Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-20
Confesses to Having Gut His Mis-
tress Throat.
HATED TO See HER SUFFER
He Used a Razor and Covered the
Body With Leaves.
RLY MORNING CRIME

woods OF the dead body of colored woman
named Eliza Foster. who had been muir
dered by Nelson Thomas, colored man
with whom she had been living, and yes
terday afternoon the residents of Bright
wood had a similar experience when the
body OF a colored woman named Lena
Gross was found in the woods near that
place. She had been murdered. and 1t Is
thought, by a man named Robert or James
Travers, with whom she had lived. TRAY
ers' crime seems to have been the result Of
fright and scare caused by feeling on his
Fart that a blow of his fist had mortally
wounded the woman, and he then used
razor on her throat to put her out of her
misery.
Travers and the Gross woman lived In a
house near Brightwood. and he has always
been regarded as an inofrensive and hard
working man. In the country he worked
for Mr.. Robinson, where he attended to a
cow and had charge of the stable, while he
also worked in the city for Mr.. Reynolds
at the plumbing business.
The first known of the murder by the
police was about o'clock yesterday after
noon, when a telephone message from
Brightwood announced the finding In the
woods OF the woman's body Her throat
was cut, and her body was covered with
leaves to hide IT from view of persons on
the road. The police patrol wagon from
the eighth precinct soon reached the spot
where the body had been found by two
morgue.
The police learned that two boys-John
and Henry Darling-had found the woman's
body about o'clock in the morning. They
imagined they heard groa ms, and without
stopping to make a closer investigation
they turned their backs on the woman and
continued on their way to examine their
rabbit traps. 1t was late in the afternoon
before they made any statement about the
woman, and then Ii was that others saw
the woman's dead body and telephoned the
news to the police.
Pointed to Travers.
1t required but short investigation to
lead to the belief that Robert Travers was
the murderer. and the police had no trouble
in causing his arrest. Almost everybody
about Brightwood knew Lena Gross, and
they also knew that she lived with Robert
Travers, or Bob as he was more famil-
iarly called. Policemen Brown and Speer
were making an investigation of the case
when the negro, apparently unconcerned.
walked up and listened to what was going
on. as if he were in ignorance of the whole
affair.
Here he is now" said a bystander to
the policemen, and the murderer was placed
under arrest.
Il didn't kill no woman" he said. in re-
Spouse to a charge that he was responsible
for Lena's death.
He was taken to the police station. where
he was questioned and cross-questioned. but
he denied that he knew anything concern
ing the womans death and attempted to
account for the movements of both the
woman and himself during the entire day;
The woods had been searched. and Travers
house had been visited, but not even a
semblance of a clew had been obtained.
The most suspicious thing about the arrest
was the fact that the prisoner was wearing
three suits of clothes, which the officers
thought was an indication that he intended
to leave this part of the country as soon as
he could get together little money. Then,
too, there was a blood stain on his handker-
chief, but he promptly said that his nose
had bled during the day, and the officers at
that time knew nothing to the contrary.
Trnvers Confessed.
This was the secret of the mans life for
upon ii depended his own life, and he had
made such a good start that the officers
feared they would have to depend upon
circumstantial evidence, but about IL
o'clock last night 1t proved a case Of
murder will OUT and the prisoner made a
full confession.
Sergeant Montgomery reduced the pris-
oners confession to writing, and while he
was in the humor of talking and giving all
the information possible the police put
him in the wagon and drove to the woods
where, not twenty hours before, he had
committed the crime which may result in
his marching to the scaffold later on. Ar
irving in the woods at nearly l o'clock in
the morning, the officers and prisoner
moved about in the darkness with lanterns
and then went to a manure heap at Mr.
Robinson's stable and found the red hat
that Lena wore when Travers used the
razor on her throat.
This morning the prisoner was taken to
police headquarters, where Detective Board
man measured him before having him
photographed for the. gallery.
Told His story.
While at police headquarters Travers told
Star reporter the story of his life and
crime.
In 1866 he was born in Charles county,
Maryland. on a farm between Marshall
Hall and Glymont, and there he after
ward worked on the farm. When quite
good-sized boy Bob" tired of country llfe
thought he would come to the city, where
he could make more money in a month
than he could earn on the farm in a year.
He was industrious and always worked
when he could get it. Some people con-
sdered that he was not very bright, think
ing he was a little weak minded, but he
showed no outward appearance of insanity,
today, although it was suggested that in
sanity might be his plea when he is called
upon to answer for his crime. He had
known Lena for long time, but 1t was
not until last December that he and the
woman concluded to live together as man
and wife.
According to the prisoners statement to
a Star reporter, he and Lena had some
angry words Sunday afternoon because
she wanted him to stay home and prepare
dinner instead Of going out with her.
But" said the prisoner, II knew she
was up to some devilment, and 1 didn't in
tend to trust her."
He said he was due at Mr.. Robinson's at
o'clock yesterday morning to feed and
milk the COW, and from there he was to
go to Mr.. Reynolds to clean and feed the
horses. Not having any clock In the house,
he did not know what time 1t was when
he got up, and when he reached Mr.. Rob-
inson's he learned that 1t was only
o'clock He did his work, and then went
to Mr.. Reynolds, where he attended to the
horses. AS he had no work to do for the
plumber. he had promised to remain at Mr.
Robnson's during the day, and so he re-
turned there and had his breakfast.
After breakfast he left the house. and
was sitting on the bars at the gate, when
he saw Lena come up the road He had
given her Is cents before he left home, as
she wanted to go to town and buy some
calico for a dress, and had promised to
give her more. He did not have less than
a dollar bill, and he did not want to give
her that, for fear she would get drunk and
get In trouble.
When she approached him she asked
where's that money!?
They talked few minutes and Lena
added: Hurry up, pa, and give me that