Arilla/Rilla Fisher Cowhick v George G. Cowhick (Journal 11 p320 - 31 Dec 1881; Roll 37 case number 963 - 16 Nov 1881)
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 6 November 2021)
As stated in other posts, I have been updating divorce detailings I posted here in 2010. When I began to update this one, I realized there was so much new information that impacted the original story, so I decided to make a new posting of this with all the twists and turns of a novel - “you can’t make this stuff up” was in my head when I typed the story of a bigamist who later becomes a doctor (maybe??)!
The couple was married on 29 Jan 1874, in Williams Center, Williams Co OH (Marriage V4 p323). George was the son of William and Mary Jane Rex Cowhick who lived in Donegal, Washington Co, PA in 1860. His father was a veteran of the War of 1812, having served as a private in the first Regiment, Kennedy’s PA Militia. George was born in 1853 at Hancock Co, VA (now WVA). George Cowhick 17 OH laborer was listed in the 1870 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census, p35, with the Milton Plummer family. Closeby was another Cowhick family, his mother and siblings: Dan 21 OH fireman, Jane Mary 57 PA, Elizabeth 18 OH, and Winfield 11 PA.
Rilla was the daughter of James C. and Rebecca Mannon Fisher, who were married in Wms Co on 28 Sept 1852 (Marriages V2 p129). Rills was born on 13 January 1856 in this county. According to the 1870 Center Twp, Wms Co, OH federal census p38, the Fisher family was enumerated as James C. 42 OH stockman, Rebecca 36 PA, Jane 16 OH, Rilla 14 OH, Della 9 OH, Ella 7 OH, Addie 5 OH, Carrie 2 OH and in the 1880 same location census she was listed as Rilla Fisher 24 daughter, single.
Our story from the marriage in 1874 turns to an old newspaper clipping from the Delphos Weekly Herald (Delphos, OH), 28 November 1878 p3 c3:
“The people of Willshire have been shocked by the discovery of a veritable bigamist in their midst. The offender heretofore bore a good reputation and was one of the leading business men of that thriving village. The following particulars are taken from the Van Wert Bulletin of last Friday:
The town of Willshire, this county, was thrown into an excitement, a few days ago, by the announcement that Mr GM Clair, a prominent businessman, had two wives and was passing under an assumed name. Mr Clair came to Willshire in 1874, is a man of fine appearance and pleasant address and soon won the confidence of the people by putting on moral airs. He joined a temperance society, attended parties and was one of the gayest of the gay. He wooed and won Miss Amanda E Woods, and they were joined in marriage 30 July 1874 by Rev O Kennedy. Soon after the marriage the father and mother of the lady he had led down the altar died and she fell heir to some four or five thousand dollars. Clair took charge of the money and went into the milling business with Mr BF Woods and others under the firm of Woods, Clair, and Co. Mr Clair sold his interest in the mill and went into the hardware, stove, and tin business, and continued in that business until detected.
He lost money and had squandered nearly everything the woman that he had so terribly wronged had fallen heir to. He drank heavily and some four weeks ago, while delirious, gave the first illumination of his crime. A few days later a map peddler visited Willshire and exposed him, said his true name was George Cowhick, and he formerly lived in Bryan, Williams County, Ohio, and that he has a wife living in that county. The case was investigated and the peddler’s statement was found to be true.
His mother lives in Williams County and did not know of his whereabouts. He was married to Miss Rilla Fisher at Williams Center on 29 January 1874 and they lived together at Hicksville some three months. He left and she heard from him by letter a few days afterwards, but since that time could get no trace of the runaway.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Mr Clair alias Cowhick and he was arrested in Indiana Monday night and placed in jail in Van Wert Tuesday morning. He admitted the charge, said he wanted a special grand jury at the present term of court to hurry the matter up. He is probably in haste to enter new fields of conquest. A jury was summoned, Cowhick was indicted for bigamy and was arraigned Wednesday morning and pleaded guilty. He made a pretty speech in the court, said he had been a bad, naughty man, but had resolved to do better. The court pitied him for his sorrow and let him off with one year in the penitentiary.
The friends of the second lady he married induced him to sell his stock of goods to them, making the notes, which amounted to some $1,700 in her name, thus saving a portion of her money.
The First Lady he married was here last week, but did not wish to prosecute him. His second victim also refused to prosecute. He loves the last lady passionately and tried to get her to promise to live with him when he returned, but she refused. Fortunately neither of the women had children.
Cowhick’s mother acted the part of the true woman. When she heard of her son’s crime she went at once to Willshire to console the woman he had so terribly wronged.”
Whether George G Cowhick ever served time in the penitentiary is anyone’s guess. No records have currently been found to confirm or deny this punishment.
Now back to the divorce in Williams County – Rilla in 1881 told the court that George had been absent for more than three years and she wanted a divorce, which was granted. One wonders why she did not file immediately after visiting Willshire/Van Wert in 1878. In the 1900 Center Twp, Williams Co, OH federal census p14B, the Fisher family was enumerated as James C 69 OH, Rebecca 66 OH, Arilla (daughter, divorced) b Jan 1866 (34), and Charles 22 OH. Note that her birth year is not correct. In both the 1900 and 1910 Rilla Fisher was listed as divorced as was her sister Addie Fisher Scott. Arilla Fisher died in Center Twp, Williams Co, OH on 13 Mar 1946 at the age of 90 and was buried in the Fountain Grove Cemetery.
One might think this was the end of the story, BUT there’s more. From multiple old newspapers one learns the rest of this story:
In April 1886 Mitchell, South Dakota – George G Cowhick has had 16 years of experience in being a merchant of paints, oils, glass, and wall paper. In April 1889 same location George becomes the Republican chairman of the East Side Caucus.
1886 he married Rebecca Ann Canon, the daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Littler Canon; later Rebecca studied and became a doctor
15 Sept 1886 – a son is born
1889 he purchased land in Buffalo Co, SD
13 Nov 1896. His three month old son Harry dies of malarial fever
24 Dec 1897 his daughter Marie is in grammar school
Oct 1890 they move to Missouri
In Jan 1899 Mrs DR Cowhick will go to Kansas City to study at the homeopathic physicians college and later to study osteopathy; she will take her two little daughter to Chicago where she’ll leave them in the safety of her aunt
Sept 1900 she is in Kansas City, MO for more college training and her daughter Marie will start high school there
1902 – he moved from Mitchell, SD to Kansas City, MO where his wife is a doctor
By 1910 George and Rebecca are living apart again
Jan 1910 his 17 year old daughter Marion/Marie eloped with Walter Walker of dental school. Dr George Cowhick did not approve of this as she was too young and Walter was too “rah rah” with rolled up trousers and goofy hat
24 Sept 1915 he is a doctor in Forgan, OK, supposedly receiving a license in 1901
Doctor Rebecca Cowhick in 1918 went to Los Angeles, CA to help stamp out the first cases of influenza; she just set up a practice in Utah. She died on 21 December 1922 in Salt Lake City, Utah of ptomaine poisoning and was buried in Mt Oliver Cemetery there. Dr Rebecca was the mother of five children: Marie Walker, Oscar, Emogene, Hazel, Harry C.
“Doctor” George Cowhick died in Kansas City, MO and was buried in Mt Moriah Cemetery in 1926. How he made the transition from house painter and paper hanger to physician is unknown but he did own a pharmacy with his son son, Oscar. He lived in Forgan, OK from 1912-1915 where he was routinely sued for delinquent taxes.
