The New York herald., 1879-08-30
S7RYCHNING POISONING.
Hanging of Thomas Pinckney Bow
man for Wife Murder.
TORTUOUS STRUGGLE AGAINST LAW.
How Illicit Passion Led to
a Dreadful End.
(pY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. ]

ny TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
HIGH POINT. N c.. August 49, 1879.
Twenty-Five miles across the country from this VIII
lage which is situated the North Carolina Central
Railroad is the town of Asheboro. the county seat
of Randolph. county which boasts even yet the
preservation within its borders OF the Court House
in which Andrew Jackson made his maiden speech
and which. apart from this, is chiefly distinguished
in local history the hiding place during the war of
endless numbers of deserters from the Confederate
armies All that there is just now to bring the
sequesered town of Asheboro into notice is the fact
it to-day the OF an execution. the vic
tim to which was a white man. Thomas Pinckney
Bowman twice convicted of the murder of his wife
by poisoning The crime was committed in the south
western part O.. Rockingham county. where bowman
and his wife lived That region has been for years
the theatre of many crimes of all descriptions. and
from its peculiar location it has been the safe haven
of many fugitives from justice The country is
broken with steep hills. deep ravines and large
swa mps and marshes. The population is generally
speaking, of a low type, and as consequence the
mixing of the bloods of whites and blacks is by no
means introquen'. Since the arrest OF Bowman
many stories before heard told OF deeds of
violence perpetrated by this people, and of the sud
den and mysterious disappearance of persons in the
neighborhood since the close of the war; Consider
ing the characteristics of the inhabitants and
Ing the nature of the country, the visitor could
readily believe the stories which are now told him.
and even improbable ones. if these should be
ventured upon.
MURDERER.
A about six feet high. with complexion
naturally sallow, but from long confinement to-day
appearing quite fair; sandy hair and mustache, chin
whiskers and thin scrawny beard on his cheek bones
blue eyes, with heavy and protruding brows. These
the features by which the stranger would de-
scribe Thomas p. Bowman. He wore upon his face
perpetual scowl and his countenance was dull and
heavy. evincing sharpness quickness OF per-
ception aud bearing suggestion Of scheming and
planning. The animal passions predom:inated en-
tirely the intellectual Under other
ditions tnan those which surrounded him. proper
training and better associations, he might have
ripened into usefrf man. but left to follow un-
warned the bent of his incnations a natural
aini.bl.Ity not sufficient Of itself to save him
the vices which other qualities begot and
which hnally brought him to q felons end
.Bowman's family co1oisted of wife aud little
daughter about twelve years OF age. His wife for
sevepsl years prior to her death q confirmed in
valid, and she and her husband had not lived hap
pily together Of his alleged Inconsistency
ana his intimacy with o negro woman, Eliza Mccain
whom he kept upon his plantation i'm a house some
two or three hundred yards from his dwelling. In
the spring of 1877 Mrs. Bowman died quite suddenly
and under peculiar and suspicious circumstances.
4
means had been used to produce her DEATH these
reports reaching the OF her brother, Thomas r.
Cannon. he came three weeks after the death and
burial OF his sister. repaired to Wentworth, the
county seat of Rockingham. and applet to Judge
Cox. then holding regular term of the Superior
Court there. for u bench warrant against Bowman.
which warrant issuing immediately placed in the
hands OF officer who executed it the night.
finding Bowman not at home but in the negro cabin
with his paramour.
THE wIFEs DEATH.
The Coroner. h. W. Hancock, then summoned q
fury and taking with IN RS md Smi of
Reidsvile. proceeded To the grave of Mrs. Bow man
and disinterred the body. taking from it the stom-
of witnesses examined the moral circum-
stances surrounding the death the deceased This
investigation continued two three days and re-
suited in comittal the prisoner to the County
Jail to await the action of the Grand Jury in No
vember. 1877. when true bill was found. and he
brought into court and arraigned. The room
packed ana the excitement intense. Defendants
counsel offered aiidavit setting forth various and
sundry reasons why the prisoner could not get q
fair trial there and asking the removal of tho case
to another county. Judge Buxton decided the ath-
davt sufficient, and fixed Guilford the county and
December of the same year. during q special term of
court then to be holden. as the time ut which the
case should go to trial. Deep disappointment tell
upon the vast crowd. and uttered remonstrances
against what considered to be unnecessary delay
were heard on all sides.
In the interim between the arrest and the arraign
msnt OF the prisoner in Rockingham Court the
stomach taken from the corpse forwarded to
Professor Redd. OF the University OF North Caro-
lima. who analysed 1t and found strychnne. As the
stomach had been forwarded by express, however,
aud had passed through many hands. 1t deemed
advisable not to depend entirely upon this anal ysis
and during the month OF August Professor Redd
went to Rockingham county and again disnterred
tho body and took theretrom portions of the liver
spleen. kidneys and brain. carrying these to his la
boratory and making a very critical analysis.
Quick preparation had been made for the trial. and
when the Case was called before Judge Buxton, in
Guilford Court. at Greensboro. in December, both
sides ready tor the trial. The State repre-
sented by Solicitor strudwick, assisted by Messrs
Boyd AZ Eoid. OF wentworth. and Thomas Kuifin. of
Hiilsboro. Messrs. Reid X Reid. of Wentworth. and
Glenn Glenn, OF Reidsville appeared for tho pris-
oner. Counsel fought over every inch OF the ground
Many witnesses were examined and strong
OF circumstantal evidence was made out. Professor
Redd testified to having found in the parts of tho
remains examined one-sixtieth part OF grain Of
strychnia. In his anal he used the microscopic
and physiological or frog aud color tests, and upon
the trial produced small crystal of the amount of
poison found. and was positive IN his testimony.
Further evidence on behalf OF tho State is substan-
TALLY Ms follows:-Ihat ON the morning OF the death
OF Mrs. Bowman the prisoner quite early and
went out to a wood near tho house wool
with which to build iire. He came in with arm
ful aud found that his wife had arisen and had been
attending to her household duties. and was at that
time sitting in the door of the dwelling. lie asked
her how she ict to which she replied that she felt
very badly anu was not long Tor tins world. He
started tor more wood but had gone ouly
few steps, when his wife commenced screaming
and calling for him to hasten to her and help her
bed. she complained that "her breast was killing
her." When laid down she begged to be taken up
which was done; but she continued to suffer tor
lures aud could rest in no position, She screamed
continuously for twenty minutes, and a young girl
living with her mother, in small house In the yard
ran to the house OF the nearest neighnor and gave
the aarG. when portion of the family at once
to Bowman's house. and, ON arriving there, found
his wiis dead IL was also in evidence that the
corpse stfened much moro quickly than is usual in
where death results from natur al causes, and
was more rigid than usual. The nngers were
cinched aud the feet incurvated; the head was
thrown back and the spinal column was bowed up
ward.
A cHILD's TESTIMONY.
3no prisoner was seen to go into the woods shori
distance from the house. and uncover yellow flask
aud conceal 1t again Afterward, when sitting on q
bench near the house. his little daughter sitting in
the doorway, two female neighbors entered while
the body was yet unburied, when one remarked to
the other. II would like to know what were Mrs
Bowman's last words" To which the little gir
made answer, IL can tell you what was the last
words mamma said. She said to papa. Il am poisoned
aud got my dose In that liquor you gave me this
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