The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-09-24
FOR WAKE COURT
A HEAVY DOCKET
Three Murder Cases to
Be Tried
THE ROWLAND CASE
Set for the Second Monday by court
Which Begins Tomorrow with
Judge b. r. Long Presiding,
and One Hundred and
n Cases to be
Tried.

otNtlitttn SaStS ~ NC
with a heavy docket, loaded down
with important cases Wake county
Superior court begins a two weeks
term on Monday, with Judge B. F.
Long presiding. The cases on the
docket number III and a list of them
shows that they run a gamut Of crime
that is appalling.
Here is what there is to be con-
sirede: three murder cases, one Sc
cret assault, one SANDER, one conceal
ing birth, one m~anslaughter, two per-
Jury, one gambling, six forcible tres
pass, five concealed weapons, twenty
eight assaults with deadly weapon,
two removing crop. one breaking pris-
on, one violating 0 law, two fornl-
cation and adultery, one nuisance, one
d~isposing of mortgaged property, one
/ disorderly house, three cruelty TO AMI
mails. three p two false pre-
tense. one malicious injury to crops,
fifteen misdemeanor, two
ment, sixteen larceny, one violating
CITY ordinance, one failure to list, one
, afray, one malicious injury to real
! property, one resisting an ofhce, TWO
assauIts, one removing wood, one as
! sault and battery, four houses of Ill
) fame, one failure to place automatic
gates.
The Rowland Case.
The case of the greatest interest to
the public is that in which DR.. D.. ;.
! Rowland and his bride, Mrs. Lille NJ.
Rowland. stand charged with the muir
der of Engineer Charles r. Strange,
the late husband of the present Mrs.
Rowland. 1t will be heard beginning
Monday. the second week of court,
and 1t is one in which the evidence the
State has heretofore set out, endeav-
ors to show illegal love, an untrue
wife, a designing physician, a befooled
husband, buying of poison, death or
the husband, a flight to Norfolk, a
hastv wedding, arrest of bride and
groom. a guilty secret which brought
death and which deserves death.
The case has been a hard fought
one from the first, when DR.. Rowland,
fresh from acquittal on the charge OF
murder by poison of MS own son, was
arrested in the court room in Hen
derson and brought to Wake Jail
charged with murder by poison OF
Engineer Charles r. Strange. The cor
oner's jury, with no direct testimony
that Strange had died from poison, de-
cided that both Rowland and Mrs.
Rowland must go to Jail without bail
to stand trial for the murder of
Strange. Then came the fight for
bail under habeas corpus proceedings
which failed, after there had been a
postponement of the case by the State
in the Superior court.
The case is a cause celebre in the
State and the nation. Based upon the
sudden death of Engineer Charles r.
there preceded and followed circum-
stances that caused the Brotherhood
Of Locomotive engineers to take &C
ton and DR.. Rowland was arrested.
Strange had died suddenly while DR..
Rowland, just called in, was with him,
and there were whispers that some
thing was crooked. Rowland and the
widow Strange went to Norfolk to-
gether and within a few weeks after
Strange's death and were there mar
ried, while testimony showed that
while Strange was yet alive the couple
had been together frequently, intimacy
being suggested, while these denied
the knowledge of knowing each other
previous to the day of Strange's death.
Finally, after the arrest of the Row.
lands and the verdict that
they caused S~trange's death, came
the testimony that DR.. Rowland, a
day or so before Strange's death had
bought aconitine, a deadly poison. and
: that In attending Strange he had
used a hypodermic needle. DIR. ROW.
lands witnesses on the stand and by
deposition testified that Strange had
heart disease and that this evidently
caused his death, while Strangers peo-
pie deny that he had any heart trou-
BILE. Rumor has it that new and
startling evidence will be produced
at the trial next week.
The Rowlands will be in court on
Monday, for at this time it is expected
there will be a call for a special
a hard matter to get a jury for the
case has been n much discussed, but
on the following Monday the start in
selecting a jury will be made.
Other Murder Cases.
Another murder case to be heard
and which is set for next Friday is
that of Everett Spence, a young
white ma charged with having muir
dered a negro in East Raleigh last fall.
Spence was in Jail until a few days
q. when he was released under a
$500 bond. The bond originally
named was $4,000, but it has been re-
duced.
Spence. in company with several
other men, was passing through East
ttalelSh IN a wagon, and it is said that
a negro threw a rock at them, where
upon a shot rang out and the negro
dropped, expiring In a few minutes
Soon afterwards Spence was arrested
and lodged in Jail, where he remain
ed until a few days since.
h case of Elvira Powell, the old
negro woman who was charged with
having murdered the child of Rosa
Johnson, is set for trial Monday. but
II 1t is true as reported that she is
violently insane there is but little pro-
bality Of her ever being tried upon
any charge. Allie Arnold, said to be
the father of the child, is in Jail and
viii be tried for accessory before the
fact to the murder of the child, while
Rosa Johnson, the young mn is
to be tried for c~oncealing birth. this
charge having lately been docketed
against her
The Railroad Deaths Cases.
There is also to be tried the men
charged with the cause of the South
ern Railway wreck near Auburn in
which three i've were lost. The case
IS set for Thursday n in it Engineer
w. w. Rippey and Conductor c. M.
Oakley. of the passenger train which
caused the wreck; Victor Parvin, train
dispatcher of the Durham division,
and ID. b. ketchman. chief dispatcher,