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AWFUL CHARGE AGAINST THEM.for several days visiting the James- j town Exposition.Tremendous Sensation Sprung in Vance County.Dr. D. S. Rowland, Prominent Physician of Raleigh, Arrested on Suspicion of Having Caused Death of His Little Son by Poison Similar Charge Brought Against Mrs. Rowland, a Bride of Two Weeks, the Alleged Victim Being Her Former Husband, Engineer Charles R. Strange He is Said to Have Died Suddenly and Mysteriously at His Home in Raleigh Six Weeks Ago, Dr. Rowland Attending Him.Saturday afternoon Dr. Rowland and his wife left for Raleigb. It was not known at the time who he mar-ri^d. Sunday two railroad detectives [ut in an appearance here looking for the couple. They had traced them from Raleigh to Norfolk and back to Henderson. It was said that Dr. Rowlandand the woman had registered under an assumed name in Norfolk but whether they did or not they were married there soon nfor they disappear*)} from Raleigh. AAt J:special telegram frcin Norfolk to thetf iSrwsunder dateDr. Rowland in Vance County Jail—Mrs. Rowland Out on $2,000 Cash Bond—Stomachs and Vital Organs of Alleged Victims Hands of Experts for Analysis.Raieigli Evening of May 22nd. say*:The marriage in Norfolk of Dr. David Samuel Rowland and Mrs. I-illie Martha Strange lt;f Raleigh. N. the 4atter lteing the widow of Kngineer Strange.who it in now alleged was gotten out of eonsilt;inTie* greatest sensation that. Ib*ri-d»*r-on It is over known developed j I his w****k when Dr. D. S. Rowland, n\v«'Il known physician of Raleigh, was ;arrested in that city Monday on the charge of having caused the death or his little son by poison and brought ‘ her** and lodged in jail.All sorts of minors have been circulated and »!lt;•* daily newspapers have given publicity to such reports n sen me to them, but the real facts in the case as near as we can get them are about as follows:Dr. Rowland had a lit t le son,Da vid Austin Rowland, aged about eleven years, who Iiv1 with his uncle, Mr.J. L. Rowland, near Bobbitt, in \ anre county. At the death of his mot her when the child was quite young Mr. and Mrs. Rowland took him and he has since lived with them being treated as one of their own children, They have a little bov about r he same age and t he two have grown up togetherliketwin brothers. Although providentially separated from his child Dr. Rowland is said t have b»s*n devoted to the little bov an I was a dutiful father, lb* visited him on occasions ami frequently sent h n* things Hindi as a loving and tboughtful parent would nuturally be expected to do including wearing apparel, etc.On Friday niglp. May 3rd, theclosing exerciser of Bobbitt Schoolwere held. David Austin Rowland was on the program and took a prominent part in the exercises. Dr. Koulmd came from Raleigh to at tend t he school closing, lie brought some eonfeet ioneries, candies, fruits.etc , with him for the children, ami of t his all partook alike.Friday night little Austin ate a hearty supper after having been eating more or less of the “good things” his father brought him, beforehand.I le went to the school house, nppe ir-ed in the parts assigned him and bore himself well. Next morning he ate breakfast as usual ami appeared to be ia good health and spirits.After breakfast as the buggy was being hitched to take Dr. Rowland tokittrell ii» catch the train for Raleigh he was sent for to go to see an old lady (Mrs. lVrdue} who lives close by and in plain sight of Mr. J. L. Rowland’s. Shortly after Dr. Rowland had gone his little son missed him and asked where he was. When ,informed he asked his aunt if heeould not run over there and come back with his father. He was told that he could and his lit tie cousin asked permission to go with him. 'They went together and after staying until Dr. Rowland was ready to return hi* and the two little boys walked back to t he house.Shortly after they got back home Dr. Rowland s litt le son sat down in a chair and complainedol being sick. His aunt t hought lie was merely feeling badly because his father was going to leave and told him she didn't reckon he was sick much and that he would soon be all right. Being assured that he was sick—sicker than she thought he was—Mrs. Rowland went to him and noticed that he seemed to be suffering great pain. His hands were cold and his eyes full of tears. A look of agonizing suffering was lt;m his face. Dr. Rowland was out in tie* yard at the time. He was told of his son’s illness. He went in the house and took the little boy in his lap. felt lt;if his pulse and examined his heart. lie pronounced himseriously sick—in a dying condition in fact—and asked that tie* bed be made ready to lay him down. Very soon lie began to have convulsions, one after another, and in less than an hour—about ID minute* to he more exact—he was dead.Dr. (iill was phoned for but could not be reached. In the mean time a messenger was dispatched on horse back for Dr. t lark, the nearest physician at hand. Dr. Clark arrived about t went y minutes Iwfore t heeliild died but he was then in a state of collapse and nothing could be done for him. I*toiuaiuepoison wa*given as the cause of death, acute indigestion being brought on by excessive and unusual eating, the things whichwere meant to add to his pleasure infact ront ributiug to his death.Now as to some of the reports that have been circulated: It was saidthat the boy was made sick by eating ice cream at the school ‘house Friday night. This is not tine. Ice cream had no place in the festivities incident to the closing exercises, nor had any ice cream heeu served at home. And it In* had been poisoned by eating ice cream it is reasonableto suppose tlmt others would have been made siek also. Another rumor is that Dr. Rowland took his little son out walking and gave him an orange to eat ; that the boy said it had a very bitter taste and he wished he had not catened it. The only walking that Dr. Rowland and his son dilt;l together that morning was the instance above related, and Mr. J k. Rowland’s little son was witli them at the time. It is not in evidence that Austin Rowland said nu\ thing about eating an orange or anything else that made him sick as the alleged facts in the ease came to usA great deal has been said and published in the papers as to the motive that may have induced Dr. Rowlandto desire the death of his sou—some accounts saving that lie desired to obtain title to “valuable real estate at Henderson, Kittrell and in the county,left by his first wife anj which by her death descended to his son.” The editor of this paper was told by Mr. Hieks who has been legal adviser to Dr. Rowland ever since he became of age, that Dr. Howland drew a share of las father’s estate worth about n thousand dollars mid sold it to Mr. Henry Fiuch soon alter becoming of age, using the money to procure his medical education; that lie married a daughter of Mr. Milton Fuller and soon after bought a house and lot at Kittrell for eight hundreddollars taking?he tit 1^thereto in thename of his wif\ and then or hooii after they hoi hexecuted u mortgage thereon to a client, of Mr. Hicks, for*300.After the death of the first Mrs. Rowland and the removal of Dr. Rowland to Raleigh several years ago, this It use was rented to several different tenants, and several people about Kittrell desired to purelmse ii;nud Dr. Rowland Ind mentioned these in Mr. Hicks and was tol I that a sale am] title muld be made only under the mortgage or by order of court; that the surplus above the mortgage would have to be invested in ot her hi ml for the Doctor’s IrMie-fif for In- life or until liilt; son became of age and would at Dr. Rowland’* death belong to his son. Clients of both Mr. A. J. Harris and Mr. J. C. Kittrell, rlt;» wit: Mr. lt;»uy V. Barnes and Mr. George R. t irissom, and p**r-!»;* ps ot lii-rs liad wi-died to buv theproperty but declined to pay the price asked by Dr. Rowland. SL2DD. Dr. Rowland had nil estate for life in tin* property and onlv the reversion belonged to his son. who died just, as lie wasaboiiteleven years old.Dr. Rowland in the winter of 1D*1or UM)5 paid off the #300 mortgageabsolutely with his own money and has for venrs been doing a lucrative practice at Raleigh and has been known In be in good financial rir-enmst niK-es. His wife’s father is sfill living. She never owned any otherreal estate except the lot at Kittrellgiven her by her husband and Mr. Hicks suggests would under the circumstances have wiiled it to Dr. Rowland if he had de-divd it. This is the only real estate Dr. Rowlati I or his son or wife owned, except tlm Mrs. Nancy Merritt lot of oacres at Plank Chapel church on which he built a house for the old lady and which by her agreement will belong to him at her death and which i* not and never was worth as much as Dr. Rowland loaned her or exp aided for li«r in re building her lions**. Dr. Rowland .states, says Mr. Hicks, that on the day he returned to Raleigh alter the funeral of his sou lie received three letters and a phone iiicksage from Kittrell people asking about the property or offering to buy it.The death of Dr. Rowland's little son was sudden, surprising and to the lay mind somewhat mysterious, but Dr. Clark did not seem to think it was unusual or that any thing of a suspicious nature at taclied to it. But rumors were started and they gathered momentum as they spread increasing in number and seriousness. What people spoke in undertone at first became louder talk and then open charges were made. All sorts of stories were afloat. And unfortunately for the man Dr. Rowland's reputation was not such as to afford him protection when he fell under suspicion.The charge made against him wasit In? had deliberately poisoned his son toget possession of some property which t heehild had inherited from hilt; mother and which Dr. Rowland desired to sell but could not give a deed to as long as the boy was living. Another report was that Dr. Rowland had insured his son's life for his own b-nelit the amount of such insurance being variously given at from #800 to #10,000. The amounts would, even the lowest, knock this out from the fact that no industrial insurance ••ompany (the kind of insurance said to be taken out) would place any such amount as t his on a child's life. It is said t• be a fact, however, that Dr. Rowland did have some insurance on his son’s life and when lie was here Saturday he had the clerk of the court and undertaker to sign the certificate of death without, however, exhibiting the face of tlie policy or staling for what amount of insurance it called.If Dr. Rowland had been a man of the highestchnracter.abovereproach or (lie breath of suspicion in every way, and his subsequent conduct had not been blundering and unfortu-natefor him to say the leusl of it we cannot but believe that tie* death of this little boy would have received no more attention than the usual comment and sorrow occasioned by the death of any bright, well mannered and well liked lad of his age in any community. Certainly it would not luive developed the great sensation that it has culminating in the shocking charge tlmt the father was guilty of the awful crime lt;•! causing the death of his own son.The circumstances under which Dr. Rowland's son died and i he fact i hatlie was so hasty to sell the property , was commented on. Some persons believe that the boy’s death was• caused by foul play. Butting things together it looked suspicious at any rate they said. There was more talk and rumors were multiplied.lu the mean time the money—#1,-200—to pay Dr. Rowland for the lot in Kittrdl which In* had sold ini mediately after the death of his son and which it is said he offered for sale on Monday after the funeral on Sundav, j and the deed for him to sign were in tlie office of a lawyer in Henderson. « It was learned that Dr. Rowland was in Norfolk. Saturday morning lie appeared on the streets heroand was soon acquaiatel with the rumors that were current. In plain laugu igehe was told that li*» was titular suspicion as being the cause of his sou’s death, lie wag advised to have the body exhumed and a post mortem examination made. This in justice to himself, his family and friends. Dr. Row land expressed himself as being indifferent us to what people might say about him. lie did not care for public opinion, he said.Later it was learned that Dr. Rowland was accompanied by a woman and that they were registered at the hotel as man and wife. No one knew | that he was married and it was not believed to be u fact when the hotel register was first given as authority. Dr. Rowland stated afterward that heyvas married the ceremony taking place in Norfolk where he had l***nthe way by pnsoning, took place one week ago today. The couple appeared ut the local clerk's office together last Wednesday morning. The woman was handsome and attracted much attention.There was nothing irregular :n their application for a license to wed, and the document was issued to them in regular order. They gave their correct names and said they had heeu married before. Dr. Rowland said he was 38 years old and the woman said she was 31 years old. The former gave Vance county. North Carolina, as his native home, and the woman said she was born in Chicago. The couple were married by Rev. Vernon I'Aiisoii. pastor of Grace Baptist Church. The executed license has been returned to the clerk’s office.The charge upon which Dr. Rowland and his wife were wanted by tin* detectives is the alleged death bv poisoning of Charles R. Strange, a locomotive eng|iueer on tlie Seaboard Air Line Railway, who died suddenly and mysteriously at his home in Raleigh about six weeks iig*». After coming in from bis run one morning Engineer Strange was taken ill. Dr. Rowland was called in, after several attempts to get a physician, t lie wife says. Mr. St range met t lie Doctor at the door and the two walked into the room together. Not long afterward—during the morning—Mr. Strange diet!. His death was attributed to heart failure.Engineer Strange had his life insured with Hie Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and it is said be carried other insurance beside having several hundred dollars—a thousand or fifteen hundred—in bank. The circumstances under which the engineer died created suspicion iu certain quarters. The Brotherhood became interested in the matter and n watch was set over Dr. Rowlandand the Widow Strange.Dr. Rowland claims that he had never met Mrs. Strange until he was called in to see her husband that m jrning. It is said on the other Imnd this is not true, Unit they have been acquainted for some time and were quite intimate. And when they were married so soon after the death of the husband color was given to the suspicions tlmt Engineer Strange came to his death by foul means.When Dr. Rowland and Mrs. Strange left Raleigh machinery was put in motion to apprehend and arrest them. Hence the two detectives were put on their tracks. In the mean time steps were being taken here to have Dr. Rowland arrested and the body of his son exhumed an 1 the cause of his death ascertained if possible, or the fact established whether or not it was the result of poison on administered.Without going into details of all the preliminaries it suffices to say that a warrant was sworn out against Dr. Row land charging him with the murder of his son and the police in Raleigh were notified to arrest him. Deputy Sheriff Oscar S. Falkuer went to Raleigh: Monday morning wit h the warrant and when he got there he found Dr. Rowland a prisoner iu the city jail uwuiiing his arrival. They came back on the next train and after a preliminary hearing Dr.Rowland was committed to jail to await the result of the investigation to determine the cause of death.While the ollicer had gone to Raleigh after Dr. Rowland the body of his sou was being exhumed in Vance county The autopsy was performed by Dr. John Hill Tucker, county health officer, assisted by Dr. F. R. Harris and Dr. It. J. Gill. The stomach and vital organs were removed and taken to Raleigb Tuesday by Dr. Tucker to be analyzed by Prof. \V. A. Withers.Soon after the arrest of Dr. Rowlund who was taken in his office his wife was arrested for alleged Complicity in the death of her late husband, Charles R. Strange. The specific charge was that Engineer Strange came to his death bypoison administered with intent to commit murder and she was charged with being accessory after the fact. She put up two thousand dallarscash bond and was released. Mrs. Rowland has since been here iu consultation with her present husband and lawyers.The body of Engineer Strange was disinterred .Monday afternoon and Dr. Syiue of the A. M. College will make a chemical test of the stomach, etc.. for the presence of poison. It is not believed that the chemists will be ready to make report for several days. Everything depends upon what their findings will be. Mrs. Rowland's preliminary hearing is set for June 3rd,but if the analysis shows that Engineer Strange was killed by poison she will be taken into custody immediately. The case of Dr. Rowlandwill be taken up as soon as the expert reports the result of his investigation.lu the meantime there have been no new developments and the tremendous sensation of a few days ago has somewhat subsided. It is a horrible affair all round but maybe there has been nothing worse than a display of bad taste, poor judgment, indiscretion, foolhardiness, indecency on the part the man and woman who rest under the cloud of such mi awful charge as the indictments against them.set?!TH1KE1Drink Smith’s Lithia water and cure that case of dyspepsia,indigestion, liver trouble you suffer with. John A. Gill Sons sell Smith’s Lithia water in Henderson.1 lie Norfolk Lnudnwrk correctly observe*; “Virginians have been taunted with living too much in the past. A people who do not cherish I noble traditions are not likely to have any future worth looking forward to.” The best sign that living up to traditions hasn’t done anyharm in Virginia is theu — — —of her women and menStar.? splendid tvplt; — WilmingtonMy Best Friend.Alexander Benton, who live* on Rural Route l. Fur: Edward. X. V.. savs: * Dr. King's New Discovery is my best earthly * friend. It cured me of asthma six yearn ago. It hiu* also performed a wonderful cure of incipient consumption for my son's wife. Thetir*t bottle ended the terrible coughTand thisaccomplished, the other svmptons left one ( by one. until she was perfectly vhI. Dr. King's New Discovery's power over coughs and colds is simply marvelous. No other remedy has ever equaled it. Fully guaranteed by Melville Dorsey, druggist. 50c and £1 on Tri*l frw
Newspaper Details
The Gold Leaf
Henderson, North Carolina, US
Thu, May 23, 1907
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Debra B.
USA 09 Jul 2021
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