The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-02
A DYING DECLARATION.

THE FULL PARTICULARS OF THE SHOOTING OF
| HENRY LOwTHER BY BIS MISTRESS, ON THE
| RIVER AT JEFFERsoNvILLE-A DECIDED
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AS TO HOW II
| HAPPENED-HELD TO BAIL.
The Sentinel reported by telegraph the
shooting by Nancy Mckee of Henry j.
Lowther, on boat on the Ohio at Jefferson
vile. The following particulars are from
the Courier-Journal: A day or two ago a
shabby looking little fstboat, with rough
covering on it, arrived at Towhead and lay
| there until Thursday night. The sole pas
sengers were Henry j. Lowther, Nancy
Mckee, Mary L. Scott and little boy I'VE
years old named Mckee, the two latter be-
ing children of the woman. There were also
two other men accompanying tbislittie craft,
James H Moffit and James 3. Houston,
each ofwhom had skiffs. According to the
story OF the woman, Lowther went ashore
and GOT so drunk that he
lost all of his clothes but his
pants, and was the laughing stock
even OF Louisville negroes. In his absence
Nancv Mckee cost the craft loose and rowed
it to Jacksonville, landing at Patterson's
wharf. Mofht and Houston followed soon
after, and moored short distance below
the same point. Lowther did not make bis
appearance until late at night, perhaps Ill 80
P. NJ. He Immediately cut the head. line and
while attempting to get on the boat was
met by Nancy Mckee with shotgun In
hand, declaring that she would mash his
brains out IL he did not desist from cutting
the boat loose She then turned the gun
with the muzzle toward Lowtber, and, he
declares, deliberately fired. he immedi-
ately fell back into the river and went
ashore, where he lay grooming until Officers
Shadburn and bill, Of Jacksonville, came
rested the woman and the two mon above
named, who were found lying in their skifts
about 80 yards below where Lowther was
shot. The woman's statement contradicts
that of Lowther. She declares
THE GUN WENT OFF ACCIDENTALLY;
that the hammer was knocked against the
gunwsling OF the boat while she and Low
Their were struggling for the possession of
the gun. She further alleges that he struck
at her several times with knife, and that
she only drew the gun to scare him, she be-
ing fearful that If he succeeded in his pHr-
pose the entire family would be carried over
the falls and drowned. Motif and Houston
were arrested as accompiices, but the evil
dence thus tar educed does not make out
| that charge very clearly. They, OF course,
| deny all connection with the matter. The
daughters testimony substantiates the state
ments of the mother, while Lowther, in
his dying declaration, charges the woman
with Intentionally shooting him. DIR. Lod
Hs .
says the wound will, without doubt prove
fatal. The gun was loaded with slugs, and
the charge entered about two inches to
the right Of the lower end of the breastbone,
ranging directly inwardly and lodging in
the abdominal cavity. The man stands
about as much chance OF living as Carruth,
the Vineland editor did, when he was shot
in the head by lands. Lowther is a native
of Richey county, w. Va, and is 81 years of
age. The woman and the little girl say he
is q vietu2l thief. Nancy Mckee is from
Kentucky, and her maiden name was Pack.
Houston Is from Cincinnati, but has rela-
tiyes in Louisville. The statements Of none
of the parties implicate him in the matter.
Motif is from Huntington, Pa, and says he
was going TO Missouri TO get work as plas-
terer. Lowther was alive at Q o'clock last
evening, but there is no chance of his recov-
cry. The following is his statement of the
affair:
DYING DECLARATION OF LOwTHER.
/, Henry J. Lowther, who was shot last
night by Nancy Mckee, on boat at Jefsr-
sonville, in the county of Clark, state of In
diana, being conscious OF approaching dis
solution, and being in dying condition, of
which / am fully convinced, make the fol-
lowing statement of the facts and circum.
stances of the shooting of myself by Nancy
Mckee, last night, as my dying declara-
ItOu. NY IlSut uhAno Js LOWbucI,
they sometimes call me Big Foot Wallace
for nickname, on account of the great in
terest took in novel Of that name, and
having a pretty big foot myself l was born
five miles from HarrisVille, Richey county,
West Virginia, and WAS tnirty-two years
old the 1lth day of May, 1876 There were
two men along with us on the boat; this
man Mofht and this woman were trying to
get rid OF me and to travel OFF with the boat
together; the other man, James Houston, fell
in company with us in the last four days;
guess he was friend Of Motif. If / die, /
want it understood that this man James.H.
Motnt IS accessory TO my murder;
think | am dangerously injured: am
suffering tremendously; l hardly think l
will get over It; expect / will leave this
world soon. That womsD, Nancy Mckee,
wounded me. and think she did it inten-
tionally: she is inclined TO prostitution
little, especially with men she takes liking
to. There were couple of men got aboard
of the boat about thiIty-eight miles above
here, and asked permission to go as far as
Louisville; that was between a week and
two weeks ago; they have been with me ever
since; IN the msantime Motif aud she got
pretty thick together; she probably got tired
of me; she tried two or three times within
the last year to get rid of me; could not
bear the idea of letting her go from me with
ths boat and everything, ana bring another
man in there to sport over what | had
USAe>SA dftN ASAt Xxx ShNs was 4 ndN,
that little boat and what was in it; Motif
is the name OF that man; let me see, call
him J. Mot1it, that is his name. She did not
do it in self-deiense, she did it to keep me
away from the boat:
NANCY LET ME COME on,
and when got up pretty Near the boat she
put out skiff oar and showed me out into
the river, and in the meantime she cried,
"Police. poiice" Motif was afraid to come
out, but he slid out at the stern of the boat
and made kind OF circle round in the rear
lice! police!'' Here, here!" He did not
offer to hurt me; was out in the river and
she drew the gun as / came up, and said she
would shoot me. i tried to knock il of: I'M
fortunately, did not strike hard enough.
i did make a statement that this man was