The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-30
ANorAnLE soNoHIInRRTY.
Gen. william A. BoWies, OF Orange COun.
q, indiana, and the Last OF HIS Estate
How Disaster Followed His Con.
spiFaey Against the Government.

aGus HAbtluul ~ 1uWlebp u VFAuGt SVaAi
~, Indlana, aud the Last ofHls Estate
How Disaster Followed His Con
SpiFaey Against the Government
PAoIt, 1Sp., october27.- The conspiracy
Of thesons Of Liberty, Of Indiana, under
the leadership Of Bowles, Milllgan, Horsey
and Others, Is one Of the startling historic
eventso Of the late rebellion. The object
Of this conspiracy was to release the rebel
prisoners at indianapolis, Chicago, aud
Camp Chase, near Cincinnati, and turn
them loose upon the defenseless people to
deeds Of butchery and rapine. It also
embraced in It's damnable programme the
turning over Of Indiana and Kentucky 10
the rebel Contederacy. At the head Of
this conspiracy was Gen. VIM. A. Bowles,
Of this torange) county, a man Ofgreat
nerve and GOODNESS, and full OF desperate
adventure. Fortunately for the country,
the conspiracy was discovered, and,
through the energetic, prompt action OF
the late Gov. Morton, the conspirators
were arrested, tried, found guilty, senten.
ced (some Of them to death, and alter
ward their punishment committed to i'm
prisonment In the Ohio Penitentiary.
Thlther Bowles and others Of the con.
spirators were sent and confined, but
finally released on technicality o law by
the Supreme Court Of the United States.
Returning to his home In this county
from the Ohio Penitentiary, Gen. William
A. Bowles entered upon life OF calamity.
It seemed the hand Of God was upon him
from the day OF the commission OF his
great crime against his country. His dis.
position was morose, and his wife COM
planned OF his cruelty and bad treatment
OF her, and finally was compelled to seek
release In the courts. In January, 1858,
she was granted divorce from her hus.
band and given judgment for S25, 900 all.
mony. General Bowles used every legal
subteTluge TO evade payment and wear the
life out Of his divorced wife. A few years
later Mrs. Eliza Bowles, the ex.wife, went
on visit to New Orleans to escape, In
part, the prosecutions that followed her
through the instrumentality Of her former
husband. On her return trip home, at q
point near Memphis, the boat on which
she was passenger was wrecked, and
Mrs. Bowles was drowned.
At this calamity, that removed out Of
life his former wife, the conspirator Gen.
eral 1ejoiced, as he thought her death
would relieve him from payment of the
$4,000 judgment for alimony. Not SO,
however, for an administrator Of the es.
tate OF Mrs. Bowles was appointed, and
he at once pushed the claim for collection.
This was several years ago, aRd the case
was only finally brought to trial last week, |
decision being rendered Friday last.
About four weeks after the rendition OF |
the decree Of divorce the County Clerks |
office IN this town was broken into at |
night, and the entire record in the divorce
proceedings either carried away bodily or
30 mutilated as to be Of no value. Judge
OF the Circuit Court, ordered the |
record restored. The collection of the
Judgment was resisted by Bowles during
his lifetime by injunctionS against Mrs. |
Bowles' administrator, and other dilatory
proceedings. But, finally worn out by the
turbulence oil the life that came to him
in his old age, General Rowles laid
down in death, and an administrator Of
his estate was appointed. The admins
traitor kept up the legal contest against the
S25, 900 Judgment as long as possible. But,
as above stated, the issue was Joined last
week, and the verdict Of the court-Judge
Perkins, Of indianapolis, presiding as
special Judge-restored the judgment and
gave order for execution. The real pro-
perry covered by the judgment includes
The famous French Lick Springs, aud the
order Tor sale OF this property will be made
absolute after thirty days.
Thus ends the once grand estate Of Gen.
Bowles, the man who willing to turn his
country over to her enemies, and pour out
upon his own State all the horrors that
would have followed Tie release OF the
rebel prisoners, held in the Federal camps
It Indianapolis, Chicago and Cincinnati.
Bis name dies with him; but his infamy
will survive while American history Is
perpetuated.