#52 Ancestors Week 20 - Black Sheep - The Counterfeiting Cousin

Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small has a weekly challenge to write the stories of your ancestors. This is week #20 and the suggested theme is BLACK SHEEP. I am highlighting Columbus Houchin, not an ancestor but a cousin three times removed.

I have yet to find any direct ancestors that I would consider black sheep. But I do have cousins that fit the bill.  I'm highlighting Columbus Houchin, but there was a gang that actually included several of his brothers and cousins, that created havoc back in the late 1800's in Pike County, Indiana.

Our common ancestor is Jesse Houchin (1799-1860) and Elizabeth Clifford (1792-1865). Their son Clifford and my great grandfather Chesterfield were brothers. Columbus was the third child of Clifford and Sarah (Taylor) Houchin. He was born in 1852 on Clifford and Sarah's farm and was followed by six other siblings. At age 18, Columbus was still living at home and listed farmer as his occupation on the 1870 census. In 1874 he married Gabriella Woolsey. Gabriella was the 11th child of Temple and Maria (Johnson) Woolsey. Columbus' older brother had married Celia Woolsey, sister to Gabriella in 1862. 

photo taken in early 1875 -Columbus, Gabriella & son Joseph
from Woolsey Genealogy Website hosted by Rootsweb

This is about all the information I had on Columbus, except for one newspaper article about his sentence for counterfeiting being commuted by President Grover Cleveland.

Knowing there are substantially more digitized newspapers than when I originally researched this line, I went on the search for information on the arrest of Columbus Houchin. I certainly didn't know what I was getting into.  So here is what I found:

1877 - The first indication of any trouble was this article. Here Columbus and his younger brother Joseph are having their fines reduced on their conviction of assault and battery. It states that over a hundred citizens have signed the petition concerning the fines.

To Columbus Houchins and Joseph Houchins, the sum of one hundred and forty dollars each, being the residue of a fine of two hundred and eighty dollars assessed against them by the Pike Circuit Court, at the May term, 1876, upon his conviction of an assault and battery, he having paid one-half of the judgment. Remission granted June 1, 1877. Decision: By the Governor. Applicants were jointly indicted with George Bolan, for an assault and battery upon Christ Smitten, with intent to murder him, and were tried in the absence of Bolan, who had not been arrested. They ask relief from the judgment for the reasons: that they were not guilty of the offense charged; that each so testified before the jury; that the crime was alleged to have been committed in the night time at Smitten's residence, wherefore they were unable to establish their innocence; that they are young married men, farmers by occupation, and poor, striving to make an honest living for their families; that neither was ever before convicted of crime; and that the fines are excessive and constitute an unusual punishment upon young men of limited means. More than one hundred citizens of Pike County, including six jurors, concur in their petition and ask that it be granted. The clerk, sheriff, recorder and treasurer are of opinion that so much of each fine as may appear excessive should be remitted. I am informed that the unusual amount was occasioned by an obstinate twelfth juror. He held out for imprisonment in the marked "$5,000," which, when added to the sums fixed by the others and divided by twelve, resulted in a fine of $280. A statement of the evidence, certified by the judge and furnished to me, contains conflicting statements which show that the jury may not have imposed punishment upon the guilty party. "While I am not prepared to remit the entire fine, I think the amount excessive under the circumstances, and if each defendant will pay one-half his fine, I will remit the residue.

Indiana State Sentinel, November 7, 1883, page 5, Indianapolis, Indiana Volume 29, number 40, Column 1, from website Hoosier State Chronicles accessed on 16 May 2015 at https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=ISST18831107.1.5# 

 1880 - Columbus and Gabriella are raising their four year old son and six month old daughter and Columbus' occupation is farmer. They are living next door to Jesse Houchin and his family, the older brother of Columbus. So it seems everything is going fine at this point.

1880 Census - Lockhart Township, Pike County, Indiana on Ancestry.com

1883 -  Then in August of 1883 the following article was printed.  

THE COUNTERFEITING CASES

The Boy Woolsey Discharged and Houchins Held in $2000 Bail.

  The preliminary examination of Henry Woolsey and Columbus Houchins, arrested at Folsomville, Warrick County, On Monday last, for passing counterfeit money, and whose arrest was mentioned in the Journal recently, was begun before U.S. Commissioner Wartmann on Thursday, Aug 23, and concluded on Friday last.  The commissioner discharged the boy, Henry Woolsy, and held Columbus Houchins to bail in the sum of two thousand dollars for his appearance at the next U.S. Circuit court, to be held at Indianapolis in November next.
  The boy Henry Woolsey is an unsophisticated country lad of about 16 years of age, and but for his being in the company of "Lum" Houchins whose reputation is not of the best, no notice would have been taken, probably, of the passing by him of a bogus half-dollar on the saloon keeper at Folsomville.  Shortly after the boy passed the counterfeit half-dollar, "Lum" Houchins attempted to pass a bogus dollar coin, whereupon the citizens of Folsomville became aroused and determined to search Woolsey and Houchins and find out if they had any more counterfeit money on their persons.  The search resulted in finding upon Houchins three one-dollar and five half-dollar counterfeit coins.  The money was well executed and finely "milled," and calculated to deceive good judges of money.  The local authorities at Folsomville deserve great credit for their move in promptly arresting "Lum" Houchins and bringing him to trial.  Large quantities of the bogus dollar and half-dollar coins have been passed lately in Warrick, Pike and Dubois counties, and it is to be hoped that something will be done soon to put a stop to this rascally business. - [Evansville Journal]

from the  Petersburg Pike County Democrat , August 31, 1883, Petersburg, Indiana

The Houchin brothers must have gotten out on bail because just three months later in November this long article appeared about another highly orchestrated arrest that had been in the works for almost a year.

A LARGE HAUL

Of Counterfeiters Made by General Foster and Treasury Detective in Pike County.

  Abbott, Treasury Detective, said that for several years parties in this section of Indiana were suspected of dealing in counterfeit money, and about ten months ago it was determined upon to capture them. In order to more effectually fasten up on the guilty parties proofs of the most positive k ind, Treasury Detective B.D. Hobbs was sent into the section of the country around Stendale, Holland, Huntingburg and Pikeville, where it was known that the manufacture and passing of counterfeit money was going on. Hobbs located in this neighborhood as a corn doctor, and went under the assumed name of Dr. Charley Henderson. The doctor, by leaving samples of his nostrums not only in the houses of those suspected, but in those of many others who were not, and having a smattering of the profession, soon won the confidence, not only of the gang, but the neighbors, and it was not long before he was check-by-jowl with everyone, especially the suspects. Among the latter was Zim Kinder, then a resident of Stendale, the acknowledged leader of the gang, which consisted of the Houchins, Lum, Jess and Joe, Barney Smitten, Henry Grossman, John Phillip Taylor, D. Wesley Woods, Joe Perkins (the man brought down last night) and others who were engaged in shoving the coin that Kinder manufactured. So far had Doc. gotten late their confidence that they let him into a scheme which they had formed for robbing the safe of a merchant named Poetiker, at Stendale, and the bank either at that place or Huntingburg. They also wanted to branch out in their business by going into the counterfeiting of paper money. Henderson was selected to procure the tools for the robberies as well as the paper on which they were to do their counterfeiting. This was about two weeks ago. Arrangement had been made by Henderson, now that he had all the proof necessary to convict the counterfeiters, to have as many of the gang together as possible on his return to that the difficulty of their capture would be lessened. To this end, he suggested that as many as could get there should be a Lum Houtchins' house on Thursday night last. Henderson then make his further arrangement for the necessary assistance in effecting the arrests. During all of his stay among the rascals, he has called to his assistance a Mr. J.M Killian, who kept a tinware store in Stendale, and who ably assisted him when the crisis came. Four detectives with deputy marshal Andy Hart went ahead for the purpose of surrounding Houchins' house, leaving the General to follow after. Henderson placed Abbott, Kennoch and Hart to the rear and side of the house, while he and Killian entered. Henderson, as soon as everything was ready, was to notify the detectives on the outside and they were to rush in and make the capture. Henderson was in the house about three quarters of an hour before he notified Abbott that everything was ripe. The signal for the rush to be a cough. The detectives closed up around the house and shortly after Henderson entered they heard high words, but not sufficiently distinct to tell what was said. The signal was given, but when they attempted to enter found the doors barred against them and immediately after heard pistol shots. Killlian, who was holding the lamp in the left hand was shot, in the hand, causing him to drop the lantern and pulling ?. Abbott and Kennoch then ran around to the front door after posting Hart at the side door, and tried to get a view of what was going on inside by peeping through a window next to the door. Their faces were within two feet of the window when a pistol sot was fired through it, followed by the body of a man. The ? were afraid to shoot, for fear that it might be either Henderson or Killian. The fellow stumbled, picked himself up and ran around behind the stable where he was afterward found shot through the lungs. This proved to be Joe Houchins. A second later another man came through the door running toward the rear of the house, followed by two or three balls from the detectives' pistols. This was the end of the firing. The officers then entered the home, and after getting a light, it was searched and ? Houchins found stowed away in it. After securing Joe and Lum, the officers commenced picking up others of the gang living in the neighborhood. The man that came through the door was caught afterward about two miles form the Houchins' home, found shot in the groin, in the arm and in the lower part of his back. This was Jesse Houchins. Lum had the marks of two pistol balls that had cut the skin on his arm. Hart had his hat and the lapel of his coat penetrated by pistol balls. After securing the Houchins, Smitten, Grossman, Taylor and Woods were easily found, and were all brought here yesterday morning en route to Indianapolis. Kinder, who was brought down by Deputy Meeks, is still in our jail, as is Perkins. They will be taken to Indianapolis this morning by Abbot and Kennock. The detectives now think they have pretty effectually broken up the gang that has been coming on the confines of Pike an Warrick.  Mr. Abbot related an instance of what these desperadoes were capable of doing and this fear they kept the neighborhood in. some time in August Houchins and Kinder went into the saloon kept by a man named Burnett and called for a couple of drinks, offering a five dollar gold piece in payment. Burnett knew the money was counterfeit, and told them so as he shoved it back to them. The words were scarcely out of his month before they both whipped out their revolvers, curling him, and told him that if he didn't give them $4.50 in change they would blow his brains out. He gave them the change.

 from the Jasper Weekly Courier, 9 Nov 1883, page 1, Jasper Indiana 

The trial in Indianapolis even appeared in the New York Times in December

 FIVE COUNTERFEITERS SENTENCED.

 Indianapolis, Dec. 1. - The Southern Indiana counterfeiters were sentenced in the United States court to-day.  They all entered pleas of guilty.  Jesse and Columbus Houchin were each given seven years; Zimri Kender, five years; David W. Wood, three years and Richard T. Comer, eight years in the prison North.  Mrs. Comer was not sentenced.

Published Dec. 2, 1883, New York Times

1884 - Joseph Houchin was tried and sentenced in January.

1885 -  In January, Columbus' wife, Gabriella Woolsey Houchin died, while her husband was serving his sentence.  Son Joseph is ten years old and daughter Ommie is six. 

1887 -  Columbus is pardoned in November after serving four of his seven year sentence. Columbus' brother, Joseph dies in December.  

1890 - Columbus, his brother Jesse and a Mrs. Richardson, mentioned as mistress to Columbus in other articles, are back at counterfeiting. As before they are also arrested..

1894 - Columbus is out of prison and getting married.

1895 - Columbus' son Jesse is born.

1900 - Columbus and his son are listed in Mount Carmel, Wabash, Illinois in the census.  A couple of  interesting things to note.  Columbus is indicating he is divorced and he has his five year old son with him.  His occupation is listed as fisherman. Three rivers, Wabash, Patoka and White, all meet at Mount Carmel.

1900 Census for Columbus Houchin in Mount Carmel, Illinois from Ancestry.com

1901 - Oh no! He is once again arrested. His home is a "shanty boat."

Another account of the incident indicated that his small son went with him to jail and did not mention a wife.

1910 - Columbus and Jesse are in Jackson County, Arkansas and are lodgers in the home of Susan Teeter in the 1910 census.  Both list their occupation as farmer.  Jessie cannot read or write and has not attended school.

In 1917 Jesse completes a draft registration in Arkansas County, Arkansas.  He is single and lists his occupation as farmer but no employer listed.

This is where the trail ends for both Columbus and Jesse.  I cannot find either of them in the 1920 census.  Family stories say that Joseph Downey Houchin, Columbus' son from his first marriage, last heard from his father in February 1922 when he got a letter from him postmarked in  Arnot, Mississippi. In that letter Columbus indicates he is in bad health and that he cannot be around Jesse.  After that no one hears from Columbus again.

52 Ancestors - Week 13 - Different

Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small has a weekly challenge to write the stories of your ancestors. This is week #13 and the suggested theme is DIFFERENT. I am highlighting my grandmother - Bertha Lee (Houchin) Sargent.


I considered telling about her last week when the theme was the same.  After all we share the same middle name. We were both born in Indiana, both married in our early 20's, both had three children with three years between each of them.  But then I realized there was probably more that was different.  I don't remember her because she died when I was just six months old, but I have heard many stories about her.

Bertha Lee Houchin was born 16 Oct 1889, the ninth of eleven children, although three of her siblings died in infancy.  Bertha grew up on a family farm and her father also worked in the coal mines.  Bertha was married in 1909 and just two years later her father died as a result of an accident on the farm.  Bertha and Donald lived on a farm and he was also a coal miner. Donald's sister died in 1913 and they took in two of her children. Her own children were born in 1923, 1926, and 1929.  However, tragedy struck when Donald, Jr., the youngest child, died at age two and a half.  She also endured sending her oldest son, off to war in 1943.  She also rejoiced his return in 1946 and his marriage the same year.  Bertha died of cancer in 1951 at the age of 61.

I've never lived on a farm, or lost a child, or taken in the orphaned children of relatives.  I never sent a son off to war.  I have already out lived my grandmother and been able to enjoy watching my grandson grow up.  

Bertha Lee (Houchin) Sargent
from Sargent Family Collection

 

This is one of my favorite mementos of Bertha's. It is a postcard that Bertha sent to Donald in November 1909 just before their marriage in December. The left side say: "If to the glass this card you will hold, it's hidden meaning will be told." And in the mirror it says "I wish you were with me"  On the back she writes " Dear, How are you by this time I am OK. Would like to see you. Will close from Bertha Houchin (name written backwards)

52 Ancestors #4 - Robert Houchin

This is week #4  of 52 Ancestors for 2015 sponsored by Amy at No Story Too Small.  The theme this week is CLOSEST TO YOUR BIRTHDAY and my ancestor is Robert E. Houchin  But how I came about this is a story in itself  When I first saw the topic, I immediately thought I would write about my grandmother who was born November 6th. After all, I thought that would be closest to my November 12th date.  Of course I also considered my Mom since her birthday is November 22nd.  I always enjoyed the fact that our birthdays were so close together.  But then I started thinking (and that usually gets me in trouble), there must be someone that actually shares my birthday.  So I started searching.  It’s funny how I found four of my husband's relatives with that date.  I found several on my side as well but they were very, very distant cousins many times removed - until I found Robert E. Houchin. Houchin is my father’s maternal line and Robert is a 4th cousin once removed.  OK still not real close but I saw that he died at the age of 19 in North Korea and something drew me in.

The only info I had was his birth and death date and the notation “died in North Korea” and his parents names, Arthur Preston and Jane (Pirie) Houchin. Robert was born in 1932 and so I started with the 1940 census.  I couldn’t find Robert but did find his father Arthur.  Arthur was living in Monticello, Indiana, where Robert had been born, but he is listed as a widower and there are no children in the household. Arthur had a WPA job as a janitor and earned $450 in the prior year. I also found Arthur in the 1930 census with his wife Jane and three children ages 2 to 6. Arthur was 48 and Jane 41 and they had been married about 9 years.

So then I looked for military records for Robert.  I found the application for a military headstone with the correct birth and death dates.  It showed that he had the rank of corporal in the 35th Infantry Regiment and was a medical aidman and he was buried in the Pike Creek Cemetery in Monticello.  Then in the Casualty Listing on Ancestry.com it said:

“Corporal Houchin was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.”

It did have one statement that puzzled me.  It had his birth place as Jackson, Mississippi rather than Indiana.  Then I went to Google to see if I could find out what happened in Korea. The American Battle Monument Commission website said that he was killed while giving medical attention to his comrades. I also found this newspaper article about his death:

So according to this article he was living with his sister in Mississippi at the time he enlisted.  This probably explains how his birth place showed as Mississippi. I next went to my subscription on Newspaper Archives.com to see if I could find out anything else.

I found an article in the Logansport paper on August 2, 1952 giving information on the death of Robert Houchin. A couple of things stood out in this article 1) the information on his death was received by his sister Mrs. Elsie Waltman in Biloxi, MS; 2)  it stated that after his mother’s death he had resided in an Indianapolis home; 3) later he had lived with a family in White County.  The following article on August 20, 1952 says that the father has received the details of his son’s death from the company commander that said ..” Robert was killed on Heartbreak Ridge on July 21, 1952. While accompaning a combat patrol in enemy held territory he was hit by enemy small arms fire and from all indication was killed instantly by a small bazooka.” The next article I found was the one in the Logansport paper on October 2, 1952 saying that Robert’s body had been returned and giving the details of the funeral. How said to find out about Robert's death in July and having to wait until October for the funeral.
This is one of those cases where you never know what you'll find. Robert's story so far is rather sad. It appears his mother died before he was ten since his father is widowed in the 1940 census. According to the above article he had lived in several places including with both of his sisters at one time or another. Then dying several months before his 20th birthday, while serving in the Army in Korea.
I decided to search a little more to see what I could find out about his family.  My first newspaper search had been limited to the year 1952 in order to find out about Robert’s death. But I decided to see if I could find his mother’s obituary and why the children were not with their father Arthur after her death.  But as I looked at other newspaper articles I became confused.  I did find the notice of Jane Houchin’s death in 1937 at age 48 and listing her husband and four children as survivors. I had used Arthur’s name in the search and the next thing I found was a  small article from the Logansport Tribune on November 15, 1947 saying “ Robert Houchin, son of Arthur Houchin of Monticello, observed his fifteenth birthday anniversary on November 12th at the Boys School at Plainfield.”  Was this a private school?  I looked it up and was surprised to see it was a Correctional Institute for adolescents.
How had  Robert wound up in a correctional institute? Another search using his name and earlier dates revealed a totally unexpected story.  I have to admit that I almost didn’t include this part in the story. I was having a hard time reconciling the new information with the war hero. At times I even doubted it was the same Robert Houchin.  But as I read on I realized it was.
Here is a synopsis of the story I found in several news articles.  In July 1946, Robert at age 13  was a farmhand living with a foster family, Imojean and Everett Louderback in White County, Indiana who had taken the “motherless child from welfare authorities three years prior.” (The Louderback’s had no children of their own and Mr. Louderback was a farmer according to census records.)  On July 30, 1946, the Sheriff is seeking a first degree murder indictment from the grand jury against Robert for killing Mrs. Louderback.  Robert is quoted as saying “I was always getting bawled at for doing something or for doing nothing.” On the day of the murder she scolded him for the way he hoed the garden and then called him lazy. Robert was scheduled for trial but his attorney had it delayed while they sent Robert to Indianapolis for a mental exam. The result was that Robert was declared insane at the time of the killing and was committed to the Indiana Boys School until he reached 21. It does mention his father, Arthur, being in the courtroom at the time the psychiatrist said that Robert had a “warped and distorted personality” since the death of his mother and believed the murder was the result of “pent-up emotions” and he had “irresistible impulses.”

There is most definitely a lot more to this story.  We could speculate that his father, in his late  50’s at the time of his wife’s death was unable to take care of the four children, his income in 1939 was just $450..  It sounds like at least Robert was in an orphanage in Indianapolis.  The Louderback’s take him in at age 10 and he had to work on the farm. I don’t know if they abused him or overworked him, perhaps neither one, but obviously Robert couldn't handle his new life. His actions sent him to the correctional school and he was there on his 15th birthday in 1947.  By 1949, before the established release age of 21, he was in Biloxi, Mississippi with his sister and enlists in the Army. I could find no mention of his release, I wonder if there was an escape and then again maybe he was an exceptional inmate and released or perhaps enlistment was a condition of his release.

Regardless of what he did in the past, it appears he was rehabilitated, and he served his country with honor, reaching the rank of Corporal, and gave the ultimate sacrifice and I hope that is what is most remembered about Robert Eugene Houchin.

 

52 Ancestors Week 1 - Fresh Start, Finding Leright Houchin's Parents

I'm interrupting the story of Alfred Moehlman today to participate in the 52 Ancestors Challenge 2015 that is sponsored by No Story Too Small blog. I'm going to attempt to participate each week. "Fresh Start" was the prompt for this week.

My father had done research back in the 60’s and 70’s.  Most of it was done by talking with relatives.  He had pages and pages on aunts, uncles, and cousins and all their descendants.  But all he knew about his grandfather was that he was born in 1851 in Pike county, Indiana and died in 1911, also in Pike county. In 1870 he was living in the household of Leright and Sara (Davis) Houchin, although he was not in their household in the 1860 census.  And of course, there is no relationship shown in this census.  It is curious that Leright junior is not listed in age order of the older children and there are two other children with different last names in the household.

Leright was married to Martha Emmaline Adkins in 1872 and they had 11 children.

Family stories about Leright were varied.  Many though that the senior Leright was his father.  They said he Leright had given him land. They also suggested that perhaps he was illegitimate. Dad never thought that was true, but he really didn’t have evidence either way. In the 80’s he gave me all the information to put into the computer. And it remained that way for another 10 years.

Then when more and more documents came online I took the opportunity for a fresh start. I decided to research the older Leright. He was buried in the Davis Cemetery in Pike county and in that same cemetery is a stone for  J. Houchin that died Nov 1851 and says son of L & S Houchin.  Since this child wasn't listed in the 1850 census (youngest child was Theodore age 8 months) it was fairly certain that the younger Leright’s mother was not Sarah wife of the senior Leright..

So I started looking at other members of senior Leright’s family. His parents were Jesse and Elizabeth (Clifford) Houchin and they were in Pike county in the 1860 census.

And there is a Leyright living with them. Spelling is different but not a big deal. Age is right at 9 for being born in 1951.  If he were illegitimate he may be living with his grandparents. But who was his mother and where was she. But the strange thing is that there is another young child, Jasper age 6, also in the household. Who is he?  I couldn't find him in the 1870 census. Jesse and Elizabeth had both died by that time. Jesse and Elizabeth were in the 1850 census. They were in Pike county, no children in the household, and living next to their son Chesterfield, his wife Nancy and their two children Harrison age 3 and David age 1.  

I really wasn't getting very far in finding the parents of Leright. Then the wonderful genealogy community came through.  Ancestry’s MyFamily.com (Ancestry discontinued this last year) had a very active Houchin page.  It was through a new-found cousin on that site that I learned that Chesterfield and Nancy (Smith) Houchin were the parents of Leright. Happy dance!

Nancy had died the same day her fourth son Jasper was born in Oct 1853. I’m sure Chesterfield’s parents helped him with the four children since they lived next door.  Chesterfield remarried 18 months later, but then died in 1859 of pneumonia. So that is how the two youngest, Leright and Jasper, came to live with their grandparents in 1860.  After the grandparents death Leright  moved in with his UNCLE Leright, his older brother David Johnson was living with his Aunt Lieumara (Houchin) Huffman. Still have not located where Harrison or Jasper were, but I did find that Jasper died in 1870.  I had a fresh start in my research, Leright however had to completely restart several times in his early life - losing his mother when he was only 2 years old, his father at age 8, and both of his grandparents were gone by the time was 14.  It was his namesake Uncle that took him in and raised him until his marriage in 1872.