Frank Cowan: The Saga of a Murderous Lunatic

          On 23 February 1901, the Cincinnati Enquirerpublished an article titled, “Turned a Crazy Man Free in the Streets.” The article (Fig. 1) read that Deputy Sheriff J. F. Mannering of Bell County, Kentucky, had been tasked with transporting Frank Cowan to the Eastern Kentucky Insane Asylum. Once Sheriff Mannering arrived, the article stated, he was told that the asylum was full and he would have to take Cowan to Frankfort for permission from a judge there to have Cowan committed to the Anchorage Asylum. According to the article, Mannering proclaimed he had completed his task as charged by the court and if the Eastern Kentucky Insane Asylum would not accept Cowan, he would be set free. The superintendent of the asylum insisted that the facility was full, so true to his word, Sheriff Mannering (also spelled Manning) set Cowan free. 

Fig 1: Article from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Saturday, 23 February 1901.

Who was Frank Cowan, and why had he been committed to an insane asylum? According to the 1900 federal census, Cowan was born in Kentucky in April of 1855. Cowan seemed to live a relatively simple life until 1881 when he first appeared in a Kentucky newspaper, the Interior Journal, on a bastardy charge (Fig. 2). He was able to post a bond of $450 dollars and was released, but the judge later found him guilty of the charge and ordered Cowan to pay around $150 in damages, court costs, and attorney’s fees.

Fig 2: Interior Journal article on Frank Cowan's bastardy charge,
26 August 1881.

The next article concerning Cowan is from the Courier-Journalof Louisville, Kentucky, 27 June 1899, stating that Cowan had previously been an inmate at the Lakeland Insane Asylum, but had escaped. The judge declared him sane, and the asylum officials discharged him. After his 1899 appearance in the newspaper, he appeared again in the opening 1901 Cincinnati Enquirer article. He continued on his path of self-destruction, making the news again in 1903. This time he was wanted for murder. In an article from the Paducah Sun, dated 20 January 1903, it was alleged that Frank Cowan shot and killed a man named Warren Woodward. The article stated that Cowan and Woodward were neighbors and hard argued several times within the week. Cowan confronted Woodward over Woodward’s children causing trouble, then shot him in the face with a shotgun. 

Cowan then went on the run leaving behind his wife, Carrie, and their children. On 16 February 1903, the Paducah Sunreported that Cowan’s wife and children had been left destitute because of his disappearance and were seeking aid from the City of Paducah. It is unclear what happened to Cowan as he never again appeared in the newspaper, however, the 1910 census (Fig. 3) lists Carrie Cowan as being a widow.

Fig 3: 1910 federal census listing Carrie Cowan as widowed "Wd".

Sources:

1900 US Federal Census. FamilySearch.org. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYHS-22Z?i=8&cc=1325221.

1910 US Federal Census. FamilySearch.org. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7- 9RJZ-9HF5?i=9&cc=1727033.

“A Cowardly Murder.” The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky), Jan. 20, 1903.

 “County Court – Bastardy Suit.” Interior Journal(Stanford, Kentucky), Sept. 9, 1881.

“Frank Cowen – A Sable Son-of-a-Gun.” Interior Journal(Stanford, Kentucky), Aug. 26, 1881.

“Now a Happy Family.” The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky), Feb. 16, 1903.

“Turned a Crazy Man Free in the Streets.” Cincinnati Enquirer(Cincinnati, Ohio), Feb. 23, 1901.