Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-04-28
JUSTICE AT LAST.
Execution Of Robert Fowler at Morgan
field, KY, To-day.

Exacutfon of Robert Fowler at Morgan
field, KY, To-day.
MoRGANFIELD, KY, April 23.- Rob
ert Fowler, themurderer of Miss Lydia
Burnett, was hanged here to-day at
haf-past 10 o'clock.
The scene OF the crime which has kept the
people of Union County, KY, in a ferment
for nearly eight months, and which on sew
eral occasions came near being productive
OF a lynching, was the little hamlet OF Box
vile, some four or five miles from Morgan
field. Fowler was employed upon the farm
of Mrs. DR.. Myers, the grandmother OF
Lydia Burnett, a. bright and attractive
girl of some Is summers. During the sum-
mer of 1884, Fowler made Miss Burnett, of
whom he was thoroughly infatuated, an OF
fer of marriage. The proposal was, now
ever scorned, and, apparently giving up all
hope in this direction, he married her aunt,
a Mrs. Stanley, 81 widow OF AZ years, having
three children all older than their step. IA
ther. Some time afterwards the vlc0lm De-
came engaged to very worthy young man
named John Hill, who happened one day
to mention the engagement IL Fowlers
presence. The latter thereupon became
greatly excited end declared with
an oath that Hill should never have
her. From this day his demeanor
changed and his actions at nome
his wife left him. He then made another
attempt to win the affections OF MISS our
nett, and openly threatened that he would
kill her before she should marry announcer
Little heed, however, WAS, unfortunaV!ey,
paid to his rawlings. On August lo MISS
Burnett visited the farm OF her cousin, MIS-
Whitworth, who lived about mile
distant. About dusk she mounted
her horse and commenced the return Jour-
nev, her cousin accompanying her part OF
the way. That was the last seen OF her
alive. The horse came home riderless, but
this fact failed to alarm the grandmother,
as the girl had frequently remained all night
at the Whitworth's. The next day, how
ever, when Mr.. Whitworth came down TO
the old homestead the fact of the girls de-
parture was made known. An alarm was
given and the entire population OF
the hamlet turned out for the
search. For several hours no clue was
found but well on toward dusk party OF
the searchers within half mile of the farm
house suddenly came upon the body OF the
unfortunate girl. 1t was lying on the right
side, the throat cut from ear to ear,
and the right hand supporting the chin.
Suspicion was first fastened upon two ne
groes, but somebody limited that Fowler
would be likely man to know something
of the tragedy. To his house the crowd
proceeded. Fowler seemed greatly affected
speak. He was asked for the clothing
he wore the day before and replied
that he had it on. This was denied
by some of the neighbors and the house
was searched. In the garrett was found a
white hat with indications of blood stains
and having the appearance OF recent
washing. In another room shirt and
pair of pants bespotted with blood were
brought to light. Fowler insisted that he
had not worn these articles on the day
previous, but his neighhors gave him the
lie. Questioned, he gave different stories of
his whereabouts on the evening of the MUIR
der. To one person he said that he
down in a field until dusk, to
another that he was fishing in
the creek all the afternoon. The populace
however, were convinced of his guilt and a
lynching was imminent when he was arrest
ed and spirited away. He was tried at the
September term of the circuit court before
a Jury of level-headed farmers. The COM
monwealth proved that he was seen in the
neighborhood of the murder on the Sunday
evening In question, that foot prints near
the spot where the body was found were
traced along the dusty road, through fields
anu over fences, where bloody fin
ger marks were found, through
the low damp creek bottoms
to pool that seemed to be stained with
blood, that these tracks were those OF a
barefooted man whose second toe was larger
than the big toe, that these footprints were
traced to Fowler's door, that they CORE
sponded with the impression of his feet and
that large pocket-knife covered with blood
was found secreUed in his house. This evil
dence, although entirely circumstantial,
was enough for the jury, and verdict of
guilty was promptly rendered. Fow-
Ter was sentenced to hang on No.
vember 81, and so great was the
public Indignation that it was found neces-
sary to remove the condemned man to the
jail at Henderson to save him from the
fury of the mob. An appeal was taken to
the supreme court and a respite granted.
Before the higher body the case was elabo-
rately argued but the verdict of the court
below was sustained. Efforts were then
made to induce the governor TO extend
clemency; but on March 10 it was finally
decided that Fowler should hang. Fowler
way % years OF age six feet three inches in
height and at the time of his conviction
weighed 225 pounds. He was coarse and
ungainly looking and his whole appearance
denoted a slouchy. shiftless disposition.
His head was very large and nearly all
above his big. long ears. His eyes stood
out from his face, his nose was enorm ously
large and his chin ridiculously small. A
scanty moustache covered his upper lip.
His victim was extremely handsome, bright
and intelligent and of very winning address.
She was barely Is years of age.
MARMADUKE'S VIEWS.