The Big Story
Three Gold Coins Spell Death
by
This episode of The Big Story recounts the killing of Bernard “Fat” Cowen, who was found badly beaten beside an Oklahoma road in April 1948 and later died in hospital. Oscar Brown and John Cox confessed to the crime. Their account described a day of drinking, arguments, and threats as the three men traveled together in Cowen’s car.
After Cowen stopped to sleep by the roadside, Brown beat him with a wrench, and the two men drove away. Police alerts and eyewitness accounts helped investigators track down Brown and Cox. Although Cowen had money and counterfeit Mexican coins, the account presents the killing as rooted chiefly in the threats and fear the men described. Brown and Cox received ten-year sentences.
The story is associated with Tulsa Tribune reporter Nolen Bulloch, whose career included reporting on crime and political corruption in Oklahoma. The episode brings together a reported case and the work of a journalist known for pursuing difficult, sometimes dangerous investigations.
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.
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