Democratic messenger., 1894-09-08

0 VVso"S~O
THOMAS BOWDEN KILLED
BY \ PISTOL BALL
IN BED WITH HIS WIFE.
Who Fired the Shot? This is the
Question Which Agitated
All ChincOtcaguc.
Thomas Bowden, white, lying in his
bed by the side of his wife and child
was shot by some unknown person at
his home on Chincoteague Island Sat
urday night and never regained con-
sciousness. lie died at 8 o'clock on
Sunday morning. The circumstances
are rs follows: Mr.. Bowden went to
his home about Z o'clock on Saturday
evening and retired early to bed with
his wife and one of his six small
children. About II o'clock his wife
was aroused by the report of a pistol,
and called to her husband, asking if
he was awake. Receiving no answer,
she laid her hand upon his shoulder
and tried TO arouse him. Failing in
this, she jumped up from the bed,
secured a match and, upon lighting it,
the awful sight presented itself-her
husband lying covered with blood and
the death rattle already in his throat.
The terrified woman's screams at
tractcd some of the neighbors. a
closer investigation revealed the fact
that pistol ball had passed
through the window screen of the
window and buried itself in the left
temple of the unfortunate man. Dr.
White was summoned and found that
the ball had passed almost entirely
through the brain and that there was
no hope of recovery.
The magistrates trial on Monday
brou. .i.l 10 light the fact that gang of
men. l3 OF whom have been appre-
hended and examined, were seen mov-
ing from the scene of the tragedy
Immediately after the shooting Oc-
Cured. These witnesses testify that
they were in front of Bowden's house
and heard the report of pistol, and
claim that they saw fash in the
direction of a house just across the
way, where resides John Bowden. The
evidence of these witnesses was gener-
ally the same.
John Bowden swore that he knew
nothing of the shooting except that he
heard the report, and his evidence is
corroborated by his family.
The men who acknowledge having
been in front of the house at the time
of the shooting are VIM. b. Mumford,
Irving Sturgis, A.C. Byrnes, William
Bloxsom, John Daisey, Fred Fresh.
Solomon Daisey, Oliver Jester, VIM.
Anderson, Daniel Bebee, Daniel J.
Lewis and John III. Thompson. all
natives of the Island. This crowd had
gone up the Island for the purpose OF
serving notice to leave the Island upon
one James Workman, who had made
himself obnoxious on account of his
alleged conduct in connection with the
notorious sanctified band. 1t is sig
nificant fact that the unfortunate
victim OF the murderer's bullet was
himself some time since member of
this same band. but recently he
has disclaimed all allegiance to the
same
The deceased was buried Monday
afternoon, and almost all of the 5000
inhabitants of Chincoteague were
present at the funeral. The murdered
man was 30 years of age and an OYSTER
man. He leaves widow and six
small children.
LATER NEWS.
Rev. L. II. Miller. pastor OF the
Methodist Church at Whitesville, Del
aware, who has been visiting DIR.
Smith on Chincoteague Island and
was there on the night Bowden was
killed, was in Snow Hill on Tuesday,
visited the MESSENGER office and gave
us the latest news regarding the shoot
ing of Bowden and the details of the
hearing before Justice Lloyd Wilson,
of Greenbackville, who took the testi-
mony of the thirteen young men impli-
Gated in the shooting. In the main
the above story is correct, but the
additional facts brought out since it
was written are these: On Saturday
two young men from Drummondtewn,
went to Chincoteague in a sail boat.
one was Irwin Sturgis the others
name is not known by Mr.. Miller.
These two men joined crowd of
Young men in an expedition up the
Island on Saturday night the avowed
purpose of which was to give Rev.
Workman, the sanctified preacher, a
thrashing for alleged improper con-
duct toward Il married lady of his
flock who refused to live up to his
ideas of the doctrine of free love-"
While in the neighborhood of the
Sanctitied church the young men, who
were somewhat scattered, commenced
throwing stones and other missels,
some OF which fell near the party in
which Savage stood, they thought they
were being stoned by members of the
sanctified band, and Savage asked the
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