The Pierce Family - Chapter 4

100 Years of the Pierce Family

by Harold Pierce

Sidney Record - Enterprise, February 1954

In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Peter Marette, an Italian couple, lived on Doran lane in the house now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Spinelli, across the O&W tracks from the railroad station.  Peter Marette was taken sick and died.  Poisoning was suspected. An autopsy showed a large quantity of arsenic.  Mrs. Marette was held for the grand jury.  She was indicted and tried. She was acquitted.  Mrs. Marette then went on a rampage that ended in 1915 by suicide in Oneonta.  She smashed  a large mirror, took one of the pieces of broken glass and cut her throat.

 

Now we come to a real thriller, and finally a conviction.  In 1911 there was a young fellow by the name of Harrington who lived in the Brooklyn section of the village.  Evidently he had been reading about Jesse James.  The O&W railroad had a westbound passenger train going through Sidney soon after midnight.  This was known as the sleeper.  One night about midnight Harrington went to the eastern end of the village near the present Hayes farm, believing the sleeper to be the next train through, and stacked a huge pile of railroad ties on the track.  A pusher engine came into Sidney just ahead of the sleeper, struck the tie pile, clearing the track for the passenger train.

 

In the morning the authorities went into the case most diligently and their suspicions soon led to Harrington.  Chief of Police Reddy Dickinson took Harrington into custody.  He was brought to the office of Police justice and severely grilled.  He confessed and was held for the action of the grand jury.  He was indicted, tried and convicted.  He was sentenced to Auburn prison for seven years.  That is the last that has ever been seen or heard of Harrington by any one around Sidney.

 

One day soon after the turn of the century, Mr. Weller said to my father:  "I have been real busy in the store lately and I would like to get some well grown boy or young man to help me.  If you know of anyone that would answer the purpose, sand them around."  Soon after my dad was out in front of his own store and a young man was approaching.  He asked the young man if he would be interested in a job.  He seemed to be interested.  He was told that Mr. Weller wants just such a fellow as you to help him over in the drug store.  He got the job and still has the job after considerable promotion.  The young man was Berton Fairbanks, now proprietor of the Weller drug store and now known as the Rexall drug store.

 

One of the last acts in the way of public service that Billy Pierce did was just before he retired in 1923.  B.C. Broadfoot, of the People's National Bank, came into the store and said:  "Billy the novelty Works has burned down.  The Julius Kayser Silk Company is soon to withdraw from Sidney. The Hatfield automobile plant is soon to go into the hands of the receiver.  Our three biggest industries.  Sidney is dying and dying fast, the time has come when something must be done.  I am putting on a drive trying to raise $6,000.  We are going to select some one, we know not who as yet, to go out in the world for one year and try and get one or more industries for Sidney.  He will be paid $3,000 as salary and $3,000 for his expenses."

 

My dad said:  "Whatever your accomplishments I will never realize as I am soon to retire, but for my successor and everyone in Sidney I want to do something."  He subscribed to the fund.  Winfield Sherwood was selected to go out on the road to see what could be done to resurrect Sidney.  The year was nearly up when Mr Sherwood came back to Sidney bringing with him Scintilla.  They took over the Hatfield automobile plant and you know the rest.

 

Before Another year passed Mr. Sherwood died without seeing much of what he had done for Sidney.  My father died in 1928, he saw only a small Scintilla.  My mother died in 1929, she did not see much more.  Mr Broadfoot died in September, 1929, never seeing the enormity of his initiative and his accomplishment.  When William Pierce retired on April; 1st, 1923, he was the oldest one on the seniority list of the business men in Sidney.

 

The End