Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-01
Des Moines Detective Kills Him
self Because He Couldn't
Locate a Murderer
WORRIED OVER PETERSON CASE
After Two Years of Unsuccessful
Search Gordon Bowlby Lost His
Mind and Committed suicide-Pet-
erson Case was Noted One in Polk
County.
Special to Times-R Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Feb. because he had
| failed to run to earth the murlerers
of the Peterson children Gordon Bowl
| by. during fit of melancholia, last
! night killed himself by shooting. 1t is
| believed that his mind had become un-
balanced by brooding over the crime
and his inability to ferret gu; the GRIM
inals. Bowlby was Al years old and
had bean engaged in the real estate
business. He was often employed by
lawyers to look up evidence AMI had
considered himself considerable of a
sleuth. When the Peterson children
were murdered one Sunday evening
two years ago and reward was offer
ed for the capture OF their murderer,
Bowlby at once went to work upon the
case and has been at It more or less
ever since. The case became a sort of
mania with him and he would talk
about nothing else and the strain is be-
lieved to have driven him crazy.
Dr. George Royal who has been at
sNAN''ts ASS"AbS' 'stAN iaSt HIS NiiAl
the only alment of the man was a
fit of melancholy. Last Wednesday af-
ternoon while Dr. Royal was at the
home. Bowlby began talking about the
Peterson murder. DIR. Royal thought
Bowlby's malady n very peculiar one.
In discussing it he said; Mrs. Bowlby
told me that her husband talked con-
siderably of the rrlme. which he had
attempted TO ferret. ! hoped TO keep
that off his mind. as suspected il was
the cause OF the melancholia. Once
when l was with Bowlby he talked
freely. I know who killed them; l
know how 1t was done he would say.
Il succeeded in quoting him. Fits of
melafcholia such as he had are pecul-
lar. 1t appeared to weaken him and
make him almost insane.
There is no question in my mind but
that brooding over the case brought on
spell OF insanity during which he
shot himself
The bullet c,'arhe5 thru The skull In
to the brui... iioN..by was unconscious
and remained IN the comatose state
until he died about o'clock
Bowlby's home presented a pitiful
sight last evening. 1t plainly showed
the straitened circumstances of the
family. The wife and mother was sit
ting near small cooking stove in the
kitchen with her babe. an infant
scarcely six weeks old, on her lap. and
six other children. the Oldest. girl OF
Is, clustered about her. Heart broken
Mrs. Bowlby struggled to hide her sor-
row. She sung softly to the children.
None of the children appeared to real
lie what had happened.
When a friend asked for particulars
OF the tragedy, the woman gave her
babe to one OF the children and
stepped outside, where she gave vent
to her sorrow. Tears and sobs pre-
vented her telling more than AZ few
particulars. Before she entered the
house again she succeeded in calming
herself.
The Peterson Murder.
The murder of Thomas Peterson. ag-
ed is, and his sister, Lena Peterson.
aged 1c, occurred Sunday night, April
Is, 1902. The children had been at the
Methodist church in Highland Park
that evening and had started to their
home, which was on the poor farm
road at about the point where 1t and
the first road north OF Highland Park
College intersect. The children went
north of the college To this road. run
ming east and west. and started west.
They were murdered about a quarter OF
a mile from the poor farm road. Their
screams were heard. Their bodies were
found hy couple out driving. They
had been killed by blows on the head
with some blunt instrument. The
crime created great excitement In the
city. Several persons We're arrested on
suspicion. but We're released. An Incl
den, of the time was the dispersion of
a mob about the city hall by Mayor
Brenton. Work by detectives revealed
nothing.
The Peterson case was not the only
Des Moines mystery in which Bowaby
worked as detective. Mr.. Mathis
saws that Bowlby has worked more or
less on the Mabel Schofieid ease. He
found fascination In such