The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-02
RESERVOIR TRAGEDY
RECALLS OTHER CASE
Cluverius Convicted and Hanged in 1887 for
Numbering Lillian Madison, Whose Body Was
Found in Water-Suicide Theory First.

Nearly qiierteps4of q century ago
on the morning of March IA. iss5-the
finding of the body of another woman
in the old Marshall Reservoir of Rich,
nfond was the beginning of one of the
most notable murder cases In the his
tory of the State. TWENTY-FIVE months
later Thomas Judson SluVerius.
young lawyer of King and Queen
county. was executed at the Richmond
Jail for the murder of his cousin, Fan
ME Lillian Madison, the victim OF the
reservoir tragedy.
At first presumed to be q suicide, the
conviction that crime had been conf
mitted grew. and following the identi-
flcation of the body chain of evil
dence. all of it oircumstanual, was as
sembled until Its coils were about the
superintendent of Sunday school and
a man who bore an unquestioned repu-
tation for honor and for good behavior
in his community.
The legal battle Yhich followed was
long-drawn-out. Some OF the ablest
a attorneys at the bar in this section OF
the State were employed, and no ell
fort was spared to save Cluyertus from
the gallows. When the proceedings Of
the courts had been exhausted hnal
appeal was made to Governor Fitzhugh
lee who declined to Interfere, after
he had gone thoroughly into every fea-
ture Of the svidsnss, tr,.rds re3.ed upon pS the
Cluverius's own book, which ne ne
wrote in prison., together with the
files of the Richmond Dispatch OF that
neriod, are filled with reference to men
who are still active In the ne OF OF IN .has ;
or else as counsel or officers took part In
the trial or In the prior and subse-
auent events which led to the execu-
ssan' tion. esA
J,dcor CluyarfuS WAS a. ma
tive % Of King and Queen county. His
immediate family had little means,
but but an aunt, with considerable prop
erty. sent the young man to Richn - T.,
mond celsge whese ne to King
and queen and when arrested was
at Centreville, where he had an oflice.
This same aunt was the great -annt
of Fannie Lillian Madison Ihe un.
fortunate girl was g .tns, daughts,Ir ghN,I1,. Of Of
co,,nty. near Manquln. She was edu-
Gated at Burlington Academy. After
she left school she exchanged some
letters with a well-digger named
menf. although the extent of her rela-
tlons with this eccentric character are
not fmlly disclosed. Her letters to
him we're recovered, but the circum-
stances caused an estranscmeht, oe !
tween lillian and her parents, and she
Vent TO live with her grandfather,
Decame Teacher.
Here she spent the summer of 1851
Cluyerius visited her several times
during the summer, and It was brought
out that they were often together
In the autumn Lillian who was
estranged from her father. and whose
grandfather could not continue to sup
her M went to RsbmonS ba5n adun1y on jan.
uary 8, 1885. registering at the EN-
change Hotel, on Fast Franklin Street,
as Miss n. L, Merton. Cluverius was
hera that day, and Lillian did not
/ occupy her room that night. She re-
turned to Bath on January Z. IT, was
found that While student at college,
Cluverius associated with women IN"
der the name of Merton,
1SIIndar a pretense that she had an
to pay a visit at old Point,
Lillian Madison left Bath for this city
on March i2, 1856. arriving here early
the next morning, She went 70 the
American Hotel. now the Lexington at
Twelfth and Main, and Registered as
here. stopping at tho Davis HOTEL
Early the next morning the keeper
OF the reservoir saw that "a walkway
trampfed tsan,pR \ y This M led to to an nveatigaT
|ftion, and womans clothing was
found floating on the water The re-
co3ery OF I4illian Madison's body was
the result t.5sl
III 4 was first identified positively Il as
lsbeing that of Fannie May: Fannie
/ May was found and was informed, TO
her, horror, that she WAS dead, which
she denied. Coroner william RI, Tay-
lar. who still holds that position, made
AHonaa Inquiries and the ldanti W of ths