Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-02-25
ANSWERS CRITICISMS
TELLS CONDITIONS SURROUNDING
FINDING OF ROWELL'S BODY.
AND WHY THERE WAS DELAY
IN NOTIFYING SHERIFF.

Having read varying accounts of the
Rowcll murder and robbery. and heard
some criticism Of the sheriff, depart
ment and of myself. | write this To put
things corrcctl, before those who seem
Interested.
Last "Wednesday evening after five
O'Clock being then sixteen miles from
Sebastian. ! learned that "A man had
been killed ~ Sebastian aud ] was want
cd tn, re-. ! reached there al SundowE
and found Eowclls store unlocked IN the
rear. but the front was locked. House
adjoining was moi locked. Safe door
stood open and a few papers on the
floor and safe empty. Money drawcr all
right with about -four collars IN IL. |
closed the place and LEFT a man in charge
for the night. ~ il was getting too dark
TO see anything.
Thursday morning ! wasl again on
the ground with II deputy sheriff. who
was lucky enough 10 run across and ny
son. L.. w. Mead. and they together with
others "a the number of about twenty
five or thirty started a search around
the town through the brush for EowcllS
body. while | examined the premises.
The place was not unlike il would have
been il Howcll had just walked out. *
ccpt for the safe being open and empty.
and a very small spot Of blood Of the
counter above the safe and a smear of
blood If the rear door knob. and a pair
Of kakhis living on the floor near where
a pile Of them were kept
There was no sign ~ a struggle nor
any blood on the floor Ills pistol ] found
in n drawer. and his Sho; gun. rifle and
a icai light were in the hnpSe appar
emily where they belonged. and The bed
looked about as a bed generally does IN
a bachelors apartments.
At about eleven O'Clock the body vas
discovered 4 little more than a quarter
of n mile southeast Of the store and on
the opposite side uf the railroad track.
living on iiS left side with Il pool If blood
under the head from 4 shot in ia" right
ear. and the left side of the face was vcrN
badly swollen and left eve closed bN
swelling from u blow on the left sid Of
the top of The head. which had been from
IA blunt instrument that had cut 10 the
bone 4 cash about " and one hall
inches long hut which had apparently
not blcd very freely. The neck ana M,
per chest seemed conecStcd with blood
as though he had been chokcd. The throat
was not cut as has been reported. but the
cut was made hv ne Just below the ear
ON the left side "a Get the bullet that had
been fired in NJ the right ear and lay ~
little beneath the skin where ] made
the cut. which was net more than three
quarters Of IN inch long. and wa> wit
messed 10y man, people. One shot had also
been fired into the body az the waist
back of the right hip
The bod, was taken a. the house. and
that afternoon was prepared for burial
by Undertaken IcaSe from san Icnito.
aud buried at the I.,ford cemetery. Rev.
Mr.. Phipps in Attendance.
These last arrangements were made
by me. ~ the only relative of whom ]
can learn il Il brother. W II. l;owcll al
Delhi. Illinois.
Now for the criticisms:
The reason I did not "impancl = cor
oncr's jury" j. because the laws of Texas
do not provide for one. hut doe say that
'-all inquc>ts shall br held hN the justice
of the peace without 4 jury less. AIS"
that should the justice deem proper the
inquest may u ehcld ia private" 1860
The reason ! did nut notify the sheriff
was because | had one of hi> dcputic.
with me. and We were too hus, ~ 20 a.
another station Ia telephone nr wire
him. aud there T. neither III sebastian
and We knew We were ahlr a. dn AL
that could bc donc and did not want any
assistance until We had the ease ready
for arrests. at lcn,t for one dan.
Sheriff RYAN was on the ground FRI.
dav morning a. 80. What could IT, done.
aud returned 10 HarIiugcn aud sent M
tl... ,,nv.. fiji a. H.. Va,a s4t t.4t. An
make some earnest hut prevailed nn
them ia take oul, one man. Who had "rah.
bit blood" ON his o,,rall> and Hole,
said looked good G" him
On Saturday morning sent Deputy
VI. \. Saldana with warrant, fnr six
more men. and h. with Mr.. Wood ~ -.
bastian. who ! bad asked a. assist him
i'm the event of the other deputies not
having vet arrived aud llllrN Hnd Lon
gnria aud m of seer from i%lnrlingcn
gathered Ia the six men and went south
The Two men let Get awa,' hcr iu>r
| did not have them arrested The first
dav cn arcnrni ~ their h,irr rNmn.i
not fr from the store fimi. hrd thr'r
work Ia Sebastian and navel ctmr ~
Relies place and are clearing fnr him
two miles from town
Two men from the section gang at -
haStian. one from = clearing gan west
~ Sebastian. and seven from Connie >t1
ton went north on the earl, morning
train after the murder.
The ,hcriff IT Matagoria county has
their description aud a few other facts
from me. aud H. undoubtedly working
on the case.
One ~ the section men did not get his
time from the foreman. Mr.. Holland. he.