Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-04-24
CAPTAIN COUCH.
Death of tho Oklahoma Veteran
From His Wound.
A History Of the Oklahoma Movement In
Connection with the Life Of Couch
Ills Connection with
Payne.


Payne.
OKLAHOMA, Ok, April 22.-Captain
w. l.. Couch died yesterday morning al
three o'clock. His last words we're;
"Hurrah for Oklahoma.
Captain Couch leaves behind him a
widow and five children, two girls and
three boys. He died poor man.
Captain Couch was shot in tho knee
over a disputed claim near this city
April last and died Of blood poisoning
as result J. c. Adams, who did the
shooting, is in jail, but expresses no
fear of not being acquitted
BIoGRAPHIcAL.
Captain w. l.. Couch was born In Wilkes
County North nroina, November 90 1850
In 1856 he removed with his fam to John.
son County, Kansas, whore he received a
| common school education. hen twenty
| yea of age he settled on the Usage ity
lands near Douglas, whore he married In
lsTl and remained for six years lead ng the
life of a farmer In the fall Of 1876 he re-
moved to ichitn, entered q live stock
business and became very successful. lie
next started a grocery ana hardware store
and also invested In real estate, and in "A
short time accumulated considerable valua-
bic property in Wichita and 400 acres Of
land IN sedgwick sumner and Butler Coun-
ties In 1881 financial reyerscs came as re-
suit ofindorslng his friends notes aud other
prodlga liberalty. lie closed up all his
business, met al his oblgath MS, and retired
TO h Douglas farm once more. where he was
soon making money again by dealing In
Texas horses.
During these years Captain Couch was a
warm friend OF Captain Payne and aided
the latter frequently in a financial way in
the organization OF the celebrated Oklahoma
colony In 1873 and 1870. In Is he assisted
Payne in reorganlzing the colony and the
two leaders entered the Territory in tebru-
AIRY OF that year with go men. Payne com
mand' the men VIII le ouch took charge OF
the wagon train, which numbered iI9 teams.
The colony settled In the North anadan,
a out fourteen miles northeast OF Oklaho-
ma City. Here the whole outfit was placed
under arrest by Captain Carroll OF the Ninth
cavalry and escorted to the Kansas line and
told u never return. In August Of the
same year the colony reorganized at arkan-
sas city with Payne as president and Couch
as vice pres dent. The two men separated
here. Couch going down into the Territory
with men while Payne remained behind
to agitate the question OF settling the Terri
tory The idea which the boomers enter
without Legislative action If the people would
take possession OF the lands. II this could
not be done then nc least Congress would be
forced to take up the question OF opening
the land. The expedition Of August, 1855
was soon escorted back 10 the line by
cavalry.
In November % the year 1888 the
boomers again organized az Arkansas city,
but bcf re the expedition started for the
Territory. Payne dropped dead and Couch
after bnrylng him, marched into oklahoma
and made "A settlement AZ saltwater, where
that thriving village is now. Here the boom
ers made bold staud, and when Lieutenant
Day, of the Ninth cavalry, attacked them
they resisted. Couch replied to a command
TO surrender by fiat refusal, say ing In msti-
tcatiun Of his conduct that he had been ar
rested and cquitted on the charge OF enter.
ing the territory and as he was disobeylng
no law he would stand firm Both
sides prepared for battle and blood.
shed was imminent Hut the cavalry
being far outnumbored, Lieutenant bay
finally came to the conclusion that
reinforcements would come In good play and
So retreated 20 wait until they could be se-
cured, For thirty days the Situation was nm
changed, when Captain Hatch with eight
companies OF regulars arrived on the scene.
Evea then Captain Couch refused TO sur
render aud prepared for "A defense But
cut OF the the Colonels supplies and lt,r-
ally starved them out and the boomers
reluctantly abandoned their pOsit on re.
pairing in AN orderly body to Arkansas City.
Five OF the leaders were arrested by United
States marshals but all were released by the
courts.
The saltwater affair occasioned such great
excitement that Congress, then in session,
took the matter up for consideration, the
outcome of which was the passage OF an act
authorizing thd President to enter into ne.
gotiations with the Seminole, Creek and
Cherokee Indians for their interests in Okla
homa and strip lands.
Captain Couch believing that President
Cleveland would Immediately negotiate and
open up the land, organized a colony Of 800
at Arkansas city, In March. lss5. and re
manned quietly awaiting the permission OF
the President to enter the land After walt
Ing some time he went to Washington and
after interviewing the President aud
the Secretary OF the Interior and meeting
with no encouragement he returned To his
colony and SO reported. lie had become con
vinced after long waiting that the land would
never be opened without additional legisla.
tion, and accordingly he began to take steps
looking TO that end lie secured the serv ices
Of Hon sidney larke, an old friend Of the
colonists, and the two drafted the original
bill for the formation OF the 4 LkIahoma Ter.
by General Weaver and tenator Van Wyck.
For four years more Couch devoted his time
and energy 60 securing the passage Of this
bill, and not until the last hours OF the
Fiftieth Congress in 1889 was he triumphant.
After this Couch secured contract from
the Santa ne company 20 construct switch
at oklahoma City.
Couch superintended the construction OF
the switch and was thus enabled TO remain
In the Territory. just at u 20l on April y.
when the Territory was declared open Couch
stepped OF OF the railroad right OF way and
settled on very valuable claim adjoining
the Oklahoma City townsite. lie also Sc
cured valuable city property and IN May was
elected the MAYOR OF the town. 4 bitter war
fare snrang up between the factions In the
town and Couch was blamed with all the
turmoil and disscnsions into which the city
WIS plunged. His claim was contested bv
several others, and another sooner. }. G.
Adams, secured thc fling from the Guthrie
landsofiicc
Couch went 10 Washington IN the interest
Of the sooners, in hopes that Legislation for
them would enable him to hold his claim.
lie met with no success and returned.
Having resigned .iss isyaTsiiy November
4, Captain Couch settled upon his claim upon
his return. He was fencing ia when Adams.
who lived et one corner Of the land. ordered
him 20 dcsist This Couch refused 20 do and
the shooting occurred, which has now ended
fatally.