The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-03-24

mas Deen made except a few cOrrec
tlons in photography. The interes
created throughout North Carolina b.
the magnitude and blackness of hi
crime and intensified by the published
reports of the dark revelations thai
came to light during his trials ha.
leu us TO ooey his wish and offer his
dying evidence to satiate public Gu
mostly. 1t is his own picture, delin-
eated by his own hand. and shaded by
the awful promptings of his own
fear-stricken soul.
My History
To My Friends:
AS it seems that my time has come
to die l. want to leave for your con-
| ISOLATION the whole history OF my life,
which l can give in few words.
Here it is and it is the whole truth
and nothing but the truth from my
dying lips.
was born in Rockingham county,
N. c., the 18th day of August, 1885,
as think. I was raised by Riley Bow
man and his wife Susan Bowman till
l was 13 years old. At that age I
was carried to my fathers plantation
in Gibbs county. There, with John
Bowman and parcel of hands I got
my first bad habit. 1 stayed there TIL
1854, when my younger brother died
and l was brought back to Rocking
ham county, N. c., to my father and
mother. l then took charge of my
fathers hands till 1869. In that year
was married to the daughter of
Reuben Cannon, and we lived with my
father and mother ntwo years.
1861 went into the regular army and
served. one year. After that I was
conscfipted Tor two years. In July,
1868, | was wounded in Maryland and
brought to the hospital at Lynchburg,
Va, and disabled till the close of the
war. In 1866 / returned home and
met my dear wife. 1t seemed to be
mutually pleasant to us both. About
THIS U1rne 1 took up with two gamb-
lers, and this was the first start OF all
my severe troubles, and from this I
got to hard drinking. Soon after this
bound myself on a six thousand dol
lar bond for the man who has done
most in prosecuting me and causing
my trouble. When the bond became
due and | tried to save myself from
paying it, then, the malice and hard
feeling between me and my wife's
people first got up.
Tne worst thing that I have ever
done was killing horse. This caused
me to see great trouble, though it
was not done intended. After doing
this [ decided to go west (which
my wife agreed. We then went to
Wilcox county, Ga, where I rum; a
farm for one year. During that ime
my wife was given up to die by Dr.
McKrimmer, but she recovered and I
removed from there to Irving county,
IxJho 70
sick again. The doctor who waited on
her said that all the doctors in the
word could not cure her, but she got
well again. In that county we re-
mained two years and / run farm
and the timber business. At the end
of this time my own health become
bad and we moved back to Rocking
ham county, N. G. where we settled
for life as [ thought. made five
crops in that county before my wife
died.
Twenty-one days after she died I
was accused of causing her death and
II days after her death I was ar
rested and put in prison which have
suffeerd now for two years and four
months. I have endured it all with
patience and / only wish that the
world today did not know my heart
as I know it. They can hang me, out
they can't make me a guilty man.
The can't murder me for anybody that
I eevr loved as I did my dear wife. I
did not marry her for beauty, 4; nor
riches; for she didn't have either. I
married her for love and love the
place where her body lies and I hope
to have my body laid by the side of
hers when the rope of death closes
my eyes and swings me into eternity,
if it is so that it can be. There is
but one thing that grieves me in leav-
ing this world today, and that is my
darling little daughter. This is the
only tie that hate to break, as for
all the rest I am willing to go. The
word has taken five children from me
but I was not grieved as bad to see
them all go as am to leave this dear
little offspring, because they all went
by natural death. God only loaned
them to me for short time and
then took them away and now I am
to be taken by a rope from the last
one.
/ suppose that my wife and myself
tried as hard to live good together as
most men and wives, though we would
sometimes fall out. Though she was
a poor, jealous-hearted girl, she was
kind to- me till about year or more
before her death when she begun to
take her first lessons under the Cole
women and took the Dills women to
my house to live. I can't say that I
have lived as man should live in
this world for I have not. For 33
years of my life served the devil as
faithful as he wanted me. After that
I tried to serve God tho sometimes
fell into my evil ways. So this was
my condition until the death of my
wife. After I was accused of poison
ing her, arrested and put in prison 7