In the quiet town of Hutchinson, Kansas, the evening of December 11, 1910, was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of 50-year-old Deputy Sheriff Thomas Simpson Fowler. A married merchant and respected lawman, Fowler was assisting the local police department in a stakeout. The focus of their surveillance was a cache of burglary tools, strategically hidden and awaiting the return of their owner.
The authorities hoped to apprehend the individuals planning to use them, with a local bank being the suspected target.
As darkness settled, a man named Henry Bowers returned to retrieve the tools. Deputy Fowler, ever vigilant, promptly moved in and placed Bowers under arrest. While escorting the suspect to the jail, an attempt at bribery was made by Bowers, which Fowler staunchly refused. It was then that the situation took a fatal turn. Bowers produced a concealed pistol and fired a warning shot. In the ensuing struggle, as Fowler reached for his own weapon, Bowers shot him. The wound proved to be fatal for the dedicated officer.
The search for Henry Bowers concluded in April of the following year when he was apprehended in Ottawa, Kansas. Brought to justice for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Fowler, Bowers was convicted and handed a sentence of life in prison. His violent tendencies appeared to follow him behind bars, as on July 11, 1916, he was stabbed by a fellow inmate. Despite initial beliefs that he would not survive the attack, Bowers ultimately recovered from his injuries after a six-week hospitalization.
