Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-11-27
The Richardson Murder.

has oech indicted, ~ nearing q solu-
uou, and AS briefly stated ln the
COURIER last week Mrs. Richardson
will be cleared of the terrible charge
OF killing her husband. While il is
generally believed that Mrs. Richard
son knows the murderer of her hus
band, 1t has never been thought she
hred the bullet that killed Mr.. Rich
ardson, and she was therefore Indie
ted by the grand jury upon the
charge being al accessory after the
fact.
Additional information from Ss-
vannah. Mo, states that Stewart Fife.
son of Mr.. Richardson's business
partner. Thomas Fife, has been
charged with the murder, and that
sufficient evidence has been discover
ed by the prosecution to convict him.
The pistol, which was found outside
of Richardson's home directly after
the killing and the one supposed to
have been nsed, has been traced 10
FIFE. At the tune of the murder
Flte's actions were suspicious, and
MS efforts TO prove an alibi counted
against him, as he could not prove
where he was when the murder was
done. Two grand juries last Janu-
AIRY failed to indict the young man
and since he has left Savannah and
MS whereabouts are not known,
except by his family, but detectives
are on his trail, and owing to . large
reward offered for the conviction of
Richardson's slayer it will hardly be
long before he is caught. Ii is said
that Fife and Mrs. Richardson were
close friends, and the suppositlon
is that Richardson called at his home
the night he was killed. found Fife
there, a quarrel resulted aud Rich
ardsOn lost his life.
Mr.. John ID. Richardson. brother of
the murdered man. who spent last
summer here, is firm in the belief of
his sister-lnlsw's innocence 10 the
awful affair, and has employed the
best detective skill money could oh-
tain to throw light upon the mvs
terv.
Mrs. Richardson's trial comes off
IN January, aud 1t is now said that
the prosecution will abOn the trial.and
as the evidence secured against Young
/ tite clearly points TO him "a the
murderer and exOnerates Mrs. Rich
ardsou. Mrs. Rich ,rdson's version
of the murder, AS given before the
grand jury, follows:
Il am 30 years old and had been mar
ried 10 Frank Richardson fourteen wears.
The last time | saw him before his death
was about 1:4j o'clock Christmas eve. |
think Frank looked at his watch. The
children left the house few minutes be-
fore. | don't know what time Bessie
Phillis left the house. Ii was nv inten-
ton 10 20 TO the Christmas festivities at
the church, and informed Frank so bs-
fore he left. 4 few minutes after s |
decided would not go. l started on
the way, got as far as the railroad, two
| blocks west, and turned back. met no
| one. | came back because | had for
/ gotten a brooch which Frank had given
me- l was afraid il might be stolen.
first went to DR. kerr's about $50 to
/ telephone Frank 10 go 10 Somerville'.
store 10 get some skates for the boys and
10 tell him George Crowley had left his
! gloves at the house and | would bring
them TO the store on my way TO the
church. When the town clock was
striking | went TO DR.. Kerr's and tele
| phOned Frank, asking if he didn't think
| ii was too late 10 20 TO church. and he
said, Dear, do as you please | told
/ him | would trim the Christmas tree
awhile.
The last time Frank answered the
! telephone; the first time Mr.. Brown did
! Mr.. Brown works in the store
AT first il was the understanding that
| was going TO the Christmas tree and
1 from there TO the store on nv way &c
/ the opera house Then | told him over
| the telephone that il was 10 late TO go "a
the church, and was tired, and would
come direct from the house to the store
/ on my way TO the opera house. l said
would come TO the store. That was our
\ arrangement. There was no time set
| then went 10 work on the Christmas
tree, which / was preparing for the
| children in the north room, or parlor
| The clock had stopped and the time
| passed away more rapidly than thought
| | intended 10 leave the house at $50 Oh
SO to 90 10 the opera. but "a | say the
| tree delayed me and the clock was moi
running. | had on my cloak and hal
when Frank came | had not removed
them after coming back from the rail
road track
After came back from the railroad
| track worked some more on the tree
arranging tho room, fixed my hair q
little and picked up some lint on the
! floor. then went into the sitting room
and sat down on the couch 10 rest be
fore starting again. The sitting room
is also the living room and is on III,
south side of the hall way. | turned the
lamp down low. turned il two fast. anC
it went out, hut did not intend to turI
il out About time heard buggy driv
! ing rapidly and then | heard fOOtstep,
ON the front walk between the sidewall
and the porch. | heard two peopl,
walking, | am sure about it, | do no
know whether the buggy stopped, as
paid no attention 10 it, | did not hear
any voices outside the door.
"rhe outside door was closed. the door
| leading from the hallway into the sOutl
! room where | was, was partly open.
was sitting on the edge of the couch.
heard the hall door open and stood up
| leaned against the wall, intending to "a,
boo at Frank as he came into the room