Afton Bachelor Murdered on His Own Threshold;
Suspects are Tramps Seen at Haynes Last Week
The Norwich Sun, Aug. 19, 1918
Within 24 hours after a dastardly murder of five persons had occurred in Tioga county a wealthy Chenango county farmer was shot to death on his own doorsteps. Sheriff Neil D. Lewis, his deputies, state troopers and posses of Chenango and Broome county men are scouring the southern part of this county, Broome and Delaware in search for suspicious persons while Pennsylvania's state constabulary has also been notified and set in search for the murderer.
Horace Woodard is a wealthy old bachelor who lived alone on his farm at North Afton [Chenango Co., NY]. He always had money in his house and about his person and whenever he was approached one could invariably secure a loan. Woodward was last seen alive on Sunday. Many petty robberies have taken place in the vicinity of Afton for the past week and the suspicious looking man and woman who are believed to have broken into the Fisher house at Haynes had been seen thereabouts. An Afton resident was driving toward Norwich about 9 o'clock Monday morning to report the depredations to Sheriff Lewis. As he passed the home of Mr. Woodard he noticed the cows standing about the barnyard, lowing and unmilked. He called in a loud voice, asking "What is the matter, Woodard," but no response came, though the door of the house stood ajar. The man descended from his carriage, went to the door and there across the threshold lay Mr. Woodard, dead. He was half-clad and barefooted. Apparently he had been disturbed in the night or early morning hours and partly dressing had gone to the door to meet the robbers. He may have surprised them and in seeking escape without identification, they probably shot at him. The bullet entered the abdominal cavity and death ensued shortly afterward according to Coroner P.A. Hayes of Afton, who was notified and made an examination of the body and premises. Sheriff Lewis and the state troopers in this city were informed of the murder about 10:30 o'clock and several automobiles carried the sheriff and his posse to Afton, where Sheriff Lewis will take charge of the search and hopes to run down all clues which may be found.
The most valuable clue uncovered Monday morning was the theft of a horse and carriage form the barns of Arthur Wassung of Afton sometime during Sunday night. The horse and wagon were found about noon at Center Village I Broome county, a hamlet on the D.&H. This would indicate that the murderer had taken the carriage and driven to the nearet railroad point where he may have jumped a train, going south into Pennsylvania or north toward Sidney and Albany. The entire county is greatly aroused over the murder, over which much mystery hangs....
'Bogey Man and Woman' Make Full
Confession of Woodward Murder
The slayers of Horace N. Woodward, a well-to-do farmer who lived near Coventryville [Chenango Co., NY], who was murdered one week ago Sunday night have been captured and have confessed. They are the "bogey man and woman" who had been seen in Chenango County and northern Broome County during the last three weeks. The woman is Lucy Lewis, alias Courtright, of Rahway, N.J., and James Conklin of Rahway, N.J.
The murder confession which clears the Coventry mystery, was made to District Attorney Davis F. Lee, during an all-night third degree examination at Norwich last night. The Lewis woman and Conklin were arrested Sunday night at Penn Yan by Sheriff Ayres of Yates county, on the charge of larceny. They were charged with stealing an automobile. A six months' sentence in the Yate county jail was suspended that they might be returned to Chenango county as suspects in the Woodward murder case.
Conklin and the Lewis woman have been together since July 5, when they left New Jersey, they declare. They came to Chenango county on Aug. 8 or 9, according to their story. Since that time they have lived by stealing and begging, after sleeping in barns or out of doors at night. The Lewis woman says she is married, but left her husband because of abuse. She says she is thirty-five years old. The Chenango county officials say she is more than forty. She is of medium size, and has a florid complexion and red hair. Conklin is twenty-six years old, lean and lank, being more than six feet tall.
According to their confession to District Attorney Lee, Conklin and the Lewis woman saw Horace N . Woodward working about his isolated farmhouse and decided shortly after they arrived in Chenango county, to rob him. They were compelled to postpone their scheme for a time, however, because they had no gun. They finally found a Winchester rifle of .38 caliber on a farm between Guilford and Afton. The theft of this gun was never reported to the authorities. The "boggie couple" robbed a house on Loomis farm near Woodward's early Saturday, they said, and walked immediately to the Woodward's home. At that time Woodward was going out to milk, and the wanderers thought it a good time to go through the house. This they did and stole three rings, and a pair of overalls. Conklin was wearing the overalls at the time of his arrest. Of this robbery Woodward wrote in his diary under Saturday Aug. 17: "Some thief got into the house today and stole pr. (pair) of overalls and maybe other things." On Sunday he noted: "Did not sleep much last night," and this is believed due to the fact that the robbery excited him. The man and woman stayed in the woods about two miles from Woodward's home during Sunday, and planned to hold-up the aged man that night. It was arranged that the woman should enter the house first, and make whatever headway she could. When she got inside the kitchen, where Woodward was reading, he asked her to be seated, and started to get up, the confession says. Conklin appeared at the kitchen doorway at this time, and pointing the rifle at Woodward, exclaimed: "Hold 'em up old man, old fellow. Put up your hands." Woodward, Conklin says, did not follow his orders but came toward and brushed the woman aside. Conklin says he did not want a mix-up with Woodward and backed away from the porch, he says and the jar of his body caused his finger involuntarily to pull the trigger of the rifle, which he held at his side. The bullet struck Woodward in the ascending aorta and out through the back. The bullet was found later by the investigators in a cupboard just opposite the door, after it had gone through the wall, and some woodwork. In falling, Woodward knocked over a lamp on the table, the man and woman say. The lamp was broken and started to burn. Conklin ran to the pump at the side of the house, and grabbed a pail of water. He threw the lamp in this and also extinguished the fire which had started to burn papers on the table. When the couple realized that Woodward was dead, they said they became frightened. But they started to search the old man's clothing. They found two old pocketbooks in which were four dollars, but neglected to search the slain man's waistcoat in which the authorities later found $138 in cash and a gold watch. The fact that the watch and money were left, confused the authorities for a time, as robbery did not seem a probable motive when so much was left.
Woodward's body was found stretched out at full length on the floor, in what was considered by some investigators as a position impossible for one to fall in. Both the man and woman deny that they moved the body after Woodward was shot. After the murder, which occurred about 11 o'clock, the couple ran from the home with the rifle and shells. They hid these in a house about two miles from Woodward's home, they said. The Lewis woman went with District Attorney Lee and Sheriff Lewis yesterday and pointed out the place where the rifle was hidden. Besides that she identified the gun and shells. Conklin also identified the gun when he was confronted with the evidence at the county jail.
When they had put the gun and shells away, Conklin and the woman started to walk and from their story authorities believe they went to Nineveh Junction, eight miles away. Here they stole a horse and that the animal was lame. They drove only four miles and abandoned the rig because they thought they could travel faster on foot. The horse was found the next morning near Harpursville. When Monday's daylight came the couple made for the woods where they hid during the day. Just before sundown Monday they came out near the John Watrous farm at Windsor, and were seen by Deputy Sheriff Lee Chase. When the Officer followed them, Conklin and the woman ran back into the woods and were lost in the darkness. Watrous' barn was entered during the night, and his Ford automobile was stolen. It was seen to be driven through Great Bend about 1:30 o'clock. Conklin and the woman drove back over the same road and through Binghamton, Owego, Waverly, Corning and into Yates county. Watrous' car stalled when the refugees reached Middlesex, near Geneva, and was abandoned there. It was found Wednesday night, but the Broome county officials were not notified until Saturday night, Watrous claimed the car Sunday.
When Watrous' car could no longer be operated, Conklin stole another machine owned by Sheriff George Enos of Dresden, he says. He drove this as far as possible and then took a third automobile from Wright Williams, he says. This car was found in the road not far from Himrods. Conklin and the Lewis woman were found in the woods not far from this place. The report that the cars had been found and that two people had been arrested was received here by the Binghamton police Department and on orders from Acting Chief John F. Shay, to assist the Chenango county officials in any way possible, the message was forwarded to District Attorney Lee at Norwich. The district attorney, Sheriff Neil D. Lewis, Sergeant Peter Hovaney of the State Police, and Watrous left immediately for Penn Yan to talk with the couple.
Conklin and the Lewis woman made admissions to District Attorney Lee Sunday night, which were believed to be strong enough to hold them. As a result they were given a suspended sentence when they were arraigned Monday morning on a charge of burglary in the second degree, that they might be taken back to Chenango county. When they arrived in Norwich, they were taken to the district attorney's office and after an all night examination made full confessions. Conklin and the Lewis woman are now held on a charge of grand larceny for the theft of Watrous' car. They will be arraigned tomorrow. District Attorney Lee says he will charge them with murder and submit their confessions. The confession was made to District Attorney Lee in the presence of Sheriff Neil D. Lewis, Mrs. Anna B. Lewis, wife of Sheriff Lewis, who is a candidate for nomination to that office, Sergeant Peter Hovany of the State Police, Lieutenant Charles D. Abel of the Lackawanna police force of Binghamton, Lynn Babcock, mayor and chief of police of Norwich and P.L. Clark, editor of the Norwich Sun. It was taken by Miss Ethel Sill, grand jury stenographer. The next Grand Jury will convene in October.
Conklin has a criminal record and is now on parole from Rahway, N.J. He has been twice conviction since 1911, and has made two escapes from jail. Sheriff Lewis says. He was paroled in January. District Attorney Lee says that credit for the capture is due to Sheriff Lewis and to other officers who help in the search.
[Compiler note: James Conklin was convicted of murder in the second degree on Jan. 24, 1919, and sentenced to Auburn State Prison for a term of 20 years to life imprisonment. Lucy Lewis, alias Lucy Courtright, was sentenced April 7, 1919 to Auburn Prison for a term of 15 years. Horace Woodard was buried in Coventryville cemetery in Chenango Co., NY. His tombstone inscription reads: "Horace N. Woodard / Born / July 14, 1851 / Died / Aug. 18, 1918]
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