The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-04-18
The Man Who
Murdered Himself.

derer ride the body and come In this
direction. ] followed him and saw
him so into restaurant.
An officer was sent to where the mur-
der had been committed TO bring IN
the body. Another went with the III.
former to the restaurant. where the
murderer was found and arrested. He
was taken TO the police Office. and the
dead man soon arrived at the same
place. An examination showed that
the man had been killed by a blow
from some iron or wooden substance.
In the pockets was no money, but u
pocketbook containing cards ON which
were printed the name Russell Rowe.
The prisoner was searched, but no val.
uables or papers were found ON him.
He was a well dressed man OF respect
able appearance. The murdered man
was quite the reverse. His clothes
were shabby, and the body gave eyi.
dence that lie drank.
When the prisoner was asked for bis
name, he gave 1t as Russell Rowe. tlle
name on the cards in the dead mans
pockets. The chief OF police looked al
him scrutinlzingly, wondering what
this statement would have to do with
his line OF defense. Then he asked
the man for his story Ii 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 ont his pocketbook, and tile
man caught sight OF large roll Of
bills-
After that the prisoner remembered
nothing till he came TO himself some
time later,s He was lying in the road.
with 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 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
stimulant 10 brace him up. He was
arrested while drinking glass Of
whisky.
THAT" said the chief, lis one Of the
most ingenious yarns 1 have ever
heard from 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 distant city.
where he belonged, to identify him.
but the prosecuting attorney badgered
them so with questions as to whether
they wefe perfectly certain and how
they knew they were certain and
whether they might not possibly be
mistaken that they broke down and
couldn't swear positively that the man
was Russell Rowe, whom some Of
them had known for years.
The attorney for the defense got up
theory to account for the disappear
ance of the money, but there was moth
ing probable in it. Even il the dlsap-
pearance were satisfactorily explained
there were the visiting cards to estab-
lish the identity of the real Russell
Rowe. The attorneys explanation fell
nat, being unsupported by the least
evidence.
The prosecuting attorney IN sum,
ming up explained the nature OF cir
cumstantial evidence to the lury-what
would be Weak, what strong, evidence.
He reviewed the evidence against the
prisoner. He had been discovered ri
fling the. pockets. If he had found
anything. 1t had been easy to get rid OF
1t before his arrest This proof he
contrastetl with the prisoners improb.
able story. Thus he made 1t clear 10
the jury mud the judge charged them
in accordance with the evidence
They We're but half an hour bringing
in veriictNof guilty.
%NcNSN AAAAStAAtNitiFs -luG Illulh9lGsS Vi llit
case there were some who felt that
a mistake was being made. The pris
oncr's lawyer WIS In an agony ut the
result. lie fought the case with de.
lays, hut they were Of no avail Moth
Ing but new evidence could save the
prisoner, and new evidence was nof
forthcoming. The prisoner was finally
hanged. protesting his innocence Of
the crime ANA declaring that lie was
the man who had been murdered.
The Russell Rowe case. which had
attracted much attention. lad come 10
be 2 thing Of the past ana was grad
nallF being forgotten except By Rowe's
attorney ana tie chaplain who attend
cd him in his last moments, who could
never forget IL Years after the trag.
edy 4 mnn naale,l Hardy was convict
ea o. murder and robbery. 1mmcdi
ateir before his execution he made a
confession of another murder OF which
he had never been suspected. He and
nan named james SHILLING had been
companions In crime Oue ,lny thev