Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-19
FALSE In EVERY WAY.
Sensational Allegations as to the
Late DR.. j. w COWden.
Revolving and Horrible Details which
are without the Least EOunda-
tlOn in Fact.

Rock ISLAND, Jan. 18-EDIToR
ARGUS: In the Chicago Morning News
Of Jan. 16 there appeared a long article
under date of Davenport. Iowa. upon the
death and burial OF the late and highly
esteemed DID w ,Cowden, charging that
he had been buried alive, snd he details
OF which are toe horrible to reprint
For the relief of the relatives and
many friends of Or Cowden / wish to say
that the whole article Except that part
referring to his death and BURIAL is a
tissue of falsehoOds from beginning to
end, not one item of truth in it.
DR.. COwden died Feb. 4 and was buried
Feb. z, 1891, ard no one has ever applied
10 me for or received from anyone con-
nected with the cemetery, permission TO
have the remains examined. Nor has
the grave ever been disturbed or inter
rered with in any way.
p, l.. MITCHELL Sec.
Chippisnock Cemetery Association.
THE ARGUS OF Jan. ) contained an ar.
ticle slludiug to the prevalence of revolt
ing rumors to the effect as alleged above,
but IN respect TO the family and friends
OF DR.. COwden no names we're then meuL
toned, The ARGUS at at time stating
that such reports had then been in exists
ence Tor some time ard that several
weeks previous THE ARGUS had made
thorough investigation found that they
were without the least foundation, had
traced them to the fountain head and
nd hsf -,
an aged lady in the west part of the city.
The Argus in its article of Jan. 8 sta
ted that it had hoped the rumors would
die out before then, and only at that
time did it make allusOn to them in the
hopes they might be checked, But it was
too late. The busy AMI irresponsible
tongue of gossip hsd gotten ho'd of them
and gloated in spreading them They
spread like wnd-fre.
Toward the end of the week in which
these deniais appeared il The ARGUS
nelghboriBg sensational papers got hold
Of them and nCtwithslgn ling that invcs-
legations made by them showed the
rumors TO be groundless, they gave space
to long sr,icles under glazing and sensa-
tional headlines. Thus the absurd re-
ports reached the Chicago and Peoria
papers, aud, the indignant denia! on the
part of Mr. Mitchell was deemed iustifia-
BILE
Now that the matter Lss gone as far as
it has, it may be in order TO state the
actual facts as developed by THE ARGUS
investigation fully a month ago. A few
weeks after Dr.. Cowdeus death lee.
tUTer or medical science stated in this
city that in his opinion Rock Island
doctor had been buried slive 8 few weeks
previous. The announcement made SD
impression on the minds of some, and
one wOmsu in particular living in the
west end of town could never get the
idea out of her head. Late in NoYeIa Der
last relative of this lady died suddenly
Of heart failure while about to undergo
a surgical operation. The appearance OF
the woman sitter death was such that
her family believed she WAS not dead and
the day of the funeral physicians were
summoned and sD examination made, the
result being that the woman was pro
nouuCed dead beyond q doubt. But the
incident revived in the mind of the wom-
an who had heard the lecture last winter,
the assertion concerning the burial of the
doctor alive, and few nights after she
Gresmt that brother Of the doctor had
come here from Omaha, had the doctors
body exhumed at ChipDisnoCk and found
that animation had returned after inter-
ment. She told the dream the next day,
and THE ARGUS was among the first to
hear the reports t gave rise to.
Il at once made quiet but
searching investigation, and the facts as
stated were developed Added to what
Mr.. Mitchell states, John Huss. the sex
ton al ChippisnOck will make affidavit |
that the grave has not been disturbed, |
and Undertakers Knox and Wheelan state
that no application was made 10 either |
of them to disinter tn remains while the |
recent publication of the horrible states |
ments is the first the family of Dr.. Cow
den have heard of them. Furthermore
the late doctor has no brother in this
country.
So, after all, the hssrtless Newspaper |
yarns had their origin in dream.