Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-06-30
hLuVERIus.


from an uobiasel and independent stand
point in relation to the trial and conviction
which has claimed so much of public atten.
ton recently.
The writer does not pretend to decide the
question as to the guilt or innocence of the
young man, as that has never been in all the
testimony, positive and conjectural, with
which some ofthe Richmond papers have
been filed for weeks, demonstrated, but be
will say, that tue conviction, under the cir
cnmstances, is well calculated TO excite the
gravest apprehensions in the minds of all,
who desire to- see even and exact justice
melted out to all, according to the law and
the testimony.
Some few otthe charges calculated to i'm
| plicate Cluyeiius in the tragedy have been
proven. 1st, that he was i'll Richmond when
she was, in January. 2ud, That he was in
Richmond while she was, in March. 3D.,
that they had correspondent and associated
with each other in other days. These are
all the facts which any one can say hare been
established The witnesses who testified
| that they saw Cluverus and Miss Madison
together, claim that he had moustache, not
that he may hare had, but that the man they
saw with her absolutely aad certainly wore i
moustache. Cuverius, it WAS proven, had
no moustache when he came To Richmond,
aud never wore one. Nearly all the wit
nesses who saw the man and woman to-
eether, positively affirmed that he wore a
reversible ovzrcoat. IL was proven that
| Cluverus wore no such overcoat on his visit
TO Richmond. II was proven that the man
and woman who went on the street car TO-
gether were ignorant of the streets and
houses near The reservoir, and no one can
follow the line of march by which il is sup
po.ed NJ ISIS NJ. was borne TO the spot her
body was found in, who can for q moment
DOUBT that The actors in that part OF the
scene were perfectly familiar with the topo-
ora ply, geography and surroundings Of the
whole section. 1t WAS proven that watch
kew was found near the reservoir fence, and
| the cfief witness. to connect Ciuverius with
1t, could not positively identify it, but said
if they would permit hin TO break up the
soldering, undo the works, &c. he probably
could. fla man cannot identify his own
finished work when ii is all before bis eyes,
how is it possible for him to do so when 1t
is destroyed? The man who could accept
such statement as this must be very lgno.
rant of mechanical work, especially IN sol
dcring and bronzing. And yet many who
know him we'll testified that Cuverus never
had such key, but did wear, al one time,
il KEY Told lashionei) such rs some of the
witnesses tor the prosecution described.
The rigor mortis which exist ell when she
was found is not absolutely consistent with
The theory that she was killed or even stun
ned by blow for rigidity Of the muscles
scarcely ever follows death from shock. !
have alluded to these points because they
were the salient points in the ev-
idence for the Commonwealth. However
plausible all this mag be, however well cal
cu!aied, when associated with all known
fac's. to arouse grave suspicious in the
mind Of the guilt OF the prisoner, not one of
the declarations connecting the prisoner
with the death Of the unfortunate girl has
heen demonstrated as fact. 1t has not
been proven even that he saw her, that he
communicated with her, or even that he
knew she was in Richmond at the time.
Facts ard plausible deductions from con-
lectures, differences, surmises, &c, are two
different things-the former alone being
valid in taking the life Of u human being.
a fewyears since an old and very wealthy
citizen of Mississippi wrote to a nephew in
Virginia, young man of high standing, in
telligence and education, if he would come
and live with him he would give him all Of
his estate In year after he entered his
uncle's home. He found him, when he en-
tered his room one morning, horribly muir
red. After the burial, as no clue
to the murderer could be found, sus-
picion was aroused against the young man,
and putting hundred suspicious words,
looks and circumstances together, a chain
of evidence was constructed; the young
man, who loved his uncle dearly, was ar
rested, tried, convicted and executed, pro-
testing his innocence with his last expiring
breath. One year after man upon his
dying bed in New Orleans confessed that
he had murdered the old uncle, and that
The nephew knew nothing aboutit. A day
or two ago. distinguished lawyer in New
York told me that he had to defend n
woman, few years ago, for the murder OF
her husband, and ali the circumstances were
such as to cause n verdict Of guilty. But
he could not believe the charge was true,
and after many trials and rebutis, he finally
secured new trial. and during The tendency
Of the case it was clearly shown that the
first verdict was unjnst-and the woman was
acqu tied.
The great complaint the writer would
make in this case is that so soou as. the name
OF Cuverus was mentioned in connection
with this unfortunate girl, by her unnatural
father, the press and people Of Richmond
cough it up, and have secured the earth for
cnnectures, surmises, suspicious, proba-
| biities and possibilities, to fix the charge on
The young man. No evidence has been sought
in any other line. Everything which was
even surmised as to the prisoners guilt muse
be accepted as fact, while all testimony,
whether given by father, brother, aunt,
sehoo!uates, companions or pastor, which
initiates against the predetermined conclu-
sion, must he set down as false. Guilty or
| not guilty, have never seen any one pros
ccuteg with such a revergefui, malicious,
hyens-like spirit outside the court room as
has been this young man. HIS conviction
was occurred before his trial commenced
The Arst intimation from the old man ut the
aims Nouse that Cluverus had seduced the
girl, and that she wasin Richmond the night
she lied, was the signal for the cutlery,
'awaf with him, away with him." which
has So aroused the emotions of the people
that =. is doubtful if a fairly conducted trial
weres to result in Cluverius' acquittal
y, ell I