Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-09-17
CITY AND STATE AFFAIRS.
TCorrespondence Of the Nrginian.
The Fincastle Tragedy of
Bowyer

", u.
Eiitor Tiyoinian closed my letter Yesterday
with remarks on the testimony of witnesses cor
r,boratiug the testimony Ut Mr.. Woodvllc Bow
yer.
Cuur, met this morning, according 10 adjourn
,nent and heard counsel tor and gain st 10 Giving
NJ. Uousman's POSTMASTER at Fincastlcy testimo-
nv in regard to a letter surpassed To he directed
b. Mis-. 4. BDwyer t, NJ. M,Dpw II, after she
was in the custody Of pnlice in Baltimore
Court rejected Mr.. IL ,usm.n's testimony in re-
gard to the letter.
Tho defense offered Miss T. lm,nia Wolff as n
Witness who is not ten wears old The Court ex-
AHMED whe her she was competent to give testi-
mlny and decided that she is
Elmnnia Woltz said
We walked out to the gap one evening. saw
LIZ Miss Elizabeth Bowyer) say something Ia
Moses seryantl which,she did not hear. but heard
him reply. The had seen him out there that day
We went out To the gap where L,1 INTENDED t.
bathe She tnld me aud Caroline (servant girl
to 20 of and play somewhere. went oil and got
behind Il sycamore tree TO see who was coming
Liz untrcs scd and, in her under garments. was
standin" lust On the bank beside the branch.
when Mcdowell came out Of the w""ls. lie went
up to her, and she sat down on the bank with her
back to me; Mcdowell sat down close t" her, with
his face to her-could see his face, but could not
!,"ar what they said: they seemed t" talk in n
isrer for about an hour, when Mcdowell got
up and went into the woods. Liz then called me-
and went to her and asked her if looked. she
said no. We then came back home. When
went behind the tree the negro girl went mp the
,ranch to play.
The second time there Liz and were going to
the gap. when we got 10 plain level place nearer
the gap than to Mr.. B,wver's house, | saw
Mcdowell coming cut OF the woods towards us
and took hold Of her hand. He saw and went
hack into the woods When | first saw linn he
was coming out IF the woods. and we were coming
Ian, frnr tha frnm rath pr nd
he came meeting She said nothing, but came
back home.
The last time | saw him W. went to gather
flowers. went towards Jacs cabin. right by the
side of it, and saw Mcdowell come out ct the
woods on tor Of the hill above ns. When LZ
him she Jumped back and seemed frightened
She did not speak to Mcdowell and said nothing
to me concerning il as We were coming home We
had flowers in our hands, and the negro girl Caro-
line was with US. Liz sent me up stairs one day
for her work box. l opened the box and took II
letter out of it, which | opened and saw ut the
bottom Of it the name James; che erked the letter
out of my hands and saw nothing else. Another
time she sent me up stairs for her work box, and
told me not to open it, as there was something in
it she did not want me to see. Saw her talking
with ARMENIA, Moses wife, behind some bushes
in the garden. | got behind tree to see what
she was going to do.
Cross examination omitted, because nothing
was elected by it but what is found in the direct
examination except that it represents Moses as
telling Miss B. that she (McDowcll) was out there
somewhere" the first time they walked out, and
that the bathing place ia not as deep as the ice
pond, which is in the field. Mcdowell was close
up to her, face to face.
Geo. Deisher called:
Lives near the place described by Miss F..
Wolff, whose description of the place is in the
main correct.
}. II. Mohler called:
Ta,ti Cow N,,Iln oil
or three times walking in the direction of Mr..
Bowyers in evenings.
DR.. Bower tson Of H. w. Bowyer) called:
His testimony is unimportant to an understand
ing of the case. Stated that the negroes
sold for carrying notes between his sister and Me
Dowell, and carrying her baggage to the stage
road
Several other witnesses were called but their
testimony had no direct bearing upon the guilt or
innocence of the parties implicated and tits there
fore omitted.
The defense offered certificate from the proper
authorities to prove that Miss f. Bowyer reg
ularly admitted as an inmate of the Lunatic Asy-
lum at Staunton. The prosecution objected TO
the paper being received the object Of the de-
tense was to prove thereby that Miss f. Bowyer is
insane. After hearing arguments the Court ad
m,ted the paper, and adjourned till tomorrow
morning at 9 o'clock.
Some of our citizens contend that there is no
7ogtire evidence of McDo~eH's guilt of anything
to Justify his being shot whilst others contend that
far more than enough has been proved tn Justify
the shooting Occurrences that almost daily reach
us from oil parts OF the COUNTRY, even from among
the Mormons seem to show that fathers and broth
ers have determined to assume all the response
bities Of avenging by fearful retribution, the
stained honor of their daughters and sisters. And
it may be safely doubted whether man is worthy
Of IA sister or daughter who would not hazard his
life for their personal hcnor. HOMO.