The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-04-09
rnG R1cHmoND sENsArroN.
The Case OF Thomas j. Cluverius, Charged
with the Murder OF Fannie Lillian Hradi.

F. .
rhe Case OF Thomas j. ciuverius, Charged
son. ..-..
- RICHMOND. VA, April 1.-When
Ihomas q: SluVerius,. charged with the
murder of Fannie Lillian Madison, was
first brought before Justice Richard
son the examination was postponed
until TINS morning. Despite the fact
that there were twenty-five policemen
at inc Poiice Court, it was impossible
to keep the crowd quiet. The room
was packed with men and woman,
white and colored, while the hundreds
outside swaycd and surged against
each other to such an extent that those
having business inside could scarcely
OBTAIN a passage through the mass Of
humanity: Among those present none
appeared less alarmed at the situation
than he who was tho centre of interest,
Thomas j. Cluverius. Counsel for the
accused waived examination, where
upon the prisoner was sent to the
llustlngs Court for trial.
1t was with the greatest difficulty
that the prisoner made his ingrcss and
cgrcss, owing to the crowd. Their
action, whether cursOry or otherwise,
had more effect on him, Judging from
ms countenancc, than ANYTHING since
his arrest, and yet cynical smile, q
sharp flash of the eye TO the right or
lett as he walked along, was ali that
could be noticed. The prisoner was
driven to and from the Jail in car
rlagc, and in less than five minutes
after bis return to the prison there
were nearly Il thousand people hang
ing around the institution.
One of the most remarkable features
connected with the murder is the
manner in which it first came to public
notice. An afternoon paper published
the fact that the body of an Unknown
white woman had been found in the
old reservoir. "A reporter for a morn>
ing paper drove ont to the place where
1t was found, interviewed the keeper
and carefully surveyed the surrounds
lngS the same evening. The body
having been taken to the Almshousc
IN the mean time, the reporter visited
the dcad-houSc of that institution.
Ihcrr, among Il number of other dead
people, was shown the coffin contain
ing the body Of the woman. The cor
oncr had previously viewed the re-
mains and was under the impression
at that time that the deceased had
committed suicide. The reporter
asked TO see the body. The coffin.
which was nailed down, was opened
and exposed to his gaze the body Of n
woman dressed in the clothes she wore
when taken out OF the water with all
the mud and filth on them, while a
pile Of shavingS lay under her head for
Il pillow. After looking long and
earnestly at the face of the deceased
and the wound over the right eve, and
the swollen mouth, the reporter took
his departure 50 firmly impressed that
she had been ioullv dealt with that he
advanced the theory in his paper the
next day, but without going into the
specific details herein mentioned.
Al the reporters suggestion while
at tho AlmshouSc the body was placed
IN more decent trim, and the next dav,
winch was Sunday, hundreds ofpcoplc
VISITED the scene for the purpose Of
identification. 1t was not until Mon
day, however, that the corpse was
recognized, and strange to relate, the
ilrSt person who recognized it was n
MISS =, who never opened her lips
about it to any one but her father
llntll last Thursday, notwithstanding
she was an old schOolmatc of Miss
Madison and had roomcd with her.
The next recognition came from the
Duustans.
At "Scarch of the jaiP' (Which
means that all prisoners were drawn
up III line and rcvicwcd) one colored
and six white men, employed at the
Old Dominion Iron and Nail Works
on the James river, recognized Cluy-
crluS as the man who visited Bell Isle.
where the works are located on the
Eth inst, in company with lady.
Miss Madison was murdered that night
If Cluvcrius is guilty, he has adoDtcd
an extraordinary desperate course,
and if he has failed to cflcctuallv pro-
tcct any one point in his defence it is
llkcly that the whole structure will
fall to the ground. For instance he
denies that he WAS with Lillian Madi- |
SON at all on the day or night of the |
nurucr, and that he first heard of the |
G!rlS death when the officers arrested |
MN thrcc days after the discovery of |
the body. Yet he is positively idcnti-
llcu by several witnesses as having |
been seen with her on the day of the |
and almost as positively rs
having been with her in ihc ncighbor-
lood Of the reservoir, and within an
lour and two, at least, of the time her
still living body was thrown into the |
water there.
Nothing except this crcums.ancial
evidence has yet been adduccd to COLI
Icct him with the murder itself, and if
nc acknowledged that he had accom-
'anlcd her to the vicinity of the res
'rVolrr, and then alleged that he parted
With her there, it is probable tHat no
ury would decide him guilty; that .hc
!lrl was not assaulted after the scpara-
ION from Cluvcrius by some Wander
nS negro or other tramp, or even that
She did not bruisc her face and after
wards jump into the reservoir.
But If he is convicted, rs it seems
now that he certainly will be, of hav-
ng lied nS to his being with the Girl
>n that day aud evening, it will 90
lard with him before the Jury. If he
IS innocent, why lie about il.
ID" weekly Record of business Failures.
NEW York, April 3.-Thc failures
occurring throughout the country dur