Ulman Owens (1878 - March 11, 1931) was an American

lighthouse keeper A lighthouse keeper or lightkeeper is a person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Lighthouse keepers were sometimes referred to as ...

. He is chiefly remembered today for the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. Owens became a lighthouse keeper in 1911, and served much of his career at the Holland Island Bar Light; little else is known of his life.

Early life

Ulman Owens was born as "Royal Ulman Owens" in Somerset County, Maryland on April 24, 1878. He was the oldest son of Samuel J. & Priscilla (née White) Owens. He married twice, both in Somerset County: 1) Ella Harding in 1899. They had two children: Mildred G. Owens (b. 1901) and Sicci G. Owens (b. 1904). Ella died on May 10, 1908. 2) Lucy H. Bounds on May 19, 1909. They had two children: Murdice L. Owens (b. 1914) and Ella O. Owens (b. 1916). Lucy died on June 29, 1923. He was raised as a waterman until joining the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1911.

Death

On March 11, 1931, Henry Sterling, keeper of the

Solomons Lump Light Solomons Lump Light is a lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay, the abbreviated remains of a caisson light built in 1895. That structure replaced a screw-pile light built on the same spot in 1875, which in turn superseded the Fog Point Light. Hist ...

, noticed that the light at Holland Island Bar was not lit. Having no radio, he had to wait until he was able to flag down a passing ship for help. Sterling eventually attracted the attention of the crew of the ''Winnie and Estelle'', whose

first mate A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...

, H. J. Garner, agreed to go out to the lighthouse and investigate. Garner was soon joined by oyster boat captain John Tawes Tyler; together, the two men soon reached the lighthouse. They were met with a horrible scene. Owens lay dead in the kitchen, which was in disarray; it appeared that there had been some sort of fight. Blood stains were in evidence all around the room, and there was a bloody

butcher's knife A butcher knife or butcher's knife is a knife designed and used primarily for the butchering or dressing of animal carcasses. Use Today, the butcher knife is used throughout the world in the meat processing trade. The heftier blade works well f ...

near the body. The dead man, however, bore evidence only of scraping and bruising, with no gunshot or stab wounds visible.

Investigation

Investigators found that Owens had been unwell in the days before his death. The

inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coro ...

ruled that the keeper had suffered some sort of fit, which killed him. However, on the night of the murder, a local captain saw a vessel cruising without running lights; presumably, this was some sort of rum runner. The boat's wake led directly back to the lighthouse. A later

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

complicated matters still further, revealing that Owens had suffered a cracked skull. And a federal agent would later testify that he overheard a suspected rum runner, Guy Parkhurst, say, "There go the rats that turned us in. Well, the lighthouse keeper got in the headlines. We did that. What these rats get will be worse." Owens was also a known

womanizer Womanizer may refer to: * "Womanizer" (term), a promiscuous heterosexual man * "Womanizer" (song), a 2008 song by Britney Spears * "Womanizer", a 1977 song by Blood, Sweat & Tears from '' Brand New Day'' * ''Womanizer'', a 2004 album by Absolute ...

, who counted among his lovers two women who had left their husbands. Some felt that one of these jilted men may have killed the keeper. In the event, the autopsy revealed an

enlarged heart Cardiomegaly (sometimes megacardia or megalocardia) is a medical condition in which the heart is enlarged. As such, it is more commonly referred to simply as "having an enlarged heart". It is usually the result of underlying conditions that make t ...

, suggesting that Owens had suffered from

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

. The verdict of natural causes stood, and the case was closed.

External links

History of the station, including an account of Owens' murder
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owens, Ulman 1878 births 1931 deaths United States Lighthouse Service personnel People from Somerset County, Maryland