The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-09-17
CRIMINAL VARIETIES.
Culled Here and There from the Columns Of
the Daily Press.
Tho Hayden Murder.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, IS just now exc't
ed over the trial of W. H. Cochran, for the
murder Of Judge Hayden, of Woods county
Judge Hayden and Cochran were 'ery init.
mate friends, Hayden, unfortunately had u
frivolous habit OF saying things that made him
unpopular with class of people about his
home, but Cochran always stuck to him, and
their friendship was considered something I'M
usual In the early part OF 1879 II began TO be
gOssipped about the two villages that Judge
Hayden was very frequently at the Coch-
ran mansion, and too intimate with the propri.
etor's young wife. This talk reached Cochran,
but lie at first refused to listen 20 any such
thing. In June Mrs. Cochran went to New
York on a visit, and few weeks after her de-
parture her husband intercepted letter she
had written and was Mortified at the disclos-
ures 1t was couched in the most atfecliOnate
terms, and from It's contents there was not a
shadow OF doubt. The man was fairly beside
himself with rage and grief, and on searching
his wife's bOudOir unearthed large number
of gushing epistles that had passed between
his faithless spouse and his most intimate
friend. Mrs. Cochran was sent for, and was at
once confronted with the proofs of her guilt.
She made complete confession and said That
Haydcn's delicate flattery had turned her head.
With her nine year-Old daughter the woman
left her home, and has since lived in the vii
lagc with relatives. The scandal WAS at once
taken up by the people at large, and out of 1t
many feuds have grown and still exist.
Cochran decided to bear mantully his grief
and not modest Hayden. Charges were pre-
ferred against Hayden, and he was expelled
from the home lodge by the Masons. The mat.
ter was taken to the State Grand Lodge, and
after two wears of wrangling the Grand Lodge,
at its last sitting, annullel the expulsion. The
scandal was also dragged into politics, and the
excitement in the northern part Of the state
seemed to increase over it daily. Along
toward September, during the heat of the cam
paign, Hayden purchased small newspaper,
the Ccntralia Enterprise, aud this only tended
to intensity the feeling, Hayden, embroidered
by Cochran's silence, began attacking him in
his paper. and it was kept up until October.
Nearly everybody sided with Cochran, but
Hayden had many supporters who backed him
IN all his movements Finally a reference
was made to the scandal by Hayden in his pa.
per, and this seemed to be the straw that broke
the camel's back IN Cochran's case. He I'M
mediately purchased shot gun, and loading
ii heavily, started out to kill Hayden. Meet
ing him IN one of the principal streets IN Gen.
tralia he shot him dead in his tracks without
a word of warning. He then gave himself up
to The authorities. The excitement over the
murder was so great that mob formed, anu
had not Cochran's friends turned out and re-
enforced the officials, he would have been
lynched the first night ct his incarceration.
The next day he was released on $40 600 bail,
and owing to the inability to get judge, coun-
Gil and jury, the trial has been postponed from
time to time till now