Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-22
KILLED PHILIP WILKINSON
Body Hidden for Months in Isolated
Spot On River Bank.
DEED DISCLOSED BY A WOMAN
Leavell Claimed He Shot Wilkinson
in elf-Defense-Details of
the Murder.


Special Dispatch to The Star
FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE, Va. May
22-Circuit court. Judge e. Nicol presiding.
convened here yesterday morning at 10
O'Clock. The case of the commonwealth VS.
Joseph Leavell, charged with the murder of
Philip Wilkinson, was reached in the after
noon. and, following the hearing of the evil
dence, a verdict of guilty was returned by
the jury. The prisoner was then sentenced
to serve term of eighteen years in the
penitentiary.
1t was charged that LeavelI committed
the crime in house on the Virginia side of
the Potomac river, above Washington city,
and that, assisted by others, he took the
body from the house to the river and buried
1t In shallow grave near the water After
ward, fearing the discovery Of the grave,
the body was exhumed and the arms and
legs removed from the trunk, which was
placed In bag and thrown in the river,
with the expectation that 1t would sink.
1t was, however, caught in an eddy and re-
manned circling around in the current near
the shore. 1t was then recovered from the
water and again buried, this time under a
pile of rocks, the arms and legs having
been buried elsewhere
Disclosure of Crime
Several months after the murder Leavell
was arrested upon the charge of assault on
complaint of the woman in whose house in
Washington city he was then living, and
upon conviction, was sent to the District
JAIL 1t Is stated that in making the COM
plant against Leavell the woman let fall
several hints Of the murder in Virginia and
the Washington police authorities informed
the commemorative attorney of Fairfax
county, Mr.. Q. Vernon Ford, who thereupon
made an investigation which resulted in
Application was made to the Department
OF Justice and the President committed
Leavelfs sentence in the District of Colum-
bia in order that he might be removed to
Virginia for trial.
Evidence at the Trial.
At the trial Of Leavell at Fairfax Court
House Va. yesterday the woman Lulu Ty-
Ter. by whose directions the grave of Philip
Wilkinson was located in January, 1905, In
Fairfax county, Va, testified against him.
Leavell himself also made confession, but
it differed materially from the statement
made by him to Lieut.. Matthews of the
fourth precinct Sunday, January 81 at the
District Jail. where he was then confined
under sentence Of twelve months for an
assault.
He stated yesterday that he had gone up
stairs in Wilkinsons house for his coat
vest and shoes, and while there Wilkinson
started toward him with a razor, with
which he threatened him. Claiming that
the deed was done in self-defense he de-
clared that to save his life he shot Wilkn-
son with musket; that the shot took ef-
feet, but did not kill Wilkinson and he
then dubbed him to death with the gun.
He told also how the woman had assisted
him in disposing of the body.
When the mutilated remains of Wilkinson
We're discovered in January and the details
of the revolving crime were learned the
case created g. considerable sensation.
Leavell and the Tyler woman first buried
Wikinson's body the night of the killing
in September, and In October, becoming
alarmed by the determination of Wiikin-
sons wife to search for her husbands body
they dragged the remains at night from
the grave to the river, a mile distant, and
assuming that the current would carry
the body down the river threw it into the
water, with the result stated.
1t was after midnight when they re-
turned home. The body remained in the
grave until, following the directions of
the eolored woman Lulu Tyler, Sheriff
J. r. Allison. with his deputy. William
Cross, and Commonwealth Attorney c.
Vernon Ford of Fairfax county, Virginia,
on the afternoon of January %, 1906, un-
earthed the remains near the river bank
several miles west Of the Chain bridge.