Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-04-15
The Man Who
Murdered Himself.


One morning man stepped into the
Office of the chief of police of Wendi-
gate and said:
"A murder has been committed about
a mile from this town. saw the mar
derer rifle the body aud come in this
direction. followed him and saw
him 60 into restaurant"
An officer was sent to where the muir
der had been committed to bring in
the body. Another went with the IN
former to the restaurant, where the
murderer was found and arrested. He
was taken 10 the police office, and the
dead man soon arrived at the same
place. An examination showed that
the man had been killed by blow
from some iron or wooden substance.
In The pockets was no money. but a
pOcketboOk containing cards on which
were printed the name Russell Rowe.
The prisoner was searched, but no val
tables or papers were found on him.
He was n well dressed man Of respect
able appearance. The murdered man
was quite the reverse. His clothes
were shabby, and the body gave evil
dence that he drank
When the prisoner was asked for his
name, he gave it as Russell Rowe. the
name on the cards in the dead mans
pockets. The chief of police looked at
him scrutiniZinglyS wondering what
this statement would have to do with
his line of defense. Then he asked
the man for his story. 1t was this:
He had been walking along the road
when he was overtaken by a man, who
asked him for money. He was uncer-
tain of the mans intentions and hoped
to get off by giving him something
He took out his pocketbook, and the
man caught sight of large roll Of
bills.
After that the prisoner remembered
nothing till he came to himself some
time later. He was lying in the road,
with a terrible pain in the back of his
head. Feeling in his pockets, he found
his money gone. With difficulty he
arose and tottered on. He had gone
but short distance when he came
upon a dead body, which he recognized
at once as that Of the man who had
robbed him. He searched the clothes
for his money, but, not finding it, went
on to the town, where he could get a
stimulant to brace him up. He was
arrested while drinking a glass of
whisky.
That" said the chief, lis one Of the
most ingenious yarns have ever
heard from a criminal but when you
made it up you forgot one important
part--the money he took from YOU"
The prisoner stuck to his story, and
the indictment against him read that
Russell Rowe'was indicted for killing
an unknown man, supposed to have
been Russell Rowe. In other words
he was indicted for killing himself. He
brought witnesses from a distant city
| where he belonged, to identify him
! but the prosecuting attorney badgereC
them so with questions as to whether
they were perfectly certain and how
| they knew they were certain anC
whether they might not possibly be
mistaken that they broke down anC
couldn't swear positively that the mar
was Russell Rowe. whom some OF
them had known for years.
The attorney for the defense got VI
a theory to account for the disappear
ance of the money, but there was moth
ing probable in it. Even if the disap
pearance were satisfactorily explained
there were the visiting cards to estab
lish the identity of the real Russell
Rowe. The attorneys explanation fel
fat, being unsupported by the ieas
evidence.
The prosecuting attorney lin sum
ming up explained the nature of cir
cumstantial evidence to the jury-wha
would be weak, what strong, evidence
He reviewed the evidence against tn
prisoner. He had been discovered RI
fling the pockets. If he had foun'
anything, 1t had been easy to get rid o
1t before his arrest. This proof h
contrasted with the prisoners improt
able story. Thus he made it clear t
the jury, and the judge charged ther
in accordance with the evidences
They were but half an hour bringin
in a verdict of guilty.
Notwithstanding the plainness Of tn
case there were some who felt tina
mistake was being made. The pris
oners lawyer was in an agony at tn
result. He fought the case with d.
lays, but they were Of no avail. Nott
ing but new evidence could save tn
prisoner, and new evidence was nc
forthcoming. The prisoner was finall
hanged, protesting his innocence G
the crime and declaring that he wa
the man who had been murdered.
The Russell Rowe case. which ha
attracted much attention, had come
be a thing of the past and was graz
ually being forgotten except by Rowe
attorney and the chaplain who attent
ed him In his last moments, who coul
never forget it Years after the trai
edy a man named Hardy was convic
ed of murder and robbery. Immed
ately before his execution he made
confession of another murder of whic