Civil War Veteran-Union Army
Pvt. Co. B, North Carolina Cav.
___________________
The Oklahoman (Friday) (Oklahoma City, OK)
1/19/1917 Violent Deaths in Couch Family
Trouble Has Marked History of Clan Since First Settlement.
Father A Settler
Died From Wounds Suffered in Battle Over Courthouse Lot.
Violent deaths and trouble have marked the history of the Couch family in Oklahoma. Four brothers who came here with the first attempt of white settlement in Oklahoma have died violently. A brother-in-law died as a result of an accident a few weeks ago. One wife committed suicide and two other women were killed.
Capt. W. L. Couch, leader of the family, joined Capt. David Payne's Oklahoma colony in the fall of 1884 before the country was opened for settlement and with the rest of the Payne "boomers" was driven back to Kansas several times by soldiers. At the death of Payne in 1885, Captain Couch became president of the colonization company.
At the opening in 1889, Captain Couch and J.C. Adams both staked claims which included the ground on which the courthouse stands. Lawsuits, threats and lot "jumping" followed. Then one day Adams and Couch fought it out with firearms and Couch was shot in the leg. From the effects of this wound, he died.
Charley Couch, a brother, was killed by the fall of a horse.
Abe Couch was an early day policeman in Oklahoma City, serving under Chief Emerick. One night he killed a negro attempting a break into Dilworth hardware store on Main street. Dilworth, owner of the store was later killed by a robber who is now serving a life sentence in the Oklahoma penitentiary.
Trouble developed in Abe Couch's family and his wife committed suicide by drinking poison. Sometime after her death, Abe Couch became infatuated with a woman living at what is now the Panama, a lodging house in the 100 block on W. California avenue. The woman became entangled with another man. Couch walked into the house one day, shooting. He killed her, a woman companion, and then shot himself, falling across the bodies of the two women.
The one sister in the family, Mrs. Ed. Detar, is a widow of a few weeks. Her husband, Ed. Detar, died in a local hospital from tetanus, resulting from a nail wound.
Quint Couch and Joe Couch are farmers, the former living in Beaver county, Oklahoma, and the latter near Wichita, Kan.
John Couch is about 50 years old. He has been married about 25 years.
(From Emily Jordan)
Pvt. Co. B, North Carolina Cav.
___________________
The Oklahoman (Friday) (Oklahoma City, OK)
1/19/1917 Violent Deaths in Couch Family
Trouble Has Marked History of Clan Since First Settlement.
Father A Settler
Died From Wounds Suffered in Battle Over Courthouse Lot.
Violent deaths and trouble have marked the history of the Couch family in Oklahoma. Four brothers who came here with the first attempt of white settlement in Oklahoma have died violently. A brother-in-law died as a result of an accident a few weeks ago. One wife committed suicide and two other women were killed.
Capt. W. L. Couch, leader of the family, joined Capt. David Payne's Oklahoma colony in the fall of 1884 before the country was opened for settlement and with the rest of the Payne "boomers" was driven back to Kansas several times by soldiers. At the death of Payne in 1885, Captain Couch became president of the colonization company.
At the opening in 1889, Captain Couch and J.C. Adams both staked claims which included the ground on which the courthouse stands. Lawsuits, threats and lot "jumping" followed. Then one day Adams and Couch fought it out with firearms and Couch was shot in the leg. From the effects of this wound, he died.
Charley Couch, a brother, was killed by the fall of a horse.
Abe Couch was an early day policeman in Oklahoma City, serving under Chief Emerick. One night he killed a negro attempting a break into Dilworth hardware store on Main street. Dilworth, owner of the store was later killed by a robber who is now serving a life sentence in the Oklahoma penitentiary.
Trouble developed in Abe Couch's family and his wife committed suicide by drinking poison. Sometime after her death, Abe Couch became infatuated with a woman living at what is now the Panama, a lodging house in the 100 block on W. California avenue. The woman became entangled with another man. Couch walked into the house one day, shooting. He killed her, a woman companion, and then shot himself, falling across the bodies of the two women.
The one sister in the family, Mrs. Ed. Detar, is a widow of a few weeks. Her husband, Ed. Detar, died in a local hospital from tetanus, resulting from a nail wound.
Quint Couch and Joe Couch are farmers, the former living in Beaver county, Oklahoma, and the latter near Wichita, Kan.
John Couch is about 50 years old. He has been married about 25 years.
(From Emily Jordan)
Civil War Veteran-Union Army
Pvt. Co. B, North Carolina Cav.
___________________
The Oklahoman (Friday) (Oklahoma City, OK)
1/19/1917 Violent Deaths in Couch Family
Trouble Has Marked History of Clan Since First Settlement.
Father A Settler
Died From Wounds Suffered in Battle Over Courthouse Lot.
Violent deaths and trouble have marked the history of the Couch family in Oklahoma. Four brothers who came here with the first attempt of white settlement in Oklahoma have died violently. A brother-in-law died as a result of an accident a few weeks ago. One wife committed suicide and two other women were killed.
Capt. W. L. Couch, leader of the family, joined Capt. David Payne's Oklahoma colony in the fall of 1884 before the country was opened for settlement and with the rest of the Payne "boomers" was driven back to Kansas several times by soldiers. At the death of Payne in 1885, Captain Couch became president of the colonization company.
At the opening in 1889, Captain Couch and J.C. Adams both staked claims which included the ground on which the courthouse stands. Lawsuits, threats and lot "jumping" followed. Then one day Adams and Couch fought it out with firearms and Couch was shot in the leg. From the effects of this wound, he died.
Charley Couch, a brother, was killed by the fall of a horse.
Abe Couch was an early day policeman in Oklahoma City, serving under Chief Emerick. One night he killed a negro attempting a break into Dilworth hardware store on Main street. Dilworth, owner of the store was later killed by a robber who is now serving a life sentence in the Oklahoma penitentiary.
Trouble developed in Abe Couch's family and his wife committed suicide by drinking poison. Sometime after her death, Abe Couch became infatuated with a woman living at what is now the Panama, a lodging house in the 100 block on W. California avenue. The woman became entangled with another man. Couch walked into the house one day, shooting. He killed her, a woman companion, and then shot himself, falling across the bodies of the two women.
The one sister in the family, Mrs. Ed. Detar, is a widow of a few weeks. Her husband, Ed. Detar, died in a local hospital from tetanus, resulting from a nail wound.
Quint Couch and Joe Couch are farmers, the former living in Beaver county, Oklahoma, and the latter near Wichita, Kan.
John Couch is about 50 years old. He has been married about 25 years.
(From Emily Jordan)
Pvt. Co. B, North Carolina Cav.
___________________
The Oklahoman (Friday) (Oklahoma City, OK)
1/19/1917 Violent Deaths in Couch Family
Trouble Has Marked History of Clan Since First Settlement.
Father A Settler
Died From Wounds Suffered in Battle Over Courthouse Lot.
Violent deaths and trouble have marked the history of the Couch family in Oklahoma. Four brothers who came here with the first attempt of white settlement in Oklahoma have died violently. A brother-in-law died as a result of an accident a few weeks ago. One wife committed suicide and two other women were killed.
Capt. W. L. Couch, leader of the family, joined Capt. David Payne's Oklahoma colony in the fall of 1884 before the country was opened for settlement and with the rest of the Payne "boomers" was driven back to Kansas several times by soldiers. At the death of Payne in 1885, Captain Couch became president of the colonization company.
At the opening in 1889, Captain Couch and J.C. Adams both staked claims which included the ground on which the courthouse stands. Lawsuits, threats and lot "jumping" followed. Then one day Adams and Couch fought it out with firearms and Couch was shot in the leg. From the effects of this wound, he died.
Charley Couch, a brother, was killed by the fall of a horse.
Abe Couch was an early day policeman in Oklahoma City, serving under Chief Emerick. One night he killed a negro attempting a break into Dilworth hardware store on Main street. Dilworth, owner of the store was later killed by a robber who is now serving a life sentence in the Oklahoma penitentiary.
Trouble developed in Abe Couch's family and his wife committed suicide by drinking poison. Sometime after her death, Abe Couch became infatuated with a woman living at what is now the Panama, a lodging house in the 100 block on W. California avenue. The woman became entangled with another man. Couch walked into the house one day, shooting. He killed her, a woman companion, and then shot himself, falling across the bodies of the two women.
The one sister in the family, Mrs. Ed. Detar, is a widow of a few weeks. Her husband, Ed. Detar, died in a local hospital from tetanus, resulting from a nail wound.
Quint Couch and Joe Couch are farmers, the former living in Beaver county, Oklahoma, and the latter near Wichita, Kan.
John Couch is about 50 years old. He has been married about 25 years.
(From Emily Jordan)
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