Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-12
Friday Morning, August IF, 1881.
A DARK DEED,

A DARK DEED.
 The inhabitants of Rhode Island are much disturbed on account of crime committed in Scituate in that State last Monday night and they have good reason for the indigna- tion which they feel for 8 more fendish piece of villainy is not often recorded.
 Dr. William H. Bowen, of Seituate, has been fearless and determined in his opposi- tion to the illegal liquor traffic which has been extensively carried on in his neighber- hood. little over three years ago there was notorious place kept near his resi- dence, which, in a short time, became unen- durable. The doctor went to it's proprietor,
 and in an open and manly way asked him to discontinue the business, stating that, if ne- cessity compelled, he should resort to legal measures. A pledge was received that the nuisance would be stopped, but there was no outward sign of abatement, and stage was reached where it was necessary to enforce the aw petition was signed by over one hundred citizens, requesting the town council to investi- gate the matter. On the strength of the petition writ was issued and the keeper of the place was arrested. About that time Dr. Bowen lost two cattle by poisoning. On the serving of another writ on the liquor seller two car- riages were found cut and damaged to the extent of two or three hundred dollars. A few months after this the spokes of his bug gy were sawed off. The doctor has also re- ceived, from time to time, anonymous letters threatening injury, which were placed under his office door and about the premises. But he has not thus been deterred from efforts to stop illegal rumselling, and one of the rum sellers whom he has helped convict is TOW serving out sentence in the penitentiary
 Dr. Bowen's enemies were not content with poisoning his cattle, damaging his car- riages and threatening him. and last Monday night they took a horrible revenge Dr. Bowen was away from home and the occu- pants of his house were Mrs. Bowen and her four children, her father-in-law and lady visitor. Mrs. Bowen retired quite late and about 12 o'clock awoke with the conscious ness that the building was on fire. She inn mediately awoke the others, and with some difficulty all made their escape It was found that the fire had originated in some combustible substance placed under aportion of the building which was used as wood shed. An alarm was given, but it was im- possible to secure sufficiently speedy and effective assistance, and the entire destruction of the building was accomplished in about three-quarters of an hour. Of it's contents nothing was saved but few articles of fur niture. Underneath Mrs. Bowen's bed room there was more fire than anywhere else, as though it had been the intention of the in- cendiaries to make sure that she should not escape terrible death. When she sprang out of bed the floor of her cham Der was so hot that it burned her feet. The methods adopted seemed to indicate a desire to burn the family with the house. Some half or three-quarters of an hour after wards 8 second alarm was raised, as it was found that another fire had started in the barn. This was subdued before much of any damage had been done, as water and help were now in readiness. The cause of it was immediately apparent. An incendiary ap- paratus had been put there and covered with hay. In the interior of 8 half barrel an al- coholic lamp had been placed partially GOV cred with pieces of board and surrounded with cotton, and near this was a clock-work arrangement so contrived as to run certain length of time and then ignite the lamp and the cotton. The clicking of the mechanism had been heard some time before by 8 person sitting in the doorway, who inquired if the doctor kept clock there. The window of the barn was found open. There were two or three nice carriages in the barn. The incendiary had fastened together the wheels of one of these with wire and blocked those of another with rail, evidently with the pur pose of impeding their removal
 Such crime as this, involving if not contemplating, the possible burning to death of several innocent persons, including women and children, is startling. It gives us 8 glimpse of almost incomprehensible wick edness. If the application of lynch law is ever justifable it would be in the case of the villain or villains who set fire to Dr. Bowen's house. Unfortunately it is not yet known who did it.