The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-12-13
CLOSE OF CELEBRATED CASE
Review cf Romantic Career OF
Form=r Presbyterian Preacher
Who Went From Pulpit 20
Who Wen
Penitentiary.

years in the State peniteDtiary. On
August - last Fowler was transferred
by communication TO the Greenville
cDunty chaingang, where he has since
been scrving The man has now served
nearly TWO years of his sentence and
has devoted wife and children in
Grecavil!e. Very slropg petitions we're
presented. Among those asking his
pardon were STATE Senator Dean: the
,uaster. the clerk of court, the county
auditor. Col NJ l. Donaldson, Editors
Hcyt ard Williams, number Of prom
iucut ladies. several Of the jnr",s who
convicted him, the officers Of the chain
gang and others.
The following letter from the county
supervisor also had much to do with
the governors decision in tie case:
Hon NJ. B NcSSecney, Governor Of
SoutI, Carolioa. Co!umbia. 5 Z.
Dear Su: have the honor TO request
your cna-i leration Of the petition cf
4. X. Fowler for pardon. feel that
in doitg /, !, it is for The best interests
os Greenvilic county as well as for the
prisoner.
Mr.. Fowler was sent to labor on the
public works of this county from the
penitentiary, having been confined
there about two years. He has no
hands and is therefore of very little
service, while requiring much more at
tention and care from the officers in
whose care he has been committed than
in ordinary cases. His value as a la
borer Goes not equal the expense of his
maintenance, and it will be relief to
the officers when this helpless man IS
discharged from custody.
am satisfied that pardon will meet
with the approval Of the best people OF
this section. Yours very truly,
j. L. Speegle.
The following facts about Fowler's
case published in The State in August
last at the time of the Communication will
be Of special interest at this time:
Number l4,513 will leave the pen.
4. r. FoRler's sentence has been COM
muted by the governor. III health IS
the cause assigned.
Sentenced for forgery, and yet he has
no hands with which to write! Seem
ingly an anomaly, but nevertheless
true. An ex. Presbyterian minister in
the garb of a felon. When Fowler
committed the forgery Of which he was
convicted he had one hand with which
to write, but now he can write just as
we'll with none.
When he first arrived at the peniten-
tiary the management was puzzled to
know what use to make of convict
with no hands. He was first put to
work protecting the strawberry patches
from the ravages Of the Eoglish spar
rows. Afterwards he was assigned to
other bits Of work, and now he is
very useful laborer in the hosiery mill,
being able with his stumps Of arms to
carry the yarn and finished stockings
from one part of the building to an
other.
The case of \. R. Fowler has been
the subject of many newspaper COM
ments, but it is tale which IS very ro-
mantle even when twice told.
He was not always without hands,
but lost one hand about five years ago
as result of an accidental discharge Of
a gun while out hunting. He was sub
jected to censure at the time, for he
had bnt a few days before taken out
an accident policy, which he had not
received, but the first premium on
which he had paid The insurance
company contested the payment of the
policy, and its position was sustained
by the courts. He claims that at the
time he was accomplished by friend,
who testified that the loss of the hand
was accidental. They were riding in
buggy and the gun was discharged with
out his touching it. The member was
taken off midway between the wrist and
elbow.
The right hand was also lost in a
similar manner Three years ago last
November, while acting as an insurance
agent in Union county, Tennessee, he
was hunting with friend, John II.
Davis. They were sitting on fence
when covey of partridges suddenly
few up. He reached down for his gun,
catching it with his one hand by the
muzzle. 1t caught on the fence ana
was discharged, taking off his only hand
close 20 the wrist.
The history Of the forgery case, as
related by Fowler at the time Of his
incarceration, is, Of course, somewhat
mitigating in his favor, but he makes
no denial Of the forgery.
About three years ago he contracted
with gentleman in Greenyille, Mr.. B.
II. Liyermore, for the purpose of OBJ
tanning charter for 4 mutual insur-
anee company TO be established IN
Texas. According to his Stetement, Mr..
Livermore was to advance 81 900 and
Fowler was to give his note for thlt
amount until the charter could be OBJ
tanned. He was arrested for forging the
endorsement on the note. The endorse
ment was that Of his brother ln-law,
Mr. j. D. Harris, Fowler admitted forg
irg the endorsement, and, after SEN
tence, appealed 10 higher court. On
January IS, 1898, he was Informed by
his attorney that the appeal had been
dismissed
Fowler says that he wrote to the
sheriff that he was ready to go to the
nan;:nntiarv and was Informed lie
| (Fowler) weuld have to pay his own
way. He stayed at home, spending
only enc night away, until Corpl Smith
of the peDitentiary guard came for him.
And it was charged that he evaded the
law aud attempted to escape from being
brought to the penitentiary.
Fowler is native Of Greenvilie coun-
ty, and had little farm up there. His
w hon