The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-11-26
MIR. BOWEN is SANE.
Objection to S~piritualistic Seances Violently
Expressed No Proof Of Lunacy.

County Clerk Wilson's room at the court
house was crowded yesterday afternoOnfb by
spectators and witnesses in an inquiry as
to the insanity which involved a long
story of domestic unhappiness. Mrs. Emma
nj. Bowen, living at 1913 Meek street. fled,a
petition against her husband, Franklin T.
Bowen, asking that he be declared of un-
sound mind. Mrs. Bowen is a s~piritualist,
and in her efforts to establish her husbands
insanity was supported by a number of
members of the s~piritualists' local o~rganiza-
tiOn. She has, it seems, been accustomed
to hold seances at her house, to which Mr.,
Bowen strongly objected. Their difference
of opinion regarding this matter led to sew
eral quarrels, and in her testimony Mrs!
Bowen stated that her husbands actions
were not those of n sane man.
why not."' asked Squire F~iebleman.
who was on the examining board. d
"Well." replied Mrs. Bowen, at one time
he came home and found we were having d
seance, and Orderedit stopped. He went out
and took a drink, and then went into the
wOodshed and smashed q chair, broke up
and scattered the wash-tufs all over the
yard" -
TOOK another drink" s /
Mr.. Bowen was put upon the stand and
asked what he had to say re-
garding his actions. Il don't know as there
is anything to say he replied.
Did you break up the chair, as you wife
has saidf" asked DR.. Wagner. also of the
board.
what reason can you give for doing sog''
81 saw / couldn't break mp the seance and
so | broke the chair. That's all the reason
know Of"
- 80
was next put on the stand. I'VE were to
have a big seance at Mr.. Bowen's one night
he said. "A great many of us were there. ]
don't remember all who were present, but
we were just about ready to begin our work
when in walked Mr.. Bowen, He was at
been asleep, but l guess we had interrupted
him."
did he threaten any force!" asked one o.
the examiners.
Yes; he had hardly stepped foot into the
room before he made a grab at some of the
furniture. Mr.. Ralston, who was present,
in turn grabbed him and started to take
him out. l thought that Ralston objected
to Bowen's mode of dress, and l didn't for
moment suspect that he was crazy"
What did Mr.. Bowen do when an at
tempt was made TO eject hIm"
After he had secured a good grip on Mr..
Ralston's coat collar, he yelled: Now,
every one of you get out of here. for I'm not
SUluE W udNt any btduCt nero lnuy mousse.
1t took me by surprise. for l thought that
was a queer way to treat us when Mrs. Bow
en- had invited us to the house."
did you leave the housed"
did we leave? Well. / guess we did
and | guess you would, too. if you had been
there at the time"
Did Mr.. Bowen use any language tina,
seemed to show his ~insanityf
He used some pretty strong language,
but whether it was from his drinking oil
his unsoundness of mind l can't say. He
went through the whole vocabulary of cpl.
thets, and told us that if we didn't clear
out he would use force. Our seance was
abandoned for that night"
The result of the inquiry established
Bowen's sanity, and Immediately afterwarG
he filed an affidavit against ID. A. Ralston
president of the S~piritualists' Association
charging him with an assault upon him
some days ago.