The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-23
Wife Murderer Lowell
Asks to Be Released.
Has Been in a Maine Prison
for Twenty-three Years.
Was Convicted After a Very Long
and Sensational Trial.

Augusta Me, April %. Among the
important business coming before the
governor and Council today, will Ebe "a
hearing for the pardon Of James A.
Lowell. the wife murderer. Lowell's trial
was probably the most sensational ever
held in Maine. He has been In prison
since 1874 Twenty three years ago. ON
the third Tuesday of January, the trial
was opened.
JAMES Nj. Lowell of Lewiston was
charged with the murder of his wife and
the conceament of her body. The evil
dence was wholly circumstantial, ana Dy
reason of its mystery and It's legal tech-
nicalities, compelled the attention OF the
whole legal profession of New England
and the trial was followed with intense
interest by thousands of people. Books
were written upon It; notably, n panlph-
let written and published by the then at
torncy for the state, ox-Govornor Harris
Nj. Plaistead; the state papers devoted
pages 10 il, and far and wide the case was
known as 1.-THE Mystery OF the Headless
Skeleton.
Notable counsel was retained on each
side the state employing Attorney-Gen-
eral Plaisted, while Lowells lawyer was
the Hon. Eben +. Pillsbury, one of tine
most able lawyers and as eloquent an
orator as New England possessed. The
Honorable George C.Wing of Auburn was
county attorney at the time, and tO his
antiring energy much credit is due. Man
deyille 4. Ludden vas associated with Mr..
pillsbury. Judge Walton presided, and
Col Littlefield was sheriff.
June IL, 1870 was the date fixed on
which the murder occurred-a notable
date I'm Lewiston history, being the night
on which the city's pride, old Central
Hail. was burned. During the trial 40
witnesses were called, among thom dress
makers boarding house keepers, livery
fah a. blood
experts on anatomy, doctors, sherlHs,
newspaper men and Others.
The evidence, summed up briefly, pro-
duced the following;
On that Sunday night, after the fire, I'm
Lowell called at 10 Hill Corporation
block. Lewiston, where his wife worked
for a Mrs. Blood, and took his wife to ride.
she was never seen again. The team was
traced up the switzerland road, ana
no farther It was found that Lowell and
his wife did not live happily; that no had
once struck her with whip; that he on
one occasion attacked her with an open
knife, causing her TO cry for help; that
they separated yet met often; that the day
following her disappearance he was asked
by Mrs. Blood where hts wife was, and he
said he left her at the door of 10 Hill
block. at 10 p. m., the previous evening;
that, in answer To Mrs. Blood's remarks
that sho had not seen her, he replied that
he guessed she had "run away with that
Id circus fellow that, later on, no
sold her wearing apparl, and was known
10 have her chain and rings In his
possession, and to sell them.
The most sensational testimony was
that given by John y. Small of Lewis
ton, who testified that on Oct. ID, 1873 he
went up the Switzerland road, road
leading by the bank of the Androsot ggin,
for "A load Of wood. 1t was his last load
Al. ant txyht hn Iah
viously made ON that place In order To
get it he had TO carry it some distance,
not being able TO drive to the place, and
while passing along the path he noticed
several round objects among the under
brush arranged in a regular line. like
buttons. He Investigated and found they
were buttons, with cloth about them.
Then he discovered beneath fragments of
cloth, tattered and mouldy silk, hoop
skirts that fell when touched, corsets
that crumbled when exposed TO air, and
finally headless skeleton, with worm
eaten bones. Passersby were called to the
spot, and they agreed that the remains
were those of human being With
difficulty the clothing was identified as
that belonging TO Mrs. Mary Il. Lowell,
who had been missing at that time for
over three years. In defence, Lowell
that the fact that Mrs, Lowell was killed
must be proved. Ii was suggested To bo
case of suicide, and the jury was charged
that If it did not believe the remains to be
those of Mrs. Lowell, 1t must acquit the
prisoner
During the trial excitement ran so high
that heavy bets were placed upon the
verdict throughout the state, and, while
Lewiston and Auburn people looked for
disagreement, outsiders were almost solid
for conviction. The jury was out for
nearly four hours and then, through
.heir foreman, Cyrus Grcely of Lewiston,
declared the verdict TO DO guilty"
Lowell, during the trial, was light of
heart. and wore what writer at the time
called Ian eternal smirk upon his face F"
When an officer at the announcement OF
the verdict expressed symDathy 20 him,
lowell replied with an oath. THAT he
hadn't got through with them yet.
This was % years ago. Afterward
lowell told Sheriff Littleileld that he
Killed his wife; but he did not mean to,
that they had one of their usual quarrels
while driving, that he pushed her out of
the wagon. accidentally, that she fell and
broke her neck, and he carried the body Co
the secluded place where IL was found.
Today his plea for pardon Will be pre-
sented 20 the governor and council At
the age OF 54, James NJ. Lowell asks TO be
released from prison walls, feeling his
punishment ito be commensurate with
his offence.
EIarfinu