Gene Notes

Some random and some not-so-random thoughts on family history.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Thriller Thursday - The Murder of Joseph Bowman

The Conclusion. From the Cincinnati (OH) Commercial Tribune, May 15, 1884.

TWO MORE MURDERS
Fatal Termination of the Bloody Assault and Robbery of a Fortnight Ago.

Joseph Bowman, the victim of the bloody assault and robbery committed Monday night, April 28, near Front and Broadway, died at a late hour Tuesday night at the hospital. The attack was made by two men named Mike McDermott and Pat Muldoon, who knew that he had received his month's pay as an engineer of the C. H. & D. R.R. on the Saturday before, and followed him for purposes of robbery. He was drinking heavily, and his prudent wife had taken charge of the bulk of his earnings, so that at the time of the assault he had only about $16 with him. When he emerged from the saloon at Front and Broadway, McDermott and Muldoon followed him and when only a few paces away McDermott sized him and Muldoon stabbed him, inflicting a horrible wound in the back of the neck, and laying bare the spinal cord.

Even this did not satisfy the thirst of McDermott for blood, and he shouted "That won't kill him, cut his throat."  Bowman was then thrown to the sidewalk and robbed of what money he had and left to die. He managed to crawl some distance along the pavement when he was discovered and removed by the patrol to Hammond Street Police Station.

After robbing Bowman, McDermott and Muldoon fled toward the river. On the way, they assaulted another man, who escaped them, and notified the police that they could be found at the Newport ferry wharf. The men were arrested and taken to Hammond street, the officers not knowing that they were the men who assaulted, cut and robbed Bowman. At the station house however they were identified by Bowman and have been held in jail to await the result of Bowman's injuries. These were not considered fatal, and his death was a surprise. He leaves a widow and two children who live in the Manchester Building Third and Sycamore.

McDermott and Muldoon were arraigned in the police court yesterday on the charge of murder, but remanded to jail without bail, to await a hearing on the 17th.

McDermott is a new arrival in this country, and has been making his home on Third street. He has been known as a violent and troublesome character, but this is his first court experience for an offense more aggravated than disorderly conduct.

Muldoon is a Newporter and has been repeatedly under arrest for larceny and disorderly conduct, and has paid the penalty. A couple of years ago he became notorious through a quarrel and fight over a game of baseball, at Fifth and Culvert streets at which time he was shot and wounded in an arm by a man named Deware.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

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