The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-09-15

New Yorll-The little town of New
Rochelle has developed another claim
for distinction other than being the
setting for George NJ. Cohan's Forty.
five Minutes From Broadway" IN that
It contains weird ana curious collec-
ton entitled by It's owner "The Mu-
scum of Death" In one of the most
palatial Of the old colonial mansions
Of the town Is housed this strange as
sortment Of curios, all of which IN
some manner, directly or indirectly.
have caused the death Of a human be.
Ing. They represent the life work of
j. Edward Cowles, retired and
wealthy man, and form what is per.
haps the most grewsome hobby that
any man ever allowed his fancy to
indulge in.
But apart from the history attached
to them in the tragedies wher, they
have played a deadly part they stand
as a rebuke to the superstltious, which
was really the prime object of Col.
Cowles' hobby and its inception.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of
weapons. each of which has found its
way into the vitals of a human being
in some corner of the world, and there
are other articles in the collection
which of themselves are harmless
enough but which have been used TO
facilitate the murderer to accomplish
his purpose.
The collection is in little attic
room at the top oc Col. Cowles' home
in Trinity avenue. adjoining the resi-.
dence of Frederic Remington, the
artist, Col. Cowles' hobby covers 25
years of search and study, and the re-
suits number about 10000 different ar
ticles, but beyond the cost of travelling
the collection represents the outlay OF
very little money.
There is hardly a curlo In the whole
collection which could not form a good
plot to either a romance. tragedy or
true tale Of human affairs In fact
there IS a wamon's finger. gold mount
ed and as perfect as it was IN life, in
connection with which Is one of the
strangest mysteries that can possibly
he imagined. The finger is a thing Of
horror to Col. Cowles' friends and is
as uncanny an article as any in tho
collection. Although It has never
been embalmed or treated with any
preseryatiye it has never shown the
slightest hint of decomposition, and.
strangest of all, it always contains a
certain llfelike feeling that sends a
shudder through anybody touching II.
Starts With %oman's Finger.
In leading up TO the time when Col
Cowles first conceived the idea of col
lecting mementos O. murders all over
the world 1t may be mentioned that
superstition Is unknown in the col
lectors household Col. Cowles has a
young snd pretty wife and a little girl
who Is only two years Old With the
exception of the servants, who keep
away from the museum as far as pos.
sible, Col Cowles and his family are
not haunted by the fear that any OF
the grewsome articles may bring them
lll fortune In fact Col. Cowles Is one
of the happlest men on earth, and his
troubles have never risen above the
ordinary
Col Cowles was travelling in India
when he secured the article with
which the collection was started II
was the womans finger. and the man
ner in which he became POSSESSED Of
1t came about very strangely.
He was greatly interested In occult
lore, and studied enough of St 10 gain
himself the title of chelah. on disciple
/ He learned the Hindustani or native
tongue. and became very friendly with
some of the yogi fakirs. During DIS
stay i'm India he saw wonderful things
which he could not account for and OF
which he very seldom speaks
OF die ger however. ne. speaks
/ freely. He was walking along a sandy
road near little town a few miles
| from Calcutta. and IN the heat OF the
afternoon sat down under a tree ia The
shade. He had been sitting there TO,
few moments only when he heard
means coming from the direction of q
small bush a few feet away. Col
Cowles IS certain that there was no
/ body there when he first sat down
but when he approached the spot be
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