The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-05-19
NEGRO FOUND
WITH BULLET
THRU HEART
George ID. Peters Finds Dead
Body of His COlored Man on
Kitchen Floor
JURY VERDICT is A SUICIDE
Had Been on Same Job for Eleven
Years and Was Apparently
Well Contented

Charles Cowan, Kennewick's only
negro resident, was found dead with
a bullet hole through his heart at his
home on the Highlands Wednesday
morning. At coroner's inquest held
before Justice C. Staser, Wednesday
afternoon, jury returned a verdict
to the effect that Cowan came to his
death by suicide.
Cowan's body was found by Geo. ID.
Peters, by whom he was employed.
When Mr.. Peters went to his place
Wednesday morning he found the col
ored mans shack locked. Thinking he
might be i'll he forced an entrance
and found the negro's body lying on
the kitchen floor and 32-calibre re-
volver by his side. He Immediately
summoned Undertaken I. N. Mueller
and Chief Of Police Jack Dale who
carefully examined the premises be-
fore removing the body. There is no
doubt in their minds but that Cowan
took his own life.
The house in which the negro lived
was of two rooms with a screened
porch the full length Of the front with
no door between the rooms. The
screen door to the porch was hooked
on the inside, all of the house doors
Were locked and the keys were found
in the dead mans pocket. The gun
was positively identified as Cowan's.
The holster was found on a chair in
the bed room and window between
that room and the kitchen was open.
A track on the kitchen table from
which lamp chimney had been over
turned indicated that Cowan had TAX
en- the gun from its holster in the bed
room and then crawled through the
window into the kitchen where the
deed was committed.
The body was lying on its back near
the stove and there Were no evidences
of a struggle. The bullet which was
fired into the left breast penetrated the
heart and ranged downward and came
out in the back. 1t was found inside
the mans shirt. The theory is that
the man was sitting or crouching on
the floor when the shot was fired.
The negro was dressed in his work
clothes and the indications are that he
took his life soon after he came to the
house from the orchard where he had
been irrigating during the day. Un-
dertaker Mueller says the man had
been dead about twelve hours and r.
L. Nelson, neighbor, says he heard
shot about seven o'clock Tuesday
evening.
The dead mans watch and some
money was found under the pillow
and his bank books, his purse. contain
ing money and other articles of value
We're found in their accustomed places
in the house.
Cowan possessed the characteristic
good nature of his race, was apparent
ly well contented with his surround
ings and it is difficult to assign mo-
tive for his rash act. Mr.. Peters did
not see the colored man Tuesday, but
A. w. Graham, who was irrigating
his orchard nearby, visited with him
during the day. Mr.. Graham says he
was apparently in good spirits.
Cowan was brought here from Vir-
ginia, eleven years ago by Mr.. Peters
and has been in his employ continu-
ously since that time. He was a
steady, faithful and efficient worker
and enjoyed the respect not only of
his employer, but of all the people
who knew him.
Short funeral services We're conduct
ed this afternoon at the Mueller par
lofs by Rey. ]. c. Strevey of the M.
E. church. The services Were attend
ed by number of colored people of
pasco. -#