Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-12
MERGERS TRAGEDY.
The Complete Details Of the Cnprovoked
Murder.

The moe the people of Mercer
county consider the foul murder of
DIR. ChowniDg, of Aledo, by Dick
Bauguess, the more desperate they
become. The deed was one of DELHI
crate cold blood, the assassin meet
ing the physician on a lonely road
aud filing him with shot merely be-
cause OF personal spite, and with
grounds purely imaginary, at that.
The Aledo Democrat gives words of
wise counsel: Since the shooting
of DIR. Chowning, IN uttered threats of
lynching his murderer have been
heard upon the streets. No blot of
this kind should ever darken the fair
fame of Mercer county. True, a good
citizen. 4 prominent physician, n
man valued in his profession. in the
home, in society, has been ruthlessly
shot down in cold blood, vet is there
any reason why the good people of
Mercer county should turn murder
ers? Shall We place ourselves upon
a plane with Dick Bauguess? Shall
we make our beautiful temple of
Justice mockery? OF what benefit
Is law ii we are to abandon. it at the
first crisis? Why do we send men to
Springfield to make laws, if we are
not to abide by them? Dick Bau-
guess is in Jail. He should be care
fully guarded so rs to prevent any
possibility of escape. He will be in.
dicted for murder by the grand jury.
He should be given a fair and i'm
partial trial. He should be con-
victed and the extreme penalty of
the law executed upon him. We
fancy that the people of Mercer
county prize too highly our good
name to tarnish it by lyn ching such
Il worthless cur"
The Complete Details.
Further details of the murder of
DIR. Chownipg, who was a prominent
and respected physician of Aledo,
have come to light through the tes-
timony at the inquest. 1t seems
that worthless fellow named Dick
Bauguess, whose mental condition is
none too bright. got the idea that DIR.
Chowning had performed a surgical
operation on his wife, and for long
time had been brooding over the mat
ter and uttering threats to kill the
physician. The latter was warned,
but treated the warning lightly.
Last week DR.. Chowning was seen
driving along the Millersburg read,
near the bridge. Bauguess was seen
by farmer, blowing in his field, to
pass along the road looking wild and
ugly, and carrying a shot gun, and a
half hour afterward two shots were
heard. Bauguess had secreted him.
self near a creek to await the doc
tors return by the same road.
James Warwick, another farmer,
rushed over to see what was the mat
ter. and found DIR. Chowning sitting
in his buggy. He said:
Jim, ! am shot. Dick Bauguess
shot me and is now running in the
timber"
The doctor was able to drive to
Warwick's residence near by. and
there he was attended by DIR. Craig
and others, who found his abdominal
cavity literally riddlcd with shot,
the left kidney was penetrated seven
times and the pulvis similarly
affected. Death resulted Friday
morning from Inflammation. a
posse took after the murderer, and
he was captured and locked up in the
the county Jail. The gun was after
ward found in hedge. Many
threats of lynching are heard. and an
extra force of guards is one of the
shcr;G's timely precautions. The
local papers are urging the people to
stay their wrath and await the pro-
cess of law, but still there is great
uneasiness.
The doctor was man of many
friends. His funeral was the largest
ever held in Mercer county. He
served bravely in the war, and was
made prisoner at Chicamauga,
staying seven months in Anderson.
vile and Suffering terrible hardships.
He was man of great force Of will,
and stood high in his profession.