The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-04-18
Alleged Murderer Of Livingston
County Now in JAIN.
He Shot and Killed Warren Wood.
ward Near Smithland, jan
uary 10. 1908.
SHOWED FIGHT WHEN CAUGHT

Jim Cowan, an alleged murderer
who has been at large since January
19, 1903, was brought through the
city this morning in custody of Off
GERS, en- route to Smithland, Living
ston county, where he will have to
answer to the charge of numbering
Warren Woodward, farmer, on the
farm of Dunn and Robertson below
Smithland.
Cowan lived on a shanty boat and
made his living by clearing land. He
has family of seven children, two
being blind and a third going blind.
He thought a great deal of them and
on the day preceding the killing
found two sons of Woodward fight
ing his two little girls. This started
the whole trouble and Cowan's story
of the killing, which he thinks was
justlhable, is as follows:
81 told Mrs. Woodward that this
was no way to raise children and
that l didn't like TO have her boys
fighting my children, especially my
girls. She did not like II and told
her husband, | SUPPOSED Sunday my
employer came to me and ordered
me to start work Monday and went
to Paducah after something we
needed. l had one of my boys with
me and walked the distance, taking
IL gauge shotgun with me for
hunting purposes. on my return |
encountered Woodward who was
loading a wagon of corn under the
river bank. He called TO me and
went to him. There was a big stick
lying within his grasp and when !
approached near enough, Woodward
grabbed the stick and made for me,
telling me he intended killing me.
Il started to hand my boy the gun
and take the stick away but he drew
a pistol on me and made for me.
did not relinquish hold of my gun
but drew II for defense. | do not
know that he tried to shoot but my
boy told me he snapped his pistol
once. Any way, | saw he intended
shooting, probably being mad over
what | said about the children's
fight, and taking aim at his shoulder
fired.
81 did not intend to kill him but
simply cripple him and prevent his
shooting me. AS | shot he ducked,
and the load of shot struck him
somewhere in the face. do not know
where. After that | naturally be-
came scared, took skiff, pulled
across the river and slept in a corn
crib that night. The following day
walked to Joppa, never avoiding
towns. and worked for several weeks
on the Quante farm at Joppa clear
ing timber. kept on down the river
and finally landed at Tiptonville,
Tenn, and while hunting ducks on
an island below Tiptonville Sunday
saw the officers and surrendered to
them"
Cowan was in charge of Deputy
Sheriff Finish Clark, of Fulton and
Marshal Sam Thurman, of Upton
Vile. and they arrived early this
morning with their prisoner. They
were forced to remain here several
hours waiting TOT BOAT anu cldlnl
that Cowan showed fight with the
gun, but that they overpowered him
and made him surrender.
Cowan claims that he did not
show fight but when he saw the men
wanted him, calmly handed over his
gun and came with them. His family
was living with him on a shanty
boat near Tiptonyille and are still
there.
The murder created much excite
ment at the time and Paducah Off
GERS were led many wild chases after
Cowan,
lie Is a rough man about A years
of age and has lived on the river all
his life He thinks he will get out
of the trouble II hecan secureseyeral
witnesses he wants.
There is a reward Of $500 out for
Cowan's arrest and the Tennessee
officers are going up to claim II.