The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-04
MISS LONISA B0WEN'S TRIAL.
THE MYSTERY THtT SURROUNDS A
CONNECTICUT TRAGEDY.
A Young Giri Confcssing that she Killed an
Intimate Friend, Thinking that he was n
Rursinr-A Belief that she 4. Trying 20
save her Fnther-Why he was Suspected.

HurgInr-A Bciiet that she Ia Trying 10
save her Fnther-Why he was Suspected.
new LoNDON, Conn, April 3.-Thc trial OF
Miss Iovisa Bowen Of Norwich for the killing
Of benjamin c. Muzzy Of that city on Oct. ~
was begun here before the Superior Court yes
teriny. The Court House is an old-fashionod,
antique, wooden structure. on swelling. grassy
knoll at the head Of state street 1t dates back
10 1854. Al an early hour the court room was
anod with persons from Norwich nnd New Lon
don nnl the adjoining country towns. The
story OF the homicide. as far us it is known. can
he told IN q few words:
Ioyl.n. who is stout. frcsh- looking girl 10
,cars ud lived with her parents in a low
TOD d,uN, wooden house in the northern
on,slirts ol Norwich. Mu2zy. who was mar
riel AMI the father of several children. had
heon n, Nh, habit for a long time Of visiting the
Girl AGAINST the " she's of her family. At some
hour of th' night Of oct. 27 he stealthily
entered the house. and az about , o'clock in the
morning the nrighbors were aroused ly violent
outrr!,s i.-uin. from the Bowen tenement. A
poliee on. .or WIS called. lie found Muzzy lying
on the l.or Of q lower room. covered with
blood and his skull crushed in. The family
were gathered around him. He was removed
10 tho lol..r stntion. and s'on afterward died in
viol ut con'u,sions
I,,isa Bowen admitted from the first that
she h,., committed the deed. She said that She
had bccu sleeping in her chamber up stairs
with her .oUsin. Miss Annn Dickinson Of Long
Island. IDr cousin awokc her. saying that
there wa,u man in the room. She waited until
the man hal left the room. nnd then she tLo-
VISA armed herself with base ball bat and
asked her cousin whether anything could be
done with her" IL she attacked the supposed
burglar Miss Dickinson replied mol" and
thcreupnn she went down and encountered
Mng,y. who. she said. vas skulking in n dark
corner. aul whom she did not recognize. She
attack him with the club. and gave him sev-
erh blows before sho discovered who the in
truicr was. This story was regarded as incred-
ibc. and very soon the police learned that Muz-
gy had been in the habit Of visiting Lovsa at
nigh, aal that her father had learned this and
threatened him. Among other evidences OF
their intimacy. II cipher alphal ct. by which they
used g. correspond. was discovered. Lovisa
wa, arr ~tcd. but the police obtained evidence
enough iu frw days to Justify the arrest OF her
father Gul j. was generally believed that Bowen
discover Muz,y in the house. and killed him.
AMI that Tue burglar story WIS agreed upon
nnerwar' The Grand Jury however. appeared
60 haya believed the girls confession. and re
fused g. iniiot her futhrr. loVisa was held.
however 20 answer, Tut the bail was fixed at u
rominaI amount. LoNlSa has prrsisirntly ad-
hered % iho story first told. that sc killed Muz:
2y. uln .in- mat he wt- bHrsmr IN trhl
VIZ, ljpuIu"d last January 20 the present term
oi he Superior Court
The u -ourr -cupird a conspicuous position
In the court room. She IL light compirNioncd
with blu "ye-, brown hair. and a fresh rosy
face 81 WAS neatly and ta-t fully dressed II
deckei with dark blue ribbons. She listened
inteutly to the testimony. and often with star
tlcl and uswlldored air Opposite her acrU-e
the room. =.d hrr mother. n tall. gauni woman.
with sharp. decided features. her cousin. Miss
DicLsn' ~; min, and pale. and several other
Dr. Prrlrk Cassidy Of Norwich. who nt-
tcndrd Muz'y. stiiled that there were six
dcop wounds on The front Of tho head
evidently iul ted by the base ball
clnb. VIII .. deeply stained with blood. was
blarod IN 'he witnrss.s hgnd The WALL ant
were spln-nrd with blood ts were many articles
Ro6sr Towers. a neighbor. who was attracted
70 the house by the guicry. testified that when
he entered the room MulHy lnV gruIning on the
floor calling out Rosa. Rosa this wifc's namcl
1nd swearing ia delirum. Bpwrn was on ms
knees trying 10 iasten handouts OF the man :
wrists. Then he bound MuUy's fnct which
were bootlrss with cords. Then he put shawl
under the head. Lovsa stepped behind the
door, brought out bloody club. and said; /
ddid It eayo him two blows WIN tNls glnh.
his feot. but the mans legs were Useless and he
fell back. Lovisa sud that MuDy's boots were
in an olthouse. She got them and they were
put on his feet before ho was carried 10 the sta
Miss Anna Dickinson testified:
Saw 1S2sg aa u ntns % d'S the I'D % and DE SnGw @
and warned iusa VI tho tact she raised he-r on her
nothing more lhr hgure reircaicd and quit the room.
& tsfd S t cos n 5 oS ST'RSsr P SaG s GSn @
She returned IN icw minutes and said There surely
bat aud a-acd me she would 40 wrong to ht one
In noSt MAKE snv m".e to alarm the nous. Con
heard blow man erred cut ! aroused Mrs Bowen
h l4ers wa, ,a great "s'e , hsoT cS AMI d hsSrd
ted II hon Way When 60, down stairs. tirre
s@.n d,~n Ioli,a ssieaniSs as,nst ihe bansieT,
so @ r 'sE w %'%i %p f Ma. gons 10 s"s "ma in aS
mf ui' an put on her dress and shss asked her.
va , '''3 She '-Ep' .aa 'ha, H1s@ her SaS
sm oc +, .aHS sr to ss' ne To wait S'l'I n,n
we Dti'lt -"i'- down n.lin. lien We went down To-
,woi ann ealing hi. wiic'. name soon the neigh
70 9r.. =" come n heard LoEl,a say Shc Lad done
i''aai ' irgnS ~ winch , cur clothes hsd beet
IND ,r.ui ie fo1n in,i,a ,ati ihai Mulzy S bsS,
ha' h.rn i'ni - her m an ou'house when she nrs'
that uo osr acr,dti', house IN tiet way.
sa'c's Attorney Waller severely cross -exnm-
MOD tl"w tu"s- who nlmtt''d that there was
no frt- 30 wi lpiIst might not have seen the
man in ih' room ta distinctly rs herself, al
liuN.n '"' rrI that she had scin him.
nNak"h. man ln wpiaan @hO were sleep
ihE IN Wa p ii!N. N.h. ~ room. the head of whose
BEL Eas lr.td from tl'.irs by a thin lath
tWuunh' lu-i hl ul dum: 50. shG allowed
Icy loE' town 20 n't the i'm rudrr alone.
Al lh' '1hi va ton ui tie trlM tu-dny the
corit ro'N "ae ro,"} lh1ns, 4. Tho tesll-
n,"S 90 ..' "Il"t, EiNlA i.Uui hrothrr OF ,ht
= '"r .fi-i - admission of Loy ~ that
,u' ''h 'tu' Fl. ht+N. % ,lsw,r I" the qn"-..
1pl slu.r Mu1ly, Mr Eow.n" ~ unswrlrI i
4 tN"' '" 'l'V ..H.D An.' Mr. Henry
d,i,M iM ~ li"r, hl- ami in room
.iiI - .tta' h-l b uuNl. ID o. ,y ih tluui,