Barton County democrat., 1913-09-05
HALE cowLEY SUICIDES.
takes Life Rather Than Serve Out
Prison Sentence

residents Of this city, committed sui.
cioe at his home on Tuesday morn
ng Of this week, in preference to re-
turning to serve out his term in the
state penitentiary from which place
he had been paroled some months ago
and when the officers had come to
take him back to prison for violation
|of the chief provision of the parole.
An officer who was to take him back
to the prison was standing within a
Few feet Of him at the time he shot
himself, but it was done so quickly
that he was unable to prevent the
deed.
Mr.. Cowley was sent to the peni.
tentiary from this county in June,
1911, for embezzlement of s., 400
from Oscar Riegel, now living at Of
ferle, but at that time a resident Of
this county. Riegel had purchased
land near Offerle, and desired to
place mortgage on his farm in this
county in order to make the pay
ments on his western land. Cowley
acted as agent for the deal and Sc
cured a loan Of 5000 for Riegel on
the land, but Of this amount Riegel
only secured ;1,S00, Cowley appro-
priating the balance for his own use.
He was arrested on a charge Of en-
bezzlement, and was sentenced to
five years in the penitentiary, but
after serving a little over one year
was given parole, the principle pro-
vision Of which was that he was to
pay back the money to Riegel at
the rate Of $500 every six months,
and while he has been out of prison
for over one year, none Of the pay
ments had ever been made and per.
sons who were interested in the case
in this county and elsewhere had
written the parole board of the facts
in the case and had asked that the
parole be revoked, and it was this
action that resulted in Cowley's sui
eide Tuesday morning.
Officer Piburn arrived from Tope.
ka Monday evening, being sent BY
the parole board to take Cowley back
to prison, and Tuesday morning, in
company with Sheriff Brown, went
to the Cowley home about $3.50.
They knocked at the door and Cow.
ley came down stairs partially dress
ed. The officer explained his errand
stating that the parole board had or
dered him to come and take him
back to prison, and Cowley seeming
ly accepted the matter without feel
Ing Or emotion. He told the officers
that he would have to go UP stairs
and finish dressing and in company
with Officer Piburn went up to his
room and started to finish dressing.
He told the officer that it would be
necessary to get some clothes out Of
a closet in the room, and while the
officer stood near the door, Cowley
reached over behind the door and
siezed a single barerl shot gun that
stood there and placing the muzzle
against his body Just below the chest
pulled the trigger, the load passing
through the body and tearing a hole
in the chest and lungs almost as
large as a mans fist, death resulting |
instantly. tIi-i.Ati,,,
Mrs. Cowley was down stairs with
Sheriff Brown at the time and was
just telling him that she did not be-
lieve her husband could live If re.
turned to the penitentiary on account
of his health, when they heard the
shot and both knew at once that the !
prison doors would never again be
opened for Hale Cowley.
A physician was summoned at once
but the man was already dead, and
after hearing his report and that Of
the officers present, County Attor-
ney Russell, who had also been sum-
moned, decided that it would not be
necessary to hold a corOner's in
quest.
Hale Cowley was a remarkable
man in many ways. When he first
came to this city several years ago,
he engaged in the land and insurance
business and had the reputation Of
being one Of the very best statesmen
Of old line insurance to be found suy-
where. For several years he was the
leading salesman for his companies
in this state. and it is said that his
at times amounted to
more than one thousand dollars per
month. He was a fluent. earnest
talker in his line, made friends rap
idly and for several months afteI
coming here did an enormous busi-
ness in his line. People who knew
him trusted him implicitly and it was