Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-05-09
VIRGINIA NEWS.

flhUlN1d NL W ~.
The steamer Richmond took to Bal.
timore Yesterday the first green peas OF
the season. They came from the Rap
pahannock river.
Mrs. Lee, wife of Mr.. VIM. Lee, who
lives near the Henry House, in Prince
William county, died on Thursday
from complication of diseases.
The Sussex and King and Queen
county democrats have declared for
free silver and endorsed Senator Daniel.
Russ sell and Grayson countit have also
declared for free silver.
The man Magruder, who committed
an outrage on colored girl and after
wards murdered her in Allegheny
county, was found guilty yesterday and
sentenced to be hanged on June IS.
The Richmond cattle brokers had a
satisfactory interview with Gov. Carr
in regard to the cattle quarantine regu-
lations in western North Carolina. The
governor will cooperate with the
brokers in their efforts to have Score
tary Morton's order modified.
Governor Guy, of Mississippi, has
been a guest at the Hotel Linden, Lees
burg, for several days. He is remem-
bered by some of our citizens as SOL
der here, at the beginning OF the war
member of the 18th Virginia regi-
ment. He came here TO look over the
battlefield of Balls Bluff, in which bat
tle he was -Wdshanqt0nian.
THE WASHINGTON MURDERER.
AS stated in yesterdays GAZETTE,
Irwin Ford, the negro who was captur-
ed at Harper's Ferry on Wednesday,
has confessed to being the murderer Of
Elsie Kreglo, the sixteen-year-old
daughter of tenant farmer in the out.
skirts of Washington, on Monday.
In his confession Ford denied abso-
lutely any intention or attempt to out
rage the girl, but when asked why the
girls underclothing was torn, he only
mumbled in an unsatisfactory and in
coherent manner. Ford said (: VI am
the man that killed that poor girl Mon
day. I met Miss Kreglo down in the
hollow, right near the spot where she
fell when I killed her. She was walk,
ing toward her house and / was going
in an opposite direction. 1 was whit.
Ting with a penknife and asked the girl
where the Zoo park was. She said
knew as we'll as she. told her not to
be so sassy, and she replied there were
too many niggers round that neig hbor-
hood and threw a stone at me. Then |
started for her. There wasn't much OF
struggle. I knocked her down and
stuck the knife into her neck about four
times. knew that if / let her live she
would say I had tried to rape her, and
then would be hanged for it anyhow.
I did not know she was dead when l
left her,"
When asked how it was that Miss
Kreglo's underwear was so badly torn
if there was no struggle nor any attempt
at outrage, Ford gave mumbling re-
ply which did not at all explain the
situation. He gave several such rea-
sons as that the button must have been
loose and that the garment dropped
partly off when she fell. He denied
absolutely that he had intended to COM
NIT an outrage or that he had actually
made any such attempt.
"When left there I went Off toward
the Pierce Mill road, and when | had
gotten little way / realized what l
had done, and then sat down by the
side of the road and cried for long
time, for / was certainly sorry, deed |
was.
"When got homo that Monday night
I told my wife that l had made an at
tack on O white lady, and that the
police were after me, so that would
have to go away. stayed at home that
night, and the next day spent in the
woods near where 1 live. was there
that night where I could see the house
without being seen, and l saw the de-
tectives when they went to the house
and made the search. After that l
slipped into barn not far of and stay
ed there that night. Wednesday | was
in the woods again, and then went oil
by the road to Muirkirk.
81 caught freight train there and
hung on till got to'Baltimore. I stay
ed around Sparrow Point, where l used
to work, and Wednesday night | got
into freight car in Baltimore and slept
there all night. The train that the car
was on left Baltimore before it was day
light, and 1 got up to Harper's Ferry
yesterday morning. The bread and
meat was eating when that gentleman
caught me at Harper's Ferry was given
to me by man on the freight train,
who had basket full of things to eat.
Then 1 was brought back here to Wash
ington, and that is just all there is
about it.
81 know all you gentlemen are going
to string me up tonight, anyhow, and
1 might just as well tell the whole
thing straight before 1 die"
Detective Weldon tried to reassure
the covering wretch by telling him
that he would have fair and honest
trial, but nothing would convince Ford
that he was not to be lynched as
soon as night fell. Again and again
he pointed to the little crowd which
clustered about his cell door,
and insisted that there was not man there
who would not be only too glad to tie the
rope around his neck. In this, perhaps, Ford
was not so very far wrong for as he told his
chastity tale there was no ono in earshot but
who shuddered at the cold-blooded way in
which he had killed tho poor, helpless girl
just four days before. There was not one
thought for her; it was all for himself, lest he
might meet with summary punishment.
II wouldn't so much mind" he said, 'if
Al iuc OF, bon il-a