Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-01
RICHMOND,s RESERVOIR TRAGEDY.
The Story Of the Murder OF Fannie
Lillian Madison RetOld.

AS stated in yesterdays STAR the supreme
court of Virginia, sitting at Staunton, refused
the petition for a rehearing made in behalf OF
L. j. Cluverius who was convicted of the muir
der OF Lillian Madison at the Old reservoir i'm
Richmond, Va. This remands the case to the
hastings court OF Richmond, by which the time
will be fixed for the death penalty by hanging
unless executive clemency interposes. 1t is
not considered at all probable that the execu-
tive will interfere with the sentence OF the
court AS soon as the record in the case is GER
titled by the court of appeal down to the hust-
ings court, the latter tribunal will resentence
the doomed man. The date Of the hanging will
probably be fixed at sixty days from the time
of the prisoners arraignment. After the an
nouneement OF the decision Cluverius was Wis
tied in his cell by newspaper reporters, and
when asked to make a full statement of his
connection with the affair, he said: "At the
proper time will make a statement, and 1t
VIII impiicate some -. Here Cluverius
much. Yes, and viii -. But am talking too
fast think had better hold up"
RUINED LIFE
dispatch to the Baltimore Sun again tells
the story of the murder. Three years ago
ThomasJ. Cuverius, ofKing 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 propfiety and piety. Ii came to light
after he lett that during this time his Lie out
side OF the college had been different from his
professions, and that in one of his visits TO for
hidden places he had assumed the name of
Merton, name that was to come up in a
startling way long time after that. In the ad-
Joining county of King William lived. with her
father, his cousin, Fannie Lillian Madison, who
was very fond of him, though they were not
accounted lovers. He was her only male visitor.
lie had often taken her in his buggy 10 her
granuiathers (his uncies) to spend the night
On July y, 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
cuses TO be alone with her. The medical testi-
mony OF the case fixed that time about
the date of her ruin. In her trunk alter
death was a vile document in his handwrit-
Ing, which made il certain that he
nected with her fallen life. In September, 1884,
ne wrote her a letter, also found in her trunk,
urging her strenuousIy to get married, and indi-
catlng some man as the person for her 10 marry.
About July, too, Ciuverius, VINO had always
been cordial TO Lillan'S father, commenced
stunning him. Lillian now became anxious
from her condition 10 get away from home.
She wrote to a relative at MillDoro, Bath
county, to procure her situation, and he did
So at Mrs Margaret A. Dickinson's, in that
county, as governess and teacher. She went
There October 10, 1884, and while she. Was
there Ciuverlus wrote to her regularly, AZ was
discovered from empty envelopes in her trunk,
addressed to her in writing. AS her danger in
creased with time the poor girl more euergeti-
cdlly pressed him to help her.
PREPARING FOR HER MURDER.
He at last decided to help her by numbering
her. He was engaged to another lady, who has
married another since his trial began, and did
not propose to let the threats or entreaties of
Lillian disturb him longer. On January 5,
1885, Lillian told Mrs. Dickinson that she had
Received a letter telling her her aunt, Mrs.
Tunstaii, OF King anu Queen county, was very
iii, and she would go 10 see her. Being told
Cousin Tommie' (Ciuverius) would meet
her. On the evening of the D ia OF January sine
arrived in Richmond and registered at The Ex-
change hotel as ''Miss +. L. Merton" She was
assigned room No. 66. On the next morning
CiuNerius walked into the Exchange hotel, ram
his fingers down The reg lister until he came TO
Miss Merton, and asked IL The lady in No. TT
was IN. lie saw her. aud called again during
the day. That evening she went out and did not
return to the Motel TAI the next morning, say
ing she had stayed with an aunt In kicnmond.
Botn Mrs. 1u,Is ailrs illness and the staying at
her aunt's were proved on trial To have been
manufactured and not true. On the 1th OF
january she returned 10 Bath. 1t Oh that
visit That the trap was laid for the unhappy
girl 10 walk III. C,uVefius, during ms visit 10
Rlcnnond Oh that occasion, registered At the
Capitol hotel.
THE VICTIM ON HER WAY TO DEATH.
On March 10 Lillian, evidently by plan con-
certed with Cluverius at Richmond, received
through the Bath post office a forged letter
which she had written to herself and signed
Laura Curtis an old schOolmate, and which
had been mailed 10y Lillian To CiuVerius aud
then 10y him mailed back to her. 1t told her to
come 10 Richmond, to go 10 Old Point with her
aunt, who Was sick. She was 10 go on the 18th
that she would be met in Richmond by "Harry
Curtis" brother OF Laura. He was lar reacn-
ing in ali his murderous plans and In this pre-
pared the way to pass for Harry Curtis when be
called tor Lillian at the American Hotel She
read the forgery to Mrs. Dickinson and got her
boro on the evening of March IL, but by delay
OF the train did not arrive in Richmond till
about O'Clock that night. Sne went to the
American Hotel and registered Miss +. L.
Merton and was assigned TO room No. 81. The
next morning, Friday, she took breakfast in
her room, and while eating it a boy brought TO
ing that Cluverius knew her assumed name)
aud she answered 1t as follows: 81 will be there
as soon as possible. So do wait for me-"
HER SAD FATE.
During that fatal Friday she was seen with
him, and both were positively identified by
Belle Island, at 12:2O; at a house
of ill fame on 18th street shortly after; AT the
American hotel at dinner at 1:3O, each time
with the red shawl and blue jersey which She
left Miiiboro in. That night about IL or 1
o'clock Ciuverius returned TO the Capitol house.
ordered drink OF whisky to he sent TO his
room, and Went 10 bed to be called at sunrise to
take the cars Tor home. Saturday morning he
lett. That same sunrise found Lillian Madison
resting dead against the slanting side OF the
the slant having prevented her from
sinking when thrown in. bruse was her
but no breaking OF the skin. She had
never known where The reservoir was in
lie and must have been carried there. Her
hat and shawl thrown away many yards from
the reservoir, showed by the line reservoir
sand found on them that they had been there
before being IN the place where they were
found. Tracks marked severe struggle at the
point she was thrown. A discovery fatal to
the accused was made there. His watch-key
was picked up near that spot. 1t was the enve-
lope directed to L. j. Cluverius, sent by Lillian
from room No. Il on the morning of the fatal
day that brought Cluverius into it. The officers
went to King William and arrested him at his
aunts house.
CONVICTED BIZ HIMSELF.
When Cluverius was arrested, he evidently
thought all his plans had worked well and that
there was nothing TO connect him with the dead
woman. She had, doubtless by his advice,
spent the night before leaving Mrs. Dickinson's
for Richmond, in burning all the letters she had
received from him: Nothing was left to tell OF
his connection with her Richmond visit She.
too, thought she had burned all, but in spread
Ing paper over the bottom OF her trunk she
had left under 1t by accident the vulgar letter
In his hand writing and the Laura Curtis letter.
Of this he knew nothing. He thought she was
at the bottom of the reservoir, or ii a1oat could
not be identified, he having scattered her
and she having travelled under an as
sumed name. Indeed, she could not have been
identified, even after discovery, had not he
carried her shawl good distance from the res
ervoir and thrown il on fence. 1t was q news
paper description of the shawl which attracted |
The attention OF young lady who had seen |
Lillian wear it that induced her TO go 70 see
the body and easily identity it OF this also |
he knew nothing. When the warrant for his |
arrest was read to him, he replied with his |
first unlucky lie, II didn't even see her when
was in Richmond" Later, he told to the officers
an equally unlucky one. Speaking of the night |
Of the murder, he said, sit will be easy enough
for me to prove where l was. Every place |
went to met somebody that knew me." He |
denied, too that he had ever worn q watch key |
10 the end of the chain from which the key had |
been broken.
THE CONVICTION.