The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1907-04-12
The Man Who
Murdered Himself.
tOriginal.]

lOrlBlnaI.J
One morning a man stepped Into the
Office of the chief of police Of Wendi-
gate and said:
"A murder has been committed about
mile from this town. saw the MUIR
derer rife the body and come In this
direction. l followed him and saw
him 60 into a restaurant"
An officer was sent to where the muir
der had been committed to bring IN
the body. Another went with the In
former to the restaurant, where the
murderer was found and arrested. He
was taken to the police office, and the
dead man soon arrived ut 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
pocketbook containing cards on which
were printed the name Russell Rowe.
The prisoner was searched, but no vaE
uables or papers were found on him.
He was n we'll dressed man of respect
able appearance. The murdered man
were shabby, and the body gave evil
dence that he drank.
When the prisoner was asked for his
name, he gave 1t as Russell Rowe, the
name on the cards In the dead mans
pockets. The chief Of police looked at
him scrutinizingly, wondering what
this statement would have to do with
his line Of defense. Then he asked
the man for his story. 1t was this:
He had been walking along the road
when he was overtaken by 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 out his pocketbook, and the
man caught sight Of 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
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 q
stimulant to brace him up. He was
arrested while drinking glass Of
whisky.
THAT" said the chief, sis one Of the
most ingenious yarns have evel
heard from a criminal, but when yor
made 1t up you forgot one important
part-the money he took from you"
The prisoner stuck to his story, ant
the Indictment against him read tha
Russell Rowe was indicted for killing
IN unknown man, supposed to hay,
been Russell Rowe. In other words
he was indicted for killing himself HI
brought witnesses from a distant city
where he belonged, to identify him
but the prosecuting attorney badgeret
them so with questions as to whethe
they were perfectly certain and how
they knew they were certain ant
whether they might not possibly b.
mistaken that they broke down ant
couldn't swear positively that the mai
was Russell Rowe, whom some o
them had known for years.
The attorney for the defense got VI
a theory to account for the disappear
ance Of the money, but there was moth
ing probable in 1t. Even If the disar
pearance were satisfactorily explaine
there were the visiting cards to estat
lish the identity of the real Russell
Rowe. The attorneys explanation fel
fiat, being unsupported by the leas
evidence.
The prosecuting attorney In sun
ming up explained the nature Of eli
cumstantial evidence to the jury-whu
would be weak, what strong, evidence
He reviewed the evidence against th
: prisoner. He had been discovered r
fling the pockets. If he had foun
anything, it had been easy to get rid c
1t before his arrest. This proof b
contrasted with the prisoners improl
able story. Thus he made it clear I
the jury, and the judge charged thel
in accordance with the evidenc,
Aucy WeTe uut uuiA I'LL uour DTlnSlu
In verdict Of guilty.
Notwithstanding the plalnness of til
case there were some who felt tn,
a mistake was being made. The pri
n oner's lawyer was in an agony ut tt
result. He fought the case with d,
lays, but they were Of no avail. Notl
ing but new evidence could save til
prisoner, and new evidence was M
forthcoming. The prisoner was final
hanged, protesting his innocence {
the crime and declaring that he VIZ
the man who had been murdered.
The Russell Rowe case which ha
attracted much attention, had come {
be thing of the past and was gra,
ually being forgotten except by Rowe