Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-24
Capt. w. L. Couch SuccUmbs to
the Wound Inflicted by j.
c. Adams.
A Party Organized to Lynch Adams-He
is Taken to the Wichita, Kan,
Jail for Safe Keeping.
Biography of the Most Prominent Man in the
United states in Regard to the Great
Oklahoma Movement.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
GUTHRIE, l. T., April 2l.-Capt. w.
/. Couch, an old pioneer, and widely
known as organizer of the Oklahoma
movement, died this morning at 9
o'clock. His death was the result of a
wound inflicted by J. c. Adams with
Winchester rifle on April 4.
When it became known that Capt.
Couch could not live twenty-four hours a
party was organized to lynch Adams.
United States Marshal Walker was in
formed of this, and yesterday boarded a
tram with the prisoner for Wichita. He
was placed in jail there. Couch was
widely respected.
CAPTAIN W. L. COUCH.
The most faithful friend Oklahoma
ever had was Captain W. L. Couch. He
was born in Wilkes county, North Caro-
lima, November 20, 1850. After the
war in 1866 he moved with his fathers
family to Johnson county, Kansas where
he received common school education
and was married in 1871. He COM
menced his battle with life on a farm
near Douglas Kansas where he remained
for six wears In 1876 he moved TO
Wichita, Kansas, and engaged in the
livestock and real estate business. He
rapidly accumulated property and at one
time was the owner of several of the best
business lots in Wichita and 400 acres of
good farming lands in SedgWick, Sumner
and Butler counties. He was warm
friend of David Payne, the celebrated
Oklahoma boomer, and when the latter
died in 1884 his mantle fell upon Capt.
Couch. He greatly assisted Payne,
financially, in the organization of the
famous Oklahoma colony in the winter
OF '79- 80. In 1888 the colony was re-
organized and in February of the same
year invaded-6O0 strong-the Oklahoma
country. They located on the North
Canadian river, about 400 miles
southeast of this city. The wagon tram
of this COLONY consisted of II9 teams, all
under the immediate supervision of
Capt. Couch. Capt. Carol Of the Ninth
United States cavalry, arrested the COL
ony, escorted them to the Kansas line,
where they were liberated. In August of
1888 the colony was called together again
at Arkansas City and reorganIZed. Payne
was elected president and Capt. Couch
vice president. These positions they
held until the death of Payne in the fol-
lowing year, when Couch was made
president. From the time of
his election as vice president OF
was the leader of every organized
invasion or attempted settlement of Ok
lahoma. He directed the movement of
the settlers in the field and kept PAYNE
fully informed, who agitated the matter
in the newspapers. They believed that
they might establish the right TO settle
in Oklahoma without legislation, and If
not, the general agitation Of the matter
would force congress 10 consideration
OF the question. Ivy
Captain Couch devoted manYS1SeaTy'
years an the labor of leading eolonists
into the new country. In AuguSt, 1888,
he lead two hundred people acr4ss the
border into Oklahoma. They were affar-
rested and led TO the Kansas line ansiT
liberated. The next movement was that
of the invasion of the country by about
thirty men on horseback. under the
leadership of Couch. They successfully
evaded the military for thirty days, but
were at last arrested, confined in the
guard house at Fort Reno for a time. and
then sent to Texas, where they we're re-s
leased. In April, 1884, Couch brought
over GOO settlers into the country and
located them before the military.dIscoy-
cred that they were in the TerritoSSs
Capt. Couch aud siXtv-fOur others wsRep
arrested and elected from the country I,
and the remainder of the colonists
voluntarily departed a short time after
In May of the same year Couch again
marched across the line at the head of
over 200 settlers. They located
on the Cimarron river, but were allowed
TO remain only short time. Couch was
arrested, taken to Fort Reno, imprisoned
for a few days and then turned over 10
the civil authorities In Kansas, where he
was tried by a United States court and
released. In November, 1884, a few
days after the burial Of Payne, Capt.
Couch, with 200 boomers, marched into
the promised land and laid out
the town OF Saltwater. What
trsnspired there caused congress for
the first time 10 seriously consider the
question of opening Oklahoma to settle
ment.
The company at Saltwater was at
tackled by the military, Capt. Couch re-
fused TO surrender, claiming that he had
been tried by the courts and acquitted
for invading Oklahoma. The military,
being largely outnumbered, retreated
and waited for Teinforcements. The coll
ouists held out for over thirty days, or
until Gen. Hatch with eight companies
Of United States troops, was sent out