The herald., 1898-09-22
WASTED HIS LIFE
THE PREY OF A NOTORIOUS COL
oRED ADVENTURES
w. n. Cowan, Veteran of the British
and United States Armies Comes
to a Miserable End

| Despoied of practically his last dollar by
a notorious negress of the town, w. II.
Cowan, a former soldier in the United
States army, blew out his brains yesterday
afternoon. Cowan had been rooming at
the Miller house on East Second street since
last March and was a familiar figure
about the place. He was in the office for
short time in the afternoon and then went
out on the rear porch and sat down. How
long he remained there j. w. Young, the
clerk does not remember, but when a pis-
toll shot was heard Young hurried back and
discovered Cowan with the blood and
brains oozing from a hole in the forehead
between the eyes and a smoking pistol
grasped in his right hand. Cowan had
turned the chair upside down and proppins
himself between the rounds. had placed the
muzzle of the revolver against his fore
head and pulled the trigger. He was still
breathing when found. The patrol wagon
was sent for and conveyed him to the re-
ceiving hospital. Wheai DIR. Hagan exam
ined the man he found that the bullet had
penetrated the skull and passed into the
brain The wound was bandaged, but the
man died within two hours.
Cowan had served In the British army in
New Zealand about twenty-eight years ago.
After his service had expired he came to
America and enlisted in the United States
army. being assigned to the ordnance corps,
and serving ut Benca for twenty-five
years consecutively. After he left the army
he went to the Soldiers home at Washing
ton, D. c., but soon left there and came
west. A year ago he went to the Miller
house and had $4,000 or more in cash. After
he ha Zealand
dispose of some land He returned last
March and had considerable money IN the
bank proba bly, $4,000
Some months ago Cowan became nc
ouainted with Belle Williams, notorious
colored woman of the town and proceeded
to lavish on her the remainder of his cash.
He caused her to take cottage on San
Pedro street. located in convenient proxim-
ity to his roomirg place. In addition to
having for her establishment, he made her
frequent presents of diamond earrings,
other iewelry. dresses and cash. It was
only four weeks ago that he gave her $500
in money. Soon the fact that the woman
had "rich old guy on the string" became
generally known among her ncquantances
while his friends also learned of his atteE-
lions to the negress. A short time ago the
woman LOOK q cottage at 400 tpiIlllltItlii
street and there Cowan visited her fire.
quently. on Monday, so the Williams wo-
man asserted she discovered Cowan with a
revolver In his hand, and on inquiring
what he intended to do with the weapon, he
informed her that he proposed to Kill a mar
who owed him money. She advised him not
TO be so rash and he allowed her to take
care of the weapon Yesterday morning
she allowed him to take his pistol when he
called early in the day. He complained Of
feeling badly and she suggested that she
prepare some soup. He said he would re-
turn for the soup, but finally remarked that
she need not fix It, He borrowed 10 cents
from her for some purpose.
The fact that he had been reduced to tho
xtremity Of borrowing such petty sums
from the woman on whom he had wasted
ractically all OF his cash indicates how
low his finances had fallen. Cowar had
also been drinking heavily during the last
two weeks past. The Williams woman
claimed that the hotel people had been in
trusted with several hundred dollars by
Cowan but this was denied by Young
There appears to have been some discrep-
nncy about the dead mans name. At the
lodging house he was known as w. II.
Cowan. but the Williams woman knew him
as Dave Cowan.