The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, June 30, 1889

THE BARE BODKIN
James W. Rawley Makes His Quietus by Severing His Jugular Vein - The Deed Prompted by Insanity

About 2 am Tuesday, W. C. Blake, assistant store keeper of the M.K.&T. motor power department, went into the store-house to bill out some supplies, when he noticed beneath the hanging gallery or loft on one side of the building a huge pool of blood into which a little stream was still dripping from the gallery above. He at once notified Chief Storekeeper E. E. Brown, who ascended to the loft to ascertain what was the matter. In the fartherest corner of the swinging platform was found the body of Chief Storekeeper James W. Rowley still bleeding from a deep wound in the neck, but with life extinct. The unfortunate man had returned from dinner about 1 pm, seemingly in his usual health and spirits, had climbed up on the gallery, where he often took a nap, and was seen no more until found dead. He had taken a couple
of cab cushions from a pile on the platform, and lying prone upon these with head thrown back, and driven a long, sharp blade of a small-pin knife into the neck upon the left side behind and below the ear and drawing it forward about 3 inches, had severed the carotid artery and the jugular vein. No written communications were left to ascribe a motive for the fearful deed, and there is no doubt but it was committed in a fit of temporary insanity.
Rowley's friends had noticed for some time that his conduct was queer, and efforts  were already being made by his young wife and her father, Mr. Walton, teller of the State National bank, to have him go north for the summer in the hope that a change of scene would cure his evident mental obliquity. He imagined, and kept telling his friends, that there was a man spying upon him and lying in wait to do him bodily injury, and also imagined that he was sick and the victim of some peculiar and unknowable disease. The dreadful nature of his fate is rendered doubly melancholy from the fact that only 5 weeks ago he was married to Miss Nellie Walton, an eminently connected and most estimable young lady of this city, whose grief over the tragic event is well nigh insupportable.
Two weeks ago Rowley handed Mr. A. H. Coffin and envelope, with instructions not to open it for a while. Mr. Coffin, who was suspicious of his mental condition, warned him not to do anything rash, to which he replied:
"Oh, no. All that will be done has been done already."
While the news of his suicide spread up town, Mr. Coffin opened the envelope and found it to contain the key to a box which Mr. Coffin had been keeping for him in his safe. This being opened was found to contain a will made about 2 years ago, a life insurance policy in the Equitable Life for $2,000, and few other valuable papers, but nothing of an ante-mortem statement of any kind.
The remains were inquested as soon as found by Judge Cook, after which they were taken to the undertaking establishment of Harriman & Morris, where they were prepared for burial, and late in the evening they were taken to the residence of the deceased's father-in-law, Mr. Walton, No. 610 Gandy street. Thence the funeral took place Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock under the auspices of the Knights of Pythias, of which order the deceased was a member. The cortege which followed the hearse to Fairview cemetery was the largest that has been seen upon our streets in many months.
James Rowley was in his 35th year, and had been a resident of Denison for nearly half of that time. He came here soon after the town was started, and, after spending some time in other pursuits went into business with W. A. Hallenbeck, who had been one of his schoolmates.
Seven years ago he sold out his interest in the bakery and confectionery business to take a position with the M.K.&T. railway company, in whose employe he has been ever since. He has been uniformly industrious, and has amassed property worth $10,000 besides several hundred dollars in cash, which lies to his credit in the bank. He also carried a considerable amount of life insurance. Personally  he was regarded as being rather eccentric, but still he had many friends.