Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-03-27
ANureQ to Death !!
A YOUNG GOVERNESS TOLL.
ED FROM BATH COUNTY
TO BE MURDERED I'm
RICHMOND.

RICHMOND.
A YOUNG Ia WYER IN PRISON
FOR THE CRIME.
A STRONG NETWORK OF CIRCUMSTAN-
TIAL EVIDENCE WOVEN AROUND THE
PRIsONER-A HEARTLEss AND BRUTAL
CRIME-RUINED AND THEN ASSASSIN
ATED-
SC, &C., &C.
Correspondence OF the STAUNToN VINDIoAToR.
RICHMOND, March "a. N Othing has
stirred Richmond up since the assassina-
ton of his wife by Jeter Phillips nearly
twenty years ago. as has the murder of
Miss Fannie Lillian Madison. The two
cases bear such marked similarity Ia so
many particulars, that may mention them
before giving the history of the last crime,
DIS you request. In both cases the girls
we're from the country. They both came
TO Richmond Oy pre- arrangement to meet
men in whom taey b ID every reason to
alive. leaving the hotels a5 which they
| stopped, aud walking off III company with
-ueir murueie Botn were taken 20 Sc
cluded plac on The edge of the city and
murdered. IL both cases the bodies
| Exhibited at the mOrgue were identified as
several different persons before the cor
rect one was named, and even their cloth
ing Was as certainly credited to different
owners. And in both cases the men ARES
| ted for the murder were men Of quiet de-
| meanor, uneXceptiOnable charac ter, secu-
| lar as well as church. and possessed of
| friends of standing, influence and money.
In Phillips case he had such able counsel
| that he obtained three trials, and was not
hung for nearly three years afteE the muir
der. For three years he unvaryingly and
| earnestly maintained his innocence even
| to his counsel, and only to his religious
| did he confess his guilt and disclose the
mode of the murder. In his case the fatal
| point against him was that he could not
account for his whereabouts few hours
| of the evening Of the Sabbath day on
which he committed the crime and, what
made it worse was, that his invented &C
count of these few hours was destroyed
| by the testimony.
| AS the present murde promises to be
one of the causes eelebre in Virginia Grim
inal jurisprudence and one Of which your
readers will probably hear often for
some time, 1 will try and give them clear
and Ineligible narrative.
| THE VICTIM.
Fannie Lillian Madison was twenty-five
years of age, a daughter of Charles Madi-
son of King William county, we'll educa-
ted and member of church. She lived
at home with her father and several sis
tiers and brothers. distant relative of
hers was I. j CIuverius, young lawyer
and graduate of Richmond College, who
lived in the adjoining county of King and
| Queen. He Was frequent visitor at Mr.
Madison's, and usually stopped there
when he came to attend King William
court He and Miss Madison had been
intimate from childhood. but were never
thought of in the light of lovers, because
the young man was understood to be en-
gagged to be married to young lady in his
own county. One day last July, on his
way to court he stopped and asked for Lii
liam, and being told that she was at the
house of a neighbor, went there and
stayed that night and the following day.
There was no one else save these Two in
the honse in the day except bed ridden
old lady, nor at night until Mr.. Jos. Wal
ker, the host of the house. came in from
the field. AT the next meeting Of King
| William court, young Cluverius met Mr..
Madison, the father, and, contrary to his
| lifelong custom of being cordial, stunned
him. The father thought it so singular
that he mentioned it at home. Last &C.
| tober, Lillian, who seemed anxious to get
| away from home, wrete to John &. Jones.
relative at Mlllboro, Bath county, to get
| her school as she was fully qualified for a
| teacher. He procured her situation in
the family of Mrs Dickinson as COVER
ness, and wrote to her to that effect She
at once packed up and arrived at Rich
mond October 10th, where she stald a
few days with some relatives, and went
on to Millboro. She wrote to her Rich
mond friends from Mlllboro quite regu-
larly and said she was pleased and was
doing we'll.
GOING TO HER DEATH.
On Thursday afternoon, March 18th,
-bo,, r L1 ;ob., \
reached Millboro station, the conductor.
Capt Wright, saw Miss Madison get on.
She wore blue jersey jacket, kept red
shawl lying in her lap and had with her
linen hand-satchel. On her finger was a
gold ring. The train was much delayed
and did not reach Richmond till about 3
O'Clock Friday morning. AS it was near
ing the city, Capt. W. addressed her the
usual conductors inquiry if she had any
one to meet her at the depot She said
she would be met but if not, she wanted
to go in the omnibus TO the American |
Hotel. She was not met. and Capt W. |
saw her to the omnibus of the American. |
AT the hotel she walked up to the counter, |
registered her name as "F. l.. Merton.'
and was attended by servant to room
No. 81 In the morning friday she ate
breakfast in her room, and about
8 O'Clock she received note, read it.
wrote an answer and handed it to the
servant to deliver, but before the how