The Republican journal., 1871-09-14
ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE MYSTERY.
Suicide of the Seducer of Alice AUGUSTA
sBoWlsby.

Inc extraordinary train vi horrible
crime and startling discovery which has
engrossed public attention, reached its
elimination in the suicide of Walter L.
Conklin of Patterson, the seducer of Alice
Augusta Bowlsby of that city, who is now
identified beyond doubt rs the unfortunate
victim of DR.. Rosenzwcig's internal arts.
The excitement in Patterson Yesterday
was intense, for Miss Bowlsby was wide
ly known and respected. and very few
were even aware of her absence from the
city. The Bowlsby family consists of
Mrs. Bowlsby, whose husband is i dis
sipated Newark mechanic and her three
daughters, Carrie, Addie, and Alice Au-
| gusta, the latter the unfortunate victim of
this heart-rending tragedy All these girls
were between II and p, Alice being the
oldest. They We're Of high respcctability,
and being vivacious, handsome, and
agreeable, had q very large circle Of &C
quaintances comprising some of the best
families in the city. Mrs. Bowlsby, with
Mrs. Sandford, carried on the business OF
dress-making, at which their daughters
worked, as well as some other Young GIRLS
who are learning the trade. Mrs BOwlsby
was the sister of the wife of Charles Sand
ford, the inventor of "Sandford's Magic
Salve," and President of the Incorporated
company engaged IN the manufacture of
| that article.
Alice Bowlsbv was beautiful girl.
rather slimly built and rather tall She
had fair features, fresh complexion, light
hair and blue eyes. Her features were
regular. and her appearance was more
than ordinarily prepossessing She was
very graceful in her carriage, and carried
on Il conversation with much animation
and yivacity
The house in which the Bowlsbys live,
is q two story and attic brick building at
No. AZ, West street. At the side of the
front door is a tin sign, reading s'Sand-
ford IL Bowlsby, Dress Makers" The
house is one Of the most respectable in
the street, and far beyond the average in
appearance of the buildings in the neigh
| borhood.
Mrs. Bowlsby knew nothing of hel
! daughters condition, and although she
was very anxious on account of Aice's
| mysterious disappearance on the preceding
Wednesday, she had not conceived the
horrible possibility that hcr daughter
might be the victim of the mysterou,
trunk horror in New York Miss Bowlsby
had been to Newark to spend week witt
her uncle, John Williams of Belmont Ave
On Wednesday she went to New York or
purpose to attend matinee, as her friends
supposed, with Walter Conklin. IIel
mother who accompanied her to Newark
returned to Patterson on Monday an(
there learned to her intense surprise, tha
her daughter had not yet reached home
Being much alarmed, she consulted witt
DR.. Parker an old friend of the family
and his suspicious and inquiries led to the
identification of the body at Bellevue Hos
pital. and this recognition. Dr. knnc the
dentist was enabled to make doublv SURF
by his knowledge Of the victims teeth.
Walter Conklin was at the Bowlsby
house in West street, Wednesday evening
He was conversing with the mother, an(
when talking about Alice, Mrs. Bowlsbv
said she had been reading about the trunI
murder, and it had created an unpleasan
feeling, rs the other girls said it might b,
Alice, and the mother expressed u horri,
it couldn't be Alice" The mother knew
nothing more of the matter till o'clocl
yesterday morning when DR.. kinnc cam,
in, and said, 'Have you heard Of thu
trunk murder mysteryss" and Mrs. Bowls
by instantly exclaimed, els it Alice ?'
The Doctor said sadly Eyes, it is Alice
The horror and grief Of the mother ant
two sisters cannot be told. The whole
family were prostrated, and the mothe
became wild with excitement
Upon the death of Alice Bowlsby be
coming known, much surmisc was excitel
rs to who was the seducer. Public opin
ion at once implicated Walter l.. Conklin
) a stock-clerk and time-keeper in the Dali
Silk Mills, near the Patterson depot, a
he was known to have been q trcquen
visitor at the house of the Bowlsbys
Several of Conklin's friends spoke to hin
upon the subject, but he denied all com
plicity in the affair. At Z o'clock ycster
day morning he went to the mill us usual
He read the papers and seemed somcwha
depressed, but not excited, and attende,
to his duties, one portion of which wa
the care OF the mill Office in the absenc,
of the other hands at dinner At abou
AS, as Alice Edge, one of the girl
employed in the factory, was passing th
silk vault, which is in the rear of the of
fee, she heard groans.
2 Looking in, she saw Conklin EXTENDED
on the floor; running to two men, nance
Ridgeway and George who are employe
in the factory, she told them Conklin'
l condition. They ran in, and found OF
the floor of this vault OF safe, the inscnsi
BILE form Of Walter Conklin; just back @
5 the left ear was an ugly wound from
which the blood was flowing in stream
heart and pulse were beating, but ver,
l feebly. He was carried out into tn
room back of the office, and the docto
l was summoned, while word was sent t
his father, and his brother, who is one o
p the assistant postmasters.
The doctors arrived, and found tn
y young mans injuries fatal; his life slow
!, !. ly but surely ebbing l3 away ,S through tn
had been fired from q small revolver en-
y tered just back of his right ear. and pass
e ed up toward the temple, under which