Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-17
CAPTAIN CHARLES HENRY EPPS
The Popular Citizen Gallant Soldier and Faithful Official
Who Passed Away Yesterday Afternoon.

was removed by the military authOII1cS
for refusal 10 take the iron-clad oath'
He was subsequently offered sergeahcy
by Mayor Ellyson, but refused this, and
on the very next day a vacancy occur
red in the captaincy of the force ana
ne was reappointed TO his old Office.
This was early I'm 1870. but not before the
Capitol disaster, IN which so many lives
were lost.
CAPTAIN Epps was one of the victims
Of this disaster. Having been actively
interested in the political issues of the
day. and a staunch supporter of Mr..
Elyson. he was in the Supreme Court
room when the floor gave way. ana with
the rest of the victims he was precipi-
tated through TO the floor below.
He was dug out more dead than alive
and carried 10 his fathers home, where
it was found that he had sustained Sc
rlous injuries, both to his head and body.
4 purse was raised for the relief of
the victims OF this disaster, but Captain
Epps positively refused to accept cent
Of the money, saying that there were
men with families who were injured in
the collapse who were more in need Of
the money than he.
AS soon as he recovered from his in
juries, Captain Epps returned 10 his
duties as police captain. and was among
those who did valuable work in the
celebrated "Cahoon-E Ellyson war" He
succeeded I'm smoking OUT the Cahoon
forces who captured the First Police
Station. Cutting off the supply of water
and gas. and building a fire beneath the
station house, he forced an unconditional
surrender of the fort
ARRESTED THOMAS J. CLUvERIUs.
Deceased continued to serve as police
captain until 1890. being i'm charge of the
Third District. During his term of office
ne made many important arrests. among
them that Of Thomas j. Cluverius. the
murderer Of his cousin. Fannie Lillian
Madison. and assisted materially in
gathering the evidence in that celebrated
case, the trial of which attracted such
widespread attention.
Captain Epps, with officer Logan
Robins, went 10 Little Plymouth, King
and Queen county. to secure Cluverius
and they brought him back 10 this city,
which he never left alive. One Of the
first things the keen eye of the deceased
noticed when ne arrested Cluverius was
the broken pendant TO his watch-chain
from which the key that had so much to
do with the prisoners conviction had
been torn, and it was this fact. as tes-
titled TO by him. that turned the evidence
against Cluverius.
None of the other arrests made by
Captain Epps were as important as this
but being a man Of great perspicuity, he
worked up during his term Of service
a great many interesting cases.
CITY SERGEANT SEVEN YEARS.
In 1890 deceased resigned as captain
of police TO accept the nomination for
the city sergeancy. He was opposed for
this Office one of the most lucrative in
the gift OF the people, by Mr.. j. c.
Smith. but won by a safe majority. He
had been reelected three times since
then. but each time only achieved his
victory after hard fight He was a
capable officer and a thoroughly con-
OF the affairs Of the jail has been fire.
quenty complmented.
HIS MANY CHARITIES.
While as an officer and a public citizen
deceased was best known, his private and
family life was worthy OF much COM
mendation. At all times gentle and
kind. and with a heart too full of love
for his fellow-man to see others suffer.
he gave large sums In charity. and in
recent years he never let a month go
by without visiting some one OF the
orphan asylums in this city, with pre-
sents for the little ones there His
charity did not stop here, bur extended
10 people in ALMOST every walk OF life.
He frequently sought out destitute suf-
ferers. and so far as In his power lay,
alleylated their distress.
In his home, which he had fitted up