The Bob McCowan Scandal
1929 McCowan scandal
William and his wife Annie had entrusted solicitor and popular former sportsman, Robert (Bob) McCowan to invest money on their behalf and that of the Dohertys' estate. Unfortunately, McCowan was addicted to gambling and his debts mounted. For years he embezzled money from the Browns, Dohertys and others to pay the bookmakers. McCowan's embezzlement was uncovered late in 1929, soon after William Brown became the licencee of the Melbourne Hotel.
William and his wife Annie had entrusted solicitor and popular former sportsman, Robert (Bob) McCowan to invest money on their behalf and that of the Dohertys' estate. Unfortunately, McCowan was addicted to gambling and his debts mounted. For years he embezzled money from the Browns, Dohertys and others to pay the bookmakers. McCowan's embezzlement was uncovered late in 1929, soon after William Brown became the licencee of the Melbourne Hotel.
Feb 1930 McCowan court appearance
21 Feb 1930 Brisbane Courier
FURTHER COUNTS - McCOWAN CASE. ALLEGED ADMISSIONS.
Two additional charges, involving thousands of pounds, were preferred against Robert McCowan (54), solicitor, before Mr. W. E. Ferguson, P.M., in the Police Court yesterday. They were:
That, between June 14, 1928, and December 17, 1929, defendant, being one of the trustees of certain moneys in the estate of Margaret Doherty, deceased, amounting to £3150/9/9, for the benefit of Annie Brown and Francis William Doherty Brown, converted such moneys to a use not authorized by the trust upon which he held the sum.
That, between November 10, 1923, and August 5, 1927, at Brisbane, defendant, being a servant of Annie Brown, stole the sum of £2220/6/11, which had come into his possession on account of Annie Brown, as sole executrix and trustee of the will of Francis Doherty, deceased.
21 Feb 1930 Brisbane Courier
FURTHER COUNTS - McCOWAN CASE. ALLEGED ADMISSIONS.
Two additional charges, involving thousands of pounds, were preferred against Robert McCowan (54), solicitor, before Mr. W. E. Ferguson, P.M., in the Police Court yesterday. They were:
That, between June 14, 1928, and December 17, 1929, defendant, being one of the trustees of certain moneys in the estate of Margaret Doherty, deceased, amounting to £3150/9/9, for the benefit of Annie Brown and Francis William Doherty Brown, converted such moneys to a use not authorized by the trust upon which he held the sum.
That, between November 10, 1923, and August 5, 1927, at Brisbane, defendant, being a servant of Annie Brown, stole the sum of £2220/6/11, which had come into his possession on account of Annie Brown, as sole executrix and trustee of the will of Francis Doherty, deceased.
Dec 1929 Stradbroke Island chase Arrested and remanded on bail to appear in court, McCowan was found hiding on Stradbroke Island: 26 Dec 1929 Brisbane Courier McCOWAN CASE. BAIL ESTREATED. RE-ARREST ON STRADBROKE ISLAND. Robert McCowan (54), solicitor, who did not appear in the Police Court on Tuesday, to which date he had been remanded on bail, and for whose arrest a warrant was issued, was found by the police in an exhausted state at a fisherman's camp at Point Lookout, Stradbroke Island, about 11 o'clock on Tuesday night. Mr Cowan, who was arrested at a farmhouse on Currumbin Creek, appeared in the Police Court on December 17 charged with having, on November 8 1926, at Brisbane, stolen £700/16/-, the property of William Joseph Brown. He was remanded until Tuesday, and was allowed bail in £700 and two sureties of £350 each. On Tuesday Detective Sergeant Henderson gave evidence that, after the Police Court proceedings, McCowan appeared before Mr J O’Connell, JP and signed his own bond, and Stanley Chapman and Edward John Holmes signed as sureties for his appearance. Sub-inspector Lipp asked that a warrant be issued for defendant's arrest and that his bail and that of his sureties be estreated. Mr W E H Ferguson, PM, complied with the request. The following charge was also entered in the Bench book against McCowan: That between October 17 and December 17, 1929 at Brisbane he stole £3112/2/5, the property of Elizabeth Ann Beatty. |
The hearing of both charges was adjourned
POLICE SEARCH. Receiving information that McCowan went from Cleveland to Dunwich about 10 a.m. on Tuesday the Criminal Investigation Branch organised a boat party, comprising Detective W. J. Laing and Sergeant S. Tuesley and Constables G. Young and T. Johnstone, of the Water Police, to search the coast of Stradbroke Island, and arranged for Constable O'Donnell, who was temporarily stationed at Dunwich for the holiday period, and others to make a search on the island. McCowan is reported to have spoken to a number of people at Dunwich, making no attempt to hide his identity, before walking to Amity Point, where he called at a house for a meal. He then walked 20 miles barefooted to Point Lookout, where he was found by Constable O'Donnell's party at 11 p.m. in an exhausted condition at a fisherman's camp, his feet being severely blistered. The police party camped at Point Lookout. McCowan was taken on board the police launch at Amity Point yesterday morning and was brought to Brisbane. McCowan will appear in the Police Court this morning, when an additional charge of absconding from bail will be preferred against him.
Comment
The newspaper report conjures up a comic Keystone Cops scene with McCowan racing over sandhills in a vain attempt to escape the police. Interestingly, one pursuer was Sgt S. Tuesley - was he a relation of Alfred Tuesley who McCowan successfully defended in 1913?
Comment
Despite the McCowan embezzlement and the loss of a small fortune, William and Annie Brown continued to prosper in the hotel trade through the Depression of the 1930s. William, due to ill-health, retired from running the Melbourne Hotel around 1935, leaving Annie in charge.
Bob McCowan was found guilty on 7 charges:
SOLICITOR McCOWAN SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS.
Mr. Justice Macrossan inflicted a heavy sentence on Robert McCowan, Solicitor, who pleaded guilty to charges involving the theft of £15,516. On seven charges he was sentenced to 7 years each, five being concurrent and two cumulative, making the total sentence to be served fourteen years, but to be released in ten years if of good behaviour.
THE SENTENCE. His Honour then said: The sentence of the court was:
(1) For stealing £3122/2/5. the property of Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Beatty, imprisonment with hard labour for seven years.
(2) For stealing £1000, the property of Joseph Thomas Tucker, imprisonment with hard labour for seven years.
(3) For stealing £500, the property of Mrs. Alison Helen Venner Bruce, imprisonment with hard labour for seven years.
(4) For stealing £3150, the property of Margaret Dogherty, deceased, imprisonment with hard labour for seven years.
(5) For stealing £721, the property of Edward Thomas Hicks and another, as trustees in the estate of the late Edward Hicks, imprisonment with hard labour for seven years.
These five sentences were made concurrent.
(6) For stealing £4,532/16/3, the property of William Joseph Brown, imprisonment with hard labour for seven years.
(7) For stealing £2503, the property of Annie Brown, imprisonment with hard labour for seven years.
These two sentences were made concurrent.
His Honour, said the crimes were the most despicable, branding the prisoner as utterly despicable and unscrupulous. There was not one redeeming feature in the case.
What became of Bob McCowan? Released from gaol around 1938, Bob died of a heart attack 3 years later in a Tweed Heads hotel.
In 1904 McCowan had married socialite Kitty Perry, from the very wealthy Perry family. She passed away in 1935, while still residing at a fashionable Brisbane address, three years before Bob's release. It is surprising the Perry family did not pay his debts and circumvent the scandal. Perhaps Bob was beyond redemption? The scandal certainly destroyed him totally.