Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-12-12
MURDER IN WASHINGTON.

With six bullets in various parts OF her
BODY. Mrs. Rachael Anna Beall, seventy
one years old, was found in her home,
1914 III street northeast Washington,
Yesterday, the victim of brutal murder.
The police have two men and woman
under arrest, suspected ofknowing some
thing about the crime. All are members
of the murdered woman's family. Cir
cumstances point to long-standing
family feud as the motive. Andrew
Weldon, the first to be taken into custo-
DIV, is the husban d of Mrs. BealPs step
daughter. Later Charles Oelrich and
his wife Jessie, the latter a daughter OF
Mrs. Beall, we're arrested. Mrs. Oelrich,
who admits discovering the body, did
not report to the police for at least three
hours. Mrs. 0elrich was defiant, and re-
fused to allow any one to enter the house
and tried to keep out some of the officers
There was evidence that an attempt had
been made 10 clean up the pool OF blood
on the kitchen floor where Mrs. Beall had
fallen. Mrs. Oelrich, when questioned,
admitted doing this. 1t was upon Cor
oner Nevitt's order that the Oeirichs were
arrested. From appearance, Mrs. Beall
had warning of her impending fate only
in time to raise her hands to her head in
futile effort to ward off the shots.
The difficulties in the Beall family
date back four years, when Charles
BeaIl, husband of the woman murdered
Yesterday and father of large family,
died. He left considerable property, in
Guiding row OF houses known as
"BealPs row." on Ninth street, between
B and G streets southeast. To each Of
his seven children-Warren, Everett D.,
William and Kate Beall, Mrs. Minnie
Bib and Mrs. Oelrich, and Mrs. Andrew
Weldon, the latter his daughter by a
previous marriage-one of the houses
was bequeathed. For long time the
estate figured in the courts, but by judi
cial decision the will was declared valid,
and Kate Beall, who lives in Baltimore,
was named executrix. The widow was
to receive as an income the rents of the
houses until her death, when all was to
be finally divided. In May last Andrew
Weldon rented the house which was
eventually to become his wife's property
and moved into it. He failed to pay
rental since September and was to be
elected from the premises this week.
There was another family jar among
the Bealls not long ago over the custody
of Mrs. Minnie Bibb's twin daughters.
These children had been raised by the
grandmother. Mrs. Bib brought action
in court and was awarded custody of
the girls, Minnie and Bertha, but they
insisted on living with irgrandmother,
and were finally allowed to return to
the II street house. This house at 1874
H street is almost as mysterious as the
crime itself. 1t was begun about eight
years ago, but never finished. The
windows are all curtained heavily, so
that light is almost excluded, and no
neighbor could get glimpse of the in
terror. Inside the structure has the
appearance of barn, save that long
curtains take the place Of partitions.
The front door is boarded up, and as far
as any one knows, has never been open
ed. A narrow gate in the fence, which
is reached by crossing a vacant lot, af-
fords the only means of entrance.