The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-02
STATE WEAVES WEB0FIIURDER
 Z- Trial os1'rank Fowler is
 continued. PERSECUTION NOT READY Little Girl May Swear Father
 Killed Mother Houston County Saw Mil Man h Tn Jail At Dothan Awaiting Hearing Before Jury On
 Grave Charge.
BY WILL T. STEPHAN.

swAASA As oAAA1AShA<s<ss
 Dothan. May 1.-(Special) )-Frank Fowler, a few weeks ago a man of means and envied. by his neighbors. now a prisoner within the menace of the gallows, was carried back to his cell this morning to stay until August, because the State was not ready with the evidence with which it hopes to prove that Fowler killed his wife.
 Judge Pearce before whom the case was to have been tried. granted the continuance. The State and not the defense. made the request
 It is difficult case the State has In hand The evidence against Fowler Is not linked so hard and so strong as the State would like to have 1t. There Is some damning testimony to be brought out against Fowler in the circuit court as there was in the pre- liminary hearing. but there are links missing and there is still more damn Ing evidence aganst the accused man, the public prosecutor firmly believes and says, but 1t is evidence that is beyond the reach of the prosecution. if there really is such evidence.
 The attorneys have skilfully prepar- ed for the playing of this great game. the stake of which is a mans life but the State was not ready to play its hand and the case went over until a special term of the circuit court of Houston County, to begin August 1s.
 Fate Rests With Child.
 The State contended if Leedie Fowler the unhappy child. orphaned by the tragic death of her mother, were to tell truly all she knew, 1t would put a rope about the neck of her father This may or may not be true. but If she knows that which will send her father to the gallows, she is keeping 1t locked in her breast. If Frank Fowler ever comes from under the dark cloud that | is over him. he will owe 1t to his child who has no cause to love her father whether he be innocent or guilty. If Frank Fowler Is innocent, he has been slandered and maligned outrageously and If he Is guilty he Is guilty of as brutal murder as was ever written in the records of an Alabama county Guilty or innocent, his life Is now held in the slender hands of a child who saw her mother weep and suffer at the hands of her father.
 This awful thing has been ter rtble ordeal for a child of ten. She gave testimony in the preliminary hearing and no man who looked upon the slight and pathetic figure on the witness stand where her fathers lire was at stake, will ever forget It. She had but recently passed through a nor rible ordeal No man that looked up on her. but pitied her in his heart oL her slowly and diS- tinctlv but kindly: 'Leedie, did you see vour father kill your mother! Her lips auivered. the great tears roll ad out the childish eyes, the slender form shook and she broke Into pa raxvsm of uncomfortable sobbing. Tn Inc court room nothing could be nearo hui the weeping and soobing or the unfortunate child who hao oeen brought into such grlet ana sor,o"' p. ,,,u half hour she abandoned her selg to her griei. iheh sA'o
 simply, No sir"
 The State prosecutor, with the sym
 athv he felt. heard in his voice. asked: "Did you tell Mrs. Howard that your rother heat your mother to deathF
 ..No sir" replied the child, her face ..,,i wet with her recent flood of tears. If that were perjury, would the record ing angel so charge 1t in his DOCK!
 An Evening of Horror.
 rs avening on which the wife and
 1ther nassed suddenly from life to aaa+h was an evening of horrors to tho child The father had been to Do- than He had been drinking ana ne was dangerous when he was drinkihs' rIo was sullen' and his violent wrath yas smoldering when he came whls- Lev-infIamed to his country home. Ine state charges that he attacked ms "iie' A picture Is drawn Of the unhappy child. weeping and pleading wlth her father to spare her mother IL IS to4u that when the tears or ootn aValieu W not tbe child flew out of the house to n man servant and begged him to come ana save her mother, for her father was heating her to death. But she man. being a servant, feared to inter fere.
 A1onized over her mothers suffer- trgs the child rushed to Mrs. How ards and begged her in the name or nity to come over to the house ana save her mother. Mrs. Howard went "a heln the suffering one of her own sex When Mrs Howard reached the Towler home. Mrs. Fowler was lying an the bed, either in a deep sleep or upconscious Her face was white and ,yet with cold sweat and her breathing
 
 was deep and heavy. She had been cookIne supper for the hands at her husbands saw mill. The bread was naked and the meat was fried on the stove. a big pot of greens was boiling for the mill hands.
 In neIghborly helpfulness, Mrs. How ard mended the fire and put some salt in the greens She then went home to cook supper for her own family. In the horse lot Frank Fowler and Bill Fowler had their pistols out shooting at a target. Beatrice Howard had reached the Fowler home a, few mo ments before her mother She found Mrs Fowler in shed room of the house. She was leaning against the head board of the bed. Her hair was dishevelled and falling over her faco and shoulders. She was weeping bit terly and suffering. Beatrice Howard could get no word from her
 Frank Fowler went to the mill Ind told the hands to get their supper at the store. Ills wife was rot well. he said At o'clock that night he sum moned the neighbors to his home. His wife. he said, had died in the night. She