Daily Republican., 1889-12-16
f. B. GOWEN'S DEATH.
THE MURDER THEORY Ex-
PLANNED.
Put Bullet In His Head In n Washing
ton Notwithstanding in Vain for the
Place Where the Pistol Was
Purchased.

l ~O PAoscA ~ iCtts II
windows were fastened down wit
catches, and the arrangement of til
dead mans clothing, the bed and othe
furniture in the room indicated that b
had planned AID committed deliberat
suicide. No reason can be assigned TO
the deed, and the announcement of 1
here has created the greatest surpris
and CONSERVATION among the leadinj
railroad officials and lawyers of the cit,
and State.
The remains reached this city thi
morning and were at once taken to tn
| Gowen residence at Mount Airy. Til
funeral, which will take place to- morrow
Is to be very private one. The mem
bers of the family refuse to talk abou
the manner o. cause OF his death. Mrs
GOwen has stated 10 friend that sh
had noticed something strange in hi
| conduct for ten days previous to his las
visit to Washington, and this leads to
thought Of insanity caused by too clos
application to business.
Franklin b. Gowen was born at Mt
Airy, this city, on February 0, 1896. Hi
iather was James Gowen, who cam,
from Ireland and engaged in business Ii
this city. His early educational trainin,
was received at Mt. Airy and afterward
at EN- mettsburg, Md. He finished hi.
school days at Aoravian Institution q
Lititz, Lancaster county. He went intt
the coal and iron business and wheI
scarcely Il years of age was In charge O
| a furnace at Shamokin. he became
member OF the firm of Turner & Cover
In 1887. The firm failed and young
Gowen turned his attention to law and
was admitted to the Schuylklil county
bar May 81, 1860. Two years later hs
was elected district attorney. He served
two years and resigned because he could
make money at private practice.
The Reading railroad had been at
tracted to the rising young lawyer, and
at It's invitation he came to Philadelphii
as the chief legal adviser OF the company
In this capacity he was appointed to aci
In the place of President Smith of the
railroad company during the latter's visit
to Europe for his health. On April %
1859, he was elected president of the
company and held that position three
times. His last election was In Septem-
Der, 1885. He afterwards resigned in
favor of Austin Corbin. In 1876 1t was
through his energies that the Mollis
Mcguire organization was broke up and
twelve murderers hanged. In 1880
when the Reading railroad companies
suspended payments Franklin B. Gowen
Edwin M. Lewis and Stephen Caldwell
were appointed receivers for the com
panies.
THE MURDER THEORY,
Occasionally during the day the rela
uyee talked over the manner OF his death
With circumstances indicating suicide
they shook their heads and said 1t was
inexplicable. ave can find not the
slightest reason for such action" said
one, and the others gave their assent.
When asked If they believed 1t was
murder they said they could not decide
that the death was due to that cause
either. Colonel Il. j. Miles called in the
afternoon, and he insisted that Mr..
Gowen must have been murdered. He
said:
"The man who shot him locked the
door to prevent persons from rushing In
when the noise was heard, or to allay
suspicion, and then escaped by the
window. No, cir, franklin B. Gowen
never killed himself. He wasn't that
kind of man, and he had enemies low
enough TO want to kill him. He was
gIeat man and one who would never will
ingly do another the slightest injury"
The absence Of any previous motive for
Mr.. Gowen to take his life has caused
many people TO place little faith In the
suicide theory. These people, who thiRk
1t is possible Mr.. Gowen may have been
assassinated, had their belief strengthen
ed last night by the report from Wash
ington that the police had not been able
to find where Mr.. Gowen had purchased
the pistol. 1t is argued that the police
should have no trouble In having Mr..
an a Tti,,
him would remember his face. The
Washington dispatches were closely
scanned yesterday for the details of the
shooting.
The statement that Mr.. Governs hair
was not singed where the bullet entered
his skull made such an impression on
Charles +. Miller, the senior member OF
the Miller & Sharkey Detective Agency,
that he came to the conclusion that Mr..
Gowen did not shoot himself If that W as
true. Mr.. Miller was for six years the
District Attorneys detective, and has
been connected officially with more than
a hundred murder cases.
"When 1 read that Mr.. Governs hair
was not sinRed," said he last night, sit
ting in his office, sit struck me at once
that there was an important clue. If
that Is true, and If no marks OF gun.
powder can be found about the wound,
Mr.. Gowen did not shoot himself. 1t has
been demonstrated by practical tests that
shot fired at three feet will blacken the
skin, and at sixteen inches it will tattoo
and at six inches 1t will scorch. know
this to be fact, for while l was con-,
uectei with the District Attorneys of.
flee |, together with DIR. Morey, who is
now dead, and DR.. Brenton, au expert,
made test as to the distance shot
could be fired into body without black
ening the skin."