Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-01-13
A BALTIMORE SENSATION
The Curious Crime of a
Foolish Father.
A FATAL C0ASTING ACCIDENT
Cannon, the Po'ygamous Delegate
to Congress Refused CertI6'
cate of tleCtion--D
or Trance.
THE CHRISTIANCY SCAEDAL
A CURIOUS CRIME.
A Fathers FOlIy-COnsenting TO n
Marriage Between His own Son
and Daughter.


A Fathers FOliy-Conseniing TO IA
Marriage Bctween His own Son
and Daughter.
Baltimore, Jan. A most peculiar
crime was brought freshly to the public
notice here yesterday by an application
made to Governor Hamilton for the
pardon of one Thomas Bowen, of Calvert
county, who IL now undergoing a sentence
in the State House of Correction for six
years. Bowen, who Is the owner OF
farm of S75 acres in the county oamed,
was sentenced in the Circuit Court OF
Calvert county on November ~ last, his
offense being the bringing about of mar
riage between his son, E1och Bowel,
aged go. and his daughter, Ella Bowen,
aged II years. The case at the time of
the trial was not published in the Calvert
county papera at the solicitation of
Bowen's friends, who aye very influential,
and consequently the particulars of his
unnatural crime have never been made
public.
Thomas Bowen is moderately wealthy
man and until recently was respected
and iphuen ial citizen of Prince Frederick,
Calvert county. Hs WAS the leader of the
choir and dt aeon In the Methodist Church
at that place, aud was looked upon as q
man of high moral Character. From testi-
mony tax, L n, the time Of his trial il
appears that about 90 years ago Bowen
was intimate with young woman in Gal
vert county, and al her earnest solicitation
married her a few weeks before her son
Enoch was born. The mother died and
the father took charge of the infant, whom
hs raised and educated IS the son of an
old friend. About six years ago Bowen
married the daughter of respectable
resident of Calvert county, by whom he
had one child, daughter, Ella. The
latter as she grew to womanhOod de-
veloped unusual beauty and grace, and
Euoeh, who was living in the
family, became smitten with her
charms The father, on becoming
aware OF the position of affairs, was
greatly alarmed and sought to break of
the engagement already existing between
the young couple. He intimated to the
young man that some mysterious reason
existed for the marriage not taking place,
whereupop the lover demanded an ex-
PLANTATION. The elder Bowen refused to
clear away the mystery, when he was
greatly terrified by Enoch declaring that
he intended to engage detectives and in
vestiRate bis own Career since his birth, in
order to find out the trouble. Bowen,
dreading an exposition of his earlier life,
soothed the latter's suspicious aud finally
gave q reluctaut CONSENT to tue marriage.
The ceremony was performed on Sep
tember Is by the Rev. Joseph p. Wilson
pastor OF the church of which the elder
Bowen was member.
1t transpired, however, that Bowen had
not succeed III covering his tracks. A
young man who had also been q suitor fol
Miss Bowen's hand suspected that there
was mystery about Enooh and remem.
bered a rumor as to the latter's parentage
which had been in circulation severa
years before. He instituted inquiries
discovered the record of the marriage OF
Thomas Bowen to Euoch's mother, the
infants birth and finally Mrs Bowen's
death. Having thus established beyond t
doubt the fact that Bowen had allowed
his own sen aud daughter to marry, tht
infuriated lover caused the arrest OF the
unnatural father. Bowen WAS tried, con
yicted and sentenced to the House o.
Correction, and it is with the hope o.
being released On the ground OF ill healti
that his application for pardon has beei
filed. The affair caused great indignation
in the community and there was SOM
talk of ly, ching the Elder Bowen. a
soon as the facts in the case became
known Euoch Bowen and his siste
separated. The later's entire nervou
and mental system Is Frustrated by th
shock of the discovery.