advanced as to how the muir.
der was committed, and substantiated by
the evidence before the Coroner's jury, is
that Mr.. Massey, hearing some one at
tempting to enter the house, started to in
vestigate the cause, his wife following him
with lamp, and that, on entering the
hallway, they were met by the robbers,
knocked down with the axe and killed; but
tanned. To substantiate this, gun was
found ia the passage, near the body of Mr.
Massey. and behind Mrs. MasSeY's body
lay shivered lamp.
Mr.. Massey was man of considerable
wealth and influence. and an exemplary
member of the Baptist Church, well spo-
ken of by all who knew him. He was u
man of inoffensive nature, and it 10 not
believed that he had an enemy in the coun-
ty. AS to who the murderers are, there Is,
as yet but slight ground for suspicion. but
Detective Jack Wrenn. of Richmond. pro-
cured warrant for Lee Rhodes, white
man, who has been arrested on suspicion
of being implicated in tie affair. and it is
arrested upon the same grounds.
The only testimony of any Importance
elected before the coronsr's jury was that
of little fve-year-old colored girl, named
Nellie, who slept in room adjoining that
of Mr.. Massey, who stated, on the eXaml-
nation, that young cOl0red man entered
the window, went into the cellar, passing
through the dining room, and came up
through the hallway steps, where he was
met by Mr.. and Mrs. Massey. She heard
a scuffle, in which blows we're passed. and
she then ran into Mr.. Massay's bedroom
and hid herself behind a sideboard, which
was composed of prominent men of the
neighborhood, all men of intelligence,
including Hon. John E. Massey,
who took a prominent part in the in
vestigation, which was of a very minute
character.
DR.. H. t. Nelson, examining physician,
reports the following wounds on Mr.. Mas
sey He was lying on his back, feet to the
back DOR, head to the front ; no shoes on !:
left hand cenched; small abrasion on lis
tie finger. received as though wardipg of
a blow; cash Il inches on left cheek. ii
line of the mouth; hole in left temple;
deep cash from line Of thu eyebrows. tx
tending down the nose, crushing in the
frontal DO e to the brain. severing all con
nection with brow aud face, the latter
blow supposed to have been deliberately
struck when Mr.. Massey was down and
almost dead, and which of itself Wonld
have caused immediate death. There
were five blows from the axe on his head;
face swollen and unrecognizable.
Mrs. Massey, who was his second wife,
and had been married to him about 8
years, was found three feet from her hus
band, her limbs drawn up, and her tongue
between her teeth, as though she died il
great agony. She was as thoroughly saF-
nrated with blood as though she had beeli
dipped in a tank of it. Her right temple
was mashed into the brain; another blow
of the same character Oh the back of the
head, and large bruisa on the spinal COL
umn.
DISCOVERY AND FLIGHT OF THE
MURDERERs.
On the morning after the murder, Leroy
Rhodes, member of an impecuniOus and
utterly thriftless family of the Massie
Geighhorhood, was in town spending mo-
ney very layishly and exhibiting large
sums of the same. This unusual occurrence
attracted attention and when questioned
as to the murder Rhodes showed a ner-
vousness highly suspicious. Mr.. W. G.
Payne, with whom Rhodes spent some Of
his cash, Immediately went to Buckeyland
and communicated his suspicious to the
officers. The next morning Leroy was ar
rested, and subsequently sent to Jail.
Mrs. Rhodes and her daughter Fannie
went to the funeral of the Massies. and
being questioned there, contradicted each
other so often ard told SO many conflict
ing stnries that they we're brought to Jail
under the escort of special constables and
committed in default of bail. Mrs. Rhodes
said that the money spent by Leroy was
sent to her by her son Jim from TenDes-
see, and amounted to $50, whereas Leroy
spent in Charlottesville forty~odd dollars
and then had ten dollar bill, when he
reached Snead's store, on his way home.
She also SAID that she had not seen James
for four or five years. These stories were
subsequently found to be utterly false.
Other contradictory statements added to
the suspicious already directed against
Leroy. a. search of the Rhodes house was
ordered, and this search party it was that
first encountered Jim. The search party
found at the house
SHOE WITH BLOOD UPON IT.
and closer inspection discovered a pair of
pants on which were marks of blood. All
these circumstances pointed strongly to
the Rhodes boys as the perpetrators of the
deed: their sudden aff1uence after we'll
known restitution Of years, their contra
dictOry statements, evidences OF blood,
previous bad character, and on Saturday
Charles Rhodes, a younger brother, con-
fessed that he saw the brothers, on The
night of the murder,
DIVIDE THE MONEY,
and burn the pocketbook. Jim, he said
gave Leroy his share and charged him
never to mention it. Charles said be beg
ged them to give him the purse. bnt they
refused and consigned it to the flames.-
Ali the circumstances point directly at
these people. and there is scarcely doubt
as to their guilt.
JIM RHODES APPEARS ON THE SCENE.
After the arrest of Leroy on the suspi-
cions excited by his lavish and unusual
expenditure of money. the old lady, who
was held in custody at the Massey home
stead declared that the money had been
49, han 1,v,In 1iv,o