The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-07-10

/ doubt the last work of his life, the sheriff re-
| solved to take Jason Bowers into custody If
he was still in town. The young man was
/ not difficult to find, as he was in the crowd
below, and on the charge of malicious MUIR
| der he was forthwith arrested and lodged In
| Jail.
We now come to the most mysterious part
| of our narrative.
At the coroner's inquest but little light was
| thrown upon the crime.
JabeZ Throck, the janitor, said that he
| found the outer doors of the court house
locked from the inside and that he had been
| obliged to enter through the coal cellar, of
which he alone carried the key. 1t was not
an uncommon thing for the deceased to re-
| main in his room till II at night, during q
session of court, and that upon such occa-
slons he locked the court house when he left
| for home. Upon the janitors testimony, the
| theory that the murderer had been concealed
| in the building started, but this was in
| jured by the various county officers, who
swore that they had locked the iron doors
| leading into their offices Immediately after
| the adjournment of court, which gave the
murderer no place for concealment but the
stone corridors.
The court house was on the second street
running parallel with the river, and one of
the town sewers connected it with the
stream. There was bare possibility that
small man might have obtained ingIess into
ton of its mouth dissipated this theory.
The court room was situated on the second
| floor. The murderer, to reach the judges
apartment was compelled TO cross the court
room, which, when wrapped in darkness
ii was when the murder was committed,
was no easy task for one unacquainted with
the arrangement of the furniture. etc. If
the assassin had traversed the room just de-
scribed, he had failed 10 displace a single
chair, several having been left in the aisles,
as the sheriff testified; and the mode and
manner of his exit were also left in the
dark.
There was nothing to point to the evil
dOer save the piece of paper already twice
mentioned, and by the maj part OF BIS
inhabitants it was regarded as conclusive.
Jason Bowers was abjured to confess but to
the surprise of all he protested his inno-
cence, and declared that at the proper time
he would prove an alibi.
A new Judge took Blakelys place and the
session was resumed. new grand jury
was summoned which indicted Jason Bowers
for willful murder, and after the disposal of
several grand larcenies the young man was
put upon trial for his life.
The district attorney man who had won
many eulOglumsfor his vigorous prosecution
of criminal cases, wa. summoned to B. TO
look after the interest of the state. After an
investi CATION OF the case he declared that
the jury would deliver a verdict of guilty"
without leaving their boxes and the trial
was commenced.
1t was called to-day, "the great triar' at
B, though sixteen years have passed
away, and the old court house has given
place to new one.
Jason Bowers exhibited no signs of guilt
when placed on the prisoners stand and
confronted by the crowd in which his
friends might have been numbered by
pairs. 1t was known that he hoped to prove
an alibi, though few believed his ability to
| do so.
"If gentlemen" said the district attorney
| TO the jury in opening the case, ''we shall
show that Immediately after bis acquittal of
the charge of forgery the prisoner made
| threats against the deceased; that he was
seen in the vestibule of the court house at
| the hour of 10 or thereabouts on the night of
the murder: if at the time aforesaid he,
standing on the stone steps, addressed one
| of the witnesses for the state in his own un-
disguised voice, so that the witness will
| swear positively concerning his identity we
| shall present a case that will demand con-
giction.
"But, if we shall further show, gentlemen,
| that the prisoner carried TO bis washer
woman, at daylight on the morning after
the commiItal of the crime a shirt, the
| right cuff ard bosom of which contained
blood stains; if, proceeding further, we shall
show that when the prisoner was arrested
there was found upon his person a dagger
whose blade fitted the several wounds
| in the deceased's breast, and il we
shall make known the fact that
| the prisoner, after his acquittal, de-
/ clared that he could traverse the court room
with ease after dark, and then if We offer in
/ evidence the last words (wTitten) of the de-
csased-words which he must have written
after he had been left for dead by his mur.
derer. we shall confidently expect con-
/ YictlOn, though we would wish to see the
prisoner, if innocent, prove a satisfactory
alibi."
The attorneys opening address created a
| profound impression; it seemed to seal the
| prisoners doom. If the prosecution could
prove what they said they could, from
| whence would the alibi come?
| The defense relied mainly upon proving
an alibi, as the prisoners chief counsel
stated in his response to the district attorney
| They stated that the blood stains on the
shirt, as well as the dagger on the prisoners
| person, would be accounted for. His sup
| posed presence in the outer vestibule on the
night of the crime would be swept away
by the oath Of the most respectable citizens
| of B.
We will not enter upon the details of the
| trial The prosecution introduced proof
bearing upon the several heads OF the district
attorneys address. The man who swore to
the prisoners presence on the court house
steps was a person of undoubted veracity
1 and well respected in B. He had known
Jason Bowers previous to his arraigument
for forgery, aud could not be mistaken in
| the voice that addressed him on that night.
| The figure on the steps corresponded with
! the prisoners; hut the face was concealed,
as il purposely, by the slouching of the hat
| This witness swore positively.
The prisoners shirt accompanied by his
washerwoman's testimony, was exhibited in
court. 1t produced profound impression,
| for unobliterated stains of dark color were
visible ON cuff and bosom.
| The prosecution, ably and almost vindict-
| lively conducted, seemed to give the prisoner
no chance for escape&nd the defense was
regarded frivolous beCre its turn came.
The fact that the doors leading into the
court house were found to be locked on the
inside by Jabez Throck, the janitor, on the
memorable moroing, was commented upon
| with proof by the defense. 1t was further
more proved that every window was found
| fastened likewise on the inside after the