Front pages from the Harrisburg newspapers at the time of the murder of Verna Klink, by a former Halifax man, Harry B. Bowman.
The above page is from the Harrisburg Evening News, January 30, 1929, and features the headline, “Quiz Miller Girl in Drowning Probe” followed by “Marks Indicate Miss Klink Fought for Life; Still Seek Body.” Another article was headed by, “Miller Woman Held in $1500.” and a photo essay, taking up most of the center of the front page, “Two Detained in Probe of Drowning of Woman Manager of Walnut Street Shop.”
The Harrisburg Telegraph of the same date provided multiple front page articles to help to satisfy a public eager to get every detail of the crime, including information about the mothers of the alleged perpetrators and the “oppressed” wife of Harry B. Bowman.
The banner headline, “Cries Into Hunger Strike,” was followed by an article titled, “Suspect Breaks Down and Weeps for His Mother: Wife Describes Her Jumbled Life While Miss Miller Wants to Stay in Jail; Icy River Refuses to Give Up Its Secret.”
In the center of the page are photos of the suspects, Bowman and his girlfriend Ethel Miller.
Underneath that was a photo of Mrs. Ida Bowman and an article, “Foreboding of Evil Has Oppressed Wife; Mrs. Ida Bowman Continues Working in Factory; Husband Did Housework; Loss of Baby First Tragedy.” A bold headline over the photo states, “Says Husband Changed By Other Woman.”
At the bottom of the page, there is an article titled “Sweetheart In Tears Thinking of Ill Mother,” about Ethel Miller.
Another article at the bottom of the page states, “Bowman on Hunger Strike Worries About His Mother,”
A right hand column featured “Highlights in Murder Probe:”
HIGHLIGHTS IN MURDER PROBE
POLICE to-day are welding together the links in a chain of evidence upon which they expect to base a charge of murder against Harry B. Bowman, perfume salesman, 16 Evergreen Street [Harrisburg], whom they are convinced ended the life of Verna Klink, confectionery store manager, 31 South Third Street, Friday midnight along the Susquehanna River at walnut Street.
Today’s highlights in the police probe were:
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- Twenty men drag for Miss Klink’s body.
- Investigate Bowman’s life during last year after reports he did not work, but always seemed to have plenty of money.
- Investigate relations between Bowman and Miss Klink.
- Doubt suicide pact which Bowman said he made with Miss Klink.
- Bowman charged with highway robbery.
- Miss Ethel Miller, his alleged sweetheart, held as material witness and for carrying weapons when automatic is found in her handbag.
- Miss Klink’s mother grief stricken by tragedy which followed her mortgaging of home tin Mechanicsburg to help her daughter buy candy store she managed.
- Point out murder charge against Bowman cannot be sustained under State law unless body of Miss Klink is found.
- Bowman started a hunger strike at the county prison. He had been taken to the river to show where Miss Klink was drowned.
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Front pages and articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.