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Description:
In April 1980 an unidentified body is found on a deserted beach, but
the mystery is just beginning. Who was he, and where did he come from?
Stephanie
McCann, a 22yo
reporter with The Weekly Islander, is told the story of the Colorado
Kid by old timers Dave Bowie and Vince Teague. Their story is full of
intrigue, but fails to answer the simple questions - why was he on the
island, how did he get there from Colorado so quick, and how did he die?
Published:
October 2005
Dedication:
With admiration, for DAN J.
MARLOWE, author of The Name of the Game is Death: Hardest of the
hardboiled. Characters:
| ?,
Rick |
Boyfriend of Stephanie McCann |
| Alger, Horatio |
Paul Devane was called a "little sip of Horatio Alger" |
| Arnault, Nancy |
With her boyfriend Johnny Gravlin when they found the
Colorado Kid dead April 1980 on Hammock Beach |
| Bin Laden, Osama |
Mentioned in passing |
| Blakee, William |
Tashmore Methodist Church pastor in 1980, and attended the
Tashmore
Lake Church Picnic in 1990. He had previously had an affair with Rhoda
Parks, but had ended the relationship. Died after drinking the poisoned
iced coffee |
| Bond, James |
Mentioned in passing |
| Bowie, Dave |
65 year old managing editor for "The Weekly Islander". 35
pounds
overweight. Worked for the paper for about 40 years. He helped tell
Stephanie McCann the story of the Colorado Kid |
| Carvey, Abe |
Worked at the Tinnock Funeral Home. Embalmed the body of the
Colorado Kid |
| Cat Stephens |
Singer thought of by Stephanie McCann |
| Cathcart, ? |
County medical examiner in Tinnock that did the autopsy on
the Colorado Kid. Died of a heart attack in 1998 or 1999 |
| Christie, Agatha |
Author mentioned |
| Cogan, Arla |
Wife of James Cogan and mother of Michael. She rang Dave
Bowie in
October 1981 after seeing a picture of James in the paper. Chubby
redhead with freckles |
| Cogan, James (Colorado Kid) |
Found dead by Johnny Gravlin & Nancy Arnault on 24
April 1980
on Hammock Beach. He was from Nederland, west of Boulder, Colorado. 42
years old, blond. Worked as a commercial artist for Mountain Outlook
Advertising, he went out for a coffee 23 April, 1980 and never
returned. Buried in the Tinnock funeral home crypt at Seaview Cemetery
before his identity was found |
| Cogan, Michael |
Son of Arla and James Cogan. 6 months old when his father
disappeared |
| Devane, Paul |
23 year old graduate that worked with Dr Cathcart. Used
mainly to
fetch useless things, and became disillusioned with the job. When he
left he went back to study to be a lawyer. He noticed the stamp on the
bottom of the cigarettes that were on the Colorado Kid, which was
eventually used to help track his identity down. |
| Dunwoodie, Ellen |
Woman who's car parkbrake failed and it crashed into a fire
hydrant
on beach lane. Contacted the paper to tell her story while it was fresh
in her mind |
| Edwick, ? |
5 unnamed children of Gard Edwick |
| Edwick, Gard |
Ferryman in April 1980 when James Cogan, the Colorado Kid,
went
across the ferry. He was sacked in 1985 for drinking, and then drove a
snowplough. Soon after he crashed the snowplough into a power pole,
knocking the lights out for a week in February, and was sacked and left
the area |
| Edwick, Mrs |
Wife of Gard Edwick |
| Ferguson, Ella |
One of the only 2 survivors of the Tashmore Lake Church
Picnic in
1990, along with Clayton Riggs. She drunk the poisoned iced coffee, but
did not die. Interviewed about once a year about the story |
| Ford, John |
Mentioned in passing |
| Gernerd, ? |
5 unnamed children of Sam Gernerd |
| Gernerd, Mrs |
Wife of Sam Gernerd |
| Gernerd, Sam |
Owner of the Gernerd farm |
| God |
Mentioned in passing |
| Gosslin, Herbie |
Ferryman mentioned |
| Gravlin, Johnny |
With his girlfriend Nancy Arnault, when they found the
Colorado Kid
dead April 1980 on Hammock Beach. In 2005 he is the Moose-Lookit Island
mayor. Had buck teeth as a child, but had them fixed, and now sports a
flashy gold tooth |
| Hafner, ? |
2 unknown children of Helen Hafner |
| Hafner, Helen |
Waitress at The Grey Gull. 40 years old and single mother of
3 children. She was given $40 of Hanratty's money as a tip |
| Hafner, Jude |
Child of Helen Hafner. Fell from a tree a week earlier and
broke his arm |
| Hafner, Mr |
Ex-Husband of Helen Hafner. He left her |
| Hanratty, ? |
Feature writer from the Boston Globe. He spoke with Vince
Teague
and Dave Bowie about mysteries in the area while at lunch, then left
after paying $100 for the lunch. $40 of it was put into the pocket of
Helen Hafner |
| Harrington, Jack |
Father of Maisie |
| Harrington, Maisie |
Lived beside an airstrip on the coast. She was asked about
air
traffic in April 1980, but said no plane had landed there at
all. |
| Haverty, ? |
Founding partner at Mountain Outlook Advertising. He was
retiring in May 1980 and there was a party for him planned |
| Holmes, Sherlock |
Detective mentioned |
| Hood, Robin |
Mentioned by Dave Bowie |
| Jesus |
Mentioned in passing |
| Jonna Jaye and the Strawhill Boys |
Played at the the annual end-of-summer Gernerd Farm's picnic |
| Lagasse, Marcy |
Ferryman mentioned |
| Lansbury, Angela |
Actress from "Murder, She Wrote" |
| Lester, ? |
Young boy waiting for a kidney transplant |
| Little Red Riding Hood |
Children's story character mentioned |
| Marple, Jane |
Mentioned in passing |
| Mary |
The Virgin Mary, mentioned |
| Mays, Willie |
Mentioned in passing |
| McCann, Mrs |
Mother of Stephanie McCann |
| McCann, Stephanie |
22 Year old writer at "The Weekly Islander", she prefers
writing
her stories onto Yellow Legal pads rather than into a computer. Hired
from the university, she is 3 months into a 4 month Internship, and
stay on Moose-Lookit Island and is told the story of the Colorado Kid
by Vince Teague and Dave Bowie |
| Millay, Edna St. Vincent |
Poet mentioned by Dave Bowie |
| Moody, Jack |
Owner of The Grey Gull |
| Morrison, ? |
Detective that attended the scene after the body of the
Colorado Kid was found |
| Murray, ? |
Worked at the Attorney Generals office and spoken to by Dave
Bowie
regarding the evidence found on the Colorado Kid's body. He told Dave
that it was a Colorado sticker on the base of the cigarettes |
| Oakley, Annie |
Sharpshooter mentioned |
| Olson, Jimmy |
Mentioned in passing |
| Oscar the Grouch |
Mentioned in passing |
| O'Shanny, ? |
Detective that attended the scene after the body of the
Colorado Kid was found |
| Parks, Rhoda |
At the Tashmore Lake Church Picnic in 1990. She had
previously had
an affair with the Tashmore Methodist Church pastor William Blakee, and
was upset that he had ended the relationship. Died after drinking the
poisoned iced coffee. |
| Pinder, Mrs |
Part-time secretary for "The Weekly Islander" |
| Poe, Edgar Allan |
Poet mentioned |
| Queen, Ellery |
author mentioned by George Wournos |
| Rankin (Or Franklin), George |
Artist who worked with James Cogan on the Chevrolet account
at
Mountain Outlook Advertising. Spoke to James just before he
disappeared |
| Riggs, Clayton |
One of the only 2 survivors of the Tashmore Lake Church
Picnic in
1990, along with Ella Ferguson. He drunk the poisoned iced coffee, but
did not die. He was paralised down the left side of his body.
Interviewed about once a year about the story |
| Riponeaux, Teodore |
Crewman on "Pritty Lisa" when it washed up on Smack Island in
1927.
He was dead, but none of the other 5 crew members were ever found |
| Robinson, Chris |
Moose-Lookit doctor in 1980. Brother of Henry Robinson. He
was
called by George Wournos when the body of the Colorado Kid was found.
Big man |
| Robinson, Henry |
Brother of Chris Robinson. Once dated Arlette Teague before
she married Vince Teague |
| Steen, Edina |
Wrote a letter of complaint to "The Weekly Islander" about
Stephanie McCann's column. Dave Bowie said she was "Quite Mad" and was
the Downeast Grammar Queen |
| Stewart, Al |
Singer thought of by Stephanie McCann |
| Stout, Red |
Mentioned in passing |
| Teague, ? |
2 unnamed children of Vince Teague |
| Teague, Arlette |
Second wife of Vince Teague. Married 6 years after the death
of his first wife Joanne |
| Teague, Joanne |
First wife of Vince Teague. She died |
| Teague, Mrs |
Mother of Vince Teague. Mentioned |
| Teague, Vincent |
90 year old writer for "The Weekly Islander". He started the
paper
in 1948. Looked 70. He helped tell Stephanie McCann the story of the
Colorado Kid, and the research they did to find his true identity. Died
6 months after telling the story |
| Watson, Dr |
Helper of Sherlock Holmes |
| Wilde, Oscar |
Mentioned in passing |
| Wournos, George |
Moose-Lookit Island constable in 1980. Rung by Nancy Arnault
when
she and Johnny Gravlin found the body of the Colorado Kid. Owned
"Western Auto" |
| Yeates, ? |
Author mentioned |
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