The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-05-05
that the sufferer derived a painful
pleasure from his act.

pleasure from his act.
Cowl's first physical breakdown is
attributed to his ambition to emulate
his grandfather and become "mer-
chant prince" To further this am
bition he went to night school and
made special study of such subjects
as efficiency and economy.
DR.. Coggswell asserts that at worst
Miss Wheeler only rendered some
slight assistance to Cowl in pulling
the trigger.
"Miss Wheeler" he said, "did not
have the physical strength to pull
that trigger by means of the ribbon.
She tried once and failed as she her
self said. Now it is my opinion that
Cowl was quick to realize this and
simultaneously when she gave the
second jerk he pressed the trigger.
That would make it technically what
in any event it is, case of suicide.
DR.. Cogswell took out of his desk
the revolver 1t is a regulation .3S
calibre blue steel Colt. Only one Of
the six chambers had been loaded,
and that still had the exploded she'll,
Tied to the trigger was one end OF a
length Of pale blue ribbon something
less than {. quarter Of an inch vide.
The ribbon measured perhaps three
and a half feet, and the loose end for
six or seven inches was red with
young Cows blood.
With Dr.. Coggswell holding the re-
yolver in the position It is assumed
that Cowl held it the correspondent
jerked the ribbon sharply, but failed
to pull the trigger. A sharper jerk
succeeded. With the revolver fully
cooked it was found almost lmpos-
sible to pull the trigger by jerking
the ribbon, and the test proved that
in any case it required considerable
physical strength to do so.
eve have been unable to learn,
said DR.. Coggswell, "the exact posi-
ton of the pistol. Miss Wheeler
never saw it until after the shot had
been fred. It may readily be that
when she turned her head he moved
the weapon from his coat and point
ed it at his temple"
Mrs. Wheeler, mother Of the girl,
said to correspondent: There is
nothing we desire 70 conceal. The
poor boy was suffering from ner-
vous breakdown and was irresponsl-
Bile. We have a great grief on our
hands, and my daughter is complete
" prostrated. She believes that she
was his executioner. I don't know
where the revolver came from, but it
did not come from this house. He
must have brought it with him. l
want it understood that their engage
ment had not been broken and they
expected to be married"
81 can state positively that my
daughter had not broken her engage
ment with Mr.. Cowl,' said Mr..
Wheeler.
The fact that there was tempor-
ary severing of the engagement was
it was learned, solely due to .Mr.
Cows breakdown in December or
January. There never was any quar-
rel or estrangement after the young
man had declared in a fit OF despon-
dency that they could never wed and
she had returned the engagement
ring she had worn. He followed her
to Bermuda where she had gone TO
visit her married sister, and there
protested his love so ardently. that
the two quickly renewed the engage
ment.
Miss Wheeler is descendant OF
one of the oldest and wealthiest fam
lilies in Connecticut. She is an en-
thusiastic tennis and golf player and
a splendid yachtswoman. She TOOK
an active interest in the work OF her
church and taught class in the Sun
day school.