The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-25
OGDEN.
FRIDAY,
Is IT A CRIME?
Dick COwley Burnt in the Grant Avenue Fire
Under Suspicious Circumstances.

Dick Cowley Burnt in the Grant Avenue Fire
Under Suspicious Circumstances.
The fire which destroyed the Grant
avenue lodging house at an early hour yes
terday morning devoured with it also HUI
man life. About o'clock, while the build
ing was yet burning and the tiremen were
pouring streams of water onto it, it was
discovered that one of the dodgers, Dick
Cowley, a Union Pacific brakeman, was
missing, and after diligent search for him
through the city the conclusion wss
reached that he must be somewhere among
the ruins. Cowley occupied a room in the
upper story of the building. A part of
the floor in the locality of the room
used by Cowley yet remained and Chief
Rhodes assembled them, but was unable TO
discover anything. In the meantime a
number Of volunteers cleared the debris
from the main building. Nobody was
found there and again a search was made
on the floor above, which in a few moments
resulted in the finding of Cowley burned
TO a crisp. He was lying with his face
down and his legs were burned entirely of
to the knees, his hands partially gone. 1t
was horrible sight to behold. The body
was completely cooked and his face was
unrecogniZable. The remains were then
wrapped in a sheet and taken to Richey
Bros undertaking establishment and Cor
oner Allen summoned. Cowley had received
his pay the day before and had been drink
ing to excess. He became so much intoxi-
Gated that between IL and II o'clock ne
was put to bed by some of his friends. 1t
is believed by some that in his inebriate
condition he upset a lamp which caused
the fire. This, however, was contra
dicted in the coroner's examina-
ton which began at 1870 o'clock
at the morgue, with A. L. Koch, George L.
Corey, ir., and Walter Holbrook as jurors.
The progress of the examination revealed
the fact that the whole affair Is shrouded
in mystery, and II is believed that there
has been foul play, and that the building
was fired to cover up u heinous crime.
Whether or not that is the case is yet to be
proven, but the matter is being thoroughly
investigated, and the parties suspected are
within reach of the law, and should they
attempuIt, they could not escape.
The evidence brought out pointed sc
strongly TO certain parties connected with
the affair that Gn adjournment was taken
at IL 80 o'clock till = o'clock p. m, in order
that the jury might be able to secure fur
Their evidence.
The body OF Cowley was found in spot
where the roof above him was intact, and
wac lying in the corner of two brick walls.
where no falling Limbers could reach him
An examination of the body was made by
DR.. Conioy. on orders from the coroner.
The doctor testified that the body
was badly burned and charred,
and on examining it closely he found
that the left side and back of the
skull were broken in, as if by some force,
but what that force was of course he was
unable to say. The occipital bone was en-
tirely gone and the temporal bone was per-
fectly sound. The cerrebelum was found
10 be oozing out in about half fried condi-
ton. One fact that made it evident that
the skull had been crushed was that the
remaining portions of the skull were not
charred, but perfectly sound.
A number of witnesses testified, and the
hearing was continued until 9 o'clock this
morning. When last seea by his friends
Cowley had considerable money on his per
son, which puts peculiar hue to the cir
cumstances. Couley was a member oil
Pulpit Rock lodge No. a, of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen, of Evanston
His life was insured for 900 ii thai
order. made payable to a sister residing in
Albany, n. Y. j. 5. Hogan and j. S. Cares
well, members Of Pulpit Rock lodge, ar
rived in the city yesterday afternoon anC
viii accompany the remains east if SO or
dered by his sister.
The lodging house was operated by A G.
West, and was insured for So. 600. But lit
tie Of the contents Of the building was