Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 263, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1912 — BLOODY AFFRAY MAY BE A MURDER [ARTICLE]

BLOODY AFFRAY MAY BE A MURDER

Ed Frawley in Jail Charged Witt Assault With Intent to Kill John Stowers, of Fair Oaks. Edward Frawley, of Fair Oaks, whose name is a familiar one in the trouble calendar, is in the Jasper county jail on the charge of assault and battery with intent to commit murder filed against him. If the victim of his assault dies, the charge will be changed to murder. Frawley this Saturday morning at .about 8:30 o’clock struck John Stowers, of Fair Oaks, over the head with a beer and Stowers now lies in an unconscious condition at Fair Oaks, suffering from a concussion of the brain and with the chances of his recovery rather slim. Fair Oaks people seem to be almost unanimously against Frawley and it is claimed that his assault on Stowers was entirely unprovoked. Stowers is about sixty years of age, Js slight of stature and a cripple, having broken one of his legs two years ago and having been confined to his bed for almost a year after the accident and now walking with a pronounced limp. He is also said to be an inoffensive man and not one liable to make threats or to try to do any person bodily harm. Notwithstanding this statement concerning him, Frawley claims that Stowers was trying to kill him with an axe and that his action in striking him with a beer bottle was entirely in self-defense. After the assault Frawley hauled a load of corn stalks to Fair Oaks and then came to Rensselaer on the 11:18 train. He went at once to the office of Justice of the Peace John Bruner, where he swore out two complaints against Stowers, charging him with assault to commit murder. While he was at the office of the justice, Deputy Sheriff Gus Grant appeared and caused his arrest on the same charge that Frawley had filed against Stowers. Frawley was taken to jail. Frawley talked freely to a reporter for The Republican. He said that he had married the widow of Louis Stowers, a brother of John. That John and other relatives were jealous of him and that he had had considerable trouble with them. He said that recently Stowers came to his house and threatened to stab him with a butcher knife and lunged at him but that he avoided trouble. He said that this Saturday morning he found Stowers chopping wood in a small tract oi land he had rented and that he told him not to do it and that Stowers struck at him with an axe and cut him on the wrist and that he kept on sriking at him until he picked up a beer bottle and knocked Stowers down. He says that Stowers still held to the axe and that he climbed on top of him and tried to take the axe away and to do so had to strike Stowers in the face with his fist. He says that Stowers was not unconscious but got up and walked away. He named four men who saw the trouble. Fair Oaks people who came to Rensselaer on the same train, tell a different story, saying that Stowers did not strike at Jiiffi at all, and that his assault was unprovoked. Stowers was left in such a bad condition that word received here at 2 o’clock was to the effect that he was unconscious and would probably die. Dr. Rice,, of Roselawn, attended him. It is reported that Fair Oaks people talked freely of forming a necktie party and making short work of Frawley. Frawley came -to Fair Oaks about three years ago, and married the widow of Louis Stowers. He is said to have played in the role of a bad man and to have constantly had trouble with people there, assaulting them and inflicting serious wounds. He was arrested and tried for an assault committed on a man named Burks several months ago. He is said to have slipped up behind Burns and struck him with a "billy” across the face, knocking out two teeth. A week ago last Sunday Frawley is said to have been playing cards with a gang in the woods near Fair Oaks. A young fellow was watching the game and suddenly Frawley raised up and struck him in the face with a atone., Frawley says he was raised at Warsaw and has lived a considerable part of his life at Knox. He is a large man about 43 years of age.