“On March 30th, Mrs. Rhoda M. Wilkins died suddenly by poison. Suspicions were at once fastened on Anna A. Dower, who had been her attendant. She was arrested on an indictment for murder, was defended by Alpheus R. Brown and Edwin A. Alger, and after three trials was discharged.”
Cowley’s History of Lowell and The Illustrated History of Lowell (1868)
Cowley’s mention of the case was in a chapter titled “General History of Lowell 1860 – 1868” where events were presented chronologically and briefly. The previous chapter “Lowell During the Rebellion” dealt with the war in more detail.
I did not find a comprehensive narrative of these events or any reference to a comprehensive narrative, so I went back “the first draft of history,” newspapers.
Other references -
Commonwealth v. Dower, 86 Mass. 297, 4 Allen 297 (1862) at the Caselaw Access Poject
A reader’s guide -
Because of the number of articles, the length of time covered by them, and the number of formal proceedings in the case, I have grouped some of the articles into sections or “chapters.” The beginning and end dates of each chapter correspond to the dates of the newspaper articles, not the calendar dates of the events.
Each of these chapters contains one of the formal proceedings. There are also important articles between these demarcations.
I. Coroner’s inquest - April 12 to April 22, 1861
II. Police court examination - May 16 to May 24, 1861
III. Grand Jury Trial, Concord - June 26 to July 2, 1861
IV. First Trial - December 4 to December 7, 1861
V. Second Trial - December 17 to December 21, 1861
VI. Third trial - May 25 to June 11, 1863
VII. Discharged - October 28 to October 30, 1863
This case coincided with the start of the Civil War. I added two events, the Battle at Fort Sumter and the identification of the bodies of Ladd and Whitney, in the chronology for context.
March 30, 1861 (Saturday) – Rhoda M. Wilkins dies at 31 Adams Street, Lowell at age 34. The record of deaths for the city lists the cause of death as Typhoid Fever.
From "Deaths in the City of Lowell in the Year !861"
Click for a larger image in a new window
April 1861
April 10, 1861 – BH - The Boston Herald reports that “Two or three days ago Dr. Jewett, a Coroner in Lowell, was induced to exhume the body, and consented to do so, as the circumstances of the woman's death were considered suspicious by some . . ."
Boston Herald 1861-04-10
April 10, 1861 - LDCN – “SUSPICIOUS CASE OF POISONING.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-04-10
April 12, 1861 – LDCN - “THE POISONING AFFAIR”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-04-12
Huntington Hall
April 13, 1861 – LDCN – “THE CORONER’S INQUEST”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-04-13
"THE WAR BEGUN!” The Battle of Fort Sumter April 12 - 14
April 15, 1861 – LDCN – “THE INQUEST”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-04-15
April 22, 1861 – LDCN – “CORONER’S VERDICT”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-04-22
May 1861
“MASSACHUSETTS DEAD, THE BODIES IDENTIFIED.” “The two bodies identified yesterdaywere found to be those of Addison O. Whitney and Luther C. Ladd, who were bothof this city and members of the City Guards.” May 3, 1861
May 9, 1861 – LDCN – “ARRESTED.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-09
The Lowell Jail
May 16, 1861 – LDCN – “The court-room was filled with a large number of female believers in spiritualism.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-16
May 17, 1861 – LDCN – “The court room is filled with ladies, old and young.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-17
May 18, 1861 – LDCN – “The case will be probably finished to-day.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-18
May 20, 1861 – LDCN – “the absence of witnesses”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-20
May 22, 1861 – LDCN – “the case will undoubtably be finished at noon”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-22
May 23, 1861 – LDCN – “The evidence so far is nearly all circumstantial, and is well mixed up with mesmerism, spiritualism, affinity, &c, &c.
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-23
May 24, 1861 – LDCN – “POLICE COURT.” . . . “Miss Ana A. Dower was held to await the action of the grand jury at the next term of the superior court for criminal business, at Concord . . .”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-05-24
June 21, 1861 – LDCN – “SUPERIOR COURT.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-06-21
June 26, 1861 – LDCN – “THE CASE OF ANNA A. DOWER.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-06-26
July 2, 1861 – LDCN – “POISONING CASE. The grand jury, in the case of Anna A. Dower, found a bill for wilful murder, and the case goes to the Supreme Judicial Court in the autumn, Mr. Wilkins being held as a witness.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-07-02
October 30, 1861 – LDCN – “ARRAIGNMENT.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-10-30
November 1, 1861 – LDCN – “SUPREME COURT.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-11-01
November 30, 1861 – LDCN – “TRIAL OF ANNA A. DOWER.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-11-30
December 1861
December 4, 1861 – LDCN – “supreme court of East Cambridge, before the full bench.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-04
December 5, 1861 – LDCN – “MISS DOWER’S TRIAL”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-05
December 6, 1861 – LDCN - “MISS DOWER’S TRIAL”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-06 1
December 6, 1861 – LDCN – “The case of Anna A. Dower is now in progress.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-06 2
December 7, 1861 – LDCN – “NO VERDICT.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-07
December 15, 1861 – LC – “NEW TRIAL GRANTED TO ANNA A. DOWER.”
Lowell Courier 1861-12-15
December 17, 1861 – LDCN – “The second trial . . . will commence . . . to-day.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-17
December 18, 1861 – LDCN – “MISS DOWER’S TRIAL.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-18
December 19, 1861 – LDCN – “MISS DOWER’S SECOND TRIAL.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-19
December 20, 1861 – BDHG – “A “SPIRITUAL” DEFENSE.”
Burlington Daily Hawk Eye Gazette (Iowa) 1861-12-20
December 21, 1861 – BP – “Anna A. Dower Convicted of Murder.”
Boston Post- 1861-12-21
December 28, 1861 – LDCN – “the motion for a new trial . . . will be heard next term . . .”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1861-12-28
1862
December 3, 1862 – LDCN – “to-morrow a motion for a new trial . . . will be argued before the supreme court . . .”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1862-12-03
December 4, 1862 – LC (2 parts) – “THE APPLICATION TO THE SUPREME COURT FOR A NEW TRIAL.”
Lowell Courier 1862-12-4 Part 1
Lowell Courier 1862-12-4 Part 2
December 5, 1862 – LDCN – “came on for a new trial”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1862-12-05
December 16, 1862 – LDCN - “motion for a new trial . . . has been granted . . .”
1863
March 27, 1863 – LDCN – “May 25th, has been assigned for the trial . . .”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1862-12-16
May 15, 1863 – LDCN – “is to commence in Boston om Monday, the 25th inst.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1863-05-15
May 26, 1863 – LDCN – “CAPITAL TRIAL.”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1863-05-26
May 27, 1863 – BH – “the trial . . . is progressing slowly . . . “
Boston Herald 1863-05-27
May 28, 1863 – LDCN – “case was brought to a close”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1863-05-28
May 29, 1863 – LDCN – “given to the jury on Wednesday afternoon . . .”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1863-05-29
June 11, 1863 – LDCN – “doubtful whether an entirely unprejudiced jury can now be obtained . . . in the county . . .”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1863-06-11
October 28 1863 – LC – “ANNA DOWER NOT TO BE TRIED AGAIN.”
Lowell Courier 1863-10-28
October 30, 1863 – LDCN – “DISCHARGED”
Lowell Daily Citizen and News 1863-10-30
LDCN - Lowell Daily Citizen and News
LC - Lowell Courier
BH - Boston Herald
BP - Boston Post
BDHG - Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye Gazette (Iowa)
Edson Cemetery. Photo and gravesotne restoration by Walter Hickey
