Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

Horrid Murder

On Thursday night the 4th of this month, a most cruel murder was committed on a Spaniard or Frenchman, in the county of Prince William, in Virginia, between Hay-Market and Buckland, by two unknown persons who are either Spaniards or Portuguese. The circumstances were according to the evidence of Mr. Jeremiah Hutcheson, a respectable citizen of Fairfax, (who had come on in pursuit of the suspected persons) taken by the mayor of this place, as follows :--

That on Thursday came to his house three persons who appeared to him to be foreigners--they were travelling up the turnpike road--one of them could speak broken English and was the interpreter to the others, who appeared not to understand the English language. This person said that he had with him five hundred dollars in money, and about the same amount in small jewellery, consisting of gold watches, gold chains and rings, which he carried in two boxes in a small valise. He was about five feet six inches high, well made, his countenance had a lively, active appearance--he had on a blue superfine cloth coat, pantaloons of fine cloth, black worsted stockings, shoes, a fine furred hat, a fine colored cambric neckcloth, fine cambric ruffles to his shirt, a gold watch with a gold chain which was formed by two or three gold strands--his eyes were dark and his hair very black, his face and hands were pitted with the small pox. He stated that he had come from Philadelphia and had some friends in Baltimore; that he was endeavoring to raise money for the purpose of redeeming a near relation who was a prisoner in Algiers; that he was going a short distance further with the two persons who were with him, and that he should return in a few days. The same witness gave the following description of the persons who were with the Spaniard above described, and who are suspected of being guilty of the cruel murder.

One of them is about six feet high, has large whiskers and a light complexion--had on a bright brown great coat of strong cloth, bound round the waist with a belt, grey pantaloons of coarse cloth, a coarse wool hat, and a pack covered in part with a skin. The other suspected person is about five feet eight inches high, his hair cut short, his face red, dressed in a blue coat and pantaloons cut in sailor fashion, had a bundle tied in a handkerchief.

On Friday the 5th instant, the dead body of the first described person was found by means of the blood, a short distance from the road covered over in the snow and entirely naked. Near the body were found two walking sticks of hawthorn wood dyed black and much shivered, and a part of a gold chain and a razor with an ivory handle was found in the snow. The throat was cut from ear to ear, and the head gashed in eleven or more different places.

The suspected persons were seen the day before travelling in company with the murdered man, and, as they said, going to Fauquier court-house. The day after the murder three suspected persons were seen returning on the same road near Fairfax court-house, one of them having his face much scratched and endeavoring to conceal it. The same persons were traced by Mr. Hutcheson and two others down the turnpike road to Alexandria, and seen by some persons in Alexandria on Saturday afternoon passing down King-street, apparently much fatigued.

A person was apprehended in this town on suspicion.--He was carried before the Mayor. He proving by several respectable witnesses that he was in Alexandria before and on the day the murder was committed and continued here ever since, was discharged.

Justice, humanity and public safety demand that all officers and others, not here but elsewhere should use their best exertions to detect and bring to trial the perpetrators of this wicked deed.