The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-12
OUGHT TO Be HANGED.
NO HOPE FOR THE MURDERER OF LII
LIAM MADISON.

CluveriuS. the Arch EHypOcritc. hears
the Decree of Death Without Il
Tremor History Of the Foul
Crime.
NeWs and Courier.
RICHMOND, May 6.-Thc Supreme Court Of
Appeals OF Virginia to day rendered Il decl-
sion in the case of Il. J. CluNeriuS, convicted
in this city of the murder, on March H. 1882
of Fanny Lillian Madison. The case is known
us the reservoir murder mystery. The judS-
ment OF the lower Court is fully sustained,
tho eight bills OF exception filed by the prison.
er's counsel being all ovcrruled.
CluveriuS will surely be hanged unless Exc
cutive clemency intcrposes. The time first
fixed for his execution having long since
passed by, he will have to be brought before
the Hastings Court for rescntencc.
Cluaerius received the news very calmly.
Not Il muscle of his face Quivcred when ne re-
marked, Il am surprised. eXpecteda dllier-
sci. When told that it would be necessary to
put him in solitary confinement he said !:
"Very well. make no objection. | 40 not
want to give any one here any trouble. ~
l.. W. Rose, the aged keeper of the Rlch-
mond city reservoir, discovered the bouy OF
young woman floating III the reservoir at
O'Clock in the morning OF March II, 1859.
There were footprints OF a man ana woman
taken out it was covered with mud. The
arms were bent up in front OF the body, with
the hands cienched and Jumps or uuu grasp
ed in the hands. There was q slight brulSe on
the forehead and another on the lower lip,
both OF which seemed to have been maze ny
4 blow. The coroner's examination showed
that she would have become u mother IN
about one month.
The body, after several days, was identified
as that of Fannie Lillian Madison, OF King
William County, and circumstances led 10
the arrest of 7. J. Cluverus, young lawyer
whose home was in King and Queen County;
about thirty miles from Richmond. lie ana
the girl were second cousins, and had oeen
very fond of each other. At the time OF inc
was engaged to be married to Il reputed helr'
ess in the county. Since his incarceration
this young lady has married another man.
Fanny Lillian Madison was the daughter OF
time of her death she was % years Old, Clufe-
RUS being IS. She had borne reputation
above reproach. Cluverius lived with Mrs.
TunstalI, an 9d aunt, who was deT"'eT In q, 10 10
stall and the girls father, however, a cool
ness existed, but Lillian declined to let TINS
interfere With her intercourse with IunStaii;
For this reason the father and daughter dld
| not get on well together, and she secured
| stu tiOn as governeSS in the family OF MIS-
| Dickinson, it Bath County. This was aoouC
eight months before her death: Before she
lett her home she and Cluverius were ire-
Quently together. An occasion recalled ny
witness was when Cluverius stopped all night
at the house OF a relation IN Inc county. NY
Lillian was staying there at the time. Inc
dwelling was an old-fashioncd one. No locks
were on the doors. Cluverius occupied a
room with young man. In the middle or
the night he got up, and explained TO ms
| companion that it was necessary for nlm 10
go outside. He left the room, and did not
come back for an hour. On q subsequent Wis
it, when Miss Madison was staying at the
house, Culverius left the room again at nlght
and it is presumed that at these tlineS ne
wronged Lillian Madison, though there is no
positive proof.
At her home in Bath, just before She came
| to Richmond, no one notlced tnat tie elli
was about to become mother. she pore IL
character above reproach there as she had III
| her former home. But she must have known
that the time Of her delivery was near AT
hand, and the presumption is that she went
to Richmond to hide her shame. Before Snc
| left Mrs. Dickinson she said "Cousln Iommle
Cluverius; would meet her in Richmond, anu
on the train she told the conductor her n;lnic,
and during conversation With nm appeareu
very deSpondent, saying she would not care II
the cars ran OFT and killed her. She register"
cd at the American Hotel as Miss +. L. Mcr;
| ton, of Roanoke. On the night OF her arrival
u young man called tosee her. and many Wilt
nssscs testified that the young man was Clu-
vcrus This was on Friday. Saturday was
the girls last day on earth. \ well known
Richmond merchant, who had previous ac'
Quaintancc with CluvcriuS, SWore p0SltlVely
that he saw him standing with lady IN
front of the American Hotel some time be-
teen / and o'clock on Saturday. Inc cotl-
pie were looking up and down the slrect rs II
waiting for car Iis VIII wines lnehiileu m Onsss a
OF the young lady he saw with Cluverius that
day. The couple were next seen on Belle
Island, famous as prison for Federal sold!ers
during the war, and now the site OF Dig IRON
works. \ number of workmen Identified
CluveriuS as the man who was on Belle Island
on Saturday in company with a Lady. some
ed on the fact A few OF those who saw her
dead body recognized her as the lady VINO
was with CluveriuS. One witness heard the
lady say 10 the gentleman as they passed
him: why. Cousin T0mmie!' The time OF
this visit is placed by these witnesses as being
between y and ! o'clock. Then the teSti-
mony of The two inmates OF a house Of ILL
fame was to the effect that between the hours
of - and 2 on that day Cluyerlns visited me
wearing exactly the description OF clothing
worn by Miss Madison. Then colored BOY
who drives a tug horse to the street car iden-
titled Cluvelius as the man he saw about
O'Clock that night near the American Hotel
in company with a lady. The boy stopped a
car for them, and they got on. The car ran to
Reservoir street, the terminus of the line.
The car driver said the prisoner was very
much like the man who got on his car that
night with lady closely reiled. The couple
got ont at Reservoir street, and the man ask
ed him: "Cun you tell me where Reservoir
street is?" The driver pointed them to the
street aud saw them on it, This was twenty
five minutes to 10 o'clock. The last witness
who connects tue pair with Reservoir street
IS physician. He met a couple about tweD-
ty minutes to 10 O'Clock walking in the d.
rcction of the reservoir The man turned
around and asked him the name of the street
and when informed asked the time, which
the doctor gave him. Then, when they mOv-
ed off, the witness heard the man say, II
know that fellow, but he does not know me"
\ negro swOre that he heard, about IL O'Clock
that Saturday night, two cries In the dirce-
ton of the reservoir, and then Il voice say,
ooh, Lord!'
When Ciuverius was arrested it was noticed
that the back of his hand was scratched: as if
by finger nails. The physicians said the
wounds were such as would be made from
this cause. C!uverius, when asked how they
came there. said they were caused by a car
scat which had caught his hand. His father,
when asked. said positively that these marks
were the result OF Il fall against knot in a
fence.
Miss Madison left her trunk at Mrs. Dickin-
sons when she went 1c Richmond. This was
ClureriuS was found in 1t. This one was dat
cd in September. and contained only allusions
to relations 1t closed with The following par
agraph, which has never been explained;
When are you and that fellow going TO be
married? You know you told me it would be
this winter. think it would be the best
thing for you. SO do this winter.
One other specimen of Ciuveriuss hand
This was a shockingly obscene piece of dog
ecrel, called "On the Delaware" SO atrociouS
that the Judge would not permit 1t to be read
in Court until the room had been cleale ed.
There is q singular fact in connection with
Miss Madisons signing her name "F. L. Mer-
ton" on the occasions of her visits TO Rich.
mond. A prostitute, who testified to know
ing Cluvcrlus three years ago, said that he
told her his name was Merton.
When CluveriuS WaS arrested he said he
would be able to account for every hour OF his
time spent in kichmond but at the trial he
failed to do this. The only motive aScribed
tl,nt Nttxrn nrit, mt tcs