The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-03-21

terest Oh the State. After an lnveStika-
tion Of the case he declared that the ju-
~ would deliver a verdict Of "guilty"
without leaving their boxes, and the
trial commenced.
Ii is called to-day ssthe great trial" At
B. though 16 years have passed
away, and the old Courthouse has CIV
en- place 70 u now 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 num-
bered by pairs. II was known that he
hoped 70 prove an abb, though few be-
lieved his ability 10 do 70.
"If, gentlemen" said the District
Attorney to the jury, in opening the
case, " we shall show that Immediate
ly after the acquittal of the charge OF
forgery, the prisoner made threats
against the deceased; that he was seen
in the vestibule Of the Courthouse ut
the hour OF 10 or Whereabouts on the
night Of the murder; il at the time afore-
said he, standing on the steps, address
ed one of the witnesses for the State In
his own, undisguised voice. so that the
witness will swear positively concern
ing his identity, we shall pre-
sent q case that will demand
conviction. But, il we shall further
show, gentlemen, that the prisoner car
ried to his washerwoman AZ daylight on
the morning after the committal of the
crime, a shirt. the right cuff and bosom
Of which contained blood stains; If, pro-
ceeding further, we shall show that
when the prisoner was arrested there
was found upon his person q dagger
whose blade fitted the several wounds
in the deceased's breast, and If we shall
make known the fact that the prisoner,
after his acquittal, declared that he
could traverse the courtroom with ease
after dark, and then # we offer in evil
dence the last words (written) Of the
deceased-words which he must have
written after be had been left for dead
by his murderer, We shall confidently
expect . conviction, though we would
wish to see the prisoner, If innocent,
prove q satisfactory alibi."
The attorneys opening address ere
ated . profound impression; it seemed
to seal the prisoners DOOM II the pros
ecution could prove what they said they
could, from whence would the abb
come?
The defense relied mainly upon prov
ing N abb, a 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 supposed pres
ence in the outer vestibule on the night
of the crime would be swept away by
the oath Of the most reputable 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 pres
ence on the Court-house steps was .
person Of undoubted veracity and well
respected in B. He had known ia
son Bowers previous to his arraignment
for forgery, and could not have been
mistaken in the voice that addressed
him on that night. The figure on the
steps corresponded with the prisoners,
but the face was concealed, as IL pur-
posely, by the slouching Of the hat.
This witness swore positively.
The prisoners shirt, accompanied by
his washerwoman's testimony, was ex
hibited in Court. 1t produced . pro-
found impression, for unobliterated
stains Of . dark color were visible on
the cuffs and bosom.
The prosecution, ably and almost
vindictively conducted. seemed to give
the prisoner no chance for escape, and
the defense was regarded frivolous be-
fore its turn came.
The fact that the doors leading into
the Courthouse we're found to be lock-
ed on the inside BY Jabez Throck, the
~janitor, on the memorable morning, was
commented upon with proof by the de-
Tense. 1t was furthermore proved that
every window was found fastened, like
wise on the inside, after the discovery
Of the Judges dead body.
The defense admitted the prison
er's remark concerning his ability to
traverse the Courtroom with ease after
dark, but said that he meant by it that
bis protracted trial had famil. srized him
with the room. The blood-st&sns on the
shirt were accounted for by saying that
the prisoner had cut his wrist on the
night of the crime, and, in fact, when
he was arrested his wrist was found to
be bandaged by bloody linen.
The abb which the defense had pro-
posed to prove did startls every one
One Of the most respectable grocery
men in B testified that Jason Bow
ers had been continually in his store
from 3 to 10 80 inclusive, on the night
of the murder, and several credible wit
nesses deposed TO having accompanied
him from the grocery to the hotel, which
was reached 1t 10:45. This damaged
the testimony Of the witness who had
sworn 70 having encountered Jason