Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-03-27
4 Horrible Tragedy.

fills the mind with horror. One Of
the most appalling cases Of that
crime was committed in Richmond
on the night of the 18th instant.
A few hours before it occurred, one
Of the parties TO the dreadful scene,
who passed the ordeal Of a hOrri-
bic death, was lar away IN a
westerly direction from that city
to which she seems to have been
lurcd by a cold pIe.cOnceived
scheme to meet her untimely end
He who is arraigEed for the crime,
came to the city from his home
which is in an opposite direction
from that travelled by the woman,
both reaching it about the same
time. A few hours after the latter
is cold in death, and the first takes
his departure to the place from
which he came.
The Richmond papers from the
time the body was found up to the
arraignment Of the man who stands
charged with the murder have
published accounts of all ascer-
tanned information and the Incl
dents bearing on the case.
The city has two Reservoirs from
which the water supply is drawn.
The Old Reservoir, where the
tragedy occurred, is a short dis
lance west of Hollywood Cemetery
and is approached by Reservoir
street from Main street at Monroe
Park. On Saturday morning the
18th instant, the keeper of the
reservoir on the round of his circuit
observed a woman's glove on para
pet and in picking it mp noticed
the disturbed surface of the gravel
walk and still further something
in the water a few feet from the
shore looking like wOman's dress.
He dispatched information to the
city when coroner DIR. w. II. Taylor
came up and took the body out of
the reservoir. 1t was found to be
white woman, plainly and neatly
clad. DIR. Taylor had the body
taken to the AlmshOuse. 1t was
viewed by hundreds and finally
identified by two Misses .Dunstan,
whose family reside on Reservoir
street, as Miss Fannie Lillian Madi-
son OF King William county. One
OF them stated that she knew Miss
Madison well, that she had secured
"A position as gOyerDess III family
near MlllbOrO in Bath county. Here
follows the further recital of trans
piring events taken from the Wing:
"A lady's shawl, similar to one
worn by Miss Madison when last
seen by Mss Dunstan, just before
Christmas, was found in the yard
of Mr.. Richard Dunstan, where the
Misses Dunstan live. Miss Madi-
son did not know many people in
Richmond, Int she did know the
Misses Dunstan, and, what is more,
knew the number of the house in
which they lived.
\ gold watch. key was found near
the fence around the Old Reservoir,
and both the shawl and the key
were sent to Detective John Wren.
Police Justice Richardson having
telcgraphcd for information bear
ing on the subject, received re-
ply from w. A. Sydnor, telegraph
operator at Mlllboro Depot, on the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, in
Batn county, stating that Fannie
Lillian Madison bought a ticket
here Thursday for Richmond, and
had baggage in linen travelling
bag Justice Richardson sought
Mr.. w. III. Madison, and had talk
with him.
Madison told Justice Richardson
that he fully identified the body.
Captain Wright the conductor
that brought the train down the
railroad when Lillian Madison
came to Richmond, went to the
almshouse to look at the body. He
said he remembered that she wore
blue Jersey jacket, that she carried
a ladies' gripsack, and that she
held a red shawl in her lap. He
/ identified the body and clothes as
the person and property of Lillian
Madison. He said that as she had
no escort he, according to custom,
asked her just before reaching
| Richmond if any friends would
meet her at the depot. She said
"Yes,r but that in the event none
met her at the depot that she
wanted to go to the American
Hotel, where friends would join
her. no one met her at the depot,
and Captain Wright placed her in
the transfer omnibus, and she was
driven to the American Hotel,
arriving there about 3 o'clock
Friday morning. She went in at
the gcntleman's entrance and
walked up to the counter upon
which the register is kept. Here
she wrote in a nervous way the
name f. l.. Merton, which is the
last entry on the book for that
day. The night-clerk assigned her
to Room No. 81, and she retired
Immediately, taking along with her
the satchcl.
The next morning about $50
o'clock 4 small cOlorcd boy came
to the hotel with note for Miss
FL. Merton, and it was sent at
once to Room 81. 4 reply was
quickly returned, and almost be-
/ fore the colored boy with 1T reached
the sidewalk Miss Madison passed
through the Office aud out into the
street.
The last seen Of her at the hotel
was about s o'clock Friday evening,
when she came TO the hotel &C
companicd by stout-looking man
wearing a black SLOUGH hat. This
| is all that is remembered now as to
his appearance. Miss Madison went
TO her room while the man waited
in the doorway of the hotel, where
he was quickly joined by Miss
Madison, W no carried her griDsack
i'm one hand. The two then quick
ly left the neighborhood of the
hotel.
Mr.. Joseph DodsOn told the
detective that the small colored
boy came back and brought the
note sent by Lillian Madison lin