Evening star., 1896-08-07
THE IRWIN MURDER
Effect on Matthews of the Tragedy
at Marlboro.
FEELING AGAINST fHE WOMAN
More of Her Letters to the Alleged
Murderer.
A PRE- MEDITATED CRIME

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
cox. Md. August News of the
| Marlboro tragedy reached here early this
morning, and 1t seemed to have a depress-
ing effect on those engaged in the investi-
cation of the Irwin case. For a time the
people here seemed to lose sight of their
own affair and turned their atteltion to
discussion Of the means calculated to put
an end to these tragedies. When Mat
thews heard of the Marlboro affair he
seemed very much shocked, for the dis
| cussion of the tragic end Of DR.. WarinS
was accompanied with violent language,
and the prisoner seemed to have i'd ID
that Perhaps his life was in danger. But
| the people here have no idea Of using vio-
lence. and then, too. the Jail at La Plata
| IS an unusually secure structure of brick
and steel. with combination locks. and 1t
| would require considerable force to effect
an entrance. When the coroners jury
reached Aliens Fresh this morning there
| was general outpourng of the populace
| and everybody was anxious to hear what
the witnesses said, but this was not per-
| mtted. Constable Joe Howard reached
Aliens Fresh after an all-night drive hunt
ing witnesses. and States Attorney Posey
and the prisoner were there from La Plata
Feeling Of the Citizens.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
BEL ALTON. Charles county, Nd, Au-
81 st THE case involving the cowardly
murder of Jim Irwin at Aliens Fresh Sun
day night has caused much discussion con-
oerning Charles county's criminal record
during the past few years, and concerning
the cause of them no Ole disputes the idea
that the failure Of the courts to do Justice
IS wholly responsible. Residents of the
county are able to recall a score of cases in
winch there was wanton disregard of
human life. but in not a single case do they
know the inf1iction of the death penalty
In fact. 1t is stated that there have been
cases where it was certain that death was
the result Of violence. which were never
even so much as Investigated. What is the
| Sc Of investigating them? is asked When
the evidence is obtained and produced the
juries acQuit. and the heavy expense on the
county Is incurred with only disastrous re-
suits. FOR the acquittal Of a person in this
way Is sort Of Tree license to others that
they may go and do likewise. In this con-
necton some yerdicts in homicide case.
here have been severely denounced and
many citizens freely express the belief that
such verdicts. being only premiums on crime,
induce others who are tired of their life
partners to use some violent means poison
or deadly weapons to free themselves from
the bond of matrimcny.
Cause of COckinx.s Lynchfnr.
And it is the belief Of many people In this
vicinity that the lynching OF Joseph Cock
ing was the result of the failure of the
commonwealth to get the case before the
courts and have a speedy trial. The sad
tate OF Cooking, as Is well known, followed
the demand for a change of venue whic h
would have taken the case to St Mary's
county and involved an additional expense
OF more than $1,000, and IT ia believed
a fol
With so many cases in the past few years.
In which alleged murderers went free the
citizens concluded that in the absence of
the proper administration of Justice thev
would make an effort to redeem the good
1ame OF the county. And 1t was with this
IDEA In view that Cooking was removed
from this mundane sphere to another world
lie was not lynched by a crowd of intoxi-
Gated ruff1ans the result Of q bar-room
gathering, but some of the so-called best
citizens took part in the early morning af-
fair.
With this as an example it was thought
that the county would not be the scene of
another murder for some time to come but
almost before Cocking's body had decom-
posed came Sundays nights horrible affair.
Outcome of the Present Case.
Now, that the proof on hand,i 1T is thought,
| makes out a case beyond any doubt, and
the reasonable certainty that both George
Matthews and Mrs. Irwin will be held the
question OF the final outcome Of the case
is being discussed. 1t is generally believed
that the outcome will be entirely different
from that OF the case OF Belle Farrell for
the alleged murder of her husband by poi
| soning. Some of the citizens who are
anxious to have the stamp of condemnation
put on such crimes think that both the
man and woman will have to suffer the
death penalty, while there are those less
hopeful ones, who, judging from past ex-
perience, hope for nothing other than ac-
quittal. So far the punishment Of the
woman Is concerned. public sentiment diff
fers.
In this connection reference is frequently
made to the hanging of Mrs. Surratt. and
those who make this reference are opposed
to the infiction of the death penalty on her
but favor the hasty execution Of the man.
II something is not DONE" said prom
lnent man OF the county, "our homes will
rot be safe"
A great many people here, however, favor
the same punishment for both. for. indeed
the feeling against the man is not SO in
tense as is that against the woman. That
the man should have erred is blamed on
| the woman. and most OF the blame is upon
her. for she had a husband VINO cared for
her as well as most men in ordinary cir
cumstances That he loved her Is shown by
his continued devotion even after she had
openly wronged him. and after his life had
been threatened and he had been warned
again, this Is not the first time her con-
duct has resulted in bloodshed for shortly
before she was married her relations with
man caused the cutting of a mans
throat and almost his death She was
known down in Cobb Neck by most Of the
oystermen. while in this vicinity she was
by no means a stranger, and the comments
about her were never of q fattering char
acter.
Feeling as to Matthew'S.
On the other hand. George Matthews was
| a single man. and 1t Is said that he had
caused trouble in other families He came
here when he was but an orphan boy, hav-
ing been brought here from Havre de
Grace. His explanation Of his reason for
borrowing the gun from Charles Goode was
explained here today by a man from Rock
Point or Cobb Neck, who had known Mat
thews for a number Of years. 1t appears
that there was a Virginian who had come
across the Potomac to live. and because of
his manner of living the men about the
oyster village concluded to have some fun
with him and scare him. For this purpose
they dressed themselves in female attire
and went out as alleged Regulatory in
Imitation of the conduct Of men in other
states. When they met this old bachelor
on the road they rolled him in sand and
used switches on him. SO badly frightening
him that he returned across the water to
the old dominion. And 1t was because Of
Il