The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-20

cd Decker 10 get IN the wagon with mo, as
had annoyed him very much whilst drunk
and when Decker exchanged seats will
him that Myers was very drunk, and so mucl
so that he fell of the seat in the bed Of tn,
wagon and went to sleep. lie further stated
that Bowden and Myers had no communica
ton together on the way from Fort WortH
that when they arrived at the point for tn,
wagons 10 separate Bowden got into the
wagon in which Myers was asleep, and sepa
rated from tho other wagon The point wa'
only three hundred yards from Bow
denis house, and they could soc the
wagon all the why to Bowden's house, II be
ing opan country, and that WAS asleep wher
Bowdcn drove of, and they could see, after
Bowden left, that Myers did not get up, prior
to their arrival at the house
Albert Balentine testified that he was Al
| Bowden's house, in bed, when Bowden drove
up; and Mrs. Bowden went out to the gate
only ten steps from the door, and thai Bow.
don told his wife that Sum Myers was in the
wagon, very drunk, AM TO try
and get him into the house,
which she succeeded in doing whilst he
(Bowden) attended to the horses, and the
only word that Sam said that night was that
his head panied him very much, and fell
oveC and Off the chair upon the bed, and
went TO sleep and did not get up until Bow
den and Balentine left the house next morn
ing.
This evidence was never impeached, and
eontradicted Bowden's entire statement in
regard TO when and where this
assassination was planned. 1t further shows
that Sam Myers did not eat any supper at
Bowdens house Monday night. 1t further
shows that Myers was incapacitated for any
such transaction, whatever, in his beastly
state of intoxcation, and asleep, when Bow
den left his own house, on Tuesday morning,
and they did not see each other, according TO
his own statement, until Wednesday, the time
of the murder. How is this for the consis.
tency of this confession?
SANS SPEECH WHEN SENTENCED.
This is Sam Myers reply when Judge Alb
bolt read his sentence, February 10th, 1880:
JUDGE ABBOTT You will hardly be sur
prised that | accept the only opportunity
that has presented ilselfto me for nearly three
years to vindicate myself in regard to that
heinous crime for which you are about to
pass sentence and also to sign my death war
rant. | have had anything but fair and
impartial trial in johnson county. Had a
change of venue been granted me, which the
law guarantees every American citizen--yet |
was denied this right when there was sufficient
testimony of good and worthy citizens, who
testified before this court that could not
have a fair and impartial trial in this county.
In the name Of justice this right of law should
have peen granted to the man who stands be-
fore you to-day as innocent of that blood
curdling crime, as you are, or dare be. l
object on account of the injus-
tice shown me by bringing me into trial with.
out my witnesses. My counsel have done all
in their power that cosld have been done,
with the prejudice Of the populace, the
court and the corps of the best and most
legal talent Of Texas to prose-
cute me with malignity. And also the
Hunters. with their well-flled purses,
filled from the till and earnings Of
my own we'll loved and honored father,
TO bribe and corrupt such depraved speci-
mems of degraded humanity as have ever
been permitted TO drag their lying, Shiny |
carcasses from witness stand. If they had |
sworn only the truth, this trial against me
would never have commenced. l would to-
10y w" hOO mann uhb koOu ehN AOhNANN
citizen of johnson county, but as il Is,
stand before you to-day the innocent victim
Of a well-lald plot, terminated aad brought
INTO existence from the hotbed of infamy by
Ihrewder and more cunning articles than
Mr.. James N. Bowden.
One moment more and will be through.
IN regard to james NJ. Bowdon, 1t must be
! well known fact TO you that Bowden
vas taken from his bed at the midnight
lour, clandestnely, with a cable tow about
lis neck, in which condition he was taken by
in srmed, masked guard, like the dark
kepterer's shades of the infernis of Hades.
n this condition, in tones of murderous
hunder, he was told that he must confess
rho the other parties were that assisted
i'm in that dreadful crime. What sane man
1ould have done other than Bowden did,
Ie said: "You may hang me but you viii
ang the wrong man." They carried him
ack TO await until he could make story,
ne hypothesis of which was drawn from the
guilty man, confession
nat would implicate the innocent, and