Beckham County, OK - Deaths: John Cowan, 1923
Monday, 17 Dec 2007
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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COWAN, JOHN
(22 Nov 1923, Thursday, Elk City News Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
CHICKEN RAID AT IOWA PARK ENDS IN TRAGEDY.
Whether joy-riding and only intent on securing two or three chickens for a
chicken roast, or whether bent on stealing chickens for profit matters
little to those who attempted to raid the hen house of Albert Johnson
Saturday night.  One of the party is dead, one is in the hospital badly
wounded and facing trail when he is well, three others under arrest
charged with assault to murder, and five women and girls of the party are
involved in an escapade that they would give much to never have happened.
Last Saturday night at a short time before 11 o'clock, dogs belonging to
H. B. Fields chased some one away from his chicken house and they ran to a
car and headed in the direction of the home of Alfred (sic) Johnson.  Mr.
Fields called up Mr. Johnson over the phone and told him of the occurance
and that the party was headed his way.  Mr. Johnson took his shot gun and
went out where he could guard his chicken house.
He had waited but a short time when the car stopped.  Mr. Johnson says
that four men got out of the car and came toward the place where he was
standing partly concealed in the shadow.  The men had guns in their hands.
 Suddenly they stopped and Mr. Johnson thinking he was seen and that they
were preparing to shoot fired and one or more of the men returned fire. 
According to Mr. Johnson fifteen or twenty shots were fired none of the
shots finding their mark.
Mr. Johnson had a double-barreled shot gun and used No. 2 shot.  He states
that after the firing the men ran back to the car.  He phoned to the city
for officers and Marshal Hemp Love and Constable Turkett responded, going
out there immediately.
When the men ran back toward the car, Mr. Johnson thought all had gone,
but after phoning the officers he heard the groans of one John Cowan, who
afterwards died of his wounds.  Johnson was afraid that the groans might
be a ruse to entice him from cover and did not go out where the man lay
until the arrival of Love and Trukett.
When the officers arrived they found Cowan badly wounded and at once
started with him for Iowa Park where his wounds were given attention and
he was hurried to the General hospital at Wichita Falls, where he died
Sunday night.
About the time the officers started for Iowa Park with the wounded man his
mother arrived on the scene from her home whither the party who had
escaped in the car fled and had informed her as to what had occurred.  She
at once started for the place where her boy had been left accompanied by
her daughter and son in law and Miss Minnie Mann, one of the party who had
been brought back to show where the tragedy occurred.  She told Mr.
Johnson that the crowd told her that they were going out to have a chicken
roast and they intended to take the chickens from some farmers chicken
house.  She said that she had begged her son not to do so as it was a
dangerous thing.
Miss Mann gave the officers the names of those in the party and told where
they might be found and Sunday morning they were all arrested by Sheriff
Murphy.  All except Hub Lay were placed in jail at the county seat.  Lay
who was badly wounded was taken to the hospital.
The net results of the affair were John Cowan of Clare, dead; Hub Lay of
Wichita Falls, badly wounded; but not fatally, under arrest; Tom Ashley
and Barney Sims of Wichita Falls; Mrs. Tom Ashley and Miss Octavia Baker
held under $500 bonds each as material witnesses.  Miss Minnie Mann, who
told officers all that she could of the matter permitted to return to her
home east of Burkburnett.  The men are held under charges of assault to
kill.
Mr. Johnson informed the Promotor reporter that not a word was spoken,
either before, during or after the shooting - that they sighted each other
and commenced to shoot.
Poultry raisers in the vicinity of Iowa Park have suffered greatly from
depredations of chicken thieves, Mr. Johnson alone having lost over 300
chickens in this way.  It was for that reason that he and his neighbors
were on the watch for anyone who might have designs against their poultry.
 - Iowa Park Promotor.

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