William H. Lally
Utica Saturday Globe, September 1905
William H. Lally
1863 - 1905
Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]: William H. Lally was found dead in his room at the St. James Hotel in Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] on Tuesday morning. The body was cold and apparently death had preceded the discovery by several hours. The last seen of Mr. Lally alive was Monday afternoon when John Gardner, one of the State road corps of workmen, accompanied [him] into the hotel chatting [in the] meanwhile. He declined an [invitation] into Mr. Lally's room and [went to] his own. A little later, [at] --- clock, he heard the sound of a [gun shot], but thought nothing of it, [thinking] it came from outside the [hotel]. Later developments indicated that Mr. Lally then fired the shot that ended his life as adjoining rooms were soon afterwards occupied for the night and a shot fired in his room at a later hour would have been detected.
William H. Lally was born in Coventry [Chenango Co., NY], May --, 1863, the son of William and Mary Lally. From the time he was 15 years of age, he had engaged in the lumber business with varying success. For a number of years he resided in Norwich and was associated with his brother, former Sheriff Edward A. Lally, who died last spring. Both were experts in the lumber trade. Mr. Lally left Norwich seven years ago to go to Oxford, where he had since been associated with Willoughby & Fletcher, of that place in lumber contracts, and accumulated considerable property. This, it is said, had been reduced during the past year through unfortunate investments. He was regarded as a man of honor in his business transactions, fair and just in all of his dealings. He is said to have carried an insurance upon his life amounting to nearly $9,000. August 29, 1890, Mr. Lally married Miss Luella Nash. Besides his widow, he is survived by four children, Harry, Ethel, Wallace and Mark. He is also survived by four sisters: Mrs. William Lennon, of Norwich; Mrs. J.W. Martin of Weehawken, and Mrs. J.E .Albert, who lives upon the Lally homestead farm at South Oxford. Funeral services were held Friday morning at 10:30, Rev. Father Purcell officiating. Interment was made at Oxford.
Chenango Union, September 14, 1905
William H. Lally, of Oxford, brother of the late Ex-sheriff Edward A. Lally, committed suicide Monday afternoon on Tuesday morning at the St. James Hotel, Oxford. Mr. Lally was last seen alive between four and five o'clock Monday afternoon. At that time he went upstairs to his room at the St. James. John Gardiner, employed with the state road gang and a boarder at the St. James went upstairs with him and passed on to his own room on the third floor. About five o'clock Mr. Gardiner heard a pistol shot but supposed it was from outside the house and paid no particular attention to it. Mr. Lally did not appear Tuesday morning, but this caused no remark as he was in the habit of coming and going without notice to the office. During the morning Mrs. George W. Brooks, wife of Landlord Brooks, went to Mr. Lally's room for a chair and seeing him on the bed, retired. Later she again went to the room and seeing him in the same position notified the office. Clerk Sherwood responded. He found Mr. Lally dead, a bullet hole in his temple and a pistol in his hand. His face was bloody and there were blood stains on the bedding. He was fully dressed and lay on the top of the bed. Apparently he had placed the pistol to his temple while sitting on the edge of the bed, and fired the fatal shot. Physicians were summoned and found that he had been dead for several hours. It is believed that the shot heard by Mr. Gardiner was the fatal shot fired by Mr. Lally. William H. Lally was born in the town of Coventry in 1863. In 1880 he married Luella Nash, adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hobart Nash, of Guilford. He lived in Guilford , Norwich and Oxford and has been engaged in the lumber business, having been very successful in that line. He is survived by his widow, four children and four sisters. The act of self destruction was a shock to those who have known his state of mind. When using liquor freely, as he had done of late, he was of an ugly disposition and only a few weeks ago committed an assault upon his wife which caused his arrest on a charge of attempt to kill. A second hearing on that charge was to have been held Saturday of this week.
Norwich Sun, August 28, 1905
William H. Lally of Oxford was brought to Norwich and lodged in the county jail Sunday, charged with an assault on his wife with intent to kill. The alleged assault took place on Saturday night. According to the charges made by his wife, he was armed with a revolver and butcher knife and at first threatened to shoot her. He then made an attack upon her with the knife and cut her left wrist and arm severely. Her condition is considered critical. Deputy Sheriff Hovey of Oxford came to Norwich this afternoon and took Lally back with him. An examination will be held this afternoon.
Norwich Sun, August 29, 1905
Before Justice of the Peace Newkirk in Oxford Monday afternoon an examination was held in the case of William H. Lally of that place charged with assault on his wife with intent to kill. The examination was continued until September 16 and Lally was released on his own cognizance until that time. It is understood that Lally made certain property concessions to his wife and agreed to remain away from the house. the condition of Mrs. Lally is said to be greatly improved and no serious results are now feared.
Luella H. Lally
Binghamton Press, October 30, 1944
Mrs. Luella H. Lally, 73, of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] died at noon Saturday at the Chenango Memorial Hospital, Norwich. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Whitman Bowers of Oxford; three sons, Harry, of Brunswick Me.; Wallace, of Utica, ad Sergeant Mark of New Guinea; a brother, Bertram Weeks of Bahama Island; two half sisters, Mrs. Breckenridge and Mrs. Hamlin of Sebeha, Minn. The body was removed to the Seymour Funeral Home, Oxford.
Edward A. Lally
Norwich Sun, May 6, 1905
At an early hour Friday morning at his home on North Broad st [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], ex-sheriff Edward A. Lally died very suddenly of heart failure; he had been attending to the duties of his business the day previous, and was apparently in the best of health when stricken. The news of his death was a shock to his many friends throughout the county.
Edward A. Lally, eldest son of the late William and Mary Lally, was born in the town of Coventry, in this county [Chenango Co., NY] on August 10, 1857; he attended the district schools near his boyhood home, and completed his education at the Oxford and Norwich academies. He worked on his father's farm summers and taught school winters until he reached the age of 21 years, when he moved with his father's family to Guilford. Soon after taking up his residence in Guilford he engaged in the lumber business, and was elected collector and overseer of the poor of the town of Guilford. He continued in the lumber business until about 1886, when he was appointed railway mail clerk by President Cleveland, running on the Ontario & Western from Oneida to Weehawken, and which position he occupied for four years.
In 1889 he was married to Miss Hattie L. Wade of Guilford, who with two sons, Edward and John D. Lally survive him. In addition to his widow and children, he is survived by one brother, William H. Lally of Oxford and four sisters, Mrs. J.E. Albert, South Oxford, Mrs. Charles B. Grant, Guilford, Mrs. Jay W. Martin of Union Hill, N.Y., and Mrs. Susie Lennon of Norwich.
In 1891, Mr. Lally was elected sheriff of the county of Chenango, receiving a plurality of 149 over the late Isaac D. Wiltsie, the Republican nominee. In this election Mr. Lally manifested his great popularity in carrying the county against such tremendous odds, Senator Fassett carrying the county by more than 600 plurality. He was the first Democrat to hold the office of sheriff in Chenango county in a period of more than fifty years; he discharged the duties of this office with marked ability, and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. In politics he was always an ardent Democrat, and he enjoyed the confidence of the members of his party; he was nominated for member of assembly, and police justice, running ahead of his ticket in each instance. He was a member of the improved Order of Red Men, N.P.L.A.O.U.W. and several other fraternal societies. Since the expiration of his term of office as sheriff, Mr. Lally has devoted his attention to the lumber business in which he had rare skill and ability, few men were better able than he to estimate the value of a tract of timber, and his judgment was remarkable in that line.
Ed Lally had no enemies, he was broad minded, big hearted and generous, he was true and loyal to his friends, he was unselfish and would share his last dollar with a friend in need, he was honest and fair in all his transactions, and no one can say that he ever did an injury to them. His multitude of friends deplore his death in the prime of manhood and share the burden of the grief which overwhelms his devoted wife and family. His funeral will be held at St. Paul's church in this village Monday morning at 9:30 o'clock, interment at St. Joseph's cemetery, Oxford, N.Y.
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