Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-03-14
The Man Who
Murdered Himself.
[Original.l

once OF Ile cnlei VI poiee Oh Wtnui-
gate and said.
"a murder mas been committed about
a mile from this town. l saw the muir
derer rifle the body and come in this
direction. | followed him and saw
him 90 into restaurant"
An officer was sent to where the muir
der had been committed to bring In
the body. Another went with the In
murderer was found and arrested He
was taken TO the police office. and the
dead man soon arrived Mt 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
pockctboOk containing cards on which
were printed the nam Russell Rowe.
The prisoner was searched, but no val
tables 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 evil
dence that he drank.
When the prisoner was asked for his
name, he gave it ms Russell Rowe, the
name on the cards in the dead mans
pockets. The chief of police looked at
him scrutinZingly, wondering what
this statement would have 10 do with
his line Of defense Then he asked
the man for bis story 1t was this:
He had been walking along the road
when he was overtakcn by man, who
asked him for money. lie was uncer-
tain of the mans intentions and hoped
to get off by giving him something
He took out his poc1etbook, and the
man caught sight of Il 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 terrible pain in the back Of his
head. Feeling in his pockets, he found
his money gone. With difficulty he
arose and tottercd on He had gone
but a 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
stimulant to brace him up. He was
arrested while drinking glass Of
whisky.
That said the chief, lis one of the
10,
heard from criminal, but when you
made 1t up YOU forgot one important
part-tEe 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 a. have
been Russell Rowe. In other words,
he was indicted for killing himsklf. He
brought witnesses from distant city,
where he belonged, to Identity him,
but the prosecuting attorney badGered
them SO with questions as to whether
they We're 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
a theory TO account for the disappear
ance of the money. but there was moth
ing probable in it. Even If the disap-
pearancc were satisfactorily explained
lish the identity of the real Russell
Rowe. The attorneys explanation fell
flat being unsupported by the least
evidence
The prosecuting attorney in sum
ming up explained the nature of cir.
cumstantial evidence TO the Jury-what
would be weak what strong. evidence.
He reviewed the evidence against the
prisoner He had been discovered ri
ding the pockets. If he had found
anything, it had been easy to get rid Of
It before his arrest. This proof ht
contrasted with the prisoners improb-
able story. Thus he made IL clear to
the jury, aud the Judge charged them
In accordance with the evidence
They were hut half an hour bringing
In verdict of guilty.
Notwithstanding the plainuess of the
case there were some who felt that
mistake was being made The priS-
oner's lawyer was in an agony at the
result He fought the case with de
lays but they were of no avail, Moth
inc but new evidence could save the
prisoner AMI now evidence was not
forthcoming The prisoner was finally
hangyd protesting his innocence Of
the crime and declaring that he was
the man who had been murdered.
The Russell Rowe case, which had
attracted much attention, had come 10
be a thing OF the past and was grad
ually being forgotten except 10y Rowe's
attorney and the chaplain who attend
ed him IN his last moments, who could
never forget &c. Years after the trug.
ody u man named Hardy was convict
cl OF murder and robbery. Immedi-
Htc|y before his execution he made a
confession OF another murder of which
he lad never been suspected. He and
q MAN named James SHILLING had been
companions IN crime one day they
saw a man display a large roll Of
Bills Afterwarl he started TO walk
to Nuligatr They followed him.