A None-Divorce in Williams County and A Criminal Case in Iowa - Aaron Culbertson, 1863

 Aaron Culbertson v Rebecca Hubley Culbertson ("Bryan Democrat", 21 May 1863; Roll 16 case number 69 - Nov 1863)

 

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 2 December 2021)

The following is an update on a 2010 divorce posting.  There’s more to this story such as two more wives for Aaron and a criminal case involving wife #2.

 

The couple was married in Richland Co, OH on 7 Aug 1853 (Marriage V6 p175). Aaron, born on 25 Feb 1835 in OH, was the son of John and Anna Miley Culbertson, Jr.  In the 1850 Blooming Grove, Richland Co, OH Federal Census as Aaron 18 OH thresher with his mother Anna 35 and siblings. Rebecca, born on 26 Apr 1833 in Marietta, Lancaster Co, PA, was the daughter of Henry and Catherine Hubley. In the 1850 Weller Twp, Richland Co, OH federal census p275, the Hubley family appeared as Henry 59 PA, Catharine 59 PA, Abraham 30 PA deaf and dumb, Henry 21 PA, Susan 19 PA, and Rebecca 17 PA.  By the 1860 federal census p340, the Henry Hubley family lived in Olivesburg, Butler Twp, Richland Co, OH.  Aaron served in the Civil War as a private in the Co H 47^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and marched with General to the sea.

 

According to Aaron who wanted a divorce the couple had three children, Albert (1), Arabella (3), and Sarah Ann (7).  He stated that on 15 Feb 1856 Rebecca committed adultery with Stephen Wisner, a NW Twp neighbor.  Aaron had only recently (Feb 1861) learned of her adultery; Rebecca left him and returned to Richland Co.  He wanted custody of the children.  Rebecca's brother, Henry Hubley, gave a deposition to the court.  Rebecca lived with him in Blooming Grove Twp, Richland Co, OH; she said Aaron had disgraced her but that he wanted her to return to Wms Co and live as man and wife.  Rebecca denied the adultery charge.  The couple must have settled their differences as Aaron dropped the suit. They were enumerated in the 1870 NW Twp, Wms Co federal census, p20, as Aaron 35 OH, Rebecca 37 PA, Sarah or Scinda 16 OH, Arabelle 12 OH, Albert 10 OH, and Tecumseh S. 2/12 (b 26 Mar 1870, Birth V 1 p3; died 9 July 1871 @ 1Y 3M 13D, buried in the Nettle Lake Cemetery, NW Twp).  They later had a daughter Amanda A., b 11 Nov 1872 (Birth V 1 p45).

 

The Culbertsons moved by 1875 and were found in the 1880 Buchanan Twp, Jefferson Co, IA federal census p364, as Aaron 45 OH, Rebecca 47 PA, Sarah A 26 OH, Albert 19 OH, Amanda 7 OH, and Hope G 5 IA.  Oldest daughter Sarah or Sadie Culbertson married Mahlon P. Baldwin on 1 Oct 1885 in Crydon, Wayne Co, IA. Rebecca, having not eaten for 30 days, died on 6 July 1882 and was buried in  the Upper Richwoods Cemetery. 

 

Aaron next married Mary L Baldwin Anderson (born 26 March 1839 in Van Buren Co, IA), on 19 September 1883 in Jefferson Co, IA.  Mary was the daughter of Stacy and Elizabeth Jones Baldwin, the widow of Hezekiah Anderson and the mother of Bert Anderson.  Aaron’s daughter Hope later married  her new step-mother’s son, Bert.  

 

I discovered a criminal story in the Fairfield Ledger (Fairfield, IA), 12 October 1888 p3 c3-4 and subsequent issues plus an online article on the State of Iowa v Lawson J Baldwin criminal court case.  It seems that Mary Culbertson had a Civil War veteran brother, Lawson Jones Baldwin, who got a 15 year-old girl pregnant.  Her name was Mattie Rodabaugh.  The young girl went to the home of Aaron and Mary Culbertson on 28 June 1885 where she was drugged and violated by instruments meant to cause an abortion.  She was later taken to her father’s home on July 2 and Mattie died there on July 8.  Mary Culbertson and a Dr Milikin were initially charged along with Lawson Baldwin with second degree murder but the charges were later dropped on Mary and the doctor.  Lawson Baldwin stood trial and was found guilty of second degree murder by a jury of his peers, even though he pled not guilty.  Mattie’s dying declarations were known to the court such as “the terrible instruments” and “they abused me horribly”; however these statements were later thrown out.  After a failed appeal, Lawson was sentenced to ten years of hard labor on 12 October 1888 and he was taken to Ft Madison, IA.  He was 42 years old at the time.  Lawson served his sentence and later died in Wapello Co, IA on 6 January 1912. Mary Baldwin Culbertson died in Wapello Co, IA on 13 September 1898; she was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. 

 

Aaron, a grocery man, next married Emma Decker, on 8 October 1899 in Wapello Co, IA. In the 1900 Ottumwa, Wapello Co, IA federal census p169,  the Culbertsons were listed as Aaron Feb 1835 (65) OH, wife Emma Jan 1860 (40) IA no children, and brother-in-law, John Decker, Mar 1858 (42) IA.  This family lived on North Sheridan Avenue.  Aaron died on 21 Nov 1923 in Wapello Co, IA. His obit and death certificate stated that he was senile, a retired grocery man, and a Civil War veteran; he was buried in the Shaull Cemetery. Emma died on 27 February 1926 and was buried beside Aaron in the Shaull Cemetery.

 

New Twists to Divorce Detailing of George G Cowhick and Rilla Fisher, 1881

 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.