The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-15
THE TELL.TALB FILE MARKS.
THE OPENING OF A WATCH KEY SEALS
THE FATE OF CLUvERIUs's

THE OPENING OF A WATCH KEY SEALS
THE FATE OF CLUvERIUs'S
The Prisoner is .Ts espited to January
IA. 1887, with No Hope for Pardon
or n Communication of Sentence.
A Talented Young Lawyer Of Eir-
ginia is 10 be Hanged on Circum-
sanniial Evidence for killing his
Cousin.
The dead body OF Lillian Madison was
found In the reservoir early cen Saturday
morning, March II, 1885. Sunday following
isaac Williams, a boy of eleven years, with a
around the ontcr fence of the reservoir
grounds, aad Willie "Dulled plank OF the
fence open and Isaac put his head In there
and picked it up. II looked like a gold key.
Had u little ring whcrc the chain went in,
and 1t was sprung out. There were some
planlis off at one place, but not where Isaac
put his head through; 1T was close besides
that. n plank there was just loose at the bot
tom Willie pulled it aside and Isaac p0ked
his head in. The key was lying up by the
fence on the right hand Of the ditch; r, IN some
wiregrass. right against the lenGe There was
no pathway there, and II was 4 right good way
from where The plunk had been pulled oil the
fence"
so tlle WAUGH kcy Citulc ihlo lHe Sia'Siia'
When Officers G. H. Epps and Logan S.
Robins arrested Culver us down the country,
one of the first lhings they did was to give IL
ulance at the prisoners watch Chain. There
was Il charm, or key chain attached to II, but
no key WIS on It.
The Officers winked at each other in recog.
milton of this f;ct. but made no remark. AZ
terwardS, when they had arrived ut the Third
street station house here. II was found That
the cliarni-chain was gone. Afterwards u
was deli rcrcd up by Willie C:uvcrius, with
All explanation that could not be accepted.
Mr. Joel a:,a .E,e Key.
A c n>idcrable time elapsed. and no pro
gross was made in proving that the Key beI
lnrgrd to CluvCrius. Hunter ii unit, ono ot
the coored witnesses at the american uotel'
had told The the cDroners July that he saw a
key OF that description in Liilian's room at
the hoie! but later on the ascertaincd that
what he thought was {: key was the project
ing part of brass hinge of the bureau.
Still proof was wanting that the key had
ever been In tIurcriuS's hands.
Detective Wren and Mr.. Frank Nolan,
viii C working in the country, by some means
nscertaiued that Mr.. Herman Joel, OF Rich
mond, while at Ccntrevi!lr on one occasion,
had repaired a key for Cluverius. Mr.. Wren
visited Mr. joel and asCcrtaned that lie was
a valuable witness.
know ledge the key there produced was INC
key left at his store and that he had mended
for CIuyciius: bnt he would not be positive
unless permitted to open the Key; lie was
sure that If the key were opened he would
recognize his work. Defense objected TO- open
Ing the Key, and tue Commonwealth did not
strongly Insist ,,
Cluvcrius'S relatives produced another key,
whicl, they said was tho prisoners; but II did
no fit his watch and they tnilcd TO show that
the prisoner had worn If OF late.
The Rcy and the Governor.
When the rinl was over the key was placed.
with other such evidence, in the hands OF me
CITY Ser .cant. 1t was certified with the re-
cord to he supreme CoIrt. and was eSainlh-
ell by Judge Hinton. After tia! the case
went 10 the Cove InOr, to whom the conGelnn-
ed man appealed for cicmencE.
Governor Ice considered this Key pivotal
point IN the case. After mature dcliberation,
acirg solely upon his own Judgment ana
rc.ronsibilfty, he resolved 10 have II opened.
on the cvcnin. Of Tuesday, November BIRD,
he sent for Mr.. Joel to come to his house. MI
JOEL not knowing what was wanted FOR MN;
ca me with the messenger. The Governor tnlQ
him that lie had been reading his tjOrl 81
testimony, and proceeded to a. X Joel Il score
or more of questions. testing his sense and
accuracy. All were answered satisfactorily.
And Won are positive you mcndcd a key Of
this character?
~ am" answered Mr.. Joel.
and Won arc positive that CluvcrinS was the
man Tor whom YOU menu"u me KEY:
.Jncl sad That he was absolutely certain that
Clnvc;ius was that he distinctly remembered
Cluvcriu:, whom he haG seen several Times
bef,re the murder. ,.,,.
"Now can YOU with equal Eositiveness iden-
liry this key?" the Governor asked.
joel said no; that he could not. lie thought
It was the key, hut WAS rot sure. Hai lie
been allowed to open 1t, he could have salts
lied himself beyond all question. The Coy,
crnor then inquired how long time it would
take to open it. He said "nbnut two min.
uIeS" The Governor then told hiEi he would
T,Nnl 81
luctancc. He earnestly protested that he dld
not wish IT, take any further action bearing
upon the case; said. also, that he was opposed
to capital punishment ana t'aL ;d ne came came
was no capital punishment except lor crimes
against the government. -
The Gov ernmeut answered that the reSnon-
siLIity was with him, nni WIN JoGi. VIII t.i
lie would open the key. Ee;n" asked, IN the
presence of two witnesses. what he eNpertcu
to find in the key. he said If IT. was The Key
in;o which he had put new nhrre. hr ~. e
found on the upper end Of the barrel. ana
about 1t small quantity OF white solder.
Tools scnt for.
Jocl came to the Governors house, not
knowing for what purpose he was wanted
He OF course brought no tools.
The Governor asked MN what tonlS ne
needed and he said Il plpw-pipc and plncnerS.
Tic Governor held joel in conversation
While these were sent for from place Of busi-
ness within easy reach.
open.
Ina very short time the key was oncned;
Joel had Il look of deep anxiety as he viewed
the two pieces. Then he handed th%m 10 me
crnor lo0llet! and saw the very marks ana
solder joel had predicted. Beyond dOnDl IL
was the key into which Joel had Inserted u
new barrel at Crntrcville
J.,,t nt
replaced tho barrel In thekcy, doing TIC wnlK
so ncrly that II is next 10 Impossible 10 tei
that the key w;S ever opened.
Besides the Guvprnur there were nut Two
witnesses TO the opening OF the key. lilpS
and Joel were charged by the Governor not
To- livulgc the secret. The idea was tn keep 1t
GIli,t until after the Governor h;tl acted on
the petition for ricmcncy; but another com
rlicltion arose requiring tiiL IL siloulu w
kcp, secret little longer.
Joel Comes Back TO the Governor.
Next morning afser the key was o?cncd,
Mr.. Joel clmG to see the Governor again. He
said in substance that he had that morning
been visited by pcurns' that Dcnrln. hau
said: You were To see the Gnfornor lhSt
to omen the key ?" joel led him to think that
lie Governor was talking about IL, lhGh
Irurlng approached him with Il brlnc, the
condition being that JUcl should not Ec cGr-
tain that ii was his (Jocl's) work in The key II
asked To open It. D"uring offered joel Slnn,
$a5 of which he paid and which Joel brought
10 the GOvrrnur.
The result Of that revelation the Dispatch
reader knows. joel caused D"urlnS 10 come
to sce him again to talk over the matter; q!
pnIirnmun was hid undnr Jncl's counter and
hrart. all Of behring's conversation.
| After the GovCruOr had disposed or inc
cluverillS case Dcuring WAS arrested. ihch
for the first time the opening OF tn" knS icLk-
eri out, auti the following from the lliSraich
Of Thursday morning lat. wts the very chrli'
est mention ma2 in print of that crcum-