The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-05-23

! here and lodged in Jail
All sorts of rumOrs have been cir
culated and the daily newspapers
have given publicity to such reports
as came to them, but the real facts
| in the case as near as we can get them
are about as follows:
DR.. Rowland had little son, David
| Austin Rowland, aged about eleven
years, who lived with his uncle, Mr..
j. l.. Rowland, near BObbitt, i'll
| Vance county. At the death OF his
mother when the child was quite
| young Mr.. and Mrs Rowland took
! him and he has since lived with them
being treated as one of their OWN
children. They have q little boy
| about the same age and the two have
grown up together like twin brothers.
| Although providentially separated
from his child DR.. Rowland is said to
| have been devoted to the little boy
AMI was dutiful father He visited
| him on occasions and frequently sent
| HIM things such as Il loving and
thoughtful parent would naturally
be expected to do including wearing
apparel, etc.
On Friday night, May Bird, the
closing exercises of Bobbitt School
we're held. David Austin Rowland
WAS on the program and took Il
prominent part in the exercises. DR..
| Rowland came from Raleigh to at
tend the school closing He brought
some cOnfectiOnerie5, candies, fruits,
! 81, H.; So 10 ,,lillrnn .,nI
OF this all partOOk alike.
Friday night little Austin ate IL
hearty supper after having been eat
ing more or less of the GOOD things"
his father brought him, beforehand.
He went to the school house, appear
ed i'll the parts assigned him and bore
himself well. Next morning he ate
breakfast It's usual and appeared to
be in good health and spirits.
After breakfast as the buggy was
being hitched to take DR.. Rowland to
kittrell to catch the train for Raj
eigh he was sent for to 20 to see an
old lady Mrs. Perdue) who lives close
10y and in plain sight OF Mr.. }. l..
ROwland's. Shortly after DR.. Row
land had gone his little son missed
him and asked where he was. When
informed he asked his aunt ii hecould
not run over there and come back
with his father He was told that he
could and his little cousin asked per-
mission to go with him. They went
together and after staying until DR..
| Rowland was ready to return he and
the two little boys walked back TO
the house.
Shortly after they got back home
Dir. Rowland,s little son sat down in
a chair and complained OF being sick.
His aunt thought he was merely feel
ing badly because his father WAS go
ing to leave and told him she didn't
reckon he was sick much and that he
would soon be all right Being as
sured that he was sick-sicker than
she thought he was-Mrs. Rowland
went to him and noticed that he
seemed to be suffering great pain.
His hands were cold and his eyes full
of tears. A look of agoniziny suffer
ing was on his face Dr. Rowland
was out in the yard at the time. He
was told of his sons illness. He went
: in the house and took the little boy
in his lap, felt of his pulse and exam
) ined his heart. He pronounced him
! seriously sick-in dying condition
in fact-and asked that the bed be
made ready to lay him down Very
soon he began to have commissions,
one after another, and in less than
: an hOur-abOut 40 minutes to be
: more eXact-he was dead
DR.. Gill was phoned for but could
! not be reached. In the mean time a
| messenger was dispatched on horse
| back for DR.. Clark. the nearest ply
: stefan at hand. Dr. Clark arrived
=. about twenty minutes before the chilC
4 died but he was then in a state o
! collapse and nothing could he done
l for him. Ptomaine poison was givel
$ as the cause of death, acute indiges
e ton being brought on by excessiv,
and unusual eating, the things which
were meant to add to his pleasure il
fact contributing to his death.
Now as to some of the reports tina
have been circulated: 1t was sal,
- that the boy was made sick by eat
Z | MS iNO NiCtiiii GU lIC SIhOol IouS
= Friday night. This is not tue. Ic
= cream had no place in the festivitie
q incident to the closing exercises, no
had any ice cream heen served Il
home. And il he had been poisone,
. by eating ice cream it is REASONABLE
Il to suppose that Others would hav
4 been made sick also. Another rumo
4 is that DR.. Rowland took his littl
), son out walking and gave him a
II orange to eat ; that the boy sail
% it had very bitter taste and h
" wished he had not eatened it. Tn
% only walking that Dir. Rowland an
} his son did together that mornin,
:. was the instance above related, an
- Mr.. j. l.. Rowland's little son WA
- with them at the time 1t is not i
= evidence that Austin Rowland sal
n anything about eating an orange o
anything else that made him sick a
the alleged facts in the case came t
n us
4 great deal has been said and put
llshed i'll the papers as to the motiv
that may have induced DR.. ROWAN
IN to desire the death of his son-som
h. accounts saving that he desired t
k obtain title to valuable real estat
s, at Henderson, kittrell and in tn
81 3 county, left by his first wife and whic
5y by her death descended to his son.
n: The editor of this paper was told b
O., Mr.. Hicks who has been legal advise
nd to DR.. Rowland ever since ne becam
ic, OF age, that DR.. Rowland drew
nd share of his fathers estate wort
III about thousand dollars and sol
i'd 1T to Mr.. Henry Finch soon after b,
IA. coming of age, using the money t
ice procure his medical education; tina
he married a daughter of Mr.. Milto
Fuller and soon after bought hous
nd and lot at kittrell for eight hundre
dollars taking the title thereto in tt