The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-14
Had New Pistol 10 End His
Existence
NO CAUSE IS GIVEN
Deceased Sends a Bullet Crashing
Through His Brain Without Giving
Warming to Anyone-WelI
Known In Birmingham.


Bowman, a well known attorney at law,
fatally shot himself yesterday afternoon
about $3.50 o'clock in the waiting room of
the Union Passenger station No cause
has yet been found why he should have
taken his life, but several times recent
~, it is said. he has stated to friends
that he would commit suicide.
Mr.. Bowman shot himself through the
temple with .SS calibre Smith & Wes-
son revolver. while seated on one of the
row of seats next to the wall in the
southeast corner of the mems waiting
room in the station. The bullet passed
through his head and struck the wood
work just back of where he was sitting.
Blooo flowed freely from the wound.
and the brains of the deceased oozed
through the wound. He was unconscious
from the minute the shot was fired, and
died half an hour later at the Hillman
hospital, where he was carried in the
ambulance of Green & Co. No statement
was left by the deceased and his friends
and relatives cannot imagine why he
should have taken his life.
Just a short while before he commit
ted suicide Mr.. Bowman was talking to
Capt p. SIu Jones. district passenger
agent of the Louisville and Nashville rail-
rot>d and seemed cheerful. 1t appears
however. that previous to his talk with
Captain Jones he had told some friends
that he intended committing suicide, but
they thought he was testing and paid
no attention to his threats,
He walked into the waiting room about
3;15 o'clock and sat in a seat in the cor
ner nearest Twentieth street and the
railroad tracks. He went to sleep in the
seat. Morgan Vandiver, special officer
detailed to watch in the waiting room.
aroused him and told him that he must
not sleep Vandver asked him If he was
waiting for train, and he replied:
Yes, l am going to Savannah on the
Central of Georgia railroad at 4 o clock y
Vandiver then asked him:
Have you secured your ticket?'
Mr. Bowman replied:
mo. | will get 1t in a few minutes"
vandiver had barely turned his back
and walked to the ticket window when
he heard the pistol shot and ran to where
Mr.. Bowman was sitting.
The head of the deceased had fallen over
OF. one side and the pistol had been taken
from his hand by bystander. Policemen
Richardson and Mcdonald took charge
of the wounded man and sent him to the
hospital where he died.
p. G. Bowman was notified at once and
reached the hospital about five or ten
minutes before his brother died Mr.. Bow
man stated last night:
81 know of no cause why my brother
should have taken his life. Until the
first of the month he was employed as
a clerk in my office, and he has lived
with me for twenty years. If there ever
was a man who had no cause to worry
over anything, it was my brother.
II have not Investigated the case at all
yet, and have been so busy making ar
rangements for the funeral that l have
not found out any of the particulars. F"
Noah Jackson, negro porter was the
nearest man to Mr.. Bowman when he
committed suicide The negro was on a
step ladder washing the windows above
Mr.. Bowman's head and when the shot
was fired the negro was so frightened that
he fell from the ladder:
Jackson stated:
THE gentleman did not say a word He
was sitting in the seat and pulled the
pistol from his pocket and shot himself
all in a second. His head dropped over
on one side and the blood flowed freely
from the wound"
Among the others who witnessed the
act were o. B. Sparks Of Woodlawn. s.
H. King travelling man. who lives ar
No. 614 Second avenue. and ]. II. Toner
lin, a special officer They all state that
Mr. Bowman did not say a word, but
shot himself before they knew what he
intended doing.
The pistol which Mr. Bowman used
had never been used before the fatal
shot was fired. 1t was freshly loaded
and only one cartridge was exploded. Po-
iiceman Richardson has the revolver,
which one of the bystanders handed him
after it had been taken from Mr.. Bow
mans hand.
MIR. King and Mr. Sparks had both
nc ticed Mr.. Bowman when he entered the
waiting room. but they paid no particular
attention TO him. as the waiting room
was crowded with people at the time.
From to o'clock in the afternoon the
crowds at the station are larger than
any other time of day, as several trains
leave between those hours
The funeral services will he conducted
from the residence Of p. g.. Bowman.
No. 2907 Avenue II this afternoon a 4
O'Clock and the interment will be In Elm
Leaf cemetery. The pail bearers will be
c. p Beddow. G. R. Harsh William
Vaughan Ed Wilkinson. C. P. Ross and
DR. Charles Whelan.
The deceased was about IS years old