Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-09
Tho Murderer Should Be Caught

The public has very little information a.
70 what the Pullman Company are doing
With respect to the arrest Of the murderer
Of Mr.. CoxNxlL. but we take it for granted
, that they are not idle.
They should not be. Such an occurrence
= . reproach to their management, and. we
must believe, could only have been render
Cd possible by disobedience of their rules.
Any other view OF tho matter. If taken by
travellers, would result in Q great loss Of
patronage to the corporation.
When man pays for berth and draws
the curtains about him and falls to sleep
he hes the right to expect that the car, and
his couch particularly. will be protected
from intruders. especially from those who
70 about demanding passenger money,
and when refused draw pistols and shoot.
Upon The good county OF Augusta and
upon the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Company there Is also an obligation to bring
this murderer to Justice: but the country
looks TO the Pullman Company chiefly.
Mr.. CoxNELL had placed himself in their
care. he had paid the charges exacsed OF
him, and relying upon the watchfulness OF
the company's officers he went to sleep
without thought of being aroused by
robber-assassin. Unhappily his confidence
ON this occasion was misplaced.
We cannot now apportion the blame be-
tween the Pullman Company and its
servants or between the Chesapeake and
Ohio Company and its servants.or between
the two companies. If an inquest had
been held upon the body Of Mr.. CoSsxLL,
these facts might have been brought out,
but in the judgment of tho Coroner OF
Charlottesville that proceeding was un-
necessary, hence there is as yet no official
evidence from which We may draw conclu-
siops.
We simply desire to say at this time that
the murder of Mr.. CoSNEIL is greatly
mouYned by the people of this State, and
that while every virginian may be
counted on to assist in the search for the
offender the Pullman Company cannot
escape the moral responsibility they have
incurred short of finding the assassin and
lodging him in the jail of Augusta.
No reason yet advanced silences the
solemn assertion of Mr.. CoNNELL that be
was murdered fer his monsv. This he
made q moment after the shot was tired
this he repeated almost with his latest
breath. He may have been followed from
his home in Portsmouth, 0. Al to that
no one knows. The Staunton story, how
ever, seems worthy Of thoughtful consid-
Grafton. Tho man who attracted atten-
ton there and who Is said to have
Aourished . pistol on the street and then
Jumped on the train in question u repre-
scented as having been bareheaded. The
man who poked his head into lady's
berth had ON "a smoking cap" which may
have made him appear bareheaded on the
street if, indeed. he was the same person.
And now comes an account OF q sus-
picious-lookinR individual Of the same
description who is alleged to have been
seen on the Shenandoah train 1t Basic
City, and who also disappeared there.
These are certainly clues worth fol-
lowing, and we trust that the Pullman PEG.
ple have been giving them attention.
Harm has been done this case by insinua-
lions that Mr.. CoxNKLL lost his life. not at
the hands of . robber. but at the hands Of
some one who had . personal grudce
against him. All the facts are against this
uncharitable theory. His first distinguish.
able words after the pistol-shot was heard
we're: "pve got no money to be murdered
for"
The people oil along the line of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railway from Rich
mond to Cincinnati are taking great in
terestin this case. itsppeals powerfully to
their sympathies. and it describes to every
travelling man asituation in which he may
and himself any night. There wouldbo
great public rejoicing If the announcement
could be made that the police had collared
tho murderer and that he would certainly
meet With the punishment be deserves