Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-12

,srSsy In view Of the bcdv OF James Fowler. n
soldIer Of the SD Pennsylvania Regiment who
ms murdered the night before at the house Of
ellen Warren, alias Jenny Lind, was Of the most
eoutrad ictoTy character
The following appear TO be the facts 20 far ss
the various witnesses agree, or the facts seem TO
~ esta shed IL appears that deceaspd accom-
psnIed by IN intimate friend OF his, one George
SIbln q teamstef, went TO the house Of Ellen
Wsrren on Tuesday evening. before the hour Of
spven O'Clock, and after knocking they were
admitted Charles Smith, another teamsser who
came . few minutes after them, was admitted
ebout the same time, or AFTER the lapse Of minute
or two. The three men took seats In the basement
Eaon and In q short time James Fowler, who
as somewhat intoxicated, asked one Of the girls
named Mary s-mstreng, but better known as Sis
COMBS, to GO up stairs with him. She accepted
room in the third stony, leaving In the basement
room the following persons: the two teamsters
already named; Susan Haslup, sister 70 Ellen
Warren; cse ss,i h Ia youth son Of Susan;
inmate 81 the house, Margaret Ellen Shafef wa
IN the yard Ellen Warren WA in the house and
supposed 70 Be In her own room on the second
door Amer Fowler had been up stat . some time
q disturbance arose, or, a. one Of the witnesses
called ~, Ga little muss which was heard down
stairs FOwler's friend George Niblo, made some
remark about quieting the disturbance, and went
up stairs. In about a minute, or two minutes
ahsrwsrd, the crack OF pistol was heard.
We viii now give the evidence OF the wit
pesses a. to the shooting and subsequent occur
tenees
JoLa s. RsaoIsr (brother Of deceased) testiaed
that George Niblo came to him (witnessJ on Tues
day night from the scene Of the murder, and told
him (witness) Of It,
GsSris p. Davis testified that deceased vould
sakp drop Of drink. but was not quarrelsoms
Margarst Ellen ShdfeT sworn, apparently
simple-mtnded girl. quite young, who LEFT her
home In Indianapolis some months ago with the
I3,h Indiana regiment, and has been at Ellen
wsrren's two or three months .)-Witness was out
Of doors when Fowler came, and knew nothing
Of it till the pistol was fred She ran up stairs,
and the man that shos him ran down stairs. Ellen
Warren WA mp there-no pistol In her hand or on
the 1Oor-and there was q man there witRess
could not recognize now,-thinks IL was the one
the room. He said nothing. The dead man was
lying on bis face. Mary Armstrong said he
didn'. paw her enough. She had come down
when witness weat up. Ellen Warren has two
pistols
Sssss Ha,Fxp sworn, Gan oldish woman, rather
deaf, sister Of Ellen Warren. This witness
seemed very duh Of comprehension, and contra
dieted herself In several particulars She did not
OHcsyg Garrett and Roach testified a. to their
getting Early information Of the murder and Ind,
ing the deceased lying on his back. also to state
ments made 70 them by the owner of the house.
May AJmsty0sg alias Sis CoOulbs, sworn
Lives At Ellen Warren's; was there when the
murder was committed Three men came I'm To-
geth-r, and Fowler asked witness to 90 up stairs
with him. He was very much In liquor; was
qusrrelsome and struck her under the ear While
me disturbance was going on, the pock-marked
fellow lNiblol ran up. Wines did not see the
knocked down the wash bowl and put the candle
out. She and Fowler had q tussls. Fowler had
her down. The man came In and let her up.
The soldier SFSvlsIl ran up and struck him
'yesds Christ, the man IL shot ~ Witness be-
lug asked more particularly about this said Ellen
came up and used the expression directly after
the aring) The pock-marked man, Niblo, and
Fowler were the only ones In there. Witness
oaly saw those two. Never saw deceased before
He came there for fuss. He beat witness and
took the money away from her. After be had done
what be wanted to do, he tried to take the money
away. The man (Niblol ran right out Of the
house. Ttere was no man there In his shirt
sleeves.
This witness was closely questioned BY the
Jury, but her statements were contradictory and
confused that II was impossible 70 get the circum-
ksHces Of the shooting from her. She stated her
position at the time OF the shooting "a looking
towards Fowler, position In which IL 10 fair TO
infer she must have seen who fred, as the posi-
ton Of the person aring must have been q little
Caste Ha,lsp swOrn.-Hs was sitting In the
basement. HE then testified a. to what occurred
until Fowler and Sis Combs went up stsiTs.)
There was then little kind Of nuss up there, snG
Nioo went up stairs. A minute afterwards the
pistol vss fred Witness started up, and met the
Poekm marked man (Niblo) running down. Wit
ness aunt ELLEN Warren) said there was q man
shot Witness went and informed Orscer Gar
when the shooting occurred.
CAaS SMITH teamster, was sworn. This wit
meas aid not go up stairs directly after the shoot
Ing, and no new facts were elected
S<rgsaat HHvIsy (of the Metropolitan Police
foree) testified that when he got there Ellen War
Ien and the other women charged the friend OF
Immediately run or after doing the deed. 10
short time after witness arrived, however, Niblo
returned almost out Of breath with the Provost
Guard and the brother Of the murdered man.
RYnrr1 fna a. ID N 2ar0 HnrIo
10 seems that Niblo went directly to the brother
Of Fowler to inform him Of the shooting, and
hey both went 70 seek the Provost Guard
These were all the witnesses In the case. The
Jury requested TO hear the statements Of the i'm
plczIed parties, when George Nibo was brought
In, and being warned thst he was not Obliged to
that when the fuss occurred up stairs, he (Niblo)
started mp and met the landlady on the second
nooS At the door Of her room he kept on up to
bring Fowler down, 40 De was In hquofs and
put his head In the room, but Fowler refused 70
cone down, and told him 70 clear out He
(NibIol started down and bad got on the digit
Of stzirI between the FIRST and second noors when
the pistol was nred he turned back directly 10
90 up and on the next flight Of steps % { man
Ia bis shirt sleeves, with a spotted shirt and
oheckered cross barred undsrshirt, and pistol
in bis hand. Just In his rsar was the landIsdy
and the girl isis Coombs He (Niblo) charged
the man with killing Fowler, and she (EIlsn
warren) sid, "No, killed him"
EHsn Wares. amer receiving the same caution
That she was sitting In her own room alone,
when she heard scufning up stairs The soldier
lPovier) said TO the pock marked man, (Niblo.l
who had gone mp stairs, So You DID son OF
q b-h, IL YOU don't 20 back will shoot you. -
She (Ellen) was In her own room when the pistol
was Erred, which happened directly after the
exclamation. w hen abe ELEM reached the room.
the pock marked man had Fowler by the collar,
and when be let him 90. Fowler fell, but did not
eItlnguish the light In falling. The Pock-marked
man Immediately ran from the house, before
Margaret Ellen Shafer came no.
The Jury rendered verdict that James Fowler
being, about the hour Of p. on the 10th inst,
IN the third story OF the house described received
. gun shot wOand In the back Of the bead, from
gun or pistol fred by some person unknown to
the jury from the effects Of which wound he ex-
pIred shout the hour Of II the same evening
There was evidence before the Jury that be was
. single man, from Pittsburg, Pa and had no
property There was found upon his person u
leave q absence from camp; also, sl9 o6 In cash
All OF the parties arrested have been discharged
from the guard house, except Geroge Niblo and
Ellen Warren aliss Jenny Lind. These two were
committed 70 Jail by Justice Drury.
Ia may be proper 10 state that, although one Of
ths witnesses tesfinsd that Ellen " arren has two
pistols, but oos pistol was found In the house by
Sergeant Hurley. All the barrels Of that one were
koaaed and had evidently been loaded for some