Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-03
A RECORD OF. CRIME.
Hosniciaes In the Dissrics % Cslu0bls
Since 1850.

H0soiciaes In the District % Columhia
| Since 1850.
WHAT THE JAIL BOOKS sHow-xunKHous coxvIc-
rroNs AND SENTENCES, sur Few HASatxee--Ex-
EVrTvR cLkhKHcY At rHR LAST MoNEsr-ISrkR-
EsrNs CASES or YEARS AGO.
By glancing over the criminal records OF the Dis
tnct OF Columbia since 1850. it viii be found that
the nrst prominent homicide case was that OF
| Frank Camper, who, it was thought ct the time,
would be hung, but the trial resulted In q verdict
OF manslaughter. on the night OF August 10,
1850. flre was In progress on street, near 18TH
On the square eastward the homicide was commit
ted. the victim being Martin Raglan, who then
kept the saloon adjoining McGnl's printing ofsice
IL was some Two or three weeks after before it was
ascertained who Was the perpetrator. Camper
was arrested, tried and convicted OF manslaughter
ana sentenced to eight years in the penitentiary.
After serving two years he made his escape with
Joseph ALEXANDER, noted Baltimore burglar,
! prfsonment on sentences of two years each. cam
per ana ALEXANDER were never heard OF mere
again. put some years after II was reported that
murdered.
The MKT HoMIcIDK
here was John Day, bricSayer, who killed his
wife In the early part or 1851. He was convicted
| OF murder June 20 OF that year. new trial was,
however, granted and on the second Trial verdict
| OF guilty OF mansaughter was rendered and he
was sentenced TO eight years In the penItentiary.
Day had been married but a few months and
was restored to citizenship by receiving a pardon
Gay or TWO prior TO the expiration Of the SEN
The next case, like the preceding one, had a wife
Tor victim, and II resulted In CONVICTION and
hanging. This was the case Of Daniel T. Wood
and aaap man op IN nne
having been for years prominent temperance
man nnslly left his business and get up a saloon.
wifes throat. One OF his children was the princi-
pal witness against him. He was convicted June
| l6, 1853, and in reply to the question by Judge
tence OF the law should not be pronounced?' he
| replied: ~ have, may It please your honor" and
deemed capable Of Using to argue thai he ee could
not be guilty Of MURDER and to appeal 70 the court
70 save his life. He was sentenced TO be hung on
place IN the yard OF the JAZZ Atm and streets the
late Richard Wallach being then the tparshal.
FREDERICK Gratz was committed TO jail septem-
trial
George Raglan was committed to Jail for murder
on June 10, 1855. and on June 26 was convicted.
Raglan was a colored man, and he was charged
with killing white man named Wood by striking
nln 10 the head with swtngietree, she occur
pennsylvania avenue. A new trial was granted
| casa.
A JEALOUS KNGLIsHxAx
man, residing on North Capitol street, near r
street, shot and killed Thornton Avery, and at the
| same time seriously wounded Robt. Warren. The
motive for this shooting was Jealousy, Edwards
supposing that Avery was paying attentions TO a
committed at night, when a monster torch light
| procession OF the know-nothings was parading,
ana when the news OF the homicide reached the
procession many left the ranks to avenge the death
OF the men-both OF them being supposed at that
time TO oe dead. Fortunately for Edwards the on
| way. Edwards was convicted on March 3, 1876,
ana on March IA he was sentenced to seven years
A verdict OF not guilty was rendered In the cas-
| OF philemon T. Herbert, member OF Congress
OF California, for the murder OF one Heating, a
waiter in Wizards Hotel, In May, 1855, on the
| George Cornwall and Lorenzo Burx were com.
on December Il Following Convicted Of NAM a
slaughter, and each were sentenced to i've years
| In the penitentiary.
John Moriarity was committed to JAN December
| 10, 1856, and on January 8, 1857, convicted OF
man1slaaghter, and sentenced to two years in the
Mary Mcpherson was on January %. 1864 con-
| vlcted or manSaughter and sentenced TO six
years 10 the penitentiary.
manslaughter January IL Following, and sem
tebced each to eight years In the penitentiary.
slaughter December z. 1857, and sentenced 70
| three years In the penitentary.
on April IA, 1853 JAS. Powers was convicted OF
4 the murder OF young Lutz, OF Baltimore at a
restaurant on Pennsylvania avenue between 4 4
and 9th streets, and was hung In the yard OF tie
Jail september y 1858. This execution took place
| on a scaffold erected tor the occasion.
Chas Barrett, better known as SQuirley Barrett,
was convicted OF the murder OF Reeve Lewis on
August 9. 1858. and was sentenced to be hanged
october % following, but a Communication OF his
sentence was secured by his friends to imprison-
ment for NE He made his escape from the penn.
| fho and iran
South.
on July 4, 1858, James p Deviin and John s.
Deylin were tried for the murder OF young man
named Beale and the former was convicted OF
| manslaughter and the iac1er acquitted.
BENJAMIN Ogle was committed to jail January
| on May 30 following was convicted OF man
slaughter and sentenced to the penitentiary for
eight years :. He was pardoned BY President Lin
This brings the record down to January 20 1858,
and then hiatus OF couple OF years In the Jail
arti lie there were from 1850 to January 1858. no
less than twenty-five other Cases in Which some
Of the prisoners were held but a few days or &C
The next homicide case was that OF P. Barton
Key, VINO was the United States District Attorney
lor the DISTRICT by Gen. D. Z sickles on the east
had been intimate relations between Key and Mrs
Sickles, and GeH. Sickies, who lived on the west
side OF the square, met and shot Key on Sunda
afternoon. The trial In the Criminal Court was
comm need on April following, Col Robert
! Ouid, Mr.. Keys successor, representing the Gov
ernment and Messrs. Graham and Brady, OF New
York; d. Radcliffe and A. B. Magruder, OF this
city; p. Phillips, OF Alabama, and Hon. E. NJ
stanton appearing for Gen. Sckies The trial lasted
until April % and resulted In q verdict OF not
guilty.
CONVICTED AND PARDONED.
On the 23d Of July, 1855, August Heissler and
George johnson were convicted, on the charge OF
murder OF Marcellus stoops, of manslaughter and
sentenced eight years each in the penitentiary
but were pardoned April IA, 1862.
Hillary Hutchins and VIM Jones were tried in
the latter part OF June, 1859, Tor the murder OF
guilty OF manslaughter as to Hutchtns; not guilty
as to Jones. HutchlnS was sentenced TO the pepi.
Tertiary for eight years, but was pardoned April
20 1853 subsequently he was killed by young
man named Nicholson In self-defense.
At TIE LAST MOMENT.
On April 4, 1861, soldier, John Foley, was In.
dicSed for the murder OF N. Murphy, corporal Of
his company (MaJ. Haskins), OF regular infantry,
which was then quartered In q house ON b street
north between North Capitol and LIST streets
Foley was convicted and sentenced to be hanged
In July. He received the illustrations OF Rev
Father Wigett and Father Walter and was pre-
pared for the dread event. while, In the meantime
the scanold was erected in the JAIL Ali that
was necessary for carrying out the law had been
done save placing the culprt on tue trap and pull
ing the trigger (Or rather pressing the loot upon
It, for ct that date the trigger was worked by the
pressure OF the foot). Foley had received the
were Just the eve OF forming the little process
sion FOR the gallows when q mounted messenger
arrived from the White House with Communication
OF the death penalty 10 Imprisonment in the peni
Tertiary for hfe. This communication Foley atnrst
declined TO accept, because he thought the peni-
taattarv yvould COnfnlnQ