Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1897-07-30 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

EXECUTION AT LINCOLN.  At Lincoln on Tuesday morning, Joseph Bowser was executed for the murder of Susan Bowser, his ' wife, on May 23tb, at Dorrington. The culprit was a man of good position, farming 800 acres of land. On the day of the murder he got up at the usual time, but at ten o'clock went to bed again, and remained there till three o'clock. At 4.30 in the afternoon he saw his wife outside mixing food for chickens, whereupon he went out and kicked her till she fell, kicking her again when she was sown. Leaving her, he returned to the house and got his gun, remarking "I'll shoot her: she shan't aggravate me any more." On going out he met his wife, and said, "Now, you have got to have it." She replied, "Very well,then, you may do it." Thereupon he fired at her twice, missing her at the first shot, and blowing out her brains with her second. Both Bowser and his wife were very intemperate, and the former had suffered from delirium trensous. At the trial an endeavour , MIS made to reduce the charge to one of man- I slaughter, a plea of insanity being set up. The jur_y returned a verdict of murder, and Baron Pollock passed sentence of death. since cis condemnation Bowser has seemed entirely =different to his fate, and although the prison shaplain, Archdeacon Bond, has been unremitting in ' us ministrations, the condemned man remained onrepentant, and the Sacrament was not administered. I The chaplain was with Bowser until Billington, who' was Resisted by his son, entered the cell at two minutes to nine. The process of pinioning occupied scarcely a minute, and Bowser then walked with a I irm and steady step from the cell to the scaffold, preceded by the chaplain reciting the Burial Service. ' Bowser took up his position with the utmost indifferonce. His legs were strapped,the rope adj usted,and,before Big Tom ofLincoliseatleadral had finished striking nine, the drop fell, and death was instantaneous. The executioner allowed a drop of 4ft. fin. for the culprit, who weighed 17 stone, having increased in weight two and a half stone sinoe his arrest. Several hundred people assembled outside the gaol to witness the hoisting of the black flag. Sines his condemnation Bowser was visited by two brothers and a  UYCLISTII AND 'L'ADLE imCORATION.—At a recent dinner given by a couple of aristocratic wheeltuen to a party of their own and the fair sex, the cycle idea was carried out in the table deeoration in a manner most original. In the centre of the table was a bicycle made of wire, with wheels of black velvet and grey satin outlined with roses. There was • letup in front lighted by electricity, while from the handles fell Graspers, similar, and tube-roses. Uraceful streamers of ribbons escaped from the bouquets which covered the caddie; and from the tool-bag, left half-open, roses were escaping. On the cloth were wheels formed of roses, the circles and spokes of grey and black velvet. The candles had shades made like bicycle lamps, while ribbons of various colours of narrow width were caught across the table, laid on the cloth, and suspended over it from the centre bicycle. The morals were in the form of bicycles made of cardboard.--0 The Hub."