The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-13
LAY DEAD IN HER CABIN
The Body of Mrs. Fowler Discov-
81 cred Upon the Floor.
WAS PROBABLY TAKEN ILL
Appearances Indicate That She Tried to
Arise. but in Doing So Fell to the
Floor and Expired = Nothing
Brought Out at the Inquest.

Mrs. Mary Jane Fowler, we'll
known figure on the streets of Ana
conda, was found dead in her cabin
yesterday forenoon. 1t is impossible
to tell the cause of her death, but it is
thought that she died from natural
causes.
Yesterday, between II and II o'clock,
a man named Tom Condor reported TO
Chief of Police White that he~suspected
something wrong in Mrs. Fowier's cab
III. as the old lady had not been seen
for two days. The cabin which Mrs.
Fowler occupied is a little shack on
the north bank of Warm Springs creek,
directly opposite the northern addi-
ton. The chief Of police and Under
Sheriff Joe DAILY went with Condor 10
the cabin. They found the door locked
and the key still remaining in the lock-
Condor told. them he had raped on the
door but had received no answer to his
knocks.
The cabin has a little half window on
the east side over which curtain was
drawn. The officers were told by
some of the neighbors that Mrs. Fow-
Ter always kept bar across her door.
The officers decided to look through
the window before breaking in the
door in order to see if anything was
wrong. They broke a pane of the
glass, and, pushing the curtain aside,
saw tlE DOdN VI lHc WoiItdH fg1Il5 upon
the floor. They then broke open the
door and ascertained that the woman
was dead. White remained to watch
the place while Daily came to the city
for the coroner and undertaken.
The cabin consists of only one room.
The exterior is painted white and pre-
sents quite a pleasant appearance. The
room is about 10 feet square. In the
northwest corner is a single bedstead,
and directly in front of the bed is q
little cook stove. The space between
the bed and the stove is almost two
feet. At the head of the bed and be-
tween It and the stove stood a small
four cornered stool, about one and a
half feet high.
The body was found lying upon the
floor between the stove and the bed,
with the chin resting on the edge Of the
stool. The body was lying on it's face
The woman was clothed in her night
robes. The bed clothes were turned
back as though the occupant had Just
arisen. 10 marks of violence We're dis
covered on the woman and no bruises
or other indications of Il struggle
There was a slight depression where
the edge of the stool had pressed into
the flesh
All Of the indications pointed to the
conclusion reached by those VINO saw
the body that the old lady had retired
and he'd been taken i'll during the
might. She apparently had arisen. and
In getting out of bed had fallen on the
floor anu had there expired. The
neighbors say that Mrs Fowler some
times suffered from fits. She is also
said to have sometimes drunk liquor to
excess. Ii is possible that the fits
came UPON her. and in her commissions
she may have rolled off the bed but the
fact that the bed clothing was turned
back leads one to the conclusion that
she was not suffering from her fits. as
there was no sign of disarrangement
An inquest was held last evening be-
fore Coroner Hardenhrook, and the fol-
lowing jury: j. r. Saclrider, j. II.
Collins, Thomas Boland. r. H. Cross
white, Mike Shea and William Hilbert.
Only two witnesses, Chief of Police
White and Under Sheriff DAILY, were
examined. They related in substance
the story told above. In their opinion
there had been no foul play. The jury
reached the verdict that Mrs. Fowler
had come to her death from causes I'M
known.
Mrs. Fowler was the widow of Ed
ward Fowler, who died about two
years ago. The neighbors say that she
had the cabin rent free and was as
sisted by the county. She also did
more or less washing. A story was cir
culated yesterday afternoon that the
woman had a great deal of money, and
THAT upon one occasion she mad exhib- I
tied purse containing a large number
of $50 gold pieces. A thorough search
of the cabin, however, failed to dis
cover any money. In trunk was
found paper which appeared to be a
bill of sale for a farm. 1t is dated at
Dundee, AUG. Z. 1884. Mrs. Fowler was
apparently of a religious turn of mind |
for among her effects were found five
or six prayer books and the walls of
the little cabin We're hung with re-
iigious pictures.
The cabin was well stocked with pro-
visions, and two little outhouses con-
tanned generous supply of wood and
coal. Four chickens We're also a part
of the unfortunate woman's possess /
sions. but the fact of her death had no
sooner been made known when some
vandal stole the chickens. Mrs. Fowler
is said to have been a native of st.
Johns, n. b.