The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-04
WOMAN is HUNTED
Missing Widow Adds Mystery to
California Tragedy.
Long Beach Officials Cannot
Find Mrs. Bowers.
WARD NOT BELIEVED.
Circumstances of Statement
Seem Improbable to Officers.
Evidence Will Be introduced on
Manner of Shooting.
WARD NOT BELIEVED.

Los Angeles, Feb. A tragedy
IN real life, shrouded in mystery, will
be staged in Justice Underwood's court
IN Long Branch when the curtain rises
upon the preliminary hearing of
George Richard Ward, an Englishman,
accused of the murder of John Bow
ers. photographer, formerly of To-
peka, IN whose house he lived. Bowers
was shot on his own doorstep in Long
Beach on the night of January IT. He
mad gone away, ostensibly for several
days, but returned unexpectedly in dis
gulse and was prowling about his
nome when Ward opened the door
and fatally shot him.
Ward. who was a roomer in the
bowers home, claims he shot Bowers
without recognizing him and in the
belief that he was a burglar.
The prosecution, which is being
handled by Deputy District Attorney
Veitch, doubts this explanation and it
Will be the aim of the prosecutor to
prove that Ward deliberately murder
ed Bowers and to prove the motive
Thomas Bowers, the brother of the
photographer, when asked concerning
Mrs. Bowers disappearance made the
following statement:
Since l swore to the complaint
against Ward, Mrs. Bowers and her
brother have been unfriendly toward
me- l left their home because of their
oeeAS0NCs 1ASy OOIn DldIl6u me 1OT
swearing to complaint against Ward,
but l explained that I only wished to
see the strange case cleared, and that
believed Ward, if innocent, would en-
tirely sympathize with my attitude"
Conflicting Statements Given.
Mr.. Veitch and other representatives
of the district attorneys office stated
that Mrs. Bowers had given several
conflicting statements concerning the
shooting and of the events which pre-
ceded the tragedy. This, according to
the officers, was probably caused by
the excitement resulting from her hus-
bands death. 1t was to get a collected
account of the strange death that Mr..
Veitch had been anxious to interrogate
the woman.
In one statement according to Mr.
| Ve1tch, Mrs. Bowers said that she was
awakened by the shot which killed her
| husband. In another she said that she
| did not hear the discharge of Ward &
! revolver and that she was awakened by
| Mr.. Bowers.
is not accepted by the officers, who say
| that it is contradictory. Mr.. Veitch an
nounced that he would call Ward to the
witness stand and would ask him to ex-
plain away the mysteries in the case
Wards Statement Questioned.
The circumstances in Wards state
ment which sound improbable to the Of
| ficers are as follows:
THAT it is unlikely that Ward Oh
any ordinary man would pursue a mar
whom he presumed was a burglar
Ward claims that when he returned
home with Mrs. Bowers on the night
of the tragedy he saw a highwaymar
near the Bowers residence and that he
| i-Ward-gave chase.
2That the moonlight was shining 81
brightly upon the porch of the Bowers
cottage that it would have been impos
sible for Ward not to have recognized
his friend and benefactor. Ward con
tends that he did not recognize Bow
ers.
3-That if Ward mistook Bowers fo
a bandit as he alleged he would no
have shot him after unlocking and OPP
| ening a screen door which opened out
ward. Mr.. Veitch contends that if tht
pistol shot was fired under the belle
that Bowers was a bandit it would hav'
been shot through the screen.
Mr.. Veitch pointed out these so-calle,
unnatural actions in the version Sc
forth by Ward and said that evidenc
would be introduced to show where an
how the photographer was shot.