Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-10-22
GRAYsoN HANGS HIMSELF.
The Murderer Found Hanging IN
Barn Near the Swinging Brio &c
Over Cameron Run.

| The Murderer Found Hanging IN a
Barn Near the Swinging Brio &c
Over Cameron Run.
Late Yesterday afternoon telephone
message was received at the station house
from West End stating that the BODY
of Enos Grayson, the negro who murder
ed Charles Shirley in the upper room ol
the saloon on the northwest corner oil
Cameron and Fayette streets Monday
night, was hanging in barn on Mr..
]. E. Barron's farm (part OF the Windsor
estate) short distance south Of the
swinging bridge over Cameron run
about two miles from this city. Later
Officers Ferguson and Mayhugh, who
had been hunting the fugitive, proceeded
to the barn and found the object Of their
search limp and lifeless hanging from a
rafter in the barn. Grayson had evI-
IDENTIFY been dead several hours when
he was discovered by Mr. Barron. The
murderer, it is said, had asserted that ne
would take his own life rather than iali
into the hands of the officers OF the law.
He had evidently proceeded in a me-
thodical manner, as he had maze a
hangman's knot, as perfect as the work
of Jack Ketch. He used arope nearly
an inch thick which he found in the
barn, and after attaching one end to a
rafter and the other around his neck,
jumped from a pile of hay. The fall
broke his neck and the knot took It's
place back of one of his ears-a position
hangman always endeavors to make 1T
assume. Previous to hanging himsen
Grayson had removed his coat and hung
his hat on a nail.
Justice Bowie, of Fairfax, subse-
quently arrived on the scene and took
charge of the body, which was later
turned over to the parents OF the suicide,
who live a short distance from the
barn where the body was found. Gray
sons father is a paralytic and his
mother is crippled with rheumatism and
uses crutches.
AS was suggested in the Gazette yes
terday, Grayson had,never been far from
Alexandria since he murdered Shirley
On the night of the shooting it has been
ascertained that he slept in a small
frame house on the 'Mushpot' farm,
lust outside the city limits, and about
5 o'clock the next morning he started
in the direction of the home OF his
parents, a short distance from the swing
ing bridge. He had evidently at times
seen the officers who were on his tracks,
and who would doubtless have captured
him by this time. Officers Ferguson,
Mayhugh, Carney and Lyles secured
parts of Alexandria and Fairfax counties
all of Tuesday night, while Lieutenant
Smith spent most OF yesterday in the
same locality in a search for the fugitive.
They had ascertained that he had APP
peared at several places in this vicinity,
but he remained at no spot long enough
for the officers to come up with him.
Gravson wrote a note to his mother yes
terday in which he asserted that the kill
ing of Shirley was the result of an acct
dent, that several pistols were discharged
in Bairr's saloon Monday night and II
the ball from his weapon took effect on
Shirley the act was not intentional.
Grayson went to Mr.. Barron's farm
early yesterday morning and sent the
note to his mother by colored boy
Later Mr.. Barron saw him and adj
yised him to give himself up, Mr..
Barron offering to bring him to this city.
Grayson, however, was averse to this,
and said he would hang himself rather
than surrender to the city authorities.
The suicide of the murderer frustrate'
all judicial proceedings and brings to Il
close what might have proven an expen
sive trial and another hanging, which
would have been the first in'this city fo'
the past thirty years.