The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-09-16
The FINCASTLE TRAGEDY Il
EXAMINATION or
HENRY w. BOW4 Elk
rOR KILLING
fsrposrsp roa rHs nIcaxasp pAILr DISPATCH ]

q 49, Iva ~ @AS
fxrpogrsp ron fHs aIcHMesD pAnr DISPATCH
zzez<z-Sz=4~1sz @=ssz=@-
PfxcAsrIx, Va, Monday, Sept. Il, 1853.
MONDAY-FIFrH DAY.
The Called Court re-asssmbled this morning 81
10 o'clock. Quite . large number 81 spectators
we're present. Tho following magistrates appear.
cd on the bench:
Messrs coyd. carper, Linksnhoker, obenchain
Patton and Flaherfy.
George Heidrick Was the FIRST witness called; bot
be was not present.
Chas. r.. Andsrson sworn.--I was coming ron
my fathers farm, which 10 siinatsd at the upper
end Of Mr.. Bowyer's pl antatfop. i saw MI NC
D0ve,l In the woods near the negro cabin Of mr.
Bowyer's servant. Saw lady, whom TOOK 10 DC
Miss Elizabeth Bowyer, standing 10 the weoas
below Think she had negro girl Win her; On ,
Mr.. McDo yell walking down between myseh an 10
her towards where she stood. Think ibis vas 10
the latter part Of May. 1t was In Ar. bo"ye1
enclosure not far from the negro cabin
satisfied that the lady was Miss Lizzie bo"ysu' g.,
/ knew her we'll, and have known her Wen Ior
wears. but will not say positively that IL was nsr
am certain that the man whom saw was ~
Mcdowell. The sun was Jast gong no~u ce,.n !.
the mountains at the time. My father 'a' ~ !.
lust beyond DIR. bowyefs Pihh'oHoSs "A
crossing 1t to get there r
Some time afterwards, about tue IL. oi Suno'
saw Mcdowell get over fence near eno ioiAs "
the road-between that and the walnut tree-snu
saw him walk across Mr.. Bowy nsa, -. ~. !.
whetber he went towards Mr. Bowyer's house or
towards Joe Kepnedy'a cabin. He could have gone
In either direction. The time was near dark.
saw him going that way on anotasr OCCASION,
bnt the first time was the only occasion Wheh L
saw him on Mr. Bowyer's premises. nave seen
Mr.. Mcdowell pass my house-once about ii ocik
on the fret night of the June court. theh uiet
him at the corner of Roanoke and BANK streetf,
Dnan In ltr4a M
down the back street Roanoke street Ia the street
which goes by the Episcopal church, and the back
street is the one that goes down TINS sfde He
Turned out IN the direction Of Mr.. Bowyers. He
had on slouch bat aud MS coiiar was lurne up
T wonld no. have known him but that be spoke to
me came 10 contact with him and addressed
him by his name. 1t was warm night and the
moon had gone dowI /; but the coat when ne nao
on lock ed like cvercoat. The collar was turned
ma over his face and the rim OF his hat turned
dawn. don't think ever saw him wear that
coat on the street before, but as the night was
dark can't say much about 1t. he was not walk
ing very rapidly. l live near the upper eud OF
Church street. I haze seen him frequently before
passipg out betw cen sunset and dark. refer to
the wear 1858 as the time in which have been at
tending to my fathers farm, beyond Bowyer 8,
though he has owned it about ten years. l have
been in the frequent habit Of passing to and from
the fartu but more this year than formerly. The
latter part of May was The time when 1 saw Mr..
Mcdowell pass our house. l was usually in my
fathers porch when saw him--generaily between
sunset aid dark, but sometimes after. have seen
him ride out that way in the morning on two or
three occasions. The LAST time i saw him was on
Monday, the night of the June court.
The location of the negro cabin is up from Bow
yer's house--up the valley on the left side, aud
about half mile distant A person might hitch d
horse at the cross fence up the valley in a corner
where it could noE be seen, or in fact any where
in the woods. l don't think the place III the cor
ner of the two feuces could be from the roai
There Is a thicket in the same field. There is q
ridge between that aud the road. The thicket is
in the last field On the farm, on the road toa ards
B,nsack's Don't think it is more than halt d
milo from the road to the negro cabin. 1t cannot
be seen from Bowyers house. There is path
from the walnut tree to Mr.. Bewyer's htuse, and
I thought Mcdowell was walking in that path
He could gone either TO the cabin or the house,
but he was goipg up the path when saw him.
Cross Erda.inud by the Commonwealth:
There is path from the walnut tree to the ne
gro cabin by which he could have either gone
there or to McDowels. Within the last year J
have been mere frequently walking out to my
fathers place than before. About the 1st Of May
was the first time ever saw Mcdowell on Bow
yer's premises have met other persons passing
through there frequently. Have seen them before
the present year. Have frequently seen Miss
Bowyer out at the edge of the woods, in the field,
and often at the wslnus tree. Saw Mir. Price once
last fall talking with her at the tree--she the
inside of the fence and he cut In the road. have
passed them and looked back, aud | then sa "
Miss Dowyer go towards the house, aud Mr.. Price
go towards the town. Saw Them when they met at
the place have stated. She came across the field
and Mr.. Price came cut Roanoke street. l never
saw any other person else in the field when she
was there. Have seen other persons pas sing along
the road, but none others talking with her.
Wheu met McDu well he was near the corner o.
Roanoke and Back streets. He took no pains t.
avoid me. If he had wished, he could have passed
me without my knowing him. lie had on brow L
siouch hat, which | saw him wear Oh no other oc
casion. His coat collar WAS turned up. 1t
long coat, but can't cay that it was a calico gown
Geo. HedTeick, sworn, and deposed as follows:
saw Mr.. Mcdowell out in the direction of Mr.. Bow
yers on three occasions. On the first occasion
was coming to town, between sunset and dark, "a
attend a Meeting of the SoIs of Temperance 49,
When 1 had got to the part of the road which
may call the top of Grove Hill, met MIR. Mcdowell
and he spoke to mt. can't remember the date oi
this occurrence. After the meeting of the Sons ot
Temperance was over, went down the street, and
when opposite James Carper's house, l met Mr.
Mcdowell coming back. This was between aud
10 O'Clock. He was coming this way, Oh Church
street, and towards Temperance Hall. Think II
was in the latter part of spring, but can't be posi-
tive.
Afterwards saw Mr.. Mcdowell one Sunday eve
ping when / was going cut. When opposite
Grove Hill, ia the road, he was going down that
road to where 1t turns to 60 to Esq. Greys. Saw
him cross the fence, near the tree. He went
q
Bowyer's house. This between sunset and
dark-some months ago, Int can't exactly say
when.
Saw Mr.. Mcdowell afterwards, QUE Sunday eve
ning-think about two or three weeks afterward-
between sunset and dark. l was going out of towG
When got on the rise of the road, I saT q man,
aud walked on to oVertake him, thinking he might
be going my way. went on to tho big apple tree,
on the Bonsaci road aud he was then about fifty
yards from road which Mr. Bowyer had cut across
tia uin rnudf IN, thp iphf 7
poste the tree, saw it was Mr.. Mcdowell. /
walked on until he got some Is or 20 steps this side
the road, which goes across the bill. and then be
saw me aud crossed over a fence, aud went up over
u hill. saw 40 more of him.
/ have no doubt that Mr.. Mcdowell was the per-
son whom l saw on these three occasions. have
never seen him that way on any other occasion.
CfoSs-Erdmined by the Coma,on,uealM:
cannot say exactly when l first saw Mcdowell
out that way-but think it was the last of Spring
lie was then going on ward which is the contiu-
alton OF Church street. 1t was between sunset
and dark l was not particularly excited to see
Mr.. Mcdowell but had some suspicion as to his
object. because had before heard of his intimacy
with Mr. Bowyers daughter. The second time |
met him Was about two months ago, and the
third TINA was two or three weeks afterwards
The last occasion was Sunday evening. Csut
say whether twas July August. i work at
Mays mill. Generally cume in on Sunday even
ing. l had heard ruuors about the young lady
met Mr. Med. was before he went away. had
heard Of his going away, but don't know from my
own personal knowledge or observation of his
movements The last time met him was before
Mr.. Mcdowell was reported to have left. l am
Sou OF Temperance, bat do not attend their meet
ing' regularly. can't remember the Date of INV
my meeting McD on the lay that had atten Geti
the SOFAS OF Temperance.
Cross Examined by Defence:
have no accurate recollection rs to the time OF
my meeting Mcdowell on either coca. ion. L am
certain that the first occasion was in the last OF
Spring, and the last occasion was before heard
lt reported that he was gone. am certain that Ii
was In the evening when met him-oace whea
was going from the Sous of Temperance aud the
other time on Sunday evening. / frst went to live
AZ Mays mill last Spring.
When saw Mr.. Mcdowell get over the fence he
went in the direction of Mr. Bowyer's house. The
second time saw him, he was near the walnu.
tree E-s.- :
By the Commonwealth:
Heard the report that Mcdowell was gone after