Evening journal., 1915-05-20
WOMAN Stays MAN
At HOME OF WIDOW

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
CHESTER. Pa. May 2O.-Mrs
Katharine Stringfellow, forty years
old. 6O3 West Third street, Chester
Pa. shot and killed James Bowen. for
whom she worked as a housekeeper,
as he was leaving the house of an
other Woman at Chester last night
The shooting occurred about IL
o'clock on the porch of the home Of
Mrs. Charles Rostran, a widow. at
6l5 West Third street. She fred
twice at the man. who ther grappled
with her Then she sent a third bull
let through his heart. Bowen died in
stant'y.
Mrs. Stringfeilow threw the revolver
on the porch near the body, wandered
through the streets and along the
river banks contemplating suicide for
five hours while 500 persons, includ-
/ ing the police. were searching for her.
and then surrendered.
Mrs. Stringfelow did not know un-
/ I'll this morning that she had killed
! Bowen. She then admitted to the po-
| lice, they say. that she was jealous Of
him. He had made her crazy for
/ two years she explained, and then
threw her over for another woman.
She merely wanted to wound him to
get square with him." she concluded.
She was given a preliminary hearing
today before Mayor Ward. and COM
mitted TO await the action of the
coroner
Mrs. Stringfellow's husband is in
the NorristOwn Insane Asylum. She
has two grown daughters and had been
employed by Bowen for two years
since the death of his wife. Bowen
is also forty years of age and has
four children. three sons and daugh-
ter. Three of these live with him
at his home, 7l9 +. Seventh street. in
Chester.
Bowen was formerly employed I'm
the Tindel Morris steel plant at Eddy
stone, but for the last few months he
has been driving a motor car he own
cd as a jitney through Chester. Just
before that and after leaving the steel
works, he was employed as a machin-
ist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Jealous of "AnOther Woman
Mrs. Stringfellow told the police
that she had been virtually dismissed
by Bowen, who told her that he was
going 10 break up housekeeping and
move with his family TO Canada He
had left Chester when he worked at
the navy yard and on his return Mrs.
Stringfellow heard rumors. she told
the police, that he was attentive to
another. woman.
Tho police say that Mrs. Rostran
was not "the woman" in question but
a friend Of both Mrs. Stringfellow s
and Bowen's. She lived a few doors
away from Mrs. Stringfellow and the
latter saw Bowen stop in front Of
her house in his motor car last night,
! just TO pay a friendly call, according
To the police.
Events leading up to the murder
so far as Bowen and Mrs. String
fellow arc concerned are being pieced
/ together slowly by the police. Few
persons. if indeed any one. knew
that Mrs. Stringfellow was infatuated
with Bowen and Mrs. Stringfellow
herself declines to speak freely Of
their friendship.
The police learned. however. that
Mrs. StringfellOw had tried to find
Bowen for several weeks. She knew
that he was running a jitney, but she
never happened to meet him. Toward
s o'clock last night Mrs. Stringfellow
went TO Bowen's house and asked his
children if he was home. The chill
dren knew, the police said. that tLcre
had been trouble between Mrs. String
fellow and their father, and they went
out to look for a policeman. BY the
time they found one Mrs. Stringfollow
had disappeared
Lay in Wait for Bowen.
She went home the police say, and
got the revolver that belonged to her
husband. She loaded il with six cart
ridges, and was leaving the house
when she saw Bowen enter Mrs Ros-
trans home. She hid in a dark spot
OF the yard and waited until a few
minutes before II o'clock when Bowen
came out and was shot after a strug-
gle.