The evening times., 1895-08-31
CUTTER BADLY TANGLED
MYSTERY NO MORE.
Continued from First page.l

dumps at the foot of Fifteenth and Nine
teenfh streets northwest. At that time
Contractor YANKEE Gleason had 1.-the the c1n, IN
scene of the Knox fire to the dumping spots.
Among Gleason's employees was william
Turner, a colored man, who = wned an ex-
press wagon. Turner'S mother occupies
the little frame house at the foot Of Nine
teenth street Just across the road from
She had heard that the coIored dump
diggers had found number OF valuable
articles among the rubbish brought from
the Knox fire, and requested her son tn de-
posit his loads on the lot just in rear OF her
house. where she and her children could rake
over the loads.
CHARRED PAPER THERE.
Among the stuff deposited from her sons
vehicle near Mrs. Turner's residence wero
several wagon loads of charred and DAM
aged papers.
One afternoon near the close of May
Capt. Cunningham, Carpenter Jones and
Mr.. Daniel kniffin, the carpenter, were
attracted to Mrs. Turner'S house b. some
rare historical papers which she had re-
covered from the piles Of debris.
The cOlored woman little dreamed OF the
value OF the papers In her possession. she
led the way to u clump OF bushes in rear OF
her home where there was still a large
quantity of documents. They had laih
In the snow and ice during the several
months intervening since winter. and were
in n pretty bad condition.
About the time they were discussing the
matter. Mr.. Harvey Lyles came up to the
group and together they commenced to
probe into tile mass OF paper and PICK out
documents.
Capt. Cunningham finally came across
q lot of papers which belonged 4 to a% tne
Capt. Theodore Gushing Otis, late OF
the Third Massachusetts Cavalry. Gun
niugham was interestedly reading the
documents, which We're full or historical
interest. when Mr.. Lyles, who had Just
overturned big pile of wet and charred
papers, held up a document encased IN
red tape, and exclaimed ;,
WHY, here is old Judge Holt's will"
Mr.. kniffin made n remark about Judge
of Mrs. Surratt, and Mr.. Lyles, at Capt.
Gun nningham's request, passed the VIII
over to the latter.
1T WAS HOLT'S WILL
The instrument was burned about the
edges, water soaked, while several snails
were crawling upon IL.
at was in D nasty condition" said Gun
nngiIam 10 The Times last night, and
after opening 1t and glancing at ihe head
ing. In the name of God, amen, and the
signatures, l unfolded il entirely and
spread il over a big stone to dry. placed
a piece of brick on IL TO prevent the docu-
TO reading the interesting paterson papers.
This was about 800 O'Clock IN the
afternoon. AT 4:30 we left the dump.
and while engaged in talking about other
on the stone.
ON the foiiowin. morning, when re-
turned TO Mrs Turncr's house ana went to
the cump of bushs TO look for the paper,
IL was gone
Why did you not make this matter
because, realizing the value of the paper
after Judge Holts death, l have been
making a still hunt for the party who
took tue document from the stone where
placed it -
In company with Cant Cunningham Mr..
Lyles ana Mr.. Knffen, Il Times representa-
tive last evening visited Mrs Turner at
her little frame home on the dump. The
coloTed woman was surrounded by her SONS
and was communicative.
SHE MAY HAVE HAD 1T.
Capt. Cunningham believes the woman
found the will where il had been placed
to dry and removed 1t with a lot OF other
papers into her house. Seeing Cunningham
and Lyles carrying way a lot of the papers,
was evidence To her mind that they were
valuable, aud she thereupon proceeded
to gather IL lot and carly them intoher house
Among Others it is believed she found the
Holt will carefully spread upon the stone
to dry ana concluding therefore IL was
valua ble she picked IL up and carried IL into
the house with the others
Several days after The finding OF the
Holt Will by Mr.. Lyles and Capt. Cunning
ham, n Young man, Edward Cutler Of No.
1921 X street northwest. who claimed To
bs a nephew OF Mrs. Jennie X. Stickney,
one Oh INC DN utEt tue tbDtbf'i llttss
called at Mrs. Turner's home, on the dump.
He was accompanied by a colored man. who
carried a closed basket on his arm, The
Y Dung man was loo king for some documents
which belonged to a branch of his family.
H" found them in Mrs Turner S house, mixed
up with a proniscuous lot OF other papers
Selecting what he wanted and placinl them
in the basket, the youth turned TO the colored
" oman and said:
Here are fifteen cents for the papers
have selected. l Will call tomorrow and
give you SOME mure money.
IN CUTTERS POSSESSION.
There is little doubt but that Mr.. Cutter
found the Holt Will and placed that, too, in
the basket. This belief is streng thened
because OF the fact that he never came
back. Probably he thought s"nieone would
the return OF the VIII.
Capt Cunning ham and the Times reporter
uuearthed these facts last night, and the
CAPTAIN believes he is the person who
sent the will to Register Wright
Mr.. Lyles said last night to The Times
that he unearthed in rear of Mrs. Turner's
house full half bushel of Judge Holt's
room at his residence, No. 2121 street
north west, stored with historical and other
papers he found on the dump, aud he believes
some OF the Holt papers, which were with
the will, are among them.
Capt. Cunning CHAM also has lot OF val
uable papers from the Knox fire at his resi-
dencc in Northeast Washlng gton.
WILL is GENUINE.
One fact remains. The Holt will now
framed in the office of the register of wills
is genuine. There are four reputa bic and
disinterestcd citizens who Will make affi-
davit that they brought u TO light in
the pile OF charred rubbish from the
Knox fire, which was unloaded in the
weeds in the rear OF Mrs. Turner's house,
at the foot of Nineteenth street. Some
OF the other Holt papers are on the spot
now where the will was found, but in the
regular order of things they were covered
oyer by about three feet OF earth, as the
filling Of the dump progressed.
This morning Capt. Cunningham and
Messrs Lyles and Kniffen viii visit the
place with pickax and shovel, and bring
10 the surface some of the papers of the
late Judge advocate as corroborative evil
dence or their valuable find. They will
also be used as witnesses of the genuine
Lizzie Hynes and Josephine Holt Throck-
morton, the heiresses named in the paper.
The Holt papers arc said to have been
storea IN 9ers ase nn9M ,ha inGrs ese eier
by himself or come friend to whom he EN-
trusted them.
Mrs. Turner, the colorad woman, who is
papers for 8 cents to Mr.. Cutter, who was
then unknown to her, also found mixed up
with the documents a pair OF gold-framed
spectacles and a golden immature sword,
studded with diamonds.
An effort was made last night to see Mr..
Edward Cutter, To learn II he had any
knowledge of the paper. When a reporter
called at the family residence, No. 1922
X street northwest. he was informed that
the young man could not be seen.
NO PUBLIC MOVE.
The representatives of the legatees made
no move publicly yesterday. Mr.. Nc
Chord, who is the nephew and attorney Of
Miss Hyncs, remained in his room at the
Ebbitt House great part of the day.
He was very busy with papers and books,
and in the afternoon had consultation
with Mr.. Devlin, executor under the will.
He retired early with severe attack Of
neuralgia.