Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-09-08
From the u. Y. Journal of Commerce.
THE TRUNK MYSTERY
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Home of Alice
Bowlaby-SuIcide OF she Alleged sedu-
cer-Statement CT Rose nzwsts's servant.

The Identffcation-The Home of Alice |
Rowlaby-SuIcIde OF she Alleged Sedu-
cer-Statement CT Rose nzwstg's Servant.
The CITY of Patterson. n. J. was intense |
" excited yesterday, FIRST by the announce
ment in the morning papers that the VIC
tim was a Patterson girl, and later IN the
day by the report that the young man who
had kept company with her before her
disappearance had taken his own life.
About A. NJ. the news of the identih-
cation of Miss Bowlsby's remains was bro |
ken to her widowed mother by Drs. Parker
and Kline, who on the evening pr cad1ng
had identified the body at the Morgue. The
grief of the meter and younger sisters
was too terrible for words TO express
Eight days previously Alice had left the
home of her aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth L. Will
| liams, IL Newark, to return toher mothers
house in Patterson. She did not arrive
| home On thu day which letter written to
her mother by ler had fixed, and inquiries
were sent to Newark for information
of her. Word was returned that she had
! lett MIS- Williams house, where she had
been Staying about three weeks, end
ought TO have arrived home The SEINE
day. Then the s arch for the missing girl
commenced. Her uncle, Mr.. Charles E.
Sanford, of Broadway, Paterson; her cous
ins, Henry Sanford and John Williams, of
Newark, and DIR. Kline, the family physi-
clan, gave nearly all their time for several
days TO endeavors to trace her. Henry
> Sanford, on visiting the Morgue, thought
he recognized the body of the then un-
|, known murdered gil, and it WAS suisse
quently identified positively by Dts. Par
ker and Kline. Until yesterday morning
however, neither Mr.. Sanford nor the doc
tors had limited their suspicious regarding
the body at the Morgue to the bereaved
mother. The residence of the afflicted
family is small two story brick house,
situated in West street, caring the sign,
"Mre. Bow.sby, Dress making" in email
guilt letters. To this house the family
moved ten years ago from Parsippany
upon the death of BoWlsby. Mrs. Bowls
by, with her three daughters, worked at
dress making; Alice having been employed
$ recently in an establishment at Nc. 163
{ Main street, over the Office OF Drs. Pal
highly esteemed, and not only Aices
| mother, but all her acquaiuta0ceS, believ.
ed her to be strictly virtuoue.
La answer to enquiries made yesterday
. morning, the friends Of the family state
q that they could not cay who was the Sc
q Queer of Alice they suspected a young
man whose name would not be given un-
, til the inquest should be held. DR.. Park
er was reluctant to give any Information
except that the murdered girl was well
known to him a pure, high minded
}, girl, whom he would never have suspect
7 ed under any clrcumstaEc S. He thought
he could identity the man who was re-
I sponsible for her condition when she went
q to DR.. Rcsenweig's; but lie believed that
she bad gone there alone, and that the
! man whom he suspected had nothing to
\ do with the murder. The doctor exhibit
. ed photograph of the dece 4sed. tail,
y well formed, ud intellige NJ looking blonde.
n with bright laughing eyes, fuli Ups, and
. smiling fac. 1t learned by the state
. ments of Mrs. Wilkins, of Newark, that
2 Walter F. Conklin had been very much
d attached to the young woman, and had
visited her at Mrs Wllhams'e house in
. Newark three days before Alice left fol
= New York Mrs Williams did OF he 81
r tate to say that he was les Eonslble fol
Alice's misfortune.
At l O'Clock an event occurred in which
all the city were convinced that Mrs Viii
llams suppcstlOn WAS correct. At thai
hour Conklin commits d suicide in Dale's
silk mill, where he was employed. A large
crowd gathered Immediately around TIE
. bull ling, and within an hour the news was
y spread through Paterson. Conklin arrived
IL at the mill early yesterday morning, lock
q ing pale aud nervous. He remained at bis
. desk during tho loren Don. Converting but
little, and when spoken to concerning the
, absorbing sensation caused by the re ports
h in the morning papers, spoke of it as
st matter OF no consequence to him. At n JoI
- he did not go 10 dinner according to bis
custom. While the other clerks were a
u dinner one of the men employed in the
k mill heard pistol shot. He ran immedi
b atey to the Office and found no one; bat
going into the | rye fire proof room where
the most valuable silks are stored, on thc
't floor he found Conklin's PROSTATE form
Uo 40
Q the left ear where the bullet entered a
J. revolver was found On the floor besid'
o him. The man drew the body out into
!. the Office and sent word for ply sicians
Q sending information also to A dernal
8 ConkliD, the father Of the deceased. Whe1
n the physicians arrived they found that the
wound was fatal the ball having lodged
6 in the temple. The dying man did no.
l. move. His father and brother arrived be-
e fore life became extinct. Within half an
Q hour he was dead. Coroner Butterworth
6 was Immediately summoned, and viewed
o the body. In one of the pockets was
found the following note in Conklin's
g handwriting
d & have long had morbid idea Of the
= worthlessness of life, and now to be OBJ
Il liged to testify in this affair and cause un-
s pleasantness in my family is more than
8 life is worth.
: Goodbye dear father. mother. broth
}. and sister. WALT.''
= In his pocket card was found on which
( was written in his own hand "115 e. Oath
!, street."
8 Coroner Butterworth imranneled Jury
: yesterday afternoon and Immediately
!. commenced an inquest. The testimony
v of DIR. Warner, the workmen at the mill
!. and others cognizant of facts connected
: with the shooting, was taken, after which
3 the jury rendered verdict thatthe de-
: ceased came to his death by his own
, hands.
e About Miss BowIsby's movements after
? she left Mrs. Williams's house in Newark,
but little can be learned. Her mother,
who went to Newark with her, returned
home, leaving Alice only money enough
= to pay her fare from Newark to Paterson.
9 When she left Mrs. Williams's house at 9
on Wednesday last, she had only eighty
3 cents. She could not, therefore, have
paid ROsenZWeiR the amount which ha