Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-12-21
IS DEAD.
Either Lavigne's Blow or the
Fall Proved Fatal to the
Pugilist.
PROBABLY IT WAS THE FALL.
Lavigne and His Backers and
Seconds Are Charged
With Murder.

With Murder.
New ORLEANS, Dec. 17.-Andy
Bowen died at 7:15 a. m. He remained
unconscious from the time he received
the blow that was landed, and con-
veyed from his dressing room at the
club to his home.
Coroner Lawraser will hold an au-
topsy. When the men faced each
other for the 18th round it was appar-
ent that the end Of the fight was near.
Bowen had received so many hard
righthanders over the heart that he
was weakened and groggy when he
left his corner. He was game, how
ever, and walked mechanically towards
his strong young adversary. Lavigne
opened with a left jab on the neck, and
although the blow was not a particu-
larly hard one it brought a look Of an
guish in the face of the thoroughly
beaten. little man. His mouth was
partly open, while his eyes wore a
wild, frightened look. His cheeks were
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pulled out. The cut over the left eye
was the only color in his pallid face.
His breath was in short gasps and after
breathing for a moment he would catch
his breath.
Bowen Was Game.
With wonderful gameness he would
not finch from the shower Of blows
rained on him by Lavigne, and al
though his strength was gone he
tried bravely to fight back every time
the visitor was close enough.
Lavigne would either dodge the blows
thus attempted or let them land harm
lessly on him. He was landing on the
local man at will. Bowen was stag
gered to the ropes by an onslaught of
his powerful foe. While there in a
helpless condition and trying to clinch,
Lavigne planted his left over the heart
and crossing savagely with his right
landed a terrific blow on the angle Of
the jaw. Bowen fell back like a felled
tree, and his head struck the floor
heavily. Lavigne walked to his corner,
while Duffy counted the 10 seconds.
The beaten man was picked up limp
and to all appearances lifeless by his
handlers and carried to his dressing
room.
Lavisne Was Sorry.
The news OF Bowen's death was made
known to Lavigne and his party shortly
after it had been communicated by tel
ephone to the Central station. Lavigne
had been detained at the station with
his seconds and attendants all night,
and he slept but little, being anxious
every moment to get tidings from the
bedside of the wounded pugilist. La
vigne was inexpressably shocked when
he heard the news Of Bowen's death,
and expressed his profound sympathy
for Bowen's wife. In answer to a ques-
ton he said that he did not feel that he
had been the direct cause of the
death of the pugilist, in other words
the blow which he had delivered
on the jaw had not been sufficiently
forceful to have carried with it fatal
consequences. He said he believed
that when Bowen fell that his head
had struck the pine flooring and that
the conclusion had been the immediate
cause of his death.
At 9 o'clock Lavigne and his party
were told to prepare themselves to be
taken to the Third precinct station.
An affidavit for murder against all con-
cerned will be made during the day in
n thesecond recorders court.
Not the Blow That Killed Him.
Concerning Bowen's injuries, The
Times Democrat says:
= ..The blow which sent Bowen down
g3EIwas not one Of extraordinary force, but
p 1slEit was delivered at very short range,
s. stlnd he was SO weak as to be able te
..esahhnake no resistance, andfalling directly
backward, the back Of his heao
struck the unpadded floor of the stage
upon which they had been fighting
with such tremendous force that il
sounded as if the floor had been. heavily
hit with the poll Of en- axe. Whe1
Hall and Fitzsimmons fought in this
same arena the floor was thickl1
covered with padding, over which !.
sheet Of canvass had been tightly
stretched. Friday night, for som.
unexplained reason this padding had
been removed and the canvas had beer
stretched over the bare boards Of TIL
SGdS0. adu GAo SIdS0 Do0u III 1AA6 COu
dition when Fitz knocked Hall on
there appears to be little doubt tina
Hall would have been fatally injured
and with such a circumstance fresh il
their minds it appears almost unac
countable that the managers OF. tn
club should have taken such a seriou
risk as that to be incurred by permit
ting men to fight or an unpadded floor
The doctors who were in ATTENDANCE
upon Bowen said that it wa not tn
blow that had done the mischief, bu
the striking Of his head upon the floor
which had produced conoussion Of tn
brain.
Lavigne was admitted to bail in tn
sum of $4,000. the others So. 1000
Duffy, the referee, and Spitzfadel
were the only ones to furnish bonds.
S588$s5 Fitx Not Talking.
r .nnrcvnJ XIV. Dao.