Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-09-29
THE COCHRAN-HAYDEN
MURDER.
from the Chicago Times Sept. ~

COHcluu6u al NCIIofLli0 AZ '40 ~
court.
The case is one with which the
readers of the Times are familiar,
being known as the Cochran murder
case
Local feeling runs high in regard to
the whole matter, and in order to
place the occurrence i'll its proper
light the facts in the case are detailed
as follows:
The defendant, William H. Coch-
ran, was born in Cattaraugus county,
New York. When a mere boy he
entered the army and remained in the
service about three and half years,
passing through nearly all the terrible
battles fought by Mcclellan and the
other commanders of the Army Of the
Potomac. He came out with honor,
and went into the war department as
a clerk. There he served two years
with credit to himself, at at the close
of that service he came west and
located in Grand Rapids, Wis.
He very soon gained the confidence
of all the business here, and on the
organization of the First National
bank Of Grand Rapids, he was made
It's cashier, which position he has
honorably occupied for years.
COCHRAN MARRIED
in Grand Rapids, as was supposed,
very happily. He was an intensely
domestic man, and had built for him
self and family charming little home.
His wife was what might be called a
pretty little woman, not at all strong,
but he had the blindest confidence in
her, They had one child, daughter.
Tn June, 1879, friend of Cochran's
told him that he had better look out,
for the opinion was that his wife was
corresponding with lawyer of the
place named Hayden. Previous to
this. however, as is usually the case,
noarly everybody in Grand Rapids
but the injured husband, knew of the
intimacy.
HAYDEN was Missourian, who i'm
mediately after his arrival in Grand
Rapids became prominent politically,
first as republican, next as demo
crat, and then as a greenbaeker. He
belonged to that peculiar breed
of bipeds known as "lady killers. >
Upon being informed of the alleged
intimacy, Cochran investigated and
discovered and intercepted letter
from his wife to Hayden, the lady
then being in Minnesota on a visit.
This letter was all that anybody would
require to confirm suspicion of this
kind He Immediately telegraphed
for her to come home. She came,
and, in the presence of her mother,
told the whole fearful story--how
Hayden had made her acquaintance,
and how the guilty intimacy had
been kept up between them for peri
Cd of nearly a year The details were
all communicated from time to time,
and the effect upon Cochran can very
well be imagined.
THE GUILTY WIFE
Immediately left and went to her
mothers house, while Cochran remain
ed in his deserted home These con-
fessioas were hardly made before they
were known by the whole town of
Grand Rapids, and before a great
while the state of Wisconsin.
Hayden at once set to work to
break the force of the confession.
He sent female emissaries Of his own
in disguise to Mrs. Cochran urging her
to deny any criminal intimacy either
to Mrs. Hayden, or to the Masonic
committee who were about to investi-
gate the matter. He threatened her
through his agent with the vengence
of his friends, if she did not do as
desired. Her mother was assured
that her daughter would be sent to
the penitentiary for adultery if she
confessed the facts to either Mrs.
Hayden or the committee.
Frightened by these threats, when
Mrs. Cochran was called upon by Mrs.
Hayden, she admitted everything but
the criminal intimacy, and when that
point was reached by the Masonic com
mittee in It's investigation, she declin-
ed to answer.
Hayden, however, did not seem
to be content with having ruined
Cochran's home, but seems to have
organized scheme for the purpose OF
carrying down Mrs. Cochrans general
reputation. In this he was assisted
by number of those human insects
who are ever ready to engage in the
work of blackening character I'm
mediately there was chorus on The
streets, denouncing Mrs. Cochran a:
a strumpet, and clamoring abou
the country that Mr.. Cochran haC
been living with strumpet for twelve
years.
The remarks used in this campaigr
of scurrility and defamation came
to Cochran's ears, driving him nearly
wild His health failed under thu
mental burden and his brain becam,
diseased
Finally, on the 9th of October
1879. Hayden, having purchased
A NEWSPAPER.
through one Rossier, published ;
scandalous attack, over an assume,
name, upon Mr. Cochran.
Elm the meantime Cochran had dis