Morris tribune., 1917-02-16
An Avoided
Judicial Murder
BY RICHARD MARLEY


mond ring as security for loan. The
broker. after examining the stone, look
ed on the inside of the ring and saw
the initials e. A. B. to ]. S.
what is your name?" asked the
broker
"Julia Amory."
J. s. might mean Jane Severance, a
widow for whose murder Andrew Bow
ers was to be hanged the next day
The pawnbrOker, informed the police,
and the woman was arrested.
Julia AmOry upon examination broke
down and confessed that she had muir
dered Jane Severance. She said that
she had been a seamstress in Mrs. Sew
erance's home, had seen the ring in
box Of silver articles and jewels and
had coveted it. She had gone into Mrs.
Severance's room to possess herself of
the jewels and, being discovered, had
been obliged either to kill the owner
or spend term of years in prison.
The culprit's story was probable
enough, but there was one flaw in it.
Why did she offer the ring for pawn
in the very town where the murder
had been committed and on the day
before the supposed criminal was to
be executed for the murder? Being
questioned as to her motive, she con-
fessed that her main object was to
visit the scene of her crime.
Andrew Bowers was a young man
about twenty-five years Of age. He
had become acquainted with the wild
ow, who was thirty years his senior,
and she made a ward of him. One
day she showed him a box in which
she told him there were articles that
concerned him. In case of her death
he was to possess himself of it. She
kept it on the top of the stone founda-
ton to the house between two jOists
supporting the floor above.
Bowers was seen with Mrs. Sever
ance just before bedtime on the night
of the murder. He claimed to have
left her at II o'clock. She was found
dead the next morning. One of the
prosecutions witnesses at Bowers trial
swore that Mrs. Severance had told
her that she intended to leave all her
point against him. No will was found,
and Bowers, fearing one might turn up
in his favor in the box, kept his knowl-
edge Of it a secret.
AS soon as the authorities were con-
vinced that Julia Amory's confession
was true they released Andrew Bow
ers, but not before they had confront
ed him and her. They took him to the
prison where she was confined and left
him with her for a few minutes, the
detectives keeping within hearing
Nothing was said between the two
at least nothing was 0verheard-and
after he had been permitted to look at
her for a few minutes he withdrew
from her. On rejoining his keepers
he told them that he had never seen
her in Mrs. Severance's home, but that
didn't prove that she had never been
employed there, for he had never lived
at the house, and there were times
when he had not been there for
months.
After his release Bowers went to the
house where Mrs. Severance had lived
and possessed himself Of the box she
had told him contained articles that
concerned him. Hidden under some
old silver tableware he found a will
leaving all her property to him. There
was a second paper. which read as fol-
lows:
''Ten years ago was obliged to send
Susan Dugan, my cook, to the peni-
Tertiary for stealing q valuable brooch
from me. She was very bitter against
me and said to me, When / get out
| I'll fix you / have since lived in the
fear that she would keep her word.
If anything happens to me she will
have caused it."
Shortly after finding this paper Bow
ers appeared in the district attorneys
Office and showed it to him. But be.
fore telling where he got it he asked
the attorney to telephone the peniten.
tiary for information concerning Susan
Dugan. A reply came that Susan Du.
gan had been discharged from the
penitentiary on a certain date that
was found to be eight days before the
murder was committed. Her arrest
was ordered. and Julia Amory was re
leased.
The morning after Julia Amory had
left the prison she appeared at the dis
trfct attorneys Office in company with
Andrew Bowers. She told the follow
ing story:
Several years ago this man left the
place where he lived to seek his for
tune. We were betrothed, and 1 prom
ised to wait for him. When heard OF
his arrest for murder it was a great
shock to me. Being convinced Of his
innocence, laid a plan to cheat the
state out of a victim. He had given
me an engagement ring without any
marking. I had the initials put in it
the last two letters being those OF
the murdered woman. Then l offered
the ring in pawn that 1 might be &C
cused Of the murder. The rest you
know"
Then Bowers told his story: