Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-09
DIED In A SECOND
Fred Fowler Drops Dead al
Bowen's.
MAY HAVE TAKEN BEIIADoNNA
He Had Been a Hard Drinker and Had
Been Having Trouble With His
Wife. Who Is in Hastings.

At ten minutes past 3 O'Clock last
nlgnt Fred r. Fowler. a nurseryman IN
the employ OF Ellwanger q Barry OF
Rochester. \. Y, dropped dead in
Bowen's restaurant on Iona street
Just before he entered the saloon john
Talford met him at the corner OF Mon
roe and Ionia streets and Fowler ap-
peared well. He went down Iona
street. hurriedly entered Bowen's
saloon, ana Just AS he had reached the
cigar stand he fell on his side, dead.
tie made no sound on entering the sa-
loon, and evidently died without pain.
He was at once picked up by the help
At the saloon, carried TO the back room
ana laid on the floor. Physicians and
policemen We're at once called. The
body Was carefully examined, and DR..
Kelly pronounced the man dead. 1t
was over halt al hour before Coroner
Bradish arrived. He Examined the
body but did nothing toward disposlng
OF the remains or lmpanellng a jury.
At the end OF an hour the body was
removed To Z. McCallum's undertaking
rooms, where 1t remains awaiting or
ders from the family. Fowler Was IS
years old.
Letters From His Wife,
Among the contents OF his pocket.
book were number OF old letters.
One of them was dated at Ruthven,
November 30. 1856. 1t was from Ho-
ratio Wigle and addressed to Fred +.
Fowler, Dutton, Ont. IL expressed con-
Germ as to Fowler's health and Dusl-
ness. A second letter was from Fow-
ler's wife and read as follows:
HASTINGS, May %, 1892.
FRED would like to know why you
have not wrote TO me since | came
home or sent ME any money. You
have just spoilt my visit. / have not
taken one minutes comfort. was up
home yesterday morning but as you
were not there, came back on the next
train. Now l shall look for an answer
soon and some money to come home
with. hope you have not gone to
drinking again. IDA.
The letter was written in q dainty
hand. The other contents were memo
randa. HIS purse contained about 80
cents. The above and some keys, a
knife and q small round bottle were all
he carried.
no0 y nOtlAO VI OuIOE0ls
The bottle contained few drops of
q liquid that was spilled by some one
at the saloon. The odor indicated that
it had held choral. DR.. Kelly stated
that the pupils of the eyes were too
dilated to make the theory of death by
chloral tenable. The eyes rather sug-
gested beladouna.
John Pruyne said to reporter for
The HERALD: "Fowler was an awful
drinker. and his death is the most mer.
ciful thing that could have happened
to him. He worked for me last sum-
mer, but had TO let him 60. He would
drink raw alcohol. Think he has been
out of his head lately. He and his
wife have mad trouble of late. and she
has often talked of leaving him."
Fowler's wife's parents live at Hast
ings and are respectable and well-to.
do. Her father IS drover,
and we'll known. Fowler and
his wife at one time lived
at Hastings. Coroner Bradish tele.
graphed Mrs. Fowler, who is at Hast.
lngs, informing her of her husband g
death and asking what disposition
should be made of the body.
Friday night Fowler went to the
tram to meet his wife, whom he ex-
pected from Jackson, but she did not
come. Fowler and his wife had occu.
pied q pleasant suit of rooms in section
E of the Central place, facing the Bap-
., ~