The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-12-29


who for 10 years lived secretly
i'm q cell in Lawyer Eouch's office
in Monticello, N. Y, as "lOve
slave" The liasOn was discover
ed the other day when Couch died
in the office. Below is picture
of Couch himself. He is survived
by a wife and daughter.
MONTICELLO, N. ", Dec. %.
Melvin II. Couch is dead and
buried, but the love tragedy of his
life and that of Adelaide M.
Brance lives to prove the fidelity
of the woman who for is years
shut off herself from all the
world for the man to whom her
heart led her.
Details of the dual hfe of this
lawyer of prominence, just come
to light, also bare the heart
strings of his lawful wife and 2S-
year-old daughter, with whom
each Sunday shared his affection.
Miss Brance, who loved and
cared for Couch, crippled, today
told of the strange life she chose
because of the love she bore for
this man of mystery.
A Willing Prisoner.
81 met him while | was stu
dent at normal school, studying
to become a teacher" she said.
II was then about twenty-three.
My health befan to fan and ply
sicians told me l must undertake
some outdoor occupation. So l
became canvasser for law
books. 1t was in this manner
coming to his office to sell him
law bo0ks-that l first became
acquainted with him.
~ don't know how the ar.
rangements first came about by
which I decided to live in his Of
fices. l do not know who first
proposed it, but / know l was so
much in love with him that it did
not affect me at all to know that
il I took mp living in that little
back room 1 would have to live
as a prisoner.
Back After Two Days.
"Only--two or three times in.
all those years have l gone out of
the building, even at night. But
last July l did have an acute
longing-it was for the sight of
a woman-to speak to a woman.
| confided this to Mr.. Couch and
he said 1t was only natural, SO l
arranged to go to Ellenville.
II did not go there to visit any
person that / knew, although I
had several acquaintances. But
after two days T could stand sep.
aration from this man who was
my real life no longer and I re-
turned to my little back room
and was nerfectly happy"
The village Of Monticello still
wonders at the scene i'm the office
Sunday morning when Mrs. Couch
called into the presence of her
husbands body, insisted upon DIR.
Curlette or the undertaken open.
ing the door of the private cham
ber, and all were startled by a
woman's voice:
Don't hurt me and will open
the door"
The two women looked at each
other.
IT loved him." said the strang-
er. as she sank into chair and
wept.
Loved him!" exclaimed the
widow.
Love Superseded.
YES" replied the other wom-.
an. He was dear to me. You
may have been his wife by mar
riage, but was his wife in love.
He was so good to me, and he was
old and needed some one to
lcok after him. made him COM
Portable and happy"
DR.. J.. f. Curlette. whom Miss
Brance called when she found
Couch sinking, gave the woman
an opportunity to leave the office
and save her reputation as well
as that of his brother-in-law, the
lawyer. But she did not go. She
could not thus leave the man for
whom she had given everything
Village still Agog.
Monticello is just realizing the
B}<ock II received In the revela-
tions which followed the sudden
death of Couch, sixty-five, the
orotchety lawyer. who lived en-
tirely In his office with the ex-
eeption OF Sundays, when he hob
bied on his rheumatic foot up hill
TO spend the day with his wife