Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-06
THE RESERVOIR MYSTERY.
Ciuverius ON Trial for the Murder Of
Miss Madison-The Suicide theory

THE RESERVOIR MYSTERY.
C,uverius ON Trial for the Murder Of
Miss MadisOn-The Suicide Theory
A Jury for the trial of Cluverius, for the muir
der of Fannie Lillian Madison, was not pro-
cured after reassembling OF the court in Rich
mond last night, and the trial was adjourned
till to-day. Cuverius appeared very nervous
and evidently feared mob violence when put
on trial yesterday. His voice could scarcely be
heard when he pleaded mot guilty The trial
Is exciting the profoundest interest in Rich
mond The fact that neither the prisoners
father nor mother have visited him since his
arrest causes much comment Parties from
their neighborhood state that both are over
whelmed with grief over the affair. The law
yers for the prosecution appear 10 be backed by
the general sentiment of the people. The trial
VIII be slow; Half of the witnesses will be from
sections OF the state two hundred miles apart
Cfuverius counsel are reticent to the line
they will pursue. 1t now seems probable that
the entire jury may be obtained in Richmond
but nearly the whole week may be occupied
In obtaining them. A gentleman actively
connected with the prosecution stated last
night that proof would be forthcoming as 10
Cluverius' motive in committing the murder
The prisoner WAS very nervous at the Jail last
night. He has taken great interest in the selec-
non OF the jury, and his friends seem TO fear
that some parties vino are determined to con-
Wet him viii get on the jury.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
1t has been a little less than two months
since the body of the young eoverness, Fannie
reservoir 1t has been established with great
certainty that the girl had been betrayed by
Cluverius, that she came TO Richmond at his
wish on March II, that he was with her during
the next day and at $50 O'Clock in The even
Ing. There is strong circumstanfial evidence
that he was with her near the reservoir and
going towards it at $3.50 o'clock, and at 10
O'Clock womans screams Were heard i'm the
reservoir grounds. Her face was bruised as il
from furious blows. and the medical eXamna-
ton showed that she had breathed after sink
ing below the waters of the reservoir. 1t has
been shown that the girl would have become a
mother in two months, and that Cluverius had
been paying marked attention to another
young girl in King and Queen county. 1t is
believed that Fannie Madison had threatened
him with exposure; that he took her TO the
lonely grounds about the reservoir with the in
tention of numbering her: that he struck her
down and threw her unconscious body into the
wafer Then. the prosecution will claim. he
Threw her satchei into the river and burned her
Itile retlcule-thus hoping 10 destroy all evil
dence of the young girls identity. No one but
nlmself knew she was in Richmond. The body
found and no one coming to recognize it. 1T
would be buried in the potters field. Before the
girls absence would be Ioted, q week at least
would elapse, and before the body of the girl
could be traced decomposition would have re-
moved all traces of violence. Then there would
be nothing to show it was not n suicide But
the acamen of newspaper reporter led TO the
identification of the dead body on the day il
was found and to the prompt arrest of Cluye-
RUS. His conviction, however of the actual
murder may depend upon a watch-key 1t was
found within the reservoir grounds and. il is
said, can be proved to have belonged to Cluve-
RUS.
THE THEORY OF SUICIDE.
Notwithstanding the circumstantial evidence
tending to show that the girl was murdered
and by Cluverjus, theEe are those who hold to
the theory that she committed suicide For
this theory there is some ground. For instance
1t will be proved that on the train coming to
Richmond Miss Madison, I'm conversation with
the conductor, when something was said about
fast running. remarked that she wished the
tram would run off and kill her. An envelope
found in her trunk had written upon IL the
words: 81 feel as if my heart would break to-
night 1t appears from these extraordinary
expressions that the girl was in a state of great
mental excitement When she paid the depot
agent $500 for her ticket to Richmond she had
only single fifty cents left. With this amount
upon to paw her bill at the American hotel next
day II would have been impossible for her TO do
So. That Friday night, the 18th of March, she
left the hotel without paving her bill, and was
never seen afterward until her body was iden-
tried at the morgue on the following Monday.
But by far the most important link in this
tanned in reporters note book, which has
never been published. 1t is the opinion of Dr.
W, W: ii; Taylor the coroner of Richmond, as to
Tor is scientist. Besides being physician he
is chemist and an expert to whom is fire.
quently submitted parts of bodies of persons for
Inspection and anal ysis as to cause of death.
His decision in such matters is generally con-
elusive. On the evening of Tuesday, March L.,
II,
and after he had repeatedly viewed the body,
DIR. Taylor was asked by reporter his opinion
as to the cause OF her death.
The doctor was proceeding TO give his opinion
but the reporter failing to successfully grasp his
meaning. asked the doctor to write the conclu-
sfb3fi to what he (the reporter) had already
written. The doctor wrote as follows:
Had she not been stunned alarge quantity of
frothy water would probably have been found
in the lungs. Had she not been alive when she
reached the water probably no frothy fluid
would be found in the lungs and no mud
graSped in the hands. / incline to the opinion
that it is suicide, for many reasons especially
the manner in which her clothing is scattered
about, notably that her shawl should have been
put into the yard of almost the only person
with whom she was acquainted in Richmond
This seems TO me to be her way of saying to
them 'Good-by.' 1t would seem strange in
deed if a murderer had done this either by ac-
cident or design"
BEFORE THE TRAGEDY.
From the time Lillian Madison left her home
in King William county last fail her conduct
was curiously strange. On the 10th of March
last, when she was preparing to leave Millboro
for Richmond, letter was handed her by
little nephew of Mr. Dickinson. She read it and,
seeming to be greatly excited, remarked, ..Oh,
Willie, why did you bring me this letter? Why
did You not throw il in the river?' About the
same time she burned a whole apron full OF let
tiers, declaring she would not have her mother
see them for all the world. AS she was about TO
leave Miilburo depot for Richmond she said To
Mrs. Dickinson's little nephew:-..Oh, Willie L
feel as If something terrible will come of this
trip"
Sir Peter Iumsdeu-S Recall