The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
IN UlD DlOIRIC MURDER
ASsasSlD alton Of a Peddler on the
Alexandria Rad.
PROCLAMATION of President Monroe
hension of the Principal and Ac-
ccssories to the Crime-Publicatfon
of an Alleged Confession.

murder in cold blood in the early day:
| OF 1871. upon one of the main roads lead
| ing into Washington excited an interest In
the old District of Columbia which few
homicides since that time have occasioned
In the proclamation of President Monroe
the victim of the murder was called
William Seaver. but the probability is
that his name should have been spelled
'Sceva,' for that was the spelling of the
name given the writer by an old native of
Alexandria who was the last one to whom
ne babe farewell before setting out on that
journey which never reached its terminus.
AT that time the last boat for Washing
ton left Alexandria at o'clock p. m. dur
Ing the long days of summer. William
Seaver was peddler and also to some ex-
tent drummer for city business houses
in the country villages.
He stopped ordinarily when in Wash
ington at the only hotel then in South
Washington which was located on Four
teenth west and Maryland Avenue, near
the north end of the Long Bridge, and
when In Alexandria he put up at the City
Hotel, on Royal Street, opposite the mar
ket. One afternoon early in July, 1921 he
left the hotel for the Washington packet
roat, but arrived on the river front only TO
see her half a mile away. On his way
back TO the hotel he halted at the gro
Gerry store Of the late James VI. Stewart,
on Royal Street near the market. the
building now occupied by Cogan & Bro,
and told Of his mishap in missing the boat.
AT first he proposed to take lodging at the
City Hotel, but changed his mind and said,
"Good-by. Mr.. Stewart. I'll walk 1t, fer
I've over three hours to do it in and / can
walk it in two hours" And SO he walked
on.
The next thing heard Of Seaver was the
discovery of his body hidden in stream
under culvert that passes beneath the
Washington and Alexandria turnpike.
hundred yards or more south of the juno
ton of the Columbia turnpike with the
road, about mile south of Jackson City.
The authorities of the District of Column
bia did their utmost to ferret out the
murderer; but in vain. Some habitues of
a gaming house which stood at Sebastian
Spring, later Roach's Spring. near what
was later Fort Runyon and now the brick
yards, reported that they saw a man wash
ing in the Potomac, which makes an inlet
there, but there were no tidings of any
other stranger having been seen in the
neighborhood. -
An uncanny fear came to possess the
community and body of volunteers from
the neighborhood, REINFORCED from the two
cities. cleared the sides of the road of all
underground for a width of hundred
yards.
President Monroe published in the Ma
tional Intelligencer" and other papers the
following proclamation:
By the President OF the United States OF America:
A Proclamation.
Whereas, information has been received that an
atrocous murder, aggravated by the additional
crime OF robbery, was on the 9th or 9TH OF the
present month, committed in the county Of Al
exandria ID. C., on William Seavers, late OF this
city. and. whereas the apprehension and punish
ment OF the murderer, murderers, his or
their accessory or accessories, will be example
due 10 justice and humanity. and in every way
Statutory in its operation. have Therefore thought
fit to Issue this, my proclamation, hereby directing
all citizens OF the United States, and particularly
those of this District. TO apprSnsnd anu tHasa.o.
TO bring 10 justice. the principal, or principals
accessory or accessories, TO the said murder; and
do offer a reward OF $500 for each principal and
$50 for each accessory if there be more than one
who shall be apprehendsd and brought to justice:
TO be paid upon his conviction OF the crime, or
crimes aforesaid. JAMES MONROE.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. Secretary of State.
of the murderer. but believed by many to
-
The self asserted murderer wrote:
Il placed some provisions on board a
small skiff which / had bought for fowling
the winter previous. together with a
change of clothes, so as TO be ready for all
and taking my double bareled
gun, game bag, and accoutrements. ! p1sh-
ed off and padded across the river, as l
had often done when cunning. A few
hours spent in shooting small game to IA
.f,I.
the carrying and range of my piece-and
the time had come. / had puIposely run
along the shore toward the Eastern Branch
and just before the sun set / crossed tcc
river, padded up an estuary which makes
into the Potomac within ten yards OF Sc
bastian Spring; pulled up my boat upon
the beach under shelter of a thick ccpse
and moving forward to a height near the
spring under which runs the road between
the two cities. / saw that all was quiet |
Even the nest OF loafers at the spring was
deserted, and save the distant hum that
might have been the murmur of city life !
or the sound of wind in the forest, all was
silent as the grave.
THE road which connects the two cities |
and over which from the cliff now Looked |
with eager interest. passed before it rea h. |
ed the neiRhtorhood of the cliff. over |
rolling country, now rising to hilltop and
again descending into deep valleys. 50 that |
the approach OF a traveller might be de- |
scribed for the distance of several miles. as |
in turn he reached the high points-afler |
it passed the cliff and the sprngs-for they |
were close neighbors-the road ran upon !
an erlbankmeut- that crossed the estuary | |
have mentioned, and connected the main
land with an island. which. in its turn. was |
united to the Federal city by bridge |
spanning the river. On all this extent of |
there was but one sign Of |
life. wagon rumbing on the draw of the |
distant bridge, but that soon passed from |
sight The sun lit the domes of the city |
with its last rays, but / did not look that |
way for as its almost level beams shot |
athwart the hills over which the road |
passed, distant in its glow. l saw Wrce |
on at his unusually rapid pace.
The sun fell behind the trees. and he dis
appeared in the valley of the roadway al
most the same moment.
81 came a short distance down the decliv-
ty and extending myself at full length be-
hind a belt of shTubbery rested my gun
Ipon roots so as TO be invisible, and at the
same time to command any object on the
'oad for several hundred feet Ere long | |
saw the man cross a riyulet which ran at
he bottom of the valley. could not dis
:ern either his countenance or his clothing
n the glittering shadows, but knew his
,ait and fired. He fell before the hill op-
,osite echoed the shot.
Flight of the A>sassin
81 dashed forward, and as lifted the still
warm body golden locket dropped to the
,round. l grasped it as it reached the
arth, and placed it in my pocket; hurried
IN to a culvert near by. and there hid my
lorrid burden. l had not dared to look up
IN its features.
1.-THE body out of sight. my chief care