Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-12


great Importance IN the prosecution oil
Cluvcrius has recently been stated upon
undoubted authority. The officials are
now more hopeful Of convicting him
than they have heretofore been; but
there vet remain weak points that must
be strengthened conflicts Of testimony
that must TO removed OF explained, and
important links that must be supplied
before they can 60 to trial with reason
able assurance of success.
MCRDER OR SUICIDE?
The first thing TO be established is
that murder has been committed. The
posf morton revealed the fact that Lii
Ian Madison had received at least one
heavy blow over one eye, and that life
had expired while she was in the water.
In proof of the latter it is stated that the
slime Of the reservoir bottom was
clutched in her hands.
The doctors who will be called IN as
experts will probably declare that that
wound might have been received by the
head coming in contact with the brick
lining Of the sloping sides of the reser-
yoir, or that it might have been given
by murderer's hand. IL seems that
there is no accurate way Of determining
whether blow of this kind was gwen
before or after death. Here is a nice
field for expert evidence, and SO many
are the opinions that can be advanced,
40 numerous the theories that can be
proposed, that if the determination OF
the matter rested alone upon testimony |
of medical witnesses the mystery would
forever remained as much enshrouded as
It was the day Lillian was taken from
the water.
AS TO MURDER.
The marks Of the scufile seen on the
walkwsy by Mr. Rose, and described
in his testimony; piece OF mans
shoestring, tied in a bow and evidently
burst from the shoe by some great
strain TO which the foot and ankle were
subjected; the finding Of watch-key
presumably a man's) at the point Of
entrance to the grounds, and, above
all, the exceeding difficulty a woman,
and that woman stranger, would have
had in reaching the reservoir at night,
will 20 further than the medical testi-
mony to show that the death was by
murder rather than by suicide.
THE CLOTHES.
With the testimony in hand the dis
tributon of the clothes may as easily
be accounted for by the suicide as by
the murder theory. The shawl was
found on Mr.. Dunstan's fence, which
place 10 on the route to the reservoir.
The hat was found in the dead-houss,
which is also on the route. if the de-
ceased went to the hole in the fence
through the hospital grounds. One
glove was found between the dead
house and the hole in the fence. Very
near that hole were found the watch
key and her veil. More than = hun
bred yards further on, and on the walk
way on the top Of the embankment,
was found the other glove. The hand
kerchief was two hundred yards
south Of the dead-houSe. So it will
be seen that so far AZ evidence is afford
ed by these articles they are worth as
much one way as 'tother, until it is
proved that the watch-key belonged to
some one other than the woman. Right
here comes a weak place in the Com
monwealth's ease, for one Of the colored
servants at the American Hotel teSt-
fed before the coroner's jury that he
saw a key Of that kind in dcceased's
room; but as strange offset to this
piece Of information comes the fact that
the prisoner after arrest and before the
subject had at all been mentioned to
him, concealed that portion Of his
watch-chain upon which such keys are
usually worn like "charm."
DRIFTING.
The fact that the clothes-bag Of de-
ceased was found drifting down the
river--was picked up near the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railway wharves-is
at variance with any well-regulatcd
theory Of suicide, unless it can be
imagined that deceased went from her
hotel TO the river 900 YARDS and threw
this clothes-bag in the water, and then
proceeded two miles further in differ
ent direction TO get still instead of
running water in which to drown her
self.
The distractions in the river make it
improbable that this clothes-bag was
thrown in above the Free bridge. II
was found about the time the body was
found, and was then two and half
miles from the Free bridge. Tide was
full that night at about 2 A. NJ.
Where the body was found is by the
best path three quarters Of a mile from
that portion OF the river opposite Holly
wood.
THE MAN.
OF the intimacy that existed between
deceased and prisoner before the former
left King William October 10TH no
testimony has yet been produced, I'M
less it be a piece Of lewd poetry taken
from her trunk, which writing is either
abe prisoners or an excellent counter
ttlt Vi MS. Lvtu u lniS was COpicu OH
by him, it does not prove that he was
the author Of her VOC.
So to bring out this almost indispen-
sable feature Of the prosecution that
he had seduced her, the prosecution
has TO bring forward witnesses or evil
dence not before seen in the case.
RICHMOND MEETINGS..
Fer three months preceding her de-
parture for Bath Lillian stayed with
her grandmother, in King William.
That place is very near her fathers
and mothers; but she started from
there. not frsm her parents home. Ii
appears that her parents did not look
with faysr upon her going out to teach.
She left King William October 10th,
came to Richmond, and stayed with a
relative several days. Cluverius was
here one Of those days, and the effort
will be made TO show that he net her
st . certain house.
January 5th she same here from