The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-01

this was none other than the missing
father OF the children. Then u was hiaue
known that an only brother ot hoS"
had recently died. leaving Dig estate
TO the missing brother and ms heifs.
The reticent stranger was lawyer from
Pittsburg, Pa, In which town ms client
had lived The result was that IN Nov
ember. 1880. the two orphan children,
who had been raised in charity ana
accustomed to poverty all their lives,
each received check for 1910. ana
papers TO show that IN 1893 each would
receive 5000 additional. Until that time
each was to receive the interest on that
amount at per cent.
with suddenly discovered fortune. OF
course there were suddenly discovered
relatives. Among others, II was found
that they had an almost innumeraDie
host OF FIRST and second cousins on their
mothers side living at New Albany,
IND. In response 10 Invitations from
some of these, Charley hOch went 20
that place In December. lSv, 10 attend
school. AS he was now nineteen years
old and almost entirely uneducated,
il will be seen that ne was not unwise
I'm choosing this course. SO well pleased
was he with his Indiana relatives tnat
he wrote to his sister and broher-ln-laW
TO induce them to come TO indiana also.
This they did. reaching there in Febru-
airy, 1881.
II the sworn statement OF Mrs. Gaines
may be accepted II was with this move
that all her troubles began. In this
affidavit she says: 'AA my relatives
tried in every way possible 10 induce me
10 leave Mr. Gaines Why they did THIS
she does not explain. Things seem TO
have come speedily TO an unpleasant
In Tulr
Mr. and Mrs. Gaines returned 10 IeAas
and settled IN Grayson county, near
the town of Van Alstyne. Late in July
1891, Charley Koch was married 10 LIZ
Zle Thompson. The bridegroom was
twenty, and the bride fourteen years oil
age. Al first the young couple started
to so 10 school together at little DIS
trict school near Van Alstyne, but they
soon abandoned the idea. Then Chariey
set about II dead earnest 10 spend his
fortune lie invested in several saloons,
race-horses, and expensive rifles, shot-
guns. ana 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 ne could not
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 tell upon for spend
ins his wlte5 money was TO build me
house. lie built It In tho country. about
two miles east OF Van Alstyne. The
house proper cost $500, and it was tit
ted up with gas and had hot and cold
water in every room. The furniture
was ali ordered from New York. Al
would be considered a very ordinary az
fair in New York. but situated out on
na ig
less than a palace. About tins time the
seeds OF discord sown during the trip
to Indian seem TO have begun TO bear
fruit Gaines had several brothers, and
Charley Koch claimed that they were
helping Gaines 10 spend his sisters mo-
ney. In March, 1875 Charley Koch shot
and killed Jim Gaines. a brother OF VIII
Gaines, and IN the November following a
jury Of twelve men acquitted him Tor
the deed, as Texas Juries have a habit
Of doing in similar cases. Matters went
on after this from bad TO worse, until
July 3, 1894, when VIII Gaines met Koch
ana shot at him four times. none OF the
shots taking effect. For this he was
indicted for assault with intent TO Kill,
and his trial was finally set for July >,
1875. Meantime Gaines and his wife
lived in a state of perpetual trouble.
Certain witnesses swOre that on one
occasion he beat her. She says in her
affidavit: ION one sunday afternoon /
insulted and tantalized my husband I'M
I'll he struck me with his open palm
on July Sth, the day set for the trial.
large crowd was in Sherman. Just about
. o'clock in the evening four pistol shots
suddenly rang out I'm the worst crowded
part of the town. Charlie Koch ran
across the crowded street in the court
house yard. He was shot In the back
and once in the shoulder. Bill Games
had killed him Within minute after
the killing a crowd Of one thousand men
was swarming around the dead body.
In vain did the sheriff and crowd or
deputies try TO make IL fall back. sud
denly. a wOmans voice was heard. III
was Mrs. Gaines. the sister Of the dead
man and the wife OF his slayer. and az
her agonized scream the vast throng
gave way Throwing herself upon the
ground BY the dead man, she kissed his
already pale face and begged some one
among the bystanders 10 put an end 10
her life.
Gaines trial in the assault case was
postponed till the next week. when he was
sentenced TO four years in the peniten-
tary. At special session Of the grand
jury he was indicted FOR murder In the
first degree. and his trial was set for Au-
gust 9Th. Mrs. Gaines has recently
made two attempts 10 take her own
life. but she announces her intention OF
helping her husband out OF his trouDl,
If il takes every sent Of her fortune
Two men killed. one woman In despair
and ready TO take her own HE; Two
wives made widows; one man now I'M
der sentence 10 the penitentiary and
soon TO be tried for his life-these are
some Of the results that have come from
the Koch fortune up TO date.