The Detroit times., 1908-04-02

rs testify to confession Bowin made
to him In the county jail directly after
-aEraiGaaasnt- the recorders
court. Bowin's story in his instance
was substantially the same. In the es-
sential details as the sweatbox confcs'
sion. The witness declared II was Civ
en- voluntarily.
Following this testimony. court Their
adjourned until Friday morning.
How Confession Was Wormed From
6owin.
How a veteran police Official In the
person OF Chief OF Detectives McDon-
nell. trained by long years OF expert
ence with criminals, struggled for
days to break down the bulwaIk o.
ingenious falsehoods behind which
Percy Bowin. the youthful slayer OF
Mrs. Cornelia Welch. had entrenched
himself was told in the statements
read into the record of the Bowin
trial By Stenographer H. r. Bliss,
Wednesday.
Il was a desperate struggle. this
battle OF wits, and increased in In
terest as IL neared its climax. Game
TO the last, the boy brayely stood his
ground, meeting every onslaught. buff
feting every blow. until. finally driven
into corner, he was forced 10 run
UP the white flag.
To the attentive listener, II seemed
as though the lad might have sue
oeeded had IL not been for one thing,
his Identification by Jeweler Otto
Kersten as a youth who had shown
him a diamond the morning after the
murder and had asked its value. Up
TO that time he had stood his ground
manfully. Not word had been said
about the diamond and the police
knew nothing of the incident; and, in
deed, Ii seemed that, but for this fatal
biunder on the part OF young Dowin.
he might have been victorious ia this
battle OF intellects.
1t was the last stand before the
final engagement. so to speak. when
The achievements came to the aid
Of the police. Bowin was brought
up from his lonely. cell and in his pres
ence. Jeweler Kersten told OF the dia-
mond incident In Sykes, saloon.
You hear what this man says"
queried Capt. Mcdonald You show
cd him diamond In Sykes saloon the
morning after the murder"
yes. I had diamond" admitted
Bowin.
That was the beginning OF the end
Makes Another Admission
The first admission was quickly fol-
lowed by another. that the diamond
had belonged to Mother" Welch.
Others followed in quick succession.
He acknowledged that he had lied
when he said Marie Hall gave him
money on the train while they were
on their way east.
And what OF the other diamond?
Yes. there had been two, he confessed.
and they had been Mother" Welchs
earrings. He had sold them in Buff
falo for S25.
How did he get them? Oh, yes, a
man had given them to him--the man
who killed Mother" Welch for pur-
roses OF robbery had given him the
spnils. and had then kicked him down
stairs. When he came 10 his senses
on the sidewalk he found both dia.
monds In his pockets. The man had
given him but one, SO he must have
slipped the other in his pocket as he
lay unconscious. 1t was a story no
one would believe. The boy stood
alone and helpless with the ruins OF
his fortress at his feet. And still he
would not give up.
You cant get me TO say killed
her, for / didn't he cried defantly
as he was led back to HIS cell.
Now tie question Is whether you
raped Mrs. WEIGH that night on the
nut" said the captain during the ex-
animation.
~On the nut? That Is what is to
be found out" parted Bowin.
You turned up the next morning
with enough money TO buy suit and
overcoat, pay railroad fares, and as
told you before you were the very last
person we know OF who talked TO this
woman. Now the Lord knows about
that, but we don't"
Yes. one thing He knows"
And the maa that committed the
crime"