The Washington times., 1911-09-11

The suburbs of Richmond, 50 lately
the scene of the sensational Beattie
| tragedy has furnished the setting for
two other murders that for meludra-
matte mystery cqualed the now famous
Eeattie case.
They were known respectively as the
Jetcr Philips and the Cluverius cases.
after the men who paid the penalty for
the deeds the law fastened upon them.
Like the Heattie case. q woman in
most intimate relation to the accused
was the victim. and in further analogy
the evidence in both cases was wholly
circumstantIal. Here arc the brief
facts
Early in February. lS6I. a farmer
named Drinllard discovered hidden url-
der brush pile on his plantation. about
five miles from Richmond, the body Of
woman. who evidently had been dead
for sonic weeks. There we're marks OF
violence on her. notably a bullet wound
in her head. For some months the de-
tectlvcs failed to identify her.
On the adjoining farm was young
overseer named Jeter Philips. Whence
he had come when he ootained his po-
sition the previous year none knew. AT
the time of the discovery Of the body
he was paying court 10 a young woman
in the neigh 5orhood and, ruulor had It,
was engaged to marry her.
In May, some months later. a relative
of this young woman picked up let
ter. presumably dropped from Philips
pocket while on a visit TO HIS sweet
heart. wherein the writer, a woman. ad-
dressed Philips as her husband and
stated that she was getting tired of sep
aration and would Join him shortly.
II was dated in January and came
from q small postoffice In distant
county. Inquiry then developed that
this woman. leaving her at her home
while he went IN search of employment,
and that she had left there late in jan
uary to ioin him near Richmond.
Showed Interest.
The neighbors then recalled that.
though Philips had never viewed the
body, or attended the inquest. he had
always exhibited the greatest interest
in the work of the detectives. repeated
ly inQuiring of his acquaintances con-
corning their progress and expressing
his conviction that the murderer would
never be found.
In June, 1861, more than four months
after the discovery Of the body, Philips
was arrested, tried. and though the
evidence was wholly circumstantial, he
/ Mas COuNlClGu dIlu ldH6SO ol
Shortly before the execution he con-
| fessed to the murder, his motive being
| to make away with his wife that he
might marry his later sweetheart.
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 embaykpent OF an
| abandoned reservoir in the outer sub
| urbs of Richmond, saw what they
| A. - Anaf =
| ing in the water. They reported II and
| the next day there was brought to light
| the body of a woman in an advanced
stage Of decomposition. The sudden
| sensation died down after an exhaustive
| inquiry failed to disclose any woman
missing either in Richmond or any
| other part of Virginia.
About that time a couple OF girls
1 came up from Yorktown, about forty
miles distant. Having an hour to wait
for their train: they strolled 10 tne
morgue to see the body Of the unknown
| woman The features were not re-
cognizable, but the clothing was In a
fair state of preservation.
Recognized Dress.
THAT looks like dress Lillian Madi-
son used to wear" commented one.
Yes" replied the other, but Lillian Is
over in Bath county teaching"
However, on their return to York
| town, they casually mentioned the fact
| 10 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 Oh
| months addressed letter to her. 1t
was returned with a note stating that
she had left just after Christmas.
The aunt later positively identified
! the clothing as that Of her niece.
Around the old reservoir mere ran
| a high picket fence and about this, en-
circIing the lake, there ran gravel
walk. On the path at this point the de-
| tectives discerned evidences OF strug-