The Mysteries of a Farm House
Chenango American, July 23, 1891
The burning of an uninhabited farm house between the village of Madison and Hamilton, in Madison County, brings to the recollection of a correspondent of the Madison Observer a singular story that, while true, has all the attributes of fiction. It appears that in this house some years ago resided a man named Anson Brooks, with his wife and a family of nearly grown up children. His wife died, and in his lonely condition he made the acquaintance of a Miss Satwell, a young woman of the place of respectability and of good appearance, and married her, and nothing was thought improper or unwise in his so doing. They continued living together apparently as happy as other people.
Mr. Brooks owned a good farm, was free from debt, and seemed to be in a fair way of living. One morning, while Mrs. Brooks was preparing breakfast and Mr. Brooks was at his barn attending to things there, she blew the horn for him to come to breakfast, and, as he did not come, she went to the barn to call him. On opening the door she was horrified to see him hanging by his neck and dead. She notified the neighbors living near by; they took him into the house and had Coroner's proceedings. The verdict was: "Mr. Brooks took his life by hanging himself, for reasons unknown to the jury." As this was the first case of suicide in the town, it started many inquiries as to his cause. And no cause was ever known. At the funeral of Mr. Brooks, many people were present, all wondering what was the cause of his strange act. Mrs. Brooks continued living on the farm and after a while she made the acquaintance of George Peckham, and soon married him, taking him to her comfortable home. Nothing was thought improper in her so doing, and they lived seemingly happy and contented together.
About two years from their marriage and at the time she was preparing their breakfast, and while he was at the barn doing the morning chores, she called to him to come to his breakfast. He not coming, she went to the barn to learn the cause, when, lo! she beheld Mr. Peckham hanging by the neck, in the same place she found Mr. Brooks, and dead. As before, she rallied the neighbors, who took him to the house. The same proceedings were had in the case of Mr. Peckham as were had with Mr. Brooks, and with the same results. The suicide of Mr. Peckham set people to talking more than did the first case, and many were the conjectures as to the cause of two husbands hanging themselves on account of one woman, and so near together, as well as also in the same place in the barn. Some said, "Nobody will ever dare to marry that woman again."
A while after this, Mrs. Peckham made the acquaintance of a Mr. Smith and married him, taking him to her home. People wondered at the courage of Mr Smith for so doing and some said, "now look for another hanging here." Mr. Smith continued with his wife, and apparently they were satisfied with such. But Mr. Smith was annoyed by being inquired, "If he meant to hurry himself as did those other fellows," and many other such suggestions. One morning and under just such circumstances as on the former occasions, Mrs. Smith had prepared her breakfast, and Mr. Smith not coming in, she ran to the barn, expecting to find Mr. Smith in the same condition as she had found her other husbands. Opening the barn door, he was not to be seen, and so sure was she that he was hanging somewhere that she again called the neighbors, begging them to help her find Mr. Smith, dead or alive.
The neighbors searched all around, but could not find Mr. Smith. She asked them to search the reservoir, as it adjoined their place, saying she feared he had sunk himself in the water there. Mrs. Smith made many wonderings as to what had made all three of her husband "cut up such capers" that it was "just her luck;" that she "never would marry again if that was the way they were goin to act."
Whatever became of Mr. Smith was never known. Certain it is he was never seen after, and his wife always insisted he had sunk himself in the big reservoir adjoining their home.
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