The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-12
QUICK CAPTURE.
James JOWett'S Short
Spell Of Freedom.
For Eight Years Has Been at
State Institutions.
Killed 4 Man at Wanskuck and Az
terwards Became Insane.

An old incident in the history of the North
End was recalled last nightly the capture by
officers Koch and Whipple OF the Second po-
lice station OF James Jowett. who at about 8
o'clock escaped from the State asylum for tho
insane. Jowett is the man who at wanslxucls
about eight and half years ago shot and
killed young man who was with Jowett's
daughter on the :highway near the Geneva
MILL
The girl and the young man, with whom she
kept company. were fooling, but the girl cried
out just the same as she would have done
were i: a case where her life was in danger
instead of one OF harmless fun.
Jowett heard the scream that the thought
less girl had given and drew revolver and
shot and killed the young man. There was
deep feeling over tho affair, but as no one was
really to blame except the stoo rash Jowett,
the jury, when il heard the case, thought the
circumstances such IA called for recommen-
dation of mercy, though it found Jowett
guilty The presiding judge paid attention to
the recommendation and sentenced Jowett
TO States prison for five years.
1t might just as well have been for 20 years.
for Jowett brooded over his crime and punish
ment and before the prison term vas up he
finally put in the insane department. That
was something over three years and half
previous TO last night. when '.Iowett went
with his fellows at the insane asylum to eat
their last meal of the day The supper furn-
ished consisted of pudding among other
things. and Jowett filled his mouth with the
pudding, he says, and pretending to be sick,
went TO one of the rooms and taking some
N afa fIip nod ha ua fhat
stood between him and liberty. He got free
and started for this city.
About o'clock some one telephoned to the
Second police station that there was a
drunken man on Camp street, and il would
not be necessary to send the patrol wagon for
him as he was able to walk. Nothing was
said about matter of so small Importance AS
the alleged drunken man wearing peculiar
costume, and the statement that no patrol
wagon was needed seemed bit peculiar. The
wagon was sent out, however, and with it
officers Kock and whipple, and they found the
man they went for very easily and took him
to the station.
In the meanwhile special officers from the
State institutions had gone to Olneyville, and
the man who had reported the affair to the
Second got nervous and telephoned to the
Central station. Before any one down there
had got started Lieutenant Murray telephoned
down that Jowett had been captured and said
IT was another case Of inability to pass the
"trocha'" Jowett was taken from the Second
station back to the State institutions at 12 80
o'clock this morning.
Jowett told the Second station officers that
it had been his intention as soon as he got
some money to go TO New York and from
tbar 20 9th NJ ,~af-
erence being South Africa. Though at times
his conversation is rational enough, he is sub
iect to hallucinations and believes there is
an organized society to inflict.the most ex.
cruciating tortures upon him.