The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-04
8itt1ntond Dispattll,
SEPTEMBER 4, 1871.
TIE CIRCULATION OF THE DISPATCH
Is LARGER THAN TIEE COMBINED CIR
CULATIoN OF ALE THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY. j.

Scques to- tho Trunk Mystery-Ident.
ancatson Of the Unfortunate Gtrf-
Reception OF tho News by her Fam.
Ay-Suicfde OF her Seducer-Vers
dfes Against Rosenzweig, sc.
The following particulars of the identif-
cation of the body of Miss Alice Bowlsby,
of Paterson, New Jersey, rs the corpse in
the trunk, and the suicide Of her seducer,
are from the New York papers:
About I A. M. Thursday the news Of the
identification Of Miss Bowlsby's remains
was broken to the widowed mother at Pat
erson by Drs. Parker and Kinne, who on
the evening preceding had identified the
oody at the morgue. The grief of the
mother ana younger sisters was too terrible
ior words to express. Eight days previous
~ Alice had left the home of her aunt,
Mrs. Elizabeth l.. Williams, in Newark, to
return to her mothers house in Paters on.
She did not arrive home on the day which
q letter written to her mother by her had
fixed, and inquiries were sent to Newark
for information of her.. Word was return
ed that she had left Mrs. Williams's house,
where she had been staying about three
weeks, and ought to have arrived home the
same day. Then the search Tor the missing
girl commenced. -..sr,1
Her uncle, Mr.. Charles e. Sandrord, of
Broadway, Paterson; her cousins, Henry
and DR.. Ktnne, the family physician, gave
nearly all their time for several days to en-
deav0rs to trace her. Henry Sandford, on
visiting the morgue, thought he recognized
the body OF the then unknown murdered
girl, and it was subsequently identified
positively by Drs. Parker and Kinne. Until
| Thursday morning, however, neither Mr..
| Sandrord nor the doctors had hiuted their
/ suspicious regarding the body at the
morgue to the bereaved mother. The resi-
dence of the family is small two-story
| brick house, situated in West street, bear
| ing the sign Mrs. Bowlsby, dressmak-
ing" in small gilt letters. To this house
! the family moved ten years ago from Par
Mrs. Bowlsby, with her three daughters,
worked at dressmaking, Alice having been
employed recently in an establishment at
: No. 1853 Main street, over the offices of Drs.
F; Parker and Kline. Alice and her sisters
were highly esteemed and not only Alice's
! mother, but all her acquaintances, believed
! her to be strictly virtuous.
In answer to inquiries made Thursday
morning, the friends OF the family state
that they could not say who was the seducer
Of Alice. They suspected young man
7
inquest should be held. DR.. Parker was
reluctant to give any information except
that the murdered girl was well-known to
him rs pure, high-minded girl, whom he
would never have suspected under any cir
cumstances. He thought he could identify
the man who was responsible for her con-
dition when she went to DR.. Rosenzweig's ;
but he believed that she had gone there
alone, and that the man whom he suspect
cd had nothing to do with the murder. The
doctor exhibited photograph of the de-
ceased-a tall, well-formed, and Intelligent
looking blonde, with bright, laughing eyes,
full lips, and smiling face. 1t was learned
by the statements of Mrs. Williams, of
! Newark, that Waltcr T. Conklin had been
! very much attached to the young woman,
and had visited her at Mrs. Williams s
house in Newark three days before Alice
| left for New York. Mrs. Williams did not
hesitate to say that he was responsible for
| Alice's misfortune.
| Att O'Clock an event occurred in which
all the city were convinced that Mrs. Will
; liams's supposition was correct. At that
| hour Conklin committed suicide in Dale's
silk mill, where he was employed. a large
crowd gathered Immediately around the
building, and within an hour the news was
spread through Paterson. Conklin arrived
! at the mill early yesterday morning, look
ing pale and nervous. He remained at his
| desk during the forenoon, conyersing but
| little, and when spoken to concerning the
absorbing sensation caused by the reports
| in the morning papers, spoke of it as as q
matter of no consequence TO him. AT noon
| he did not 60 to dinner according TO MS
custom. While the other clerks were at
dinner one Of the men employed in the mill
heard pistol shot. He ran Immediately
r. ho offSno arl foun1 nI1t pOlnO
| into the large tire-proof loom, where the
most valuable silks are stored, on the floor
| he found Conklin'S prostrate form. Blood
| was flowing from wound back OF: the LETT
! ear, where the bullet entered. A revolver
was found on the floor beside him. The
man drew the body out into the Office, and
sent word for physicians, sending lnforma-
| ton also to Alderman Conklln, the father
Of the deceased. When the physicians ar
rived they found that the wound was fatal,
the ball having lodged in the temple. The
dying man did not move. His father and
| brother arrived before life became extinct.
| Within half an hour he was dead. Coroner
| Butterworth was Immediately summoned,
and viewed the body. In one Of the pockets
| was found the following note, in Conklin's
! handwriting:
81 have long had morbid idea of the
worthlessness OF life, and now to be obliged
| to testify in this affair and cause unpleas.
antness in my family is more than Life Is
| worth. :,
"Good-bye, dear father, mother. brother,
and sister, WALT"
In his pocket q card was found, on which
was written, in his own hand, "115 e. 24th
st."
About Miss Bowlsby's movements after
! she left Mrs. Williams's house III Newark
| but little can be learned. Her mother, who
went to Newark with her, returned nome,
/ having left Alice only money enough TO
pay her fare from Newark to Paterson.
| When she left Mrs. WilliamSs house at -
o'clock on Wednesday last she had only 81
! cents. She could not therefore have paid
Rosenzweig the amount which he would
| be likely to have demanded.
On Monday, the 21st ult., Miss Bowlsby
| was met, in company with another Pater.
SON woman, by Mr. William j. Healey, OF
| 50 Main street, Paterson. Mr. Healey states
| that he met Alice twice in Broadway, near
| st. PauPs Church. The woman who &C.
| companied her he knew, but cannot re-
member her name. Conkling is known to
F., have gone to New York on the fatal Satur.
day, returning in the evening. His father
| is one of the owners Of the Dale silk mil
where Conkling was employed, and the
| latter drew good salary as bookkeeper.
On Wednesday evening, while Drs. Parker
and Kinne were looking at the remains ol
Alice in New York, Mrs. Bowlsby and
Young Conkling were conVersing about hex
in Paterson. Conkling called to inquire il
ANYTHING had been heard from her, and ap-
peared to be concerned for her safety. Mrs.
BoWlsby, who was almost crazed with alarm
for her daughters safety, suggested that
the body found In the trunk might be hers.
Conkling said "Oh, no; that couldn't be