Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-01
CITY AND SUBURBAN.
DEATH OF A WITNESS.
Dir. Jsssph Dodsos, Son OF the Prepriefer OF
the American Hessi. Dead.

the American Hessi. Dead.
Mr.. Joseph II. Dodson, son OF the
proprietor of the American Hotel, and
an important witness for the Com
monwealth in the Cluverius case, died
tight before last Of typhoid-fever. lie
was only nineteen years OF age, was
Quiet and reserved in his manners, but
enjoyed an extensive acquaintanceship
with the patrons of the hotel and peo-
pie Of this city, and had great many
friends. He was taken with typhoid
fever but little more than week ago.
The disease made extraordinarily rapid
progress, and he was extremely Ill
almost before the fact was realized.
The best Of medical skill, the most
unremittiDg care of affectionate parents
failed TO arrest the disease, and at
1870 Tuesday night it claimed its vic
tim. The funeral will take place to-
day at 4 p. NJ. from the First Baptist
church.
MR.. JOE DoDsoN's TESTIMONY.
The deceased was witness both be-
fore the Coroner's jury sitting in in-
Quest on the body OF Fannie Lillian
Madison and in the trial Of Cluverius
for her murder, and his testimony was
important. The substance Of it, as
taken down at the Coroner's inquest,
was as follows:
81 lam clerk at the American Hotel.
did not see the man [Ciuyeriusl at all.
The woman registered as +. l.. Mer-
ton. About 8 O'Clock Friday morning,
March 18th, she received note brought
by colored boy and addressed to F..
l.. Merton. ! didn't know the boy.
and | sent the note to her room, and
she answered it at once. The boy
waited, and / gave him the answer.
lie went out with the note, and in a
few minutes the woman followed
him, going out through the Office. She
left her key in the Office. She wore a
red shawl and blue jersey. saw her
again when she came back to dinner.
The boy to whom | gave the note came
back after the woman had left and
said that be couldn't find the man. |
asked him if the msu had paid him.
and he said. Yes and told him All
right that ! would keep the note, and
he went out. This note was addressed (:
IT. J. Clmer7us.' | laid the note on
the desk. and it stayed there all day
and that night. No one calling for it
Saturday morning. and the lady being
gone. opened the note and tore it up
and threw it in the vaste-basket. Sub
sequently found the pieces after an
hours search in the waste basket. and
gave them to Detective Wren. Miss
Merton did not pay her bill az the
hotel. ! did not notice that she wore
any jewelry."
THE APPEAL.
The torn note" alluded to in the
testimony Of Mr.. DodsOn when first
offered in evidence by the Common
wealth was objected to by the defence
and ruled out by Judge Atkins, but
subsequently, when the note was
more clearly shown to be Lillisn's
answer to a note alleged 10 have been
written by Cluverius. was admitted as
evidence but defence excepted. This
ruling, in the opinion Of many, forms
the chief groundwork Of their hope Of
a new trial.
Petition for appeal in this case has
not yet been presented, but probably
will be by the 18th. and, of course.
will be allowed. Whether the prisoner
will get a new trial is another thing.
Cluverius maintains his unruified
demeanor, and still processes unwa-
veIing faith that he will get new
trial. lie has lately told a well-known
gentleman that the prosecution Of him
was "a put up job" and he named
man who, he said, is the betrayer Of
Lillian.
But he never told his friend where
he tprisoner) was on the night Of the
murder.
Should the prisoner be so lucky as to
get a new trial, and upon grounds not
excluding the torn note" the testi-
mony Of deceased will be much
missed by the prosecution, though its
loss may not be fatal to the case.
All the testimony was taken down at
the trial in shorthand, but, Of course
that could not be offered as evidence in
a new trial.