Sharp County record., 1879-04-03


tfgn Of the case he declared tnat Che iu-
~ would deliver p verdict of " guilty
without leaving their boxes and the
trial commenced.
It is called TODAY "the great trial" at
B., though is years have passed
awav. and the old Courthouse has Civ
en- place to p now one.
Jason Bowers exhibited no SIGNS of
yu,lt when placed on the prisoners
stand and confronted by the crowd in
which his friends might have been num-
bered bv pairs. LJ was known that he
hoped TO prove an aiiDi, though few be-
lieved his ability to 10 so.
If, gentlemen, said the District
Attorney to the Jury, In opening the
case, +" we shall show that immediate
lv after the acduittal of the charge OF
forgery, 5he prisoner made threats
against the deceased; that he was seen
in the vestfbule of the Courthouse at
the hour of 10 or thereabouts on the
night of the murder; if atthe time atore.
said he. standing on the steps, address,
ed enc 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 % case that will demand
conviction. But, if we shall further
show, gentlemen, that the prisoner car
ried to his washsrwOman at daylight on
the morning after the cOmmIttal Of the
crime, a ssrt, 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 9. dagger
whose blade fitted the several wounds
I'm 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 If we offer in eVi-
dence the last words (wrItten) Of the
deceased-words which he must have
written after he had been left for dead
by his murderer, we shall confidently
expect a conviction, though we would
wish to see the prisoner, if Innocent,
prove q satisfactory alibl."
The attorneys opening address Gre
ated a profound impression; it seemed
to seal the prisoners doom. II the pros
ecution could prove what they said they
could, from whence would the aibi
Gomez
The defense relied mainly upon prov
ING an ali5i, as the prisoners chief
counsel stated in his response to the
District Attorney. They stated that the
bOod-stains on the shirt rs well as the
dagger on the prisoners person would
be accounted for, His supposed pres
ence in the outer vestibUie Oh 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 Courthouse steps was a
person Of - 0ubted sveraeitv and we'll
respected in 8 He had known Ja-
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 if pUr-
poselY, by the slouching of the hat,
This witness sw0ra DNSitiVelV
The prisoners shirt, accompanied by
his washerwOman's s testimony was ex-
hibited in Court. Tt produced q pro-
found impression, for UnObliterated
stains of dark color were. visible on
the cuffs and bosom,
The prosecution, ably and almost
7indictively 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 Court house were found to be lock-
ed on the inside by Jabez ThrOck, the
ianitor, on the memorable morning, was
commented upon with proof by the de-
tense. Tt was furthermore proved that
every window vas 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
his protracted trial had familiarized him
with the room. The blOod-stains 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 startle every one.
One of the most respectable grocery
men in B testified that Jason Bow
era had been continually in his store
from to 10 80 inclusive, on the night
of the murder, and several credible wit