Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-01
| |CLUVERIUS MUST DIE.
THE APPEAL FOR A Re HEARING IN TIL
CASE
OF the Murder Of Miss Madison Denied by the So
prems Court Of Virginia. History Of One
Of the Most AttNcious Murders IN tie
Anlal Of Crime.

SrAUNToN, Va, September 3.-This
morning the Supreme Court of Virginia,
sitting here, handed down the papers in.
the case of 7. J. Cluverius, who stands,
convicted of the murder of Lillian Madi-.
son, his cousin. at the old Reservoir,
Richmond, Va, with the endorsement.
that the petition for rehearing is denied.
This remands the case to the Hustins
Court of Richmond, by which the time
will be fixed for the death penalty by
hanging unless Executive clemency inter
poses.
A HISTORY or THE CASE.
On Saturday, March IA, 1885, cold
bleak day, Mr.. W. /. Rose, the aged keep!
er of the city reservoir Of Richmond, began
his usual morning walk around the EN-
bankment Of the basin. lie noticed that
the walk was in some places furrowed up,
as if it had been tnmpled in u scuflie;
then he picked up red glove and piece
of shoestring. Glancing in the water he
saw near the top the flounce of woman's
dress, and one leg jutting up from the wa
ter. Horritied at the discovery he at
once sent for the coroner, and
until that officer had arrived the
body was not touched. When il was
lifted out it was found TO be that of q
young woman about 23 years of age. II
was covered with mud, the arms We're bent
up in front of the body, with the hands
tightly clenched and Jumps of mud gr,sped
in them. The face was refined and wore
placid look. There was bruise on the
forehead and the lower lin was swollen.
She was. neatly dressed in light-blue
Jersey and black Alpaca dress. There
was no name on her clothing, and she had
no earrings or other jcwclry. There
was in short, nothing to indicate her iden-
tity.
The Coroner was at first OF the opinion
that it was ease of suicide, but when he
found that she would have become moth
er in about six weeks hc began 10 suspect
foul play. The body was taken 70 the
morgue, description published, and
thousands ofcitzcns viewed il but no one
could identify the unfortunate. IL remain.
cd there during Saturday, Sunday and
Monday On Sunday Miss Ella Dunstan
visited the place. When her eyes rested
upon the peaceful face in the coffin she fell
back aghast, saying: MY God it's Lillian
Madison"
ARREST AND CONVICTION OF CLuyERIus.
And thus the identity Of the dead girl
became established. The next day bag
of clothing WAS found floating in the river
few miles iiom the scene. IL WAS open
ed and contained many articles of dress
marked "F. l. Madison" This Was sns-
picious. II the girl committed suicide.
why did she not throw herself in the river
instead of walking two miles in another
direction TO the reservoir Then the
keeper of the American Hotel remembered
that a young lady had left his house sud
denly without paying her board, Friday
evening. lie identified the body ~ that
Of the boardcr. But she had registered N
"F. l.. Merton" lie remembered that
she had left the hotel with a young man
that she had written a note Ia u young
man which had been brought back by the
bearer with the statement that he could
not find the party to whom IL was ad-
dressed lie remembered also opening the
note few days after with the hope ol
learning something about the girl he
thought had absconded without paying
her bill.
Yes, he remembered the contents Of the
note now. IL was short. lie had torn IL
up and thrown the fragments into the
aste-basket Luckily the basket had
not been cmptied. The pieces were pasted
together and read 81 will be there as soon
as possible, 80 do wait for me. D"
And the torn envelope showed that the
note had been directed to IT. J. Gu.
verius." The officers were not long in
learning that a young lawyer OF thi. name
lived in King ard Queen county. And
| before the name was known to the public
they had the man.
A long trial ensued, In which the prison.
cr's counsel made desperate fight for
their client, but upon its conclusion the
Jury were out only short while and
brought in verdict OF murder in the first
degree.
TIE THEORY OF THE MURDER.
The generally accepted theory Of the
murder is that Cluverius had seduced hi
cousin and had promised TO marry her.
She had on several occasionsspokcn Of him
as her sweetheart He had In the mean
time become engaged to Miss Bray n young
lady considered an hciress aud above him
in social standing, and, knowing that LII.
liens condition w0uld soon be discovered,
Cluverius dccoycd her at the dead Of nigh,
10 reservoir and then killed her.
Sever. Storm and Cold Wave CoBuing.