The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-04-22


the paper, which was pronounced by all
to be in the late judges chirography,
and beyond doubt the last work of his
life, the sheriff resolved to take Jason
Bowers into custody IL he was still in
town.
The young man was not difficult to
fl nd, as he was In the crowd below, and
on the charge of malicious murder 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 remain In his room till
twelve o'clock at night, during session
of court, and that, upon such occasion,
he locked the court house when he left
for home.
Upon the janitor's testimony, the
theory that the murderer had been con-
cealed in the building, was started, but
this was injured by the various county
officers, who swore that they had locked
the iron doors leading into their offices
Immediately after the court adjourned,
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
1t with the stream. There was bare
possibility that small man might have
obtained ingress to the building by the
sewer, but an examination of its mouth
dissipated this theory.
The court room was situated on the
floor. The murderer, to reach the
Judges apartment, was compelled to
cross the court room, which, when
wrapped in darkness, as 1t 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 described, he had failed to displace
single chair, several having been placed
| in the aisle, 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 major part
| of BIS inhabitants it was regarded
as conclusive.
Jason Bowers was abjured to confess,
but to the surprise of all he protested
his innocence, and declared that at
the proper time he would prove an alibi.
A new judge took Blakely's place,
and the session was resumed. A new
grand jury was summoned, which in
dicted Jason Bowers for wilful murder,
and after the disposal of several grand
larcenies, the young man was put upon
trial for his life.
The district attorney, a man who had
won many eulogiums for his rigorous
prosecution of criminal cases, was sum-
moned to B to look after the in
terest of the State. After an investiga-
ton of the case, he declared that the
! jury would deliver a verdict of ''guilty"
without leaving the box, and the trial
was commenced.
1t is called to-day "the great trial"
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 in his ability to do so.
eff, gentlemen" said the district at
torney, to the jury, in opening the case,
1--WE shall show that, Immediately after
his acquittal of the charge of forgery,
the prisoner made threats against the
deceased that he was seen in the ves-
tibule of the court house at the hour of
ten or thereabouts on the night of the
murder; if, at the time aforesaid, stand
ing on the steps, he 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
conviction.
But, If he shall further show, gen
tlemen, that the prisoner carried to his
washerwoman, at daylight, on the