Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-04-03
The Lillian Madison Murder.
THE MYSTERY STILL UNSoLvED.

THE MYSTERY STILL UNSOLvED.
The murder of f. Lillian Madison,
whose body was found in the Old
| Reservoir in Richmond, remains as
much a mystery as ever. IL has
fsome strange features which Illus
tfate the truth of the saying that
truth is stranger than fiction. 1t
seems that the letters which sac
claimed to have received from a
lady In Richmond requesting her
| to 90 in her place with sick aunt
to Old Point, were written by
Lillian Madison herself, as Is shown
| by a comparison of the handwrlt'
ing with letters she had previously
written to that lady in Richmond,
who had been a schoolmate OF hers
at Burlington School. These letters
were mailed in Richmond and re-
ceived by Lillian Madison at Mill
boro' Springs, where they were
read to Mrs. j. b. Dickinson IN
whose family she was goyerness.
Ii seems, also, that she had gone 10
Richmond on the 9th of January,
on the pretense that she had gone
there to see sick aunt. She ola
not wish herfsther's family to know
of this visit, and requested rela-
tive in Bath not to let them know
that she had gone to Richmond,
assigning as the reason, that they
would be displeased if she did not
20 to see them. On that visit, she
put np at the Exchange Hotel, and
registered as +. l.. Merton, as she
did at the American Hotel on her
last visit to Richmond. At that
time I. j. Cluverius was a guest at
the Davis House as on the last oc-
casion, and visited her at the Elk.
change Hotel. She was seen and
recognized and spoken to on the
9TH of January in the Exchange
Hotel by Mr.. Clagett Jones Of King
and Queen county. Mr.. Archer,
chief clerk at the Exchange Hotel,
went to the prison to see L. j.
Clnverias, and is positive that he
is the man who called to see Lillian
Madison during her stay there
which was from the evening of Jan,
uary the 9th to the morning of JAN
uary the 18th. Soon after she had
been recognized by Mr.. Jones she
disappeared from the Hotel. Cluv-
erius told Archer that he had never
seen him before his visit to him in
prison. Archer told him that he
was clerk at the Exchange Hotel
and that Cluverius had seen him
between the 9Th and 7th of January.
Archer told him that at that time
he (Cluverius) had alight mustache.
Cluverius said he never wore a mus.
tache, and could prove it by hun.
bred persons. Archer is pOsitire
that he saw Cluverius at the Hotel
at that time. Cluverius is reported
to appear to be cheerful and to eX.
hiblt the bearing Of innocence. If
he is guilty, he must be very
hardened criminal TO act as he does.
If he be innocent, he is the great
est victim of a confederation of adj
worse circumstances we ever knew.
The colOred boy who carried the
note to the American Hotel for Lii
liam Merton (alias Madison) has not
been found. 1t will be remember
ed that the note in reply to it by
Lillian was in an envelope address
ed to T. j. Cluyerius.
The old man, who appeared on
the steps with Lillian on Friday,
and whose mysteriously disappear
ed, has not yet been found.
The wrist satchel which Lillian
had, has not yet been found. The
water was drawn off the reservoir,
and search made for it there, but it
was not found.
On Monday morning last Gu.
yerius was taken from the Jail to
the police court for trial. Great
crowds of people assembled there,
anxious to get a look at the prison.
er. He seemed to be more dis
concerted than at any time since
his arrest. When the case was
called, Commonwealth Attorney
Witt stated the reason why he de-
clined to prosecute, which, as
heretofore stated, was because of
relationship to the prisoner, and
that he had requested Mr.. Meredith
to represent the Commonwealth.
As Justice Richardson would be
a witness in the case, he had re-
quested Senator Justice Holmes to
preside.
The witnesses for the Common
wealth, numbering about fifteen,
we're then called and sworn, and
when Acting Commonwealth At
torney Meredith announced that he
was ready to proceed with the pre-
liminary examination, Mr.. Evans,
of counsel for the defense had
determined to waive this examina-
ton and submitto the consequences
of having the prisoner sent on to
the Hastings Court.
To this Mr.. Meredith, as the
representative of the Common.
wealth, agreed.
When the prisoner was being re.
turned to the Jail, the streets were
blocked with persons eager to get
a look at the prisoner. The carriage
bearing the prisoner was driven
rapidly, and hundreds ran after it
to see the prisoner. The State
says
"The curiosity of some were
satisfied, but more than one thous.
and were disappointed. The jail
was soon reached, and ere he (the
prisOner) stepped inside the yard
Jail alley was packed with up
wards of fifteen hundred persons
|