On a warm summer evening in Winfield, Kansas, the community gathered for a concert by W.H. Caman's military band at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Main Street. Among the large crowd on August 13, 1903, was a 55-year-old White/Caucasian male named William F. "Bog" Bowman. The pleasant atmosphere of the open-air concert was shattered at about 9:00 p.m. when a barrage of gunfire erupted from a nearby alley.
Hidden behind the Odd Fellows building, a 35-year-old man named Gilbert A.
Twigg had positioned himself with a double-barreled shotgun and began firing indiscriminately into the crowd of thousands. Panic and chaos ensued as the festive scene turned into one of horror. William F. "Bog" Bowman was struck by the gunfire and was one of six individuals who died at the scene or shortly thereafter. In total, the tragic event would claim the lives of nine innocent people and injure at least 25 others.
The suspect in this deadly assault was Gilbert A. Twigg, an Army veteran and a former employee of Baden Mills who was known locally as "Crazy Twigg". After firing into the crowd, Twigg was confronted by two men from the concert who entered the alley to disarm him. Before they could reach him, Twigg used a revolver to take his own life. Consequently, no arrest was made in connection with the death of William F. "Bog" Bowman and the other victims, as the perpetrator died at the scene.
In the aftermath, police discovered letters in Twigg's boarding room that offered a glimpse into his motives. The writings expressed his disappointment over a past failed romance and a desire for revenge against the residents of Winfield, who he felt had ostracized him and meddled in his personal affairs. The tragic event, which cut short the life of William F. "Bog" Bowman and many others, has been described as a precursor to modern mass shootings.
