Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-05-14
gent
saye long
IS proven

s. Three years ago Thomas j. Ciuverius
OF King and Queen county. graduated in
law at Richmond College and went back
to his native county to establish practice.
At college he was apparently model of
modest prOpriety and piety. 1t came to
light after ne left that during this time
his life outside. of the college had been diff
ferent from his professions, and that in
one of his visits to forbidden places he
had assumed the name of Merton name
that was to come up in startling way a
long time after that. In the adjoining
county OF King William lived, with her
father, his cousin, Fannie Lillian Madi-
son, who was very fond of him, though
they were not accounted lovers. He was
her only male visitor. He had often taken
her in his buggy to her grandfather's, This
uncle's) to spend the night. On July 9th,
1884, she left her fathers and went to her
grandfather's to stay. He came there on
the 10th and several times after, and made
excuses to be ..alone with her there. The
medical testimony of the case fixed that
time as about the date of her ruin. In her
trupk after death wasia vile document in
his hand writing, which made it certain
that he was connected with her fallen life.
In September, 1884, he wrote her letter,
also found in her trunk, urging her siren
uously to get married and indicating some
man as the person for her to marry.
About July, too, Cluverius, who had al
ways been cordial to Lilian's father, COM
menced stunning him. Lillian now be-
came anxious, from her condition, to get
away from home. She wrote to relative
at Mlllboro, Bath county, to procure her
a situation and he did so at Mrs. Marga-
ret A. Dickinsons' in that county, as gov
erness and teacher. She went there Octo-
Der 10th, 1884, and while she was there Gu
verius wrote to her regularly as was dis
covered from empty envelopes in her
trunk addressed to her in his writing. AS
her danger increased with time. the poor
girl more theoretically pressed him to
help her.
PREPARING FOR HER MURDER.
Tie aG ldSt u6Clu6u w uoip HOl NY mul-
dering her. He was engaged to another
lady who has married another since his
trial began] and did not propose to let
the threals or entreaties Of Lillian disturb
him longer. On January 9Th, 1885, Lillian
told Mrs Dickinson til at she had received
a letter telling her her aunt, Mrs. Tun-
stall, of King and Queen county, was very
ill and she would 60 to see her, Being
told that it was long trip alone, she re-
piled that "Cousin TOmmie" (Cluverius)
would meet her. On the evening of the
9th of January she arrived in Richmond
and registered at the Exchange Hotel as
s'Miss f. L. Merton" She was assigned
room No 66. On the next morning Gu
yerius walked into the Exchange Hotel
ran his fingers down the register till he
came to Miss Merton and asked if the
lady in No. &c was in. He saw her, and
called again during the day. That even
ing she went out and did not return to
the hotel till the next morning. saying
she had stald with an aunt in Richmond.
Both Mrs. Tunstall's illness and the stay
ing at her aunt's, were proven on the trial
to have been manufactured and not true.
On the 7th of January she returned to
Bath. 1t was on that visit that the trap
was laid for the unhappy girl to walk
into. Cluyerius during his visit to Rich
mond on that occasion registered at the