The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-11-23
Lynohed Near Frederick, Md.

James Bowens. a young colored man. who
assaulted Miss Lille Long, aged u years, a
the home of Hamilton Gesbert, about one
mile south of Frederick, at $50 O'Clock Sat
| urdav afternoon was taken from the county
| Jail at 80 o clOcl; Sunday morning by Il mol
! of about 400 men, and was hanged to a tree
in the field of VIM. G. Butler on the Jetfer
son turnpike. near that city. Early III the
evening crowds of men gathered upon the
streets and discussed the frequent attempted
assaults which have been committed i'll that
county in the past few months.
BOwens was a heavy-set. black negro, with
thick lips. about five feet tall and about -
years old. He had figured very prominently
! in the police courts there for the past eight
| years
About 6. 80 Mr. Geisbert, son and William
| FOut met BOwens at the corner of Jail and
| Bentz street, he having just come from the
fields They grabbed him, when he remon-
! strated and said it took a county constable to
arrest him, they having no authority. They
took their prisoner before Justice HeweS.
where he was identified by Mr. Warner and
several others who saw him in the neighbOr-
hood. Miss Long was too i'll to appear against
him and he was committed to Jail for fur
Their hearing in default of $500 bail. All the
time Bowens was in the justice office, which
contained about fifty people, he acted III a
most defiant and insolent manner. At the
trial he claimed he was at his uncleS house
in Frederick city. While he was testitying
John Bowman. colOred, came i'll and had him
arrested for robbing him. Bowman sworc
that Bowens and another colored man named
John Tonsell had been drinking all day and
that they were drunk. He was with them
when they started home. Bowens followed
him to near Geisberts farm about clock
p. M. when he laid down on the road to sleep.
Bowens relieved him of a 81 and 81 bill and
81 in silver Office Abrecht searched him in
the office. but found nothing. but when the
deputy sheriff searched him at the Jail he
found the money as described and a pair of
new scissors about ten inches long concealed
in the lining Of his boot, all covered with
blood 1t was at first thought that he cut his
victim with IA knife, but, after finding the
bloody scissors upon him. it was evident that
they were the instrument he used.
The crime for which Bowens suffered the
penalty Of death was ii most cruel and brutal
one, and one of the most fendish ever com
mitted in that county. About > O clock Bow
ems applied at Mr.. Giesbert 5 home for some
thing to eat Miss Long gave him some bread
and meat which he ate. After surveying the
situation and finding the lady alone in the
house. he offered her 81. at the same time
making an indecent proposal. She ran scream
ing from the house, pursued by the tiend. who
overlook her i'll the garden and knocked her
down with a blow of his fist. While his vic
tim Law PROSTATE he took a pair of scissors and
cut cash four inches long on the left side of
the throat nearly severng the Iugalar VEN.
He then stabbed her several times in the
breast nflicting painful wounds and cut deep
cash in the back of her neck at the base OF
the skull Not vet satisfied with his tiendlSh
work, he nearly severed her nose from her
face with the scissors. Notwithstanding her
numerous wounds Miss Long fought desper-
atelv. The negro succeeded III tearing on all
her under garments. Her screams attracted
Mr.. Geisbert and his son. who were working
in a cornield near the house. Seeing them
approach, the negro took to the fields and
went toward Frederick. An alarm was quick
" sounded and description of the negro
furnished by the lady and William Warner.
an adjoining farmer. of whom Bowena had
asked for something to eat an hour earlier
\ number of farmers started III pursuit with
rifles and ShotgunS determined. they sand. 10
kill the negro at sight.
This makes the fourth assault that has oc-
cured in Frederick county in six months.
Three of the fiendS have been unprecedented,
but Wilson, the c0lnred asSailant Of Miss
Jesse Jeans, is still at large. There is stand
ing reward of $500 for his arrest. Several!
ministers of the gospel preached upon the
lynching Sunday and denounced 1t i'll strong
terms Rev. +. II. Delk. of Hagerstown,
who occupied the pulpit in the Lutheran
Church. said The finger of Scorn OF sixty
millions of people in this country was today
directed at the fair fame of this city.