The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-03

ward was offered. the police melted to
do their best; and it was believed that
the criminals would soon be captured.
Fowler heard everybody talking about
the affair, but had little to say about
it himself.
The crime of the highway was
week old when a strange freak seized
the American. He decided to go back
over his road and visit the hut in
which the plumber was concealed. The
men had located 1t so closely that he
knew he could find it. He wanted 20
see If the plumber was really there
It was the most extraordinarily foolish
thing he could have thought of, but he
yielded to the impulse. In. returning
he took the traiEHinstead of making the
journey on foot. and leaving it about
SIX milest fr5Ea sfEe hut he cut across
the country. He found the hut. but
when within ten feet OF It was ar
rested BY a gendarme- Three hours
later he was in prison charged with the
crime. Then several other things hap
pened to him When he attempted to
prove an alibi by the landlord at whose
inn he lay that night the man kicked
It all over out of revenge. When he
said the money was concealed in the
hut he was charged with an intention
to secure it for his own use. Having
overheard the talk of the murderers
1t was his duty to have informed the
police at once. In not doing so, he was
made accessory after the fact From
soon arrested. They combined to swear
the crime on to Fowler.
] Here was a pretty kettle of fish and
I 1t was soon 4 case Tor the American
minister Fowler was fncarcerated in
a dungeon and treated as murderer
Could the populace have got hold OF
| him he would have been torn limb
from limb. He was the son Of a poor
man, and the American minister did
not really wake up to the case until
there was danger of conviction. The
three guilty men were convicted and
hung while Fowler lay in prison, but
with their dying breath they stuck to 1t
that he was guilty. They even declared
that he put up the job. While this was
not credited, the people demanded that
the American be garroted as accessory.
FoWler's career was traced back for
years Every hour he had spent IN
Spain had to be accounted for. He was
brought up for examination thirteen
different times. Over one hundred peo-
pie ostly OF the peasant class-were
admitted to see II they could identify
him. AS a matter Of fact he had not
passed within five miles of the scene of
the murder at any time, but at least
fifty people sWore to having met him
on that road. The landlord of the inn
and six of his acquaintances swore to
having seen him leave the inn directly
after supper, and that it was near mid
night when he returned.
The case dragged along for two
years and was then set for trial. "A
witness died and it was postponed.
Again, judge was taken i'll. Once
more something was found wrong in
the indictment. Then the matter was
forgotten. At the end of seven years
something was done, but it was fully
eleven years before the case was finally
tried and Fowler was, discharged from
custody and warned to keep out or
Spain in the future. His curiosity had
brought a terrible punishment He
went 10 Spain an athletic young mar
with q rosy future before him He
came out of prison gray-haired, bent
and hopeless, and did not live a year
after landing on American soil
| Copyright, 1906, by Ruby Douglas.)