The Washington times., 1913-12-25
SPELL COUCH HELD
! BROKEN BY DEATH
Whole Town Seems To Be in
, Sympathy of Woman Who
Imprisoned Herself.

MONTICELLO. y. Y, Dec. 25.-Miss
Adelaide NJ. Branch. whose secret life
for years with former District Attorney
Melvin II. Couch-as disclosed by
Couch's death-furnished this region
with the greatest sensation it ever had,
is not passing an altogether gloomy
Christmas. I.
Some of the. townspeople sent cut
nowers to her.in the Jail Others prom
ised to contribute turkey, plum pudding
and dainties for the Christmas dinner
which Mrs. Kinnie, the sherins wire,
will prepare for her.
Further. q message reached the jail
from Mrs. Couch. the widow. saying
she bears no ill-will, and. having for
given everything, intends as soon as
possible to forget that she was ever
wroneed.
Brother Is Coming.
following such cheer as Christmas
MY furnish. Miss Branch will be free
to 20 as she pleases. She has remained
in tail of her own will, as there is no
charge against ier and will be none
There has been no place where she
could go. being wholly without means
Her brother. Herbert o. Branch, post
l1asier at Hartwick. will come to see
her tomorrow. L. will rest wholly with
her to decide whether she will go away
with him She Will not accompany him
except on stipulation that her future is
t. be free from allIsions to the past.
An alternative proposition that she is
considering came from Mrs. John lamp
ton, of Goshen. who telephoned that she
would be glad t. give the woman a
home. Miss Branch said she remem-
lered Mrs. Hampton had been friendly
10 her years ago in Goshen. and she
would not hesitate to accept her offer
&c the brother We're not coming. By to-
morrow she will consider the double
prospect and make her choice
She says that after several interviews
with Couch, in which he persisted in
denials OF wrongdoing, those who kne"
decided that no good could come from
exposure, which would certainly ruin
the happiness of Couch's family.
Pastor Stetcher and Mr.. Maybee have
since died. Mrs. Maybee is the suf-
fraEette leader of Monticello.
Various messages have reached the
jail for Miss Branch. A vaudeville man
aser offered her a profitable contract
She said at once that publicity OF that
sort would be intolerable. She may get
a good price for the story of her life if
she chooses to write it IT is possible
that she may,elaborate by dictation the
story she has already detailed to the
newspapers.
Woman Knew Secrett.
I; has developed that in spite of the
guard which Couch kept over his rela-
tons with Miss Branch, which enabled
linn to LEAD a double life in a small
Ilace without the knowledge of his
family OF of the townspeople generally,
the secret was not absolute. Mrs. Jacob
NJ Naypce, whose husband was dis
10.t- laa
discovered the relations of Couch and
Miss Branch in 1903
In that year she was living with neT
husband i'm the old Masonic building.
where Couch also had offices. Returning
cne day after business hours to her
rooms she heard voices in Couch s office,
she said, and walked in- Couch and
Miss Branch were there. Mrs. Maybee
says she upbraided him and he replied
hat his conduct was no affair OF hers
She says she spoke to her husband
and afterward TO the Rev. Walter Irwin
Stetcher. then rector OF St Joln
Episcopal Church and also chaplain OF
the Masonic lodge of the town. Pastor
SIetcher and Silas Deruarest, Mrs. May
bee Saws. demonstrated with Couch, who
advised them u attend to their own
business and let him alone.
Public feeling has grown very COM
passionate toward Miss Branch and,
so assured, she is becoming disposed
10 make the best of her unfortunate
position
Miss Branch still converses in a whis-
per. a habit fastened on her by the i'm
portance Of not being overheard while.
talking in her long association with
Couch. She seemed gratified with Mrs.
Halls assurance that the feeling OF the
townspeople is kindly toward her and
expressed herself AS grateful for it.
Her replies indicated that while she was
a willing slave to Couch, his death has
broken the spell and has enabled her
TO see her position as outsiders see il.
Nothing To Conceal
Il have nothing to conceal" she said.
Ny life story, as told was full and
unreserved. IL you think ! omitted
anything. ask me and / will freely an
swer. l thought it best to be frank
with the newspapers, and thus leave
nothing for future confession or expos
UTG.
Il am glad that the townspeople IN
GcTstand how / was placed. knowing
%T. Couch as they did, they can apprc-
riste the influence he had over me bet
ter than can strangers to him. Every
one IN Monticello felt his dominating
personality. l have no regrets or apOl-
cgies for yielding TO IT. 50 long as the
public knows the man TO whom l
yielded.
His will. I think, controlled me from
the time ] first saw him, and / was
very willing to submit to il. There was
absolutely nothing he wished that
would not have done for him. He was
everything TO me and dominated me
completely.
Whenever / went away, for visit
or needed change. l became instantly
discontented because apart from hi. "a
and could not stay away. ] could see
his face every minute OF my absence
and was restless until again with him
Those who knew him best can under
stand that sort Of attachment.
Il have spoken freely eNDecting the