The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-09
MYSTERY UNSOLVED
IN TWOMBLY SUIT
Ida Bowen, Who Seeks S25, 900
Because Of Letter, Remains
in Hiding.
STRANGER TO HER LAWYER

The mystery surrounding me IDA
Bowen who has brought suit again.,
Mrs. Florence A. v. Twomhly for s25ooh
damages for alleged libel was not light.
ened by the developments OF yesterday.
attorneys for both Mrs. Twomhly and
Miss Bowen protesting complete ignor.
ance as to her history and antecedents
Indeed. Benjamin Davidson. attorney FOR
Miss Bowen, seemed to know less about
his client than any one else He admitted
that he had seen her only once-when she
retained him two months sgo-and that
he knows nothing OF her life. He Is not
even sure that she lives now at the sd-
dress she gave him at that time.
One feature OF the case is the remark.
able dissirnilarity between the handwriting
OF the letter alleged to have been written
by Mrs. Twombly TO Miss Bowen. in which
Miss Bowen IL accused OF stealing a ring,
and the signature OF Mrs. Twombly on
letters In the office OF her attorneys. The
letter is In a high. angular. bold hand,
while Mrs. Twomblys known signature 10
small and rather rounded,
The only persons reached yesterday who
seemed to know anything about Ida
Bowen are two men entirely outside OF the
case. Frank N. Franklin. a lawyer of 800
Broadway, whose wifes name was men
toned In one OF the letters. and an Eng
lishman who knew an Ida Bowen and be-
lieves her to be the plsinttiff in the Twom-
bly, suit.
But even their descriptions. while agree
ing in some important particulars. indi.
Gates that possibly there are two Ida
Bowens. Franklin tells of a well educated
| woman, daughter of q former English
official In China, who speaks Chinese
fiuently, but who apparently labored under
a delusion that she was being prosecuted
by Mrs. Twombly.
The EnRlishman has known Ida Bowen
as a talented woman. OF some artistic at
tanments, but who in the twenty years
he has known her has brought many suits
for fancied wrongs against persons In
New York. He knew her also as tina
daughter of an Englisnman prominent in
official circles In the Orient. where she was
born. Both men agreed that the woman
they knew Ida Bowen was about 50
years old.
Mr.. Franklin said he first met Ida
Bowen fve years ago, when she was a
prisoner in the Tombs charged with grand
larceny by Chnaman He became in
terested In her through "A Mrs. Loughlin.
|
who he was told was the wife OF Il but
Ter In the Twombly household lie
brought about Miss Bowen's release
About a year and a half ago. he says, she
came TO his office and showed him let
ter. ostenslbly written by Mrs. Twombly,
and similar In tone to the one OF which
the present suit is based.
To him the letter seemed to be IN
handwriting similar TO Miss Bowers he
says, and he accused her of having writ
ten It. He told her he would have moth
ing to do with the case. and since then
has received several letters from her
threatening 10 get even with hSn " he did
not take the case. lie said she told him
. that she had been sent to the workhouse
on the complaint of the Twomblys Cor
some offence of which she insisted she
was innocent.
AS TO the workhouse sentence. no trace
of 1t could be found yesterday in the
records of the workhouss or penltenuary
on Blackwelrs Israno. Miss Davis, the
Commissioner, had them searched, and
II an Ida Bowen was sent there II was
under some other name
Against this information volunteered
by Mr.. Franklin and the Englishman
looms the pauclty OF knowledge about
his client displayed by Lawyer Davidson
she came TO me about two days sfier
this letter was written, November ~,
1914" he said yesterday, land ! have
not seen her since. She impressed me
favorably and after she placed The case
in my hands ! wrote to Mrs, Twombly
waited three weeks for a reply ana
then brought action"
Mr.. Davidson admitted that he Is not
sure that the letter Is In Mrs Twomblys
handwriting, and that he had made no
effort to And out II she mad written II.
The letter is apparently written on Mrs
Twombly's own stationery. as her address
6s4 Fifth avenue. IL at the top.
Stetson, Jennings n Russell. ATTORNEYS
for Mrs. Twombly, accepted service for
her and filed a notice of appearance
yesterday In the County Clerks once
, Hail Park Mccullough Of the firm and
II. ]. Doherty. Mrs. Twomblys secretary
, both said that they had not the slightes'
idea who Ida Bowen is, and that MIS-
|, Twombly did not know her. Mr. poherN
said he did not think that Mrs TwomhF
had ever employed butler namN'
Loughlin.
1--WE think the plaintiff in this case .
, OF unsound mind" Mr., Mccullough SAN
, 1--WE have two letters signed by Ida Bower
, and written to Mrs, Twombly In 1917 "
, one OF which the writer says she Was sem
,, to Blackwell's Island In June, 1917 W.
certainly never knew that she was SEM
to Blackwell's Island. When Ms
Twomby got the letters she turned them
over to Mr., Doherty, who kept them ~
the letters OF some crank"
J. MIR Doherty said he did not think Ms
10 | Twombly had ever received re9Ns'
r from Miss Bowens attorney for Sample
!, Of her handwriting N that he oould COM
!. pare II with the letter in his possession