Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-26
EART-W|FE WILL
SEEK QUIET, WEST.
Miss Branch Declines Many OF
fers by Vaudeville Show
Managers.
HER BROTHER WILL 60 TO
MONTICELLO TO VISIT HER
TewnsfoIk Fear She May Tell
Secrets She Learned in
Lawyers Office.

MON1lCEbLO, N. y, Lee. 20
Herbert o. Branch. postmaster of
Hartwick, N. Y, brother of Miss
Adelaide M. Branch, who for three
years secreted herself in a closetlike
room in the rear of the law office of
former District-Attorney Melvin II.
Couch, was expected here today to
take his sister away.
Miss Branch has had many offers
OF employment. in one capacity or
another, but so far has not replied
to any of them. She will not make a
decision as to her future course until
she has had talk with her brother.
Branch, while anxious TO help his
sister as much. as possible, does not
think 1t would be wise for her to live
In Hartwick, where she would be ex-
posed to the gaze of the curious and
the possible sights of the other
women in the village.
Miss Branch is of much the same
opinion.
81 shall go West" she said, where
! am a stranger. I shall seek en-
ployment as a companion or secre-
tary. | shall sew, read and perhaps,
in my little way, may do a few trans
lations from the lighter French ro-
mances."
Miss Branch has spurned the
numerous offers of vaudeville man
ayers and the representatives of sem
sational newspapers who wish to ex-
plot her and her experiences. AS
soon as she is able to realize on
mortgages amounting to about $3.50
she will leave Monticello. George III.
Smith, Ter attorney, expects to con-
vert the mortgages into cash either
fnnaW fnmnrrOVy GAUaTal local h11Si-
ness men having expressed a willing
ness to accommodate Miss Branch in
her effort to raise a little ready
money.
Friends of Couch have interested
themselves in Miss Branch to such
an extent that it has given rise to
rumors that many of them are anx-
ious not to incur her displeasure.
They do not wish her to be inter-
viewed by reporters OF magazine
writer's for fear that she may tell
things which might cause an up
heaval in staid Monticello. The fact
Is that Couch knew the greater part
of the scandal of the town and that
Miss Branch, from her point of van
tage in his office knew the same
things herself.
Spends Pleasant Christmas Day.
Miss Branch spent a pleasant
11tI jail AOOki WctS oCCOA
ated with holly and mistletoe and
she ate bountiful dinner brought
to her from Sheriff Kinney's home.
Residents of Monticello sent her
presents of candy and fruit. Scores
of Christmas cards from men and
women who had read her strange
story were received while ten letters
with special delivery stamps were
sent by charitable persons and in
@ffA @sxacr Bax a n fad Fl.
nancial assistance. A number OF
women from out of town sought in
terviews with her, but Miss Branch
kept much to herself.
While rummaging through her
fathers private papers in his law
office today. Miss Louise Couch,
daughter, found a Photographic will
made by Miss Branch, in which all
her property, consisting of two mort
cages with face value of $642, was
left to Couch.
Willed Lawyer All.
Not only did the woman seclude
herself in a den constructed in the
lawyers inner office, do his type
writing, attend to his cooking, nurse
him and comfort him, but she wanted
to give him everything at her death.
These facts were impressed today on
Mrs. Couch, the widow, and her
daughter, Louise, when they made an
other search of the office and finally
opened a small safe in the consulta-
ton room.
Mrs. Couch and her daughter were
busy going over the property in the
room. They examined the will Gu
riously.
Mrs. Couch was much impressed by
the evidence of the woman's devotion
to her husband. She is reported to
be convinced of the intense love which
Miss Branch has for her husbands
memory.
Mrs. Couch put the will with other
belongings of Miss Branch found in
the cubbyhole and turned them over
to Sheriff Kinnie for the woman. Miss
Branch, however, was greatly an
gered today to find missing a picture
of Couch which she had In her trunk.
She begged the sheriff to get 1t for
her, saying that it was as dear to her
as the memory of the man.
Meantime the woman spent the day
quietly in the hospital ward of the jail
practically locked in, but permitted
at any time to leave should she de-
eide to do so. She has sent out notes
that she does not want to see repor-
tiers and Will say nothing to them.