Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-18
HOW DID 1T HAPPEN ?
FANNIE Lillian MADISON
Alive at the American Hoseij Dead In the
OId Reservoir; Identified at the Aimsbou'e.
A TeIi-TaIe Note and signs Of Murder.

Alive at the American Hosei; Dead In th
Ola Reservoir; Identified At the Ainisbou'' q
TeIi.Tale Note and signs Of Murder.
After the testimony Of the Misse
Dunstan had been heard and the liyin
Fannie Mays discovered, and these fact
published in the Dispatch Of ycsterda..
morning. it was a plain case that th
poor, unfortunate young woman foun'
dead in the Old reservoir was fanni
Lillian Madison.
Police Justice ID. c. Richardson re
ceived reply from W. A. Sydnor, teie
graph operator at Millboro' depot, oil
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, II
Bath county. stating that "Fanni'
Lillian Madison bought ticket her
Thursday for Richmond, and had bag
gage in linen trayelling-bag." Justice
Richardson sought Mr.. W. II. Madison
who is a cousin of the dead Lillian Mad
ison, and had a. talk with him.
Mr.. Madison was supposed by th'
Misses Dunstan 10 be an uncle OF Lillian
but in this they were mistaken. H'
told Justice Richardson that he coulC
not fail in identifying the body. if i
was that of his cousin, because Of thu
fact that some years ago. while suffer
ing from severe illness, blister was
placed upon her breast, and owing Il
the fact that it was neglected well
defined scar had been left. This seal
had been referred to frequently in the
intcrrogatories propounded witnesses by
the Coroner, but none Of them remem-
bered ever to have heard Of it.
Captain Wright, the conductor that
brought the train down the railroad
when Lillian Madison came to Richmond
went ont to the almshouse to look al
the body. When he reached the place
Major Charles p. Bigger, Superintend-
cnt of the Almshousc, had been told by
Coroner w. II. Taylor that he had nc
further doubt as TO the identity of the
body after hearing what Mr.. W. II
Madison had said; and the Major pro-
perly closed the chapel where the body
was lying, and refused further inspec-
ton. Captain W Seht told Major Bigger
who he was. and proceeded to describe
minutely the appearance of Lillian
Madison. lie said he remembered that
she wore blue jersey jacket, that she
carried ladies' grip-sack, and that she
held a red shawl in her lap. Major
Bigger then admitted him to the room.
and he identified the body and clothes
as the person and property of Lillian
Madison. He said that rs she had no
escort he, according to custom and the
requirements of his official duty, asked
her Just before reaching Richmond il
any friends would meet her at
the depot. She said " Yes" but
that in the event that none met her
at the depot that she wanted to go to
the American Hotel. where friends
would join her. No one met her at the
depot, and Captain Wright placed her
in the transfer omnibus. and she was
driven to the American Hotel, arriving
there about 3 o'clock Friday morn
ing. She went in at the gentlcmens 5
entrance and walked up to the counter
upon which the register is kept. Here
she wrote in a nervous way the name
+. l.. Merton. which is the last entry
on the book for that day. The night
clerk assigned her to Room No. 81, and
she retired Immediately, taking along
with her her satchel.
The next morning about $50 o'clock
a small colored boy came to the hotel
with a note for Miss +. l.. Merton. and
it was sent at once to Room 81. A reply
was quickly returned. and almost be-
fore the colorcd boy with it reached the
sidewalk Miss Madison passed through
the Office and out into the street. The
reason her movements are so well re-
is that in going in and out
of the hotel she always passed through
the office and did not enter or 90 out at
the ladies' entrance.
The last seen of her at the hotel was
about s O'Clock Friday evening. when
she came to the hotel accompanied by a
stOut-lOOking man wearing a black
slOuch hat. This is all that is remem-
bered now as to his appearance. Miss
Madison went to her room while the
man waited in the doorway Of the
hotel. where he was quickly joined by
Miss Madison. who carried her grip
sack in one hand. The two then quickly
left the neighborhsod Of the hotel.
AL Of this information followed Cap
tain Wright's statement. and the police
and Justice Richardson started down to
the hotel TO investigate matters there.
They were too late, however, for De-
tcctive John Wren Whose offer to work
up the case had not been acccptcd) had
windcd the game had talked with Mr..
Dunstan (at whose house the shawl was
found; had reached the hotel. and
heard all about the notes sent and re-
ceived by Lillian Madison. Mr.. Joseph
DodsOn told the detective that the small
colored boy came bark and brought the
note sent by Lillian Madison lin answer
to the one she receiyed), stating that he
could not find the man to whom he
was to have delivered the note. Mr..
Dodson kept the note until Friday
night. when, finding that Lillian Madi-
son had not returned, hc tore it up.
Detective Wren asked Mr.. Dodson to
search the wastc-basket and see if he
could find the torn particles of the
note. lie did so, and after finding and
pasting the pieces together there could
be read clearly and distinctly, written
in lead pencil, these words
:" will be there as soon as possible.
So do wait for me.''
There was no signature to this note,
no date, nor was the note itself ad-
dressed to any one. 1t was clear that
it was written hurriedly, and that the
writer was anxious to have it delivered
as speedily as possible. Her promise
to be there as soon as possible was
kept, as she went out almost
as quickly as the boy who received her
reply did.