The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25
A TRUE TEXAS ROMANCE.
Trouble Brought to the KOchs by an
Unexpected Fortune.

From the New York Sun
Sherman, Tex.-On Aug. 10 w. r. Gaines
is to be placed on trial at this place for the
killing of c. r. Koch in the public square
here on JulyS. The case has excited much
attention, but if all the Incidents leading
up to it had been fiction instead Of mere
reality, they would have attracted great
deal more notice than they have. If they
had published as fiction, the only appro-
pirate color for the cover would have been
yellow, and the appropriate price, ten
cents. The scenes in the story would be
scattered all the way from New York to
Texas and the circumstances would range
all the way from squalid poverty to great
wealth, from idyllic domestic happiness to
violent family broils, and a fatal fued. A
good title would be, 1.-The Curse of the
Koch Fortune
In the spring of 1875 a middle aged man
named Koch came to this part of Texas
with his family. He claimed to have come
originally from New York, but to have
spent several years in Tennessee on the
way. His family consisted of Loula, lit
tie girl, aged 8; Charley, boy two years
younger and the stepmother of the two
children. Mrs. Koch was in poor health,
and a few months after arriving in Texas
she died. The husband and father took
his loss very hard indeed and seemed
never 10 IttONCI lIOAu IL - lew utlyo IL
ter the death of his wife he took the chill
dren to the house of a neighbor named
Wilson.
Mr. Wilson" he said, 81 am going off to
Sherman for a few days to look for work,
l need work, and am obliged to 80. l wish
you would take care Of the children till l
get back again. Remember that they have
no mother, and for Gods sake be kind to
them"
Mr.. Wilson promised to take care of
them and the father left. This was the
last time any human being is known to
have seen him, either alive or dead. From
that time on he disappeared as complete
ly as if the broad prairies of Texas had
swallowed him up Some thought it was a
case of suicide; others, of mere voluntary
abandonment of his children; and still
Others of attempted robbery and murder.
After weeks and months of watching and
waiting. the children and their guardian
gradually settled down to the realization
that their father had disappeared for good.
AS to how he had disappeared, that was
another matter. That part of it has never
been settled to this day.
Mr.. Wilson was a poor man and had a
large family of his own, but he seems to
have done his best to carry out his prom
Use to be good to the two orphans left in
his charge. 1t was necessary for them to
work hard, but they had at least as many
advantages as Mr.. Wilson's own children
On the first day Of April, 1889, Loula Koch
was married to W. II. Gaines, a young
farmer Of the neighborhood. Neither Of
the young folks had any property, but they
had love in their hearts, and they seemed
in fair way TO a life of contentment and
happiness. Charley Koch, the younger
brother of the bride, lived with them, and
the two men and the woman had many a
day of honest, earnest toll in the cotton
patch together. The story of this part of
their lives would be worthy place among
the bucolics of Virgil.
In the early spring of 1880 a new element
began to come into the lives of the young
folks. well dressed but retlcent man
came into Grayson county, Tex, and be-
gan to make inquiries as TO family nam
ed Koch. He was referred to Mrs. Gaines
and her brother. 1t soon developed that he
was looking for a man named Koch, who,
when last heard from, had been in this
part of the state 1t was soon established
that this was none other than the missing
father of the children. Then it was made
known that an only brother of Koch had
recently died, leaving a big estate to the
missing brother and his heirs The reti-
cent stranger was a lawyer from Pitts
burg, Pa, in which town his client had
lived. The result was that in November
1890, the two orphan children, who had
been raised in charity, and accustomed to
poverty all their lives, each received
check for $4,000, and papers to show that
in 1899 each would receive $4,000 addi-
tional. Until that time each was to re-
ceive the interest on that amount at per
cent.
With this suddenly discovered fortune,
of course there were suddenly discover
ed relatives. Among others, it was found
that they had an almost innumerable host
of first and second cousins on their moth
ers side living at New Albany, Ind. In
~ 49,
Charley Koch went to that place in Deem
Der, 1890, to attend school, AS he was now
10 years old and almost entirely uneduca-
ted, it will be seen that he was not unwse
in choosing this course. So well pleased
was he with his Indiana relatives, that he
wrote to his sister and brother-in-law to
induce them to come to Indiana also. This
they did, reaching there in February 1891.
If the sworn statement of Mrs. Gaines
may be accepted Ii was with this motive
that all her troubles began. In this affi-
davit she says: "All my relatives tried
in every way possible to induce me to
leave Mr.. Gaines" Why they did this
she does not explain. Things seem to
have come speedily to an unpleasant state,
for in July, 1891. Charley Koch and Mr..
and Mrs. Gaines returned to Texas and
settled in Grayson county, near the town
of Van Alstyne. Late in July, 1891 Char
ley Koch was married to Lizzie Thompson.
The bridegroom was 20 and the bride IA
years OF age. At first the young couple
started to go to school together at
little district school near Van Alstyne but
they soon abandoned the idea. Then Char
ley set about in dead earnest to spend his
fortune. He invested IN several saloons,
race horses and expensive rifles, shotguns
and pistols. Charley was seized just at
this time with a wild propensity to drink
up his profits. He also bought some large
farms but as he could MOI pay for them
and keep up his saloons and his race
horses, he was obliged 10 let the farms
revert 10 their original owners
The device Gaines fell upon for spend
ing his wlfes money was 70 build a fine
house. He built It in the country about
two miles east of Van Aistyne. The house
proper cost SIS 600. and II was fitted up with
gas and had hot and cold water IN every