The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-03
KILLED WITH A COBBLE.
James BOWen'S Neck Broken in a Fight
Over a Smoothing Iron.


story of the ARRAY as Learned From
witnesses-Ths Coroner's Investi-
cation.
John Bowen, colored, was killed by be-
ing struck in the head with rock near
his home, on McAllister street, between
9 and z O'Clock last night. Jane Bryan and
her son Joseph are under arrest, charged
with the killing.
The killing was the result Of general
melee over a smoothing iron that the
Bryan woman loaned Bowens wife.
After borrowing the iron the Bowen
woman loaned it to another woman
named Bird, across the street. The lat
ter claimed the iron was her property
and refused to return it. That was three
months ago.
SCENE OF THE KILLING.
McAllister street is short street run
ming south from President and
six streets east of East Broad.
It is populated almost exclusively by ne
groes. Bowen's house is the first on the
west side of the street at its northern
terminus, and Jane Bryan is his next door
neighbor.
According to the reports of the neigh
bors, there have been frequent Difficult
ties between the Bowen and Bryan fami-
lies over the smoothing iron, since Nancy
Bowen borrowed it three months ago.
and was unable to return it on account of
the ueighbor to whom she had loaned 1t
in turn claiming it as her property.
Whenever the Bryan woman would get
TO drinking, as she frequently did, 1t was
said she would attack Nancy Bowen for
not returning the iron.
A NEIeHBoRHooD AFFAIR.
In this way the difficulty became a
neigh borhood affair, and it is very proba-
BILE that other parties besides those whose
names were given to the police
took part in the ARRAY last night which
resulted in the killing of Bowen.
The Bowen woman finally agreed to
pay the Bryan woman 80 cents for the
smoothing iron as soon as her husband
should return from Port Royal, where he
was working. Bowen returned last
week, but his wife failed to pay the
money as agreed. According to the
stories of the witnesses the two women
met at the corner of McAllister and
South Broad streets about 6 o'clock. The
Bryan woman resumed the difficulty over
the iron and began an attack
upon Nancy, striking her with her
fists. The latter took refuge in the house
of friend near by.
WENT AFTER HIS WIFE.
Somebody went to Bowen's house at
the other end of the block and told him
of the difficulty. He went to the house
where his wife was and taking her out
started home with her The Bryan
woman and her children resumed the at
tack. According to Nancy's story she
ran, pursued by Jane, who struck her
81 L. l.
and shut the door. She heard rocks and
bricks striking against the house after
she had got inside The next she saw of
her husband was when he came in
the door vomiting blood. She asked him
how he was hurt and he said he had been
struck in the head with rock and was
dying. Blood was pouring from his nose,
mouth and ears. He was placed upon a
bed and died in a few minutes. A boy
was sent for DIR. s. G. Snelson, but
Bowen had been dead nearly half an hour
when the doctor arrived.
LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT IT.
Although information was freely volun-
teered as to the beginning of the diff
Guilty, nobody could be found who would
confess to seeing Bowen struck, or who
would give any idea as to how he received
the fatal blow or who threw the
rock. 1t was generally declared,
noWcN6E, bhdt Tue bryan WOtudu anu nef
son Joseph had done the rock throwing
The first news of Bowen. after his wife
left him fighting with the Bryan family,
was when he was found by a neighbor
back of his house, having run around to
the back, instead of going into the front
door, showing that he had been closely
pursued He was vomiting blood and APP
peared to be seriously hurt He was
taken into the house.
The two nolipanoan on dutU in that Sao-
tion of the city heard screams and shout
ing, and went to the scene. Bowen was
already dead when they arrived, however
The first news of the killing received at
the barracks was when a little 7-year-old
negro rushed in and screamed to Sergt.
Killourhy, who was on duty in the office,
that "a lady had done killed a gentleman
on McAllister street" Officers
Cain and S. M Davis were
sent to the place and
returned to the barracks shortly after
ward with Jane Bryan and her son,
Joseph, who had been charged with the
murder. They were locked up to await
an investigation by the coroner.
THE coRoNER's INVESTIGATION.
Coroner Dixon was notified of the kill
ing, and went TO the house. He made an
investigation and obtained what infor
nation it was possible to obtain, and will
hold an inquest to-day at IL o'clock.
DIR. Snelson, who examined Bowen's
body, said that his neck was broken by a
blow from rock or other heavy missile
striking him under the left ear.
The Bryan woman was seen at the bar
racks. She declared that all she knew
about the affair was that Nancy Bower
attacked her at the corner of South
Broad and McAllister streets and ''killed'
her with blow in the head from a rocl
or stick. She was taken into a house
near the corner, where her heaC
was dressed by q friend. She
declared that this was all this
part she took in the row. Her son Joseph
however, who is boy about ID years OF
age, acknowledged, when examined by
the coroner, that he saw his mother
strike Nancy Bowen and afterwards saw
her follow her up and strike hen
again when the Bowen woman
left the house in which she
had taken refuge with her husband. He
declared that he had thrown no rocks
and he had seen none thrown. The
woman's younger children, boy and {
girl, who were brought to the barracks
by the police, were turned over TO neigh
Dor on McAllister street to take care OF
for the night.
Brown, the man who was killed, was
about AZ years of age. He was said to bt
peaceable and Woodworking man.
Te.QT4