The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-09-21

writer, a woman, addressed Phillips
as her husband and stating that
she was getting tired of separation
and would join him shortly.
1t was dated in January and
came from a small postoffice in a
distant county. Inquiry then de-
veloped that Phillips had, the
leaving her at her home while he
went in search of employment, and
that she had left there late in jan
uary 10 join him near Richmond.
In June, 1867, more than four
months after the discovery of the
body, Phillips was arrested, tried
and though the evidence was who'll
ly circumstantial, he was convicted
and hanged at Richmond. Shortly
before the execution he confessed to
the murder, his motive being that
he might make way with his wife
that he might marry his later
sweetheart.
The Cluverius Case.
The Cluverius case was one of
the most melodramatic murder cases
in Virginia's criminal annals. About
the middle of February, 1885, some
boys strolling along the embank-
ment of an abandoned reservoir in
the outer suburbs Of Richmond, saw
what they thought was the dress of
a woman, floating in the water.
They reported it and the next day
there was brought to light the
body of A woman in an advanced
stage of decomposition. The sud
den sensation died down after an
overseerer named Jeter Phillips. No
one knew from whence he had come
when he obtained his position the
nrRVlnnc ho
discovery of the body he was paying
court to a young woman in the
nelghborhood and rumor had it
was engaged to marry her.
In May, some months later rel
ative OF this young woman picked
exhaustive inquiry failed to disclose
any woman missing either in Rich
mond or any other part of Virginia
About that time a couple of
girls came up from Yorktown, about
40 miles distant. Having an hour
to wait for their train, they strolled
to the morgue to see the body Of
the unknown woman. The features
were net recognizable, but the cloth
ing was in a fair state of preserva-
ton
That looks like dress Lillian
Madison used to wear" commented
one. Yes" replied the other,
but Lillian is over in Bath coun-
ty teaching"
However on their return to York
town they casually mentioned it
to an aunt of Lillian Madison. The
aunt assured them that Lillian was
in Bath county, but, recalling that
she had not heard from her for a
couple Of months, addressed a let
ter to her. 1t was returned with a
note stating that she had left just
after Christmas
lied the clothing as that of her
niece. Around the old reservoir
ran high picket fence, and about
this, encircling the lake, there ran
q gravel walk. On the path at this
Point the detectives discerned evil
oence OF a struggle. but all obliter-
ated by The weathef; but close ex-
ANIMATION disclosed a watch key.
There was nothing particularly
distinctive about the key. But a
shrewd detective observed that it
had once undergone some slight re-
pairing, and on this flimsy clue,
without even remotely suspecting
anyone, the ferrets took up the
trail
They took this key to every jew
eller in Richmond, Petersburg, Nor
folk, Lynchburg and Bristol, but
not one could identify it. The
spring had passed and the summer
nearly over when these tireless de-
tectives, having been into nearly
every town and village in Virginia,
at last found themselves in a small
cubby-hole OF a watch repairer's
shop on a side street in AleXan-
dria.
The white-haired old jeweller in
that little shop looked at the key
through his glass, then he dug up
memorandum book and for some
minutes poured over it, At length
he spoke: Il mended that key
just three years ago for a man who
gave his name as Thomas C. Clu-
verius, of Yorktown"
The detectives swiftly repaired to
Yorktown, the home of the murder
ed woman. They entered the office
yer, and arrested him. Among his
papers they found letters from Lii
lian Madison, which told a pitiful
tale Of how he had won her affec-
ton and then betrayed her.
From the purport of the letters h.
had agreed to marry her and had
written her about Christmas to meet
him secretely in Richmond. Culver
ius admitted all the letters implied
but denied responsibility for the
death of the young woman.
He was tried for murder, and the
jury after two hours deliberation
found him guilty and he was
hanged, protesting his innocence on
the gallows. Phillips confessed
Cluverius did not, what will Beattie
| do?