Phenix Gazette

Pursuit of the Murderer.

A citizen of this place who had been to Occoquan, returned thence on Monday evening, and on seeing the description of the murderer of Miss Cunningham, was fully impressed with the belief that he had met the person described, on the main road leading to Occoquan and Fredericksburg: This, and the report of several persons, that such a man had passed through the western precincts of the town on Sunday evening, induced several gentlemen of respectability to mount their horses and pursue him.

These gentlemen returned last evening, and politely detailed to us the result of their enterprise. When they arrived at Occoquan, they were led to believe that they were on the right track, and continued their pursuit but at Dumfries they overtook the man that attracted attention on the road, evidently the same that had been met by the gentleman who returned from Occoquan, and found that he was a shoemaker who had been several weeks at work in Alexandria, and was in the employ of Mr. when the murder was committed.

The gentlemen were well satisfied that he was not the murderer and came home. On their route down they met a gentleman from Fredericksburg of whom they enquired after the object of their pursuit, but he did not at that time, recollect to have seen any person answering the description. After parting with them however, and getting as far as Occoquan, he remembered that he saw a man at Stafford Court House, who corresponded in every respect, except the napsack, and being at the tavern, he might have taken it off to rest himself. The gentleman returned to Fredericksburg yesterday morning with a determination to investigate the matter further, and if necessary to pursue.