CROWE, Madame - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Some two years ago the management of the New England Orphans' Home, of Boston, brought a number of little children to this city and found homes for them. Among the number were two little children by the name of Daniels, both bright and interesting children. J. W. Ramsey and- wife took one of those and John A. Dodd and wife, of Potato Creek, near Darlington, took the other, besides a girl. Little Lowell Daniel, the lad taken by the |Dodds, has been the cause of the biggest sensation which has been created in that neighborhood since the days of the lusty Buck Stout. On last Wednesday he was out in the Dodd corn field pulling weeds and left for the house, some distance away. At supper time he failed to show up and Wednesday night passed without his appearance. On Thursday Dodd drove to Darlington and made a few causal inquiries about the boy stating that he had run off. Thursday passed and still no little Lowell came up for his rations. By this time the neighborhood was aroused and began to do some pretty lively talking. Dodd is an unpopular man in the neighborhood, high tempered and tyrannical, feared by all, and, accordingly, hated by many. John Booker is an especial enemy of his for on one occasion, of which Mr. Booker doubtless cherishes some cheerful reminiscences Mr. Dodd fell into a towering passion with him. Not only did he fall into a passion but he suddenly reached out and grasping Mr. Booker's long, flowing beard he pulled it out and then had the audacity to wrap it up in an old newspaper and proudly exhibit it for a month on the streets of Darlington to crowds of loafers who seemed to think it a great joke. This is but one of the exploits of Mr. Dodd, so when the neighborhood got together Thursday night they lost no time in solving the mystery regarding little Lowell. It unanimously decided with many a solemn wag of the head and the furious mastication of much navy plug, that little Lowell had been unceremoniously knocked on the herd and killed in a moment of passion by John Dodd or his wife and that Harry Dodd, nephew, and Augustus Rice, step-son, who lived with them, were helping to screen the crime. There was no doubt in the minds of the good people but that little Lowell was a gone goose and the victim of a foul murder. The actions of the Dodd family for the past two days were discussed and enough "suspicious circumstances" wore related to have hung all the murderers that were ever condemned in Montgomery county. It was decided that the matter should be duly investigated tho next day and the mangled corpse of the poor little murdered orphan should be rescued from the creek or some brush heap and be given a christian burial. Before the meeting adjourned a committee consisting of Charley Petro, Ed Murphy and Tom

Irons were sent to Crawfordsville to consult the notorious old fraud, Madame Crow, in regard to the matter. Bright and early yesterday morning the neighbors collected and swoopod down on the Dodd place to begin the search. Mr. Dodd was there and made no bones of saying that he believed little Lowell was dead and all the day walked about with the searchers says: "I'll bet he's as dead as a mackerel and over yonder in daddy Binford's woods."

This modest inference only excited suspicion the more and' the way hay cocks and brush heaps were scattered about would make a Kansas cyclone groan with jealousy. A fifty foot seine was* secure from the home of an ex-justice of the peace and the creek was dragged for several miles. About lOO pounds of bass were taken but as the work was a humanitarian effort the seiners had no fear of arrest for violation of the law. Plenty of fish wore caught but the badly nibbled corpse of Master Daniels wholly failed to materialize. When all the fish were caught and all the brush heaps turned over and several hay stacks turned over the search party desisted and wont into can cits on a neighboring farm. It was then about dark and the young gentlemen who had been to Crawfordsville to consult Madame Crowe arrived with their tongues and eyes hanging out with exhaustion, excitement and horror. They had wonderful things to relate. They arrived duly at the homo of Mrs. Crowe and she at once had made known to them the nature of their mission together with the family history of each one of them and the names of their "gals." She had cut the cards, shaken her hair down in her eyes, puffed out cheeks, and exclaimed in a deep sepulchral voice the ominous word

"Despair." Then she went on and described the Dodd family to a t. She had told of the knocking of little Lowell in the head and how his mangled corpse could be found the next day in a deserted cabin on John Booker's place. The recital of all these strange things caused the blood of the excited congregation to run cold. It was too dark to go over to the cabin that night and besides all present were afraid of encountering the youngster's spook, so it was decided not to go until this morning. It was resolved, however, to keep a watch on the wicked Dodds during the night to see that none of them got away. Accordingly Charley Custer, Dave and Owen Irons, a man named Evans, who lives on Booker's place. John Graham and Charley Kashner crawled through the bushes to near the Dodd residence to keep vigil. This morning they came bolting into Darlington by day break with a hair raising tale. They stated that this morning about 1 o'clock that they had seen John Dodd and his nephew Harry come out and harness up a horse and then bring a bundle wrapped tip in a dark cloth and after placing it in a buggy drive hurriedly off in the direction of the lonesome cabin. About an hour later they returned without the bundle and retired. It was asserted that the bundle was just about the size of little Lowell and looked exactly like the body of child. Excitement was great and some of the sorrowing neighbors wont around awand woke up the tombstone man and ordered a little monument upon which should be engraved: "Lowell's dead, the dear young thing. We know he's with the angels now, He was too durn tough to burn.*'

Squire Armstrong was rousted out of bed and David Irons appearing before swore out a warrant for the arrest of John A. Dodd and Sarah, his wife, Augustus Rice and Harry Dodd, charging them with the murder of Lowell Daniels. While all this was going on Charley Custer got out in the middle of the street and yells out: "I believe the Dodds killed that kid and I don't give a who knows it."

In less than no time Marshal Miller and Joe Milner were armed with the warrant and on their way to the Dodd place while Elder Spohn and Dr. Berryman went gaily on after to administer spiritual comfort to the red handed murderers at the lynching. When the Dodd place was reached gangs of stern looking men could be seen hovering around, evidently with sinister intentions. Mr. Dodd was just leaving in his buggy and when asked where he was going stated that the boy had been found at the farm of Alfred Harmison, a red-headed Dunkard in an obscure neighborhood some three miles away. He was disbelieved and Marshal Miller without mentioning the warrant asked to go with him. Dodd consented and on reaching the Harmeson place little Lowell was found standing with a dog in the barn. He had been there all the time but the Harmeson's had been too busy to report until last night about nine o'clock when Harmeson had driven over and told the Dodds. This caused all the talk of the one o'clock departure with the mysterious bundle. The lad cried when Dodd arrived and had stated to the Harmesons that Dodd was in the habit of beating him. Dodd does not yet know of the warrant and when he learns of it bloodshed is expected.

White, the marshal, was absent, and all was excitement in Darlington. Telegrams were sent to Crawfordsville announcing the murder and a corps of newspaper men were there in less than an hour. Prosecutor Moffett, too, came rushing in with two bloodhounds and half a bushel of handcuffs just as a message ordering out Company I and the Garfield band was being written, and aa Squire Armstrong was closing up a bargain for a corner lot and a horse on the strength of what he would make out of the case.  Just as all these interesting things were transpiring Marshal Miller returned empty handed with a story of the found boy. Everybody looked disappointed and the noise made by dropping jaws sounded like the clicking of muskets on a military suspicion.

The ridiculous farce was over but it had its serious Bide. It was freely stated that if the boy had not been found by to-night that Dodd would have been lynched on the strength of the story told by the wild eyed young men who had evidently been drinking from the same canteen and on the strength of the ridiculous fabrications of old Madame Crowe. The affair needs no comment.