J. Walton Bowman prominent businessman and sportsman of Williamsport died suddenly of a heart attack about 5:30 o’clock last night while driving his automobile towards the city on the Montoursville Road. He was returning from a trip to Wilkes-Barre when his automobile skidded across the highway and into an embankment.

It is believed the shock of the accident and the exertion of shoveling snow from around the car brought about the heart attack that proved fatal.

Mr. Bowman had been prominent in business circles all of his life. He was vice president of the Bowman Lumber Company, which his father, Benjamin founded, and secretary-treasurer of the Bowman Land Company.

His greatest prominence was as the president of the Williamsport Baseball Club, and as organizer and treasurer of the Imperial Teteques Band. He was one of the original “triple tongue cornet quartet.”

Word of his death swept Williamsport quickly. Many calls were received at this newspaper’s office and by close friends of the family.

It was as a baseball enthusiast that Bowman was best known. In fact, Williamsport’s place in baseball since the early part of the present century, is due in large part to the interest and support of Bowman and his older brother, Francis.

When the Tri-State League became popular in the early years of the century, it was the financial support of the two Bowman brothers that was largely instrumental in placing in Williamsport one of the best teams outside major league baseball.

With organization of the present New York-Pennsylvania League in 1923, J. Walton Bowman and Thomas Gray, were largely responsible for getting Williamsport a berth in the new circuit.

Bowman Field, present home of the Williamsport Grays in Memorial Park, was named for Bowman in 1929.

J. Walton Bowman also had the distinction of owning the first automobile in Williamsport.