The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-05-23
BROWN HoWEN.

p,bIie Sentiment WbeFs lie Wa,
uung -InsteRJ Of sympathy, ih,
peopIe wanted Hardin unug on ia,
same acknowledgements Letter 10 iiiT
VIE
From letter to the Galveston News,
fine following additional particulars OF
the hanging OF Brown Bowen IL taken,
which shows that he was more peni.
tent than he appeared on the scatiold /:
GoSzALEs, May II, 1878.
While there la portion OF the peo.
nle here who have double ~ 10 Bow.
anita firing the fatal shot | have mel
but one man who expressed any regret
At hH fate, aud that man wa oue OF
Ma counsel. There 1, gU0u deal of
feeling exhibited UeuauA Wesley
Hardin aud reyprtl Others Ufthlt gang
are not executed Ou the Same suu!iuld,
AS they were equally guilty, but there
IL 10 sympathy Tor the prisoner
Bowen had his photograph taken q
few days ago, and requested TO
be allowed TO hold pistol In
hh hald. II Is thought he wanted 10
beitu-ied with u lOHued pistol, but the
accommodating sheriff thought an un.
loaded one would answer the purpose
Just ~ well, so he appears on the pic
lure with an unloHded weapon. Ihe
apprehension that he wanted TO KIN |
some more has had something to do
with his unpOpuarlty. ruen, again. |
be has confessed TO having had dim |
MltIes In Florida that resulted fatally
to the party Of the second part.
THE LETTER no HIS WIFE.
The following Is a copy OF the letter
that Bowen wrote to his wife:
GonzALEs JAIL, May IL,
Mrs. Mary Bowen, Whiting, Alabama;
My dear, darling wife, God knows
when we married little did | think OF
how soon would leave you a widow,
my child an orphan in the cold, weary
world, aud, above all, of the manner
! should be parted from you. You,
dear wife, this IL my last letter. Dear
wife, and o, believe me 1t Ia true,
dear wife, rs true as | am to appear
before the Great God above, | am In.
nOcent of the great crime. | am to be
executed, but, dear Mary, let this be
some consolation to you in the dark
hours OF your great trouble. |
never believed that an innocent man
could suffer by the laws OF Texas, I'M
less by mob. l can't term the wit.
nesses who swore my life away but "A
mob. The law believes their oaths,
but my dear Mary, did not have \
fair showing for my life. There were
Bill and Mac Billings, who swore my
life away. There Is mono here but the
great God above who knows what | ,
have suffered for John Wesley Hardin.
You know something about it, and :
olhers near you. am glad you do
know, as you can then believe of my
innocence. J ave time and again
legged the wnr. to give me chance
tt my life, N they would not give g
me u show; ut believe me, dear
Mary, ii Nl!i all come on to
them some day vet, perchapce on ,
their deathbeds. H. vii! do you some U
good, but will te too late to benefit
your poor hu baud The bible, dear
Mary, teaches us to forgive our enc.
mics, but how hard for me when |
think these men swore my life away! r r
Death in Itself is a little thing if we go tc
prepared. hope Christ will prepare =
me to meet all this before | meet our II
Great Judge In heaven. He says ii
We forgive our enemies on earth He
will, through the blood of Christ, for. 81
give us. My dear wife, inclosed you will "
lind two picturesque for yourself and
One for dear little Neill. My last dy- q,
Ing request: bring up our boy in the ~
fear of God; teach him to be virtuous II
and honorable; make OF him a good L
and useful man, and be sure and keep a a
him clear of bad company. With the
garmest and dying love of your in>
llred husband, pray God to take care
OF you and be to you protector and :,
guide is my earnest prayer.
Dol