Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-12
WILL HE CONFESS Z
PUBLIC INTEREST Al 10 wHsTHsR
cLUvHRIus WILL TELL TIE sr0Hf
or HIS CRIME.
Thu Prisoner Receiving Few Visitors
Now-His Bearing Calm 30 Far
a. Known, &C., &c.

Cluverius sees few visitors nowadays.
Only n few visitors call TO see him, ana not
MANY OF these are admitted to his room.
Co far as can be seen OF known he holds up
well. He has pride IN appearing coura-
yeous. and for the most part sustains that
character well; but in the silence OF Tue
night and loneliness Of his room II may
well be imagined that he is miserable
man. lie appears to accept the decision OF
the Governor in the true light-as re-
moving from him all earthly hope. Inc
guard kept on him night and day Is so close
that no alternative but death on tue galio"s
can present itself 10 hun.
The question Is continuously asked,
OWN he confess 2" and the public expec-
ta,ion IL that he will: but this idea is based
more upon what Jeter Phillips did under
similar circumstances than on any ln'oruia-
ton coming from the condemned. Up To the
time that the Governor blasted all OF C'u,
yerius's hopes almost certainly he had
made admissions to no one. Before that
time be believed that there was chance
for him. He may have been buoyed up by
the thought that il Joel opened the watch.
hey for the Governor Joel would fail
TO recognize his own work. In the
light of recent occurrences there Is
nothing for him 10 do but to apply himself
10 preparation for the future state. and that
be seems diligently doing. With his reli-
eious training, 1t would be natural thing
for him 10 unburden his conscience TO his
spiritual adviser; and II confession Is
made. n will probably he done IN that way.
In the deter Phillips case probably week
before the day irrevocably fixed for the
execution Jeter admitted bis guilt TO Sheriff
Smith, who had been his lifelong friend.
Soon afterwards he made full confession to
Rev. DIS. Jeter and Dickinson. The con-
fession was put in writing and read from
the scaffod by DIR. Dickinson when the pri-
soner was hanged, July %, 1870.
The last execution within the jurisdiction
OF Richmond courts was that OF Albert
TYLER (colored), hanged In 1869 for the
murder OF woman. Since that date three
Ueprico-county people have been executed
within the walls Of the Henrlco jail in this
city-yiz., Jttcr Phillips in 1870, aud
Charles Lee and Barbara Miller. The Two
last were coloTed persons, aud were hung
n few wears ago. The scafold used for
them has been rebuilt, aud upon 1t Gu
yerius will pay the death-penalty January
IA. 1887. All executions within this state
are now required by law TO be done private
ly-that is, in the presence only OF few
witnesses.
One Of Cluverius's visitors yesterday was
Mr.. w. y. Rogers, countyman OF the
prisoner, but for some years member OF
The police.detectiye force Of this city ana
now a resident Of oxford, y. e. He found
Cluyerius looking fairly we'll and holding
up bravely.
Rev. DR.. Hatcher SAID last night that he
had never intimated TO any one that Gu
yerius had or bad not confessed to him,
and that be (the Doctor did not mean to
have anything TO say TO anybody on this
subject.
Was Lillian CBlOrOformed:
From time 10 time some one who verify
believes that he is more spacious than his
fellows advances the idea that Lillian Madi-
son died by chlOrof0rm at the hands OF
some malpractitiOner and was then thrown
INTO the reservoir. Recently the DISpd'ch
received a letter from n lady In the country
TO lie forwarded TO Cluvcrius's mother, IN
which the writer said that she heard very
distinguished lawyer remark that II was In
this way, probably, that Lillian came TO her
death. and advising the defence 10 make
use Of this valuable information.
Deceased was never In the hands OF The
malpractiiiOper for an operation. Her
clotbes-aH the clothes that a woman
usually wears in winter, with the eXcep-
ton Of gloves. shawl. and hat, which were
picked up in the vicinity found Oh
her, tightly buttoned or laced. They were
evidently on her A. she bad put them on
when she dressed that morning.
Then consider how diiHcultit i TO handle
a dead body. Had she been Killed 10y cllo-
roiorm by the malpracttioner; hal She
been Killed at one Of the nearest boute- -
which are several hundred yards oa-lt
would have tqken two or three men .
carry her to the reservoir. and there wonld
have been none Of her footprints seen.
while the isct i. that what were supposed
10 be her tracks we're seen IN the rel clay
alongside the ditch "A womln waxing WIN
anan. More than that, in the macadaniZcd
material on the top OF the cmbanNm'ut
there were numerous print' OF a woman :
shoe. Coroner Taylor took shoe from
the dead womIn aud II fitted these tracks.
Further. toe medical evidence never
dl.puted-was that Lillian diet ~ ne rlfer.
The blow or blows which she unquestI0a-
ably received on the head probably rem
dcIed her unconscious. but del'i took place
in The water: but, 10y ignoring the track,
il NAV Ice insisted thst II she had become
unconscious bv OVer.usc Of Chl0rOlOrm, the
sane re souinC would apply. Not 50; the
man who had innocrntly used chl0rolorn
upon htr-that l., with no purpose OF mar.
der would not have consigned her 70 The
water until she was cold IN death. H,rc
SIC DO sooner touched the water than ,he
began ueelins for life, aud in each II Der
hands WAS found cluiched quantity II TIE
hard mud from the sl0pins side II ihc
rcsCrNOlr.
Tier, are a score 81 other reasons that
might bee given TO show tbat deceased diJ
nor die al the hands oi q malprdctonor;
lat these. which are independent Of the
proof Of Cluyeriu>'s movements, are
enough.
Dancer. OF Circumstantiai Evidence.