The Washington times., 1901-08-10
4 IL
THE MARYLAND TRAGEDY.
Local Police Loasking for Robert
Boyd, the Alleged Murderer.

! The killing of Martha noden, coiored, at
| Upper Marlboro, Md 2Thursday night.
and the escape of Hsnty Boyd. a negro,
| charged with responsibility for her death,
has led to a search for the fugitive in
this city. Yesterday afternoon a negro
was arrested by the police of Anacostia,
on suspicion of being Boyd, but he was
subsequently released. Deputy Sheriff ].
7. Flaherty. of Upper Marlboro. and Con-
| stable Vincent, of Hyattsville, came to
| TINS city last night. and saw Captain
Boardman at Headquarters. In connection
with the hunt for Boyd. Boyd has rea-
tives in this city
Inc details of the killing of the Oden wo-
man. aged about twenty years. are meal gre
because there is but one witness to the
tragedy. Deputy Sheriff Flaherty sail
last night that Boyd cut the throat of
the woman from ear to ear with knife,
and then fed. The murder was committed
on the farm of Charles ]. Bonaparte, two
miles from Upper Marlboro. where Mar
Una oden was employed a domestic.
Boyd worked for James HILL engaged in
wood hauling, about one mile from the
Bonaparte farm. The single witness to
the killing Of the woman is Joseph Curtis,
negro farm hand, employed on the Bo-
naparte farm.
Thursday night about o'clock Boyd
called at the house of the Oden woman,
where Curtis has boarded for some time
John Oden, father of the dead woman,
also Curtis, who had just finished his
work for the day. Boyd saw Martha
Oden for some time, and her father it
appears. had ot<asion to leave him in the
mousse with his daughter and Curtis The
latter was in the kitchen when the trou-
bic began. The origin of the quarrel be-
tween the woman and Boyd is not yet
known, but Curtis. while eating supper
IN the Kitchen, heard call for help COM
ing from the front rom He jumped up
from the table and ran to the door of the
room in which Boyd and Martha Oden
hao been seated. Just as Curtis showed
drew knife from his pocket seized Mar
tina Oden with his left hand, and sashed
across her throat with his right The
woman was standing near the door of the
room as BOYD attacked her, and she stag
gered forward and fell against the wall.
BOYD turned as he saw Curtis. and fled
from the house. He escaped in the woods
near ny ana has not since been seen.
curtis went to the assistance of the
wounded woman just as John Oden, her
rather, entered the house by a rear door
oden went at once for a doctor and sum-
m mon Dr: Griffith. of Upper Marlboro.
who attended the wounded woman until
her death. Meanwhile word OF the Killing
had reached James s. Sears q magistrate.
nVing near Marlboro. Sears viewed the
remains of the woman yesterday morning
and about noon issued a warrant for the
arrest OF Boyd, sworn out by Richard
Fletcher. farm hand on the Bonaparte
farm. No inquest WIS determined upon
yesterday pending the arrest of Boyd,
which is expected BY the Maryland Off
Gals at any time.
IL was stated at Headquarters last night
that Boyd had come, in the direction of
this city. The local police sent out his
description to the various precincts.
Boyd was born and reared near Upper
Marlboro. as was also the Oden woman
The IN, fugitive is known also to many peo-