Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-07-13
Mother and Son viii Not Suffer
for Killing Traducer Of Daugh
Ter and Sister.
"uNWR'TIEN LAW" WAS THE PLEA
Congressman Mudd for the Defense
Makes strong Speech for Als
c'ienta-state'n Attorney Did Not
Ask for a Murder Verdict But for
Manslaughtcr.
(ny Aasoclated prean. ]

la PLATA. MD, July l2.--It took
the jury In the Bowie murder trial
today but i've minutes To decide that.
In Southern Maryland at least. tho
mnwrttcn law. 10 the law to which
the scducer must hold himaclf AN
swcrablc. ana while there wan no
marked demonstration when the vor-
dict became known, there was sum.
cient evidence that the verdict OF the
jury was the verdict of the people
OF this section of the country.
Both jury and people acquii Mrs.
Mary II l1owic and her son. Henry
of MI blame for their acknowledged
staying last January. of Hubert posey,
the scdnccr of their daughter and
sister Priscilla Bowie. who with her
child. has made pathetic picture I'm
lilo court room. That there was no
demonstration was doubtless due to
tho fact that the verdict of the jury
was announced To tho judges while
they were ut dinner during recess
just prior To which the jury hnd been
sent In the court room to consider
their decision.
State Attorney Winners requesi -
| the jury that they hiring In verdict
, of manalaughtcr made Inst evening"
was more noteworthy than the frank
ncs with which Congressman Sidney
u, Mudd, Of counsel for the defense
appealed To the "unwrtten law in
behalf Of his clients Throughout
his address, which evidently voiced
the sentiments OF most of his hearers.
Mrs. Bowie and her son sat IN stolid
composurc, while Priscilla Bowie,
wcpt continuously.
Mudd Made Strong Plea.
Gentlemen" said Congressman
Mndd, we shall CHIN that these de-
PENDANTS were justified by what the
newspapers have called the unw,lt-
ten law" He then cited many cases
in which the avengers Of wrongnh
daughters, sisters and wives have
hccn acquitted, and continued: "Nev-
or since the formation OF this govern
mont has there been tried before n
jury of American citizens single
case of murder following wanton Sc
dnction In which the verdict has been
other than instant acquittal."
lie argued for the supremacy of
the law indelibly written on the quick
beating human heart over the cold
| type of the statute book and said.
THE family IN this land of ours is
| the nucleus and the nursery OF the
commonwealth. The protection OF
the sancity of the family ties, tho
chastity of women. he development
and maintenance of salu,ary and
exalted respect for the honor of the
mother, the sister and the daughter
become n natural and essential feat
urc Of the law in this land. In near
| ~ every state of this country there
will be found an cxempliiicntion and
recognition OF this fact and nm adop-
ltion of this doctrine.
1T is in this sense that ! conf
IDENTITY claim the protection of what
have called ana claim the 'unwritten
law as an adequate defense for these
defendants"
State Attorney Wilmer argued
against the "unwritten law" but
urged the jury Ia give the defendants
| the benefit Of every possible doubt
and repeated that he did not ask for
n verdict of murder, but for one of
manslaughtcr. The jury, however,
evidently took Mr. Mudd's view of the
case and when they fled into court
| It was to declare that the killing OF
| lIucbrt poscy. was justified.