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Oconto County Reporter
6 December 1895

Charles B. Alvord, a resident of Oconto county for the past twenty years, was found dead in bed at his farm, seven miles from the city, in the town of Oconto, last Saturday morning.

During the evening while visiting with the family at the farmhouse, Alvord complained of a severe headache, and retired about 9 o’clock.

Williams returned on the early train, the next morning, from the Bay, accompanied by Mrs. Alvord, both arriving at the house before the family had arisen. Entering, Mrs. Alvord inquired of Williams the room to which her husband had probably been assigned, which she entered, with the intention of giving him a surprise. Stepping to the bedside and lightly touching him to awaken him, she sprang back in horror when she saw that he was dead.

At the inquest held before Edward Couillard, justice of the peace, in the presence of Drs. Stoelting, Atwood, and Oshwaldt, the jury composed of Henry Russell, John Couillard, Archie McAllister, James Farquer, Samuel McAllister, and Edward Matravers, the verdict was that deceased came to his death from natural causes, there being no indication that he had committed self destruction.

The body lay as though in peaceful slumber- the features in natural repose. Around his forehead was a black cloth, placed there as though to ease pain.

On the back of his right hand an inch and a half of skin had been scratched away, which lay embedded beneath the nail of the middle finger of the left hand.

On the table near the bed were two empty cups and in the bottom of one a sediment analysis of which showed it to have been headache powder and harmless.

Saturday night, after the Western Union telegraph office had closed, a dispatch came over the railroad line to City Marshall Smith from Chief-of-Police Nolan of Green Bay, requesting him to arrest Alvord for forgery, giving a description of the team with which he had left the Bay, and another message came Sunday morning, but before the marshal had arrived up-town he learned that the unfortunate man had passed away.

For some time past Mr. Alvord had resided at Green Bay, and conducted a stage line between the city and outlying points.

It seems that on last Saturday he was arrested at the Bay, charged with having passed a forged check for $125. In order to show the party to whom the check was presented, that he was acting in good faith, he gave him a chattel mortgage, as guarantee, on some property in Marinette.

Then there is another story that when about to be arrested he gained time by informing the officer that he would arrange matters satisfactorily later in the day, soon afterward securing the team and driving out to his home in the town of Oconto and ending his life.

Charles Alvord had been a resident of this county about twenty years, coming here as an acrobat in a circus. He engaged in logging and later became the owner of a farm upon which he erected fine buildings. One year ago last October his wife - in maiden life, Miss Couillard died. They had eleven children - one daughter now Mrs. John Lucas, of this city; Josie, Edna, Nellie, Nina, Pearl, Frankie, Cappie, Guy, Charles, and Adlebert. His second wife was Miss Laura Delorm and her home in Frenchtown. He was a member of the Royal Arcanum and carried life insurance to the amount of $8,000 in the order, and shortly before his death he took out $6,000 insurance for the benefit of his boys at the Green Bay orphanage.

Mayor Cook is said to have taken possession of the eleven horses and conveyances used on the mail route between Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay on a mortgage, but will permit the bondsmen to use them until they can make other arrangements.

The funeral was held under the auspices of the Royal Arcanum Tuesday forenoon, the services at the church, for the family, conducted by Rev. Mr. Blakely and at the cemetery in Couillardville by Rev. G. Bossard as chaplain of the order, the following members serving as pallbearers: J.J. Porter, Robert Burke, W. G. Links, George Jones, Fred Wright and C. A. Brigden. The interment at the Oconto cemetery.

(Additional Notes: His first wife's name was Ellen Catherine Couillard; her death was October 15, 1894. John Couillard in the obit was another half brother and Edward Couillard was a nephew of first wife Ellen Catherine Couillard Alvord. Her parents were Thomas Howard Couillard Sr. and Catherine Murphy. To identify some of the others on the inquest board. - Edward Couillard, actually Thomas Edward, was son of Jacob W. Couillard and Susan Lary Couillard. Edward Matravers son of John and Mathilda Clark Matravers. )