More on the “shooting affray” from Rich Swearingen

Louis Hiram Goochey

This weekend I had an email from a genealogist related to the Goochey family.  Newt Turpin was shot by Louis Goochey in 1893.  Rich Swearingen wanted to confirm which Louis Goochey was involved in the shooting.  See A Shooting Affray.

We can determine the ages of the different Louises through the census records.   We can look at land records to see where the families lived.   Unfortunately if there are court records, they are very likely gone (for all the genealogists out there:  yes, there was a courthouse fire).  The newspaper accounts are sparse but there are a few items.  Also Harold Hutton’s book and the written history of Rock County give insights also.

There was a Louis A. (Jr.) and a Louis H. (Sr.).   Both owned land.  Both lived in close approximation to the Turpins.   But Louis H. owned land in the same section as Newt (Township 32N and Range 18W, Section 1).  Louis H. was the right age to have the resources to own a horse and to take his gun and go looking for the stray horse.   Based on time and place, Rich and I agree that it was very likely Louis H. who was involved in the incident. 

Part of Newt’s land was the southeast quarter of the north east quarter of section one

Rich states “Amelia Addelaid Goochey 1861-1922, married my Great grandfather: Otis Dexter Merry 1858-1942 which is where one of my main branches stems from.”  So Louis H. is not a direct ancestor but a great grand uncle to Rich.  If you are related, Rich has his genealogy out on Ancestry.com at Goochey Family.