Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-07

sumption VI guilt kuSt4ineu anu httcSt-
ed by circumstantial evidence scarcely.
| less conclusive against the guilty
wretch who deliberates and perpetrates
murder in secret TO eyade the punish
ment Of his crime. And so Cluyerius,
the seducer and murderer Of bis vic
tim, aye, of his own unborn child
guilty Of a treble crime-will atone
with one life for all the evil he has
wrought against the living and the
dead; against the victim of his sins
and the good order Of society. That
will be small stoncment, it must be
conceded /; but it is all that the law re-
quires, and no less than it should de-
mand.
THE APPRoPRIATE PENALTY.
Raleigh On. C.) 0bserver.l
We congratulate the State Of Vir-
ginia on the verdict of the jury in the
Cluverius case. We have heard it said
that of late years Virginia had stopped
hanging men, no matter what the guilt
of some Of her criminals might be, but
such slurs can no longer be uttered.
The Old Dominion has, in this last
great case if not before, indicated the
majesty of her law, and announced in
unmistakablc terms that capital crime
shall be followed speedily by its ap-
propriate penalty. Cluverius was
young man Of means, a lawyer, and OF
influential connections. The evidences
against him was wholly circumstantial,
and he was defended by counsel Of
ability. Because Of all these facts it
was feared by some that the jury
would be biassed in his favor. But that
body of men seemed to be true Vr-
ginians. who realized that they held IN
their hands the honor of their State as
we'll as a human life, and having pa
tiently heard the testimony and re-
ceived the law bearing on the case.
they carefully weighed the evidence
and rendered their verdict according to
truth and justice. They have done
their duty faithfully.
THE JURY COULD DO NOTHING ELSE,
Portsmouth Enterprise
The verdict Of the jury in the case Of
the Commonwealth rs. 7. j. Cluverius,
charged with the murder of his cousin,
Fannie L. Madison, will be received
with satisfaction by all lovers Of justice.
1t has been difficult in Virginia Of late
years TO convict man who has money
and influence, no matter what may haSe
been the crime with which he is charged,
but in this case the circumstances Of
the murder, as developed by the eyi-
dence, were so atrocious and the steps
taken by the murderer to accomplish
his purpose were so deliberate that the
jury could do nothing else but convict.
The evidence in the case shows that
Cluverius was hardened in villainy 30
an extent remarkable for one so young
in years, but the coils strengthened
around him one by one the links were
discovered which made up the chain CT
evidence which fastened the crime on
him in such a manner that there could
be no mistake. The very steps which
he took to cover up his guilt were
brought out in such a manner that they
helped to convict him.
WHAT CONVINCED THE JURY. ~
[sprinRfield (Mass.) Republican,
The Richmond (Va.) jury found
Thomas j. Cluverius guilty of murder
in the first degree last night for kill
ing Fannie Lillian Madison. This case
has attracted wide attention on account
of the family connections Of the parties
and the mystery attending the case.
Cluverius is convicted on circsm-
stantial evidence, but his share in
the sad undoing OF his cousin, his close
relations with her up to within few
hours of the finding Of her body in the
reservoir, his being seen with her walk
ing toward the fatal spot, and the evil
dence of struggle on the gravel walk,
convinced the jury that the girl was
murdered, and by her seducer.
HARDLY A DOUBT.
New York world.l
The jury in the Cluyerius murder
case in Richmond, Va, yesterday re-
turned verdict of guilty after delib-
Grafton Of only forty minutes. The
evidence was purely circumstantial, but
there can hardly be doubt as to the
guilt of the accused. 1t is a question
yet whether Cluverius will be hanged,
but the indications are that he richly
deserves to be.
TRUE vIRGINIANs DO THEIR DUTY.
ATLANTA constitutional
The verdict of guilty rendered in the
Cluverius case is surprise, and yet is
what should have been expected. That
justice should defeat the wiles Of more
criminal lawyers, whose only purpose
is to defeat the law, is gratifying, while
the verdict shows that the true men Of
Virginia cannot be easily swerved from
the path Of duty.
A DoUBTER.
baltimore Herald.
The verdict in the Cluverius case
will surprise those who have read the
newspaper reports of the trial. and
who, unbiased by local prejudice, can
give the evidence calm consideration.
While tits very probable that Cluyerius
killed Fannie Madison, we do not think
that the State produced evidence which
proves beyond reasonable doubt that he
was the murderer. 1t is probable that
Cluverius owes his conviction to an in
clination on the part of the jury to be
in line with the popular feeling and the
neglect or inability of his counsel to
prove an abb.
CLEARLY GUILTY.
Washington Critic.l
Public sentiment will doubtless ap.
prove the verdict. 1t is not long ago
that man was lynched in Virginia for
the commission of an unprovoked mur-
der on the ground that under the forms
Of law he was certain to be cleared on
the plea of insanity. That the people
will approve the conviction of a per-