Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1885 — Thomas H. Rowe Found Dead. [ARTICLE]

Thomas H. Rowe Found Dead.

General Scott conquered Mexico with 12,000 effective men. He fought six battles, and was victorious in all. The Texas state house is to be built Indiana stone. It will be the second finest public building in the United states. Gen. Neal Dow arraigns the Republican party for “not reducing the number of grog-shops i n Portland by even one.” Philadelpeia young ladies are ording gold sac-similes of the Liberty beb, which they wear a summer resorts to distinguish themselves from the common run of humanito. Said General Logan to Secretary Manning recently: “If I were Secretary of the Treasury and found important places filled by Democrats I would remove every one of them.” The Democrats would expect it.

This from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, is an encouraging sign of the times: “The south introduces no discord and makes no pretentions, but quitely pursues its path of progress, only happier and more hopeful than before.” The Greenbackers and Democrats of lowa will join hands in the coming campaign in that State on an anti-monopoly platform. The lowa Republicans are somewhat, disgruntled, but their overwhelming majority is a point in their favor. Henry Syfritz, a prosperous young German at Lafayette, was made tke object of revenge by some miscreant, who, with some exceedingly sharp instrument, cut off the balls of Syfritz’ feet while he was asleep. The usefvlness f his feet is entirely destroyed. Mackin, co nvicted in a Chicago court of stuffin g ballot boxes in the interest of the Democratic ticket) was also displaced from the Democratic Committee of his w - rd. Republi'an ballot-box stuffers, perjurers and thieves, who elevated Hayes to Tilden’s place and salary were all rewarded with places of profit and trust.

The Brookston Reporter of last week gives the following account of the death of T. H. Rowe, extrustee of Round Grove township White county: “On Tuesday morning after breakfast, T. H. Rowe, of Round Grove township, went out to feed the hogs in the lot by the wind pump übout 250 yards from the house. Not returning, in an hour or.so Mrs. Rowe sent the boy out to look for him, who returned saying the sack is on the fence and he must have gone to the field to help about some machinery. At noon the cattle came up and the boy was sent out to water them and discovered his father lying beside the platform of the wind pump, dead. He ran back and cried, “father is dead and the hogs are eating him up.” When found, one ear and part of his nose were eaten off by the hogs and several bruises ,were on his head and face and his neck swelled and one eye swollen. It appears most plausible that Mr. Rowe had fallen over from an epileptic fit, causing the bruises and flow of blood to the head, or he may have fallen from the wind pump. The exact cause of his death is not known nor was an official examination made. The sudden death caused great surprise and regret. He leaves a wife and two children and was buried at

Montmorenci by the Brookston F. & A. M. Lodge, Wednesday.” A conespondent of the Monticello Herald furnishes the following in which there seems to be strong suspicion of foul play: WAS THOS. ROWE MURDERED? Although the coroner’s jury render* d a verdict of death by heart disease, the verdict now' of ninetenths of the cool thinking men of this community is that he met his death by violence at the hands of a person or persons unknown. This was th 3 pronounced opinion of Dr Kelly at the examination, while Dr. Smith pronounced it apoplexy or dif.-iase of the heart. The finding of the body at the platform of the wind pump, where he had fed the hogs, led many at first to believe he had ascended to the tower of the mill for some purpose and while up there was taken w ith apoplexy and had fallen o the ground, where he was found about 12 o’clock by his little son Jesse, but •upon a careful examination several ho ;rs afterward it was proven beyond doubt that Tlios. H. Rowe was not up on that platform that day, nor had he been up there since the mill was erected, tv r o or three years since. More than this, the upper v art of the mill was blown off by the wind about a year ago and had not been in running order since, and the pumping had been done by hand. The deceased always had fears of ascending anything of hight and would not even ride on a load of hay on account of the spells of dizziness to which he was subject. There was no sign of any one being up the ladder at the mill Then how did it come the body was so badly bruised, bleeding and covered with mud? The head was terribly bruised as tho’ done with a club; a blackened bruise under one eye, as though done by a mau’s fist; the body was badly bruised about the chest and the thighs were torn and bruised, and yet the clothing was not torn in the least, not even a thread broken. It has been said that the hogs did all this. It is true the hogs had eaten off one ear and mutilated the nose, and Dr. Smith says if they had been large hogs, instead of pigs, they Avould have e iten the body entirely. To this we all agree, but how could the hogs so bruise and mangle the body and not tear the clothing? After the excitement attendant upon such occasioi s had abated the wife remembers of hearing a loud noise out in the grove, 50 or GO rods from the house, about the middle ot the forenoon. The noise was that of loud and angry talking between two men, one of whom she thinks was her husband. The voice of the other she did not recognize. This quarreling was also heard pretty distinctly by several other persons, who were living c'os by and about the same hour that Mrs. Rowe says she heard it All evidence proves there was a dispute between two men out in the grove. 30 or 40 roils distance from the wind pump. Steps will be taton for a thorough investigation and if it was foul play the guilty one • will meet with swift justice.