Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-03-23
COUGHS LETTERS
EXPLAIN TRAGEDY
Insane jealousy Blamed for
Killing of Schoolmistress
and Music Teacher.
TOLD WILLIAMS %BEWAREr'
Wife Of Accused Man Takes
the Stand and Identifies
Threatening Missives.
Special TO The World.

Special to The World
OKLAHOMA CITY. March 22.-In-
sane jealousy Of the attentions paId
TO Miss Nellie Dunn by Rowland D.
NllIlams, voice teacher, is claimed to
nave been shown in letters purported
10 nave been written by John NJ.
Couch which We're read to the Jury
thIs afternoon in Couchs trial for
the murder Of Miss Dunn. The let
tcrs were addressed to Williams. to
Mary j.. Couch -the- defendants for
mer wife, and to the Rev. w. H. Y
lich, pastor of the Pilgrim Congre-
gatlonal church here.
Now, IN closing If you ever speak
10 Nellie or reveal the Cuntentg of
inns letter TO single person. or if
Nellie becomes respondent over her
disgrace, which is sure to come and
destroy hcr-hell Will not be thirty
minutes from the first place set
eyes on YOU" letter to Williams,
dated June II, 1916. said. IF ! did
my duty, would do it anyway" the
lettor continued. Nellie is back. so
beware"
The letter was signed, THE only
man Nellie ever loved"
Tells Pastor 10 Keep Away.
The letter to Urch advised the min
lister 10 keep hands off i'm this case.
Writing to Mrs Coucn. he com
planned of treatment that had been
accorded him and hinted at some des-
perate act.
Mrs Couch identified all three let
ters as having been written 10y her
fUPmcr husband
Parts Of the letter were obscene
Before its reading. Judge George w.
Clark advised the women i'm the crowd
to leave the room. Many of them
left II is understood that it is upon
these same letters, in part that
federal Indictment against Couch for
misuse of the mails has been based.
The Tragcdy's Cause.
The letters constitute the cause Of
the Couch double murder, according
to states counsel Attorneys for the
defense tonight declared they would
prove Couch's plea Of insanity.
Mary Couch. ten years old daugh-
ter of tho defendant and niece Of Miss
Dunn. viii likely be placed on the wit
ness stand Friday morning.. She was
on ner way from Carthage. Mo, to-
night. The state expects to rest by
noon Friday
SLAYER Identified.
In todly's hearing two witnesses
Identified Couch as the man seen n
the Wheeler school on the morning
Miss Dunn was killed. Miss LGcile
Leslie. a teacher, said she saw Couch
enter Miss Dunn's room. Couch ana
Miss Dunn came out together. Miss
Dunn white with fear. Miss Leslie,
fearing "A tragedy, covered her face 4
pistol shot "ang out and, turning, she
saw Miss Damn plunge forward The
man was close to her. Erma Det-
terding, 9-Noar- old pupil at the
Wheeler school, testified that she was
in the basement when she heard a
shot She ran up the steps and saw
"a man going down the west steps She
said CoLch was he man. Both identi-
lied clothing thew said Couch wore or
the morNins of the killing.
Wife Is Bitter.
Mrs. Couch's testimony dealt solely
with the letters which she said were
written ov Couch. Efforts of the de-
fense to 90 into her feeling toward
her former husband were ruled out lyI
the court Judge Clark refused 10
permit defense counsel to inquire
about the letter Mrs. Couch wrote to
the county attorney in which she
stated she feared for her life ii Couch
should he released and expressed an
opinion that Couch SHOULD bc sent &
the electric chair.