The Republican journal., 1874-02-19
The Lowell Murder Trial.
A Strange Story of Missing Woman
and Head1ess Skeleton.

morning, i'll the Supreme Court, Judge
Walton presiding. This will be the fourth
remarkable muruer trial in Maine during
a twelyemonth
DISCOVERY OF TIE HEADLES- SKELETON.
One morning last October man. while
cutting wood near a highway about three
miles above this city, stumbled over Il
partially covered female skeleton. 1t was
lying III 4 clump OF dwarf evergreens,
within stones toss of Il much travelled
road. The skull and some Of the yertebr;p
We're missing. There were remains of a
black silk dress, Of underclothing and OF
shoes; but the flesh had entirely disap-
peared, and identification seemed a hope
less problem. As may be supposed this
strange discovery caused intense excite
ment in the community. Public specula-
ton was Immediately set at work The
physicians agreed that the date Of death
must have been two or three years ago,
and inquiries were made at once whether
any one had been missing
MURDER OR SUICIDE
1t was not long before somebody remem-
bered that on the 18th day of June, 1870,
Mrs. Lizzie Lowell left her boarding place
and has never since been seen Her story
| II DlItllN llIlS 1ltI lllttlttIl IdIIlt was
Burton. She came to Lewiston and mar
fied James Nj. Lowell. They did not live
happily together. and finally separated
Her evident pleasure al the attentions Of
= circus performer wrought Lowell up to
the height of jealousy II IS said thai he
frequently abused her. and that they were
compelled to live apart On the night OF
June II, 1870. Mrs. Lowell went out to
ride with her husband. She has not been
seen alive since then.
PUBLIC OPINION
1t is unnecessary to give more than this
| brief sketch Of the circumstances The
| evidence elected at the trial begun to-day
will bring out the story in all its lights
and shadows. Public opinion as to the
result is diverse. Many believe that the
difficulty ri establishing the identity of the
remain@ viii ensure his acquittal. No
corp',S delictt, no murder. The evidence
must be almost altogether circumstantial.
/ AT all events, if those bleached bones and
rotten shreas OF cloth be the remains of
| Mrs Lizzie Lowell, it will be no easy task
for the prosecution to establish the fact to
the satisfaction of legal demands
TIE COUNSEL.
The case on the part of the State is con
Quoted by Gen Ii. NJ Plaisted. Attorney
General of Maine, assisted by Mr.. Wing,
the county attorney. Lowell is defended
by Hon. +. f. Pillsbury Of Augusta, one
Of the best criminal lawyers in New Enc
land
THE PRISONER ARRAIGNED
According to assignment when the court
came in this morning Lowell was arrign-
ed. He pleaded mot guilty He is, to
all appearances none the worse tor his
three months confinement He is a com
mon-place looking man, of about thirty
wears, clean shaved and neatly dressed
During the preliminary proceedings and
the empanellmg Of the jury he manifested
the greatest apparent Indifference. and
was perhaps the least interested spectator
in the room.
JURY WAS OBTAINED
with but few exercises of the right OF chal- |
lenge 1t is constituted as follows: Zebu- |
lon Davis, Minot; ARA &. Lothrop, Leeds |
jeremiah Moulton. Durham Nathan III |
Cobb, Lewiston; Calvin Conant Turner;
Edwin 4. Hackett, Minot Edward Berry, |
Lisbon Edward +. Ross Poland Octa-
wins Potter, Lewiston; Charles Thurston, !
Auburn; Cyrus Greeley, Lewiston, fore
man. A large crowd was in attendance
THE FIRST WITNESS
called was Mrs lydia H. Blet3hen, who |
testified to having seen Mary Elizabeth |
Lowell on the day She disappeared, which |
was also on the day when Central Hall |
was burned. She had conversation with |
Mrs. Lowell. and at the time examined a |
black silk dress which that lady had on |
The skirt was entirely plain-waist and |
sleeves trimmed with scalloped black |
lace 1t was trimmed around the sleeve,
partially on the seam part Of the way up |
to the elbow, and around the front and |
back Of the waist. She had pink bow on
her bosom, a pink ribbon trimmed with
white lace, a small rosettc Of lace and this
new silk dress The soiled and rotten
fragments the silk, in which the headless
skeleton was enveloped, We're here display
ed, and Mrs Bletchen, who is q respect
able old lady of intelligent appearance,
had no hesitation in stating her belief that
1t was the same dress-a belief which |
a searching cross-examination failed to
shake The next witness was
LIZZIE RowELL,
4 pretty girl of about twenty. who was
staying at boarding house No. 10, Hill |
WI lut bllIlt Ol lllt 1llllftltf. |
She also pronounced the remnants to be
the dress which Mrs Lowell had on the
last time witness saw her, when she was
at the door with her husband. On cross
examination she believed ii was between
dress trimmed like that
JENNY BLOOD,
the next witness, is the daughter of Mrs |
Sophinia Blood, at whose house Mrs. Low
ell was at work She testified that Mrs |
Lowell had peculiar way OF trimming
her bows with white lace; knew she had |
a velyeteen sacque; she had a long smooth |
chain the color Of gold, which She wore
around her neck Here chain was pro
duced. That looks very much like it;
think it is the same; have never seen the !
chain from that day to this.
ANNIE MANLY,
who lived with Mrs Blood as help, and |
whose place Lizzie Lowell came to take, |
last saw the latter on the evening she |
went to ride with her husband; remcm-
5ers that she had her black silk dress ON. |
and that is all saw them as they drov G
away, and they went in the direction of
Main street towards the Switzerland
road it was after tea, but don't know lust
what time it was: Mrs Lowell was put
ting on this dress when witness Went N,
stairs and saw her; she had only one sill,
dress.
Here the court adjourned TO Tomorrow
morning
LEWISTON, Feb H. This morning the
Jury We're driven out on the Switzerland
road to the dreary spot where the skeleton
was found. This is inexpressibly lonely
and is more than mile from any house.
Since the date of the disappearance the
woods have been cut down, but as his
was done while much snow was on the
ground the remains We're not found at
that time
A CAREFUL AND VALUABLE WITNESS.
The entire forenoon was consumed in
the direct examination of Mrs. Blood,
precise old lady, who said neither too
l l. Il 4