Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-16
THE DEATH OF MR.. GOWEN.
There Are No Facts to Account for
His At.

phia early yesterday morning on q specAi traln
rendered by the Baltimore and Ohio. 1t was
accompanied by Francis Gowen and James
E. Hood Of Philadelphia, nephews of the dead
man. The intsrment will be ut Germantown.
The news Of the suicide created intense
| excitement in Philadelphia, where Mr..
Governs name is familiar to all Grief and
surprise were expressed on every hand
and many theories were advanced a. to the
motive, all, however, crystalizing into belief
that the fatal step was taken during a fit Of
dependency, amounting to insanity, resulting
from the disappointment over the outcome Of
| a law case on which he was engaged all last
week. This was the claim Of George Rice, an
| Ohio oil refner, against several railroads. A
dispatch to the Philadelphia Press says:
Though Mr.. Gowen did not show it in his
manner, it is said that he was terribly disap-
| pointed at finding that 1t was impossible to get
| at the evidence to prove the claim made by his
| client. The evidence being under the control
| of the railroads was not easily reached. Mr..
Gowen felt that he had a good case, a case
worthy Of his talents and energies, but he
could not develop it. A theory held among the
lawyers who had been before the interstate
commerce commission this week is that this
disappointment may have been the unto
ward breath which famed the smouldering
fires Of mental alteration"
WHAT HIS CLIENT SAYS.
NO one WAS more bUTpTls6u tudu us client,
Mr.. Rice, who said: II can't imagine why he
should take his life. To my thinking he had
not a care in the world He has been conduct
ing my case for me. 1t ended on Thursday,
and after adjournment asked him to draw up
a little paper for me, which he did, at the same
time laughing and joking over some humorous
incident in the case. When he had finished
drawing up the paper asked him when he was
going home. He told me that he was waiting
for telegram from Titusville, where he had
some cases pending. If l get it tonight said
he, I'll take the o'clock train Oh Friday
morning.
"we parted then and yesterday thought I'd
60 to Wormley's and see il he had gone away.
That was at o'clock yesterday. saw him at
the hotel and ne said that he was still waiting
for telegram. We had some conversation
and then / bade him goodbye. Even then he
was cheerful and apparently had no weighty
matter on his mind. 1 don't think business
caused him to take his life, because his papers
were neatly done up, just a. he had brought
| them from the interstate commerce room.
From their appearance it is evident that he had
not been looking over them"
SHOCK TO HIS FAMILY.
The news was a terrible shock to his family,
consisting of wife, mother daughter and sister,
all Of whom at first refused to believe that the
beloved one had taken his own life. Mrs.
Gowen and her daughter started for Washing
ton, but were met at Wayne Junction by Fran
els Gowen. who persuaded them to return
home while he came to this city. The men,
bers OF the family positively refused to be in
terviewed and the closest personal and bust
ness friends Of Mr. Gcwen are unable to assign
any reason why he should wish to end his life.
1t is said that Mrs. Gowen told close friend OF
the family that for ten days previous to her
husbands last visit to Washington she had no.
ticed something strange in his conduct. 1t is
thought by many here that the great lawyers
mind became unbalanced through too persist
ent application to business, and that the suicide
was due to this cause.
Edward C. Knight, former president Of the
Jersey Central road, and very close friend Of
Mr.. Gowen, said:
Il cannot imagine any cause for Mr. Governs
suicide, if suicide it was. He Was courageous
man, a bold man, and this must be said of him,
| moral man and of the sternest integrity. His
judgment has been attacked severely and mer-
cllessly, but his personal integrity never.
last saw him about fifteen days ago He called
upon me and we talked over a matter of mutual
interest. He was as bright and cheerful as he
always was. / saw no indication of mental
failure or distress. / am under the impression
that Mr.. Gowen was worth well on to a million
of dollars. i remember that some years ago
he told me that when he was district attorney
of Schuylkill county he bought large tract Of
coal land at a very low price that today would
make his estate worth nearly the amount have
named"
THEORY OF MURDER.
detective friend Of Mr.. Gowen came on to
Washington for the purpose Of hunting up
murder clews, but found nothing to encourage
him in his search. The fact of suicide is firmly
established by the testimony of the man who
sold Mr.. Gowen his pistol ON Thursday His
description OF the customer talles SO closely
with thst Of the deceased as to leave no room
for doubt This man is d. n. Walford, AIT
Pennsylvania avenue, who remembers selling a
pistol such as was found in the suicides room
to a tail, elderly gentleman, smoothly shaven,
with grayish hair, kindly face and pleasant,
courteous manners. He said to Mr.. Walford:
Il want good one." The proprietor sold the
man Smith dWesson 33-caliber revolver nickel
plated. with pearl stock for 313 81. and 60 cents
worth of cartridges. There was nothing peculiar
about the mans actions, but, on the contrary,
he appeared gentlemanly and was pleasing in
his manner.
SKETCH OF MR. GowEN
Franklin Benjamin Gowen was born in Phila-
delphia February 9, 1896. He was admitted to
the bar in 1860, and in less than three years
was elected attorney for Schuylkill county, and
after two years service was employed as attor
ney for the Philadelphia and Reading railroad.
in 1870 he became president of that road, a
position he held till 1886. He was member
of the Pennsylvania constitutional convention
of 1872, in which body he ranked one of its
ablest and most efficient members In the
ers, in 1876, he took a prominent part, appear
ing on the part OF the state, and il was largely
owing to his energy that the culprts were
hunted down and convicted. and the reign of
terror which they maintained in the mining
regions for a score Of years was brought to an
end with their execution. While never taking
an active part in politics Mr.. Gowen was always
| b stsnch democrat, and was delegate to the
national convention which nominated Mr..
Tilden for President.
The most thrilling incident in Governs career
| was his relentless war on the ''Mollie Maguires"
| in the Schuylkill coal region and his breaking
and hanging Of Jack Kehoe and nine Of his
| followers in 1876 Gowen risked his life in the
| trial of these cases. He conceived and estab-
| lished the Reading coal and iron company the
largest mining company in the United States
| He and Robert Garrett were close friends In
Mr.. CARROTS memorable interview with W. H.
| Vanderbilt the two were talking of Gowen when
| Vanderbilt died. After his retirement from the
| presidency of the road in 1886 he devoted him
self to the practice Of his profession, but never
| gave up the idea Of sometime again being at
the head Of the Reading organization. He
was the legal adviser Of the late j. " William
son and drew the will which disposed Of ELL
600, 900 Of property. His legal practice of late
| years has been enormous and he has been
| quoted as having an income from this source
of Sl0O. 900 year.
! dispatch from Boston says: Members of the
American federation of labor, speaking Of ex-
President Gowen, have only bitter words for