The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-18
THE JUDGE HAYDEN KILLING.
Was it the ResuI, of Social or PO-
litical Trouble!
[Chicago Times. |

A gentleman who arrived in the city
on yesterday from Grand Rapids, Wis.
gives an account of the recent shooting
Of Judge Hayden by Cochrane, the
banker, which differs in some respects
from that heretofore published. Accord
ing to his statement, political ring is at
the bottom of the tragedy. In brief, his
story is about as follows:
Judge Hayden came to Grand Rapids
six wears ago and opened law office
, was a Democrat, and an active
oHti an, what is known as the "Wood
Lv--,y Ring" Republican organiza-
ton, opposed his advancement. The
alleged intimacy between him and Coch-
rane's wife began to be whispered abroad
last winter. In due time the Masonic
Lodge, of which he was a member, and
which is controlled by the ring-a ma
jority of it's members being Republicans
took up the reports and expelled Hay
den on third and fourth hand testimony,
without giving him any opportunity to
make defense.
Mrs. Cochrane strenuously denies that
any improper relations at any time existed
between her and Hayden, and Mrs. Hay
den is equally positive in her denial Of
any belief in the charges.
Cochrane is member of the ring, 80
the gentleman from Grand Rapids states,
but is pretty clever sort of man, as the
world goes, and would never have
thought of killing the judge had he not
been egged on by two ring newspapers
that were antagonistic to his victim.
These papers abused Hayden in the most
unscrupulous manner, and the editors
went SO far as to send marked copies of
the sheets containing these scurrilous at
tacks to his mother. Not content with
harping on Hayden's alleged ofense, they
began upbraiding Cochrane for not in
flicting bodily punishment upon him.
Cochrane began to take revenge by visit
ing many of the prominent business men
in town, whose attorney Hayden was,
and notifying them that they
could get no further accommodations
at his bank unless they
took their business out of Hay.
denis hands. A life insurance agent, whe
was Cochrane's partner, was induced tc
refuse to receive payment of premium
on policy held by Hayden, and to per.
emptorily cancel the policy.
Presently Hayden bought an interest
in The Centralia Enterprise, published in
the town of Centralia, just across the
river from Grand Rapids, and began
writing articles in his own defense. Coch
rane claims that these articles induced
him to commit the fatal act, although il
is said that he had carried loaded gun
with him for several days before the
shooting, and had laid in wait for his
man. On the night previous to the kill
ing, he had taken favorable position fol
the commission of the deed, knowing that
Hayden was attending court at Wausau
and would return on the evening train
but was foiled by the latter's wife driving
to the depot to meet her husband and
escort him home.
On Thursday, the fatal day, Cochrane
sat on the Post-office steps with his gun
at n00n-SO tne SOMEWHAT lmpTOUaDle
story runs-watching for Hayden, and
not meeting him, returned to the bank
and remained there until after business
hours, when he again resumed his watch
ing. Toward dark, as Hayden and his
partner, Rossier, were conversing in the
doorway of their Office, Cochrane passed
by with his gun on his shoulder, and at q q
distance of twenty-five feet turned and
fired, the charge Of buckshot entering
Hayden's back and producing death in
twelve or fourteen minutes. Rossier
caught the dying man in his arms and
prevented him from falling. Cochrane
coolly walked back, looked at his vic.
tim, and, when told that he had killed
him, said that was just what lie intended
to do, and passed on.
A dramatic incident Of this tragic
affair is the fact that the fatal day was
the birthday Of Hayden's wife, and,with
out her husbands knowledge, she had
prepared pleasant little surprise fol
him, to be in readiness on his coming