Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-07-22
RECALLS MCCUE CASE.
Striking Analogy Between Two Cases
Ar0uSes Much Comment in
Alexandria.

legged details OF the Beattie murder and
the early events OF the celebrated Nc
Cue case, which stirred the state TO its
depths half-dozsn years ago has been
the subject of much comment in Alex
andria over since the first accounts OF
the Chesterfield tragedy appeared in
print
Nearly seven years ago Fannie Craw-
ford McCue wife OF a former Mayor OF
Charlottesville, man prominent in
both the business and the social life OF
the city, was brutally murdered in the
Park Street home,
Rumors, fed by wild excitement,
spread and rapidly grew into many
fantastic shapes, but for the moment
none had time or thought to question
the simple explanation that burglar,
frustrated by the unexpected return OF
the couple to the house, attacked them
both and escaped leaving the woman
dead in a bathtub and the cx-mayor
senseless upon the floor. 1t was not
until later that discrepancies in the
stories told by the husband were noted,
that reports OF domestic infelicities be-
gan to be whispered abroad, and that
finally circumstantial net began to
gather about the ex-Mayor In the
meantime McCue complained loudly of
his own injuries, wept copiously, and
offered a reward Of thousand dollars
for the capture OF the murderer, whom
he described as a kind OF dirty white
man, With his beard out . little
But, as in the Reattie case, the pub
lie was concerned with another picture,
and that was the picture of the hus-
band himself The FIRST shock OF the
horror oyer, the attention OF all was
turned to the story Of ;no murder end
McCuc's inconsistent and somewhat in
coherent accounts were dissecled with
relentless zeal
Tie authorities lost.no time, and on
September I, the day after the murdered
woman was bu led, marched McCue to
Jail, while the coroner's jury declared
McCue to be the murderer.
From beginning to end the trial
bristled with sensations, and tie
daily court record was read with alb
sorbing interest throughout the state
The story q the ac'ual Cccurryrcrs
in the Patk Street home on he night
Of the murder has never been told, and
~ known IN ie!HiI to but a FEW. Suffice
it is 70 say that after attending church
and participating 10 Sunday night
service, McCua went home as rapidly AS
possible and murdered his wife with
cold-hiooled brutality. She bad ac
compnnicd him from the church. and
they V re in their bed room when the
crime was committed baseball bat
and shotgun we're the weapons used.
Mrs. McCuc Wa struck over he right
ear, which was III arly torn off There
we're superficial flesh wounds on the
left s,Ir Of the nDsr and the back Of The
head H. her breast. iust under the
collar'Jnh', wa- gaping gunshot
wound n CT" ihrn dragged The
dying woman into the bathroom,
placed the body il, the tub, and turned
on the hot waI..r spign'.
Throughout the trial McCnc was in
different SC ptural or lachrymose ac-
cordng 10 his mood Stoutly protest.
ing bis innocence to the end, the ex-
mayor went to the gallows on February
10, 1905, and gave his life for tho one
he had taken. or all the thrilling
scenes that attended this trial, none
could equal that of the last morning,
when, in the gray light OF dawn. Nc
Cue, with wonderful fortitude and
calmness shared by none in the court
yard but himself, strobe without &
ralter to his doom disdaining an as
sisting hand from any side. At once
bis spiritual advisers issued his con-
fession, in which he admitted the muir
der, reconciling this admission with
his oft-repeated declaration Of inuo-
cence by stating that it was demon
within him and not his true self which
turned his hand against his wife. The
confession contained no details. Nc
Cue simply admitted the murder, and
said no more.