Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-03-12
TO-DAY'S TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
Matthews Executed.

Matthew's EACCuitu.
La PLATA, Md, March 12.-George
Matthews, who murdered James j. r.
win at Aliens Fresh, Charles county,
Md, last August, was executed IN the
La Plata jail yard this morning. The
wonderful nerve displayed by the con-
demned man throughout his trial and
imprisonment continued until the last
moment. The drop fell at $50 o'clock
and Matthews was pronouced dead IN
eight minutes from strangulation. Mat
thews was brought here from Baltimore
last night and while there was q great
crowd at the depot, and in the streets,
no demonstration was made against the
prisoner. A great deal of sympathy
was expressed by the sight-seers for the
condemned man as he was led to the
scaffold this morning, while the woman
who, it is alleged, melted him to the
crime, was denounced and cursed.
The crime for which Matthews was
hanged was one of the most atrocious
murders ever committed in Maryland.
He killed man by shooting him in
the head while he was asleep in his own
bed, the most horrible part Of the affair
being that the murdered mans wife lay
on the far side of the bed while Mat
thews fired the fatal shot. The MUIR
dered man was James ]. Irwin, who
lived with his wife and children at AL
lens Fresh. Matthews was o fisher
man, who lived at Cobbs Neck: and for
long time he and Mrs. Irwin had
been criminally intimate. Matthews
became imbued with the idea that if he
did not destroy Irwin, the latter would
kill him. On Sunday, August l, Irwin
and his wife and children went to
river resort, about twenty miles from
home, and while they were enjoying
their holiday, Matthews was preparing
to assassinate Irwin. 1t was one of the
hottest days of last summer, yet despite
that fact, Matthews got into rowboat,
with double barrel shotgun, and in
the hot broiing SIM, began to row from
Rock Point to the head of Wicomico
river, which is but few feet from the
Irwin nome. Irwin and his family re
turned shortly after nine o'clock at
night, and stopped for few
minutes at the home of Twins
father before they went home.
Irwin was tired, went to bed, and
was soon in sound sleep. Matthews,
who had been hiding in the bushes,
crept into the house. The wife, he
said, was standing in the center of the
floor. Matthews was armed with his
gun, and no word passed between the
man and the woman. The woman,
according to Matthews, walked delib
erately to the bed, lay down on the far
side, while Matthews stepped up to
the sleeping husband, and blew out his
brains. He then got into his boat, and
after he had gotten mile down the
river, Mrs. Irwin alarmed the neigh
borhood. States Attorney Posey went
to work on the case, and the next
morning placed Matthews under arrest,
and in his shanty found the gun and
the tell-tale letters which brought
| about his conviction. Mrs. Irwin, for
several days, remained in hystercal
condition, and at the conclusion of the
inquest, she was arrested as an Access
sorry to the murder. Both Matthews
and Mrs. Irwin were taken to La Plata
and locked up in the jail, and few
weeks later the community was star
tied to learn that Matthews had walk.
ed out of the Jail. All trace was lost
of him for several weeks, and no con.
certed effort was made to capture
him, although it was a patent fact
that he had not gotten out of the county.
His trial had been set for the latter part
of November, and two days before that
time he walked back to the jail Of his
own volition. He was tried and speed
lily convicted and sentenced. Mrs. IT.
win was to have been tried by the same
court the next week, but she claimed
she could not get fair and impartial
trial at La Plata, and the case was re.
moved to Baltimore. The principal
witness in the case would have been
Matthews, but he refused to testify.
The trial came to speedy termination
in the acquittal of Mrs. Irwin. A week
later Matthews was sentenced to be
hanged on March u, and since that
time great pressure has been brought to
bear on Governor Lowndes to COM
mute the sentence. Mrs. Irwin is still
in Baltimore. After her acquittal, she
went under an assumed name, with her
sister, to board in house in Baltimore.
In few days the lady of the house dis
covered. through q cut in newspaper,
resemblance to Mrs. Irwin, and she
was Obliged to leave.