The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-29
Arthur Bowen, Convicted of
AtrociOus Crime, Asks
Board for Parole.
DROVE THIRTEEN HOLES
INTO SKULL OF VICTIM
Reading of Dime Novels Led
Two Young Men to At
tempt Murder.

After two wears in the state prison
during which time it is said he has
been a model prisoner, Arthur Bowen
who. with Richard Baker. attempted to
murder Edward Greene. n junk dealer
near the fair grounds in December
1908. has applied 30 the state pardon
board for paroc He is serving a TWEEN
" year sentence The application for
the parole was fled Tuesday with A.
r. Barnes, attorney general, member
of the state board Of pardons, and will
he considered at the next meeting or
the board in April.
The application for pardon recalls one
Of the most cruel crimes ever commit
led in this city and one for which the
reading of ''Diamond Dick novels
w0s the direct cause.
The crime occurred soon after the
murder on Second South street of Po-
lice Olliccr Ford by ".Ioc' Sullivan.
who is now serving n life sentence IN
the pcnitrutiarv Bowen and Baker,
who lived in The western part Of the
city. had been reading dime novels,
and they conceived the idea of com
mitting robbery and numbering the
victim, covering up their crime and cs.
Gaping in II daring manner. Bowen
was y wears Of age and Baker consid-
crably Younger.
Two Victims Marked,
Early in December they went TO Ed
ri Grecuc. q Junk man. and told him
;hrr bad Il large amount of copper
wire sccrotcd in the brush in Oakley
addition. northwest of the city. Greene
said he was willing TO buy the wire
apd. hitching up his horse. he got IA
- sol bn
Bowen and Baker riding III the rear of
tho wagon.
When they reached n point north of
the state fair grounds the two boys
prepared to make their assault, One
Of them carried tack hammer and
the other secured heavy piece of oak
used for towel roller. They decided
to kill both men and rob them
When ail WAS ready, the two boys
jumped up and attacked the Junk deal
crs Greene was struck over the head
with the blunt end of the tack hammer
and the other man with the towel roll
Ter. Grecnc'S partner fell from his scat
TO the ground.
Drives Hammer Into Skull.
Greene was only momentarily stunned.
by the blow and be tried TO fight. I'm
ncdiatcly he was pounced upon and the
tack hammer driven through his skull
thirteen times. He was robbed of $50.
While all this WAS going on the horse
drawing tho wagon had not stopped
and Grccpe's friend. who had fallen
from the wagon, regained consciousness
and fed from the scene. He had too
much of a start to be caught by the
boys.
After completing their work Bowen
and Baker fed, one going home and
the other. going to call upon young
lady in the southern part of the city.
The alarm of the tragedy spread to
the police, and detectives made u bur
ricd examination and arrested both Ba-
ker and Bowen, the former at his home
and Bowen at the home of the girl he
was visiting. Both boys pleaded inno-
cence but later admitted their guilt.
Greene was taken to St. Marks hos
pitul with thirteen holes in his head.
An operation was performed and sew"
eral pieces of his scalp the size of the
end of tack hammer were taken from
his brain. His life was despaircd of,
but he pulled through and is all right
TODAY Surgeons say his recovery was
one of the most remarkable things In
the local history of medicine. He is
pcddlcr OH the streets now.
Bowen Is Repentant.
Bowen and Baker each was sentenced
by Judge George Armstrong TO twenty
wears for the crime, aud the two have
remained in the state prison since.
Bowen. il is said, has fully repented of
his crime and hopes TO get his liberty
on parole. 1t is understood that work
has been obtained for Bowen aud will
be given him if he is released from
Jail Both boys were sentenced Janu-
airy 90, 1909.