The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-08
Approved by People.

y
the AIcCue trial. There is nothing extra
ordinary in present conditions. Char
lottesvile Is quiet and McCue is in his
cell. He says he will not be hung and
he anticipates apprehension by declaring
huntly5 that no has no intention OF COM
hitting suicide. He expects yet to be a
free man.
. The verdict seems to have met with
general approval at the hands OF the peo-l
pie But few men believed McCue inno-i
cent. The Charlottesville public. knowing
or pro Tossing to know much that never
appeared in court, was and Is absolute
ly convinced OF his guilt Others who have
visited the town and In their own way
seen things are borne down with the
same conviction. The only doubt fror
|beginning to end with this great mass
OF people has been whether or not the
nature OF the evidence possible for the
Commonwealth !, to drag before the jury
Would be sufficient to establish his guilt
This question has been answered.
While the people here rejoice that a
criminal should have got his just due,
they are, nevertheless. filled with pity for
the suffering of those connected with the
murderer. by family ties. Throughout the
trial this has been repeatedly commented
Upon. A public anxious to see McCue
condemned to die was yet quick to SYM
pathize with his brothers, with his chill
dlren, particularly with his little girl.
Ruby. the anguish In whose sweet and
innocent face will haunt a thousand men
and women to their dying day.
Theories Of Public.
Now. that the trial is over. much dis
cussion is being given to the evidence
that served 10 convict NIcCue. have
already Indicated what carried most
weight with tho jury-tlle bloody shirt
and what, contrary to general expecta-
ton, failed to carry any weight atSall--
the letters Of McCue and his wife. There
are several incXplcable features of the
murder which will proba bly,, unless there
is somo day a confessioH, forever remain
hidden in. mystery.
There never has been a satisfactory
explanation of why the water was turned
on in tho bathtub. and why It was that
the tub, which requires fifteen or twenty
minutes to fill from the spigot, was full
in so much shorter time than that, as
suming. as has been done, hat the spigot
was turned on after the shot.
a new theory is to this effect: That
If the murderer was j. Samuel McCue,
as the jury and the people believe. he
had beaten her and cholled her until he
thought her dead and put her into the
bnthtub and turned on the water to
committed suicide or to drown her. should
a spark Of life remain, after which he
rushed up Park Street a square and a
half and reaching the doctors. Then on
sued the conversation which was heard
BY Mrs. Dr.. McCue while she was un-
dressing to go to bed. This conversation.
she said. took place ut the phone 1t is
believed that what she took for the
phone bell. was the door bell. and that
DR.. N1cCues brief answer, CAN right"
was made to his brother at the door.
Returning home. so runs the hypothesis,
McCue found his wife not dead, but out
side of the tub, which helps to account
for the wet condition OF the bathroom
floor. as to which all agree Thon fol-
lowed the appeal, which Charles Perry
heard, not kill her. as she would die
anyhow--and then. too, followed the gum
{ shot which put an end to all.
II this story be true, It was during the
brief time that McCue required to go to
his brothers home for pretended aid, or
for whatever purpose, that Charles
Skinner heard the crying for from three
I to five minutes 1t Is held to BIO entire
Is improbable that a man In a 8murderous
frenzy would have permitted tho crying
\ Of his victim for period even so long
as this.