The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-11
fSnecial to The Messenger

called today at ) clOck' Inc Ai0
took place at the court u before
q hoard of magistrates, composed b1
Messrs Gary Jones and Wathers. Inc
court house was crowded to the ut
termost and the deputies had to make
way for witnesses and parties lnter-
ested in the case. Seldom il ever mas
such interest been manifested in a pre-
liminary hearing in This county. Inc
solicitor being unable to be present,
Mr.. A. c.. Zollicoffer represented the
sta fe, while 'Messrs. Hicks, Holton
and Watson appeared for the defend
ant.
DR.. Rowland came into the court
room smiling and shook hands with
several friends. Not until the war
rant was read did he show any signs
of seriousness or special interest in
the proceedings.
The state first called DR.. K. M. Clark
who was present when David RoWlaAi
died. He stated that he found the
child nauseated and vomiting, pulse
was intermittent and much depressed.
on one occasion he Vomited a pale
gTeenish fluid. DR.. Rowland said he
had given him strychnine and dig
italis at his fathers suggestion; he
gave him a dose of morphine and in
about IS minutes gave him a small
dose of cocaine. The boy died about
ten minutes after this, very quietly
DR.. Rowland prepared both the hy-
podermics and DR.. Clark was unable
to say of w knowledge what they
contained.
The state then introduced DR.. John
Hill Tucker, the county health officer.
who stated that he performed the au-
topsy on little David and carried the
viscera to Prof Withers, Of Raleigh.
Mr.. Jones. agent of the Virginia
Life Insurance Company, then took
the stand He testified that DR.. Row
land took out a policy valued at $3.50
on his sons life the latter part of
March. the policy being dated April
1st, 1907.
Mr.. Jones was followed by Mr.. M.
p. Kidd, manager of the Metropo'i-
tan Life Insurance Company who said
that DR.. Rowland bad a policy with
his company valued at $4G0, which was
the maximum for children of that
age, and that he wanted to secure
$4,000 on his sons life.
Mr.. Walter Finch was introduced
by the state who swore that between
8 and 9 o'clock On Monday morning,
after David's death, which occurred
on Saturday night, DR.. Rowland offer
ed to sell him a house and lot which
belonged to his dead son for $1,000
Prof. w. A. Witchels, professor of
chemistry, at the A. and NJ. College,
was sworn and stated that he received
the child's stomach from DR.. Tucker
and had tested for all known poisons
that we're possible from the sysptoms
and had found no roisons of any
kind.
Mr.. Zollicoffer, attorney for the
prosecution than made a short speech
stating that the circumstances were
such that the matter demanded in
vestigation which were made in JUS
tice. both to DR.. Rowland and his son
through no malice toward the defend
n and requested that DR.. Rowland
be discharged. At this point DR.. Row.
and burst into tears. The court or
dered that the %defendent be discharg-
ed.
It seems to be the unanimous SEN
timent of this community hat they
were glad to know hat there was
not a man of the county mean enough
to commit the crime which had been
suspected and that the matter was
cleared uo beyond any reasonable
doubt.
Raleigh. Tune 7.-Magistrate Chas.
n. Separk, Of Raleigh, this afternoon,
issued the warrant he had prepared
May Goth, charging DR.. D. S. Row.
land with numbering Engineer Chas.
r. Strange, of Raleigh, by poisoning.
The warrant was sen. to Henderson
to the sheriff.
A" sorts of statements are curTeht
as TO the cause of the issuing OF the
warrant today, some saying the coron-
er has a tip from tue cneIuIst' WIZ
is Analysing the stomach of Strange,
had found poison. but of course, this
is mere guess work,
1t was found that the coroner was
notified that Rowland would be releas-
ed on the charge of poisoning his
son.
(Ry Associated Press.)
Raleigh, n. c., June 7.-Dr. D. S.
Rowland, charged with the murder
of his eleven year old son, David A.
Rowland, by poisoning, was discharged
from custody today after a hearing
in Henderson. n. c. DR.. W. A. With
ers who examined the child's viscera
reported that no trace of poison was
discovered.
Immediately after the discharge of