Obituaries (August 24)

Dr. Louis P. Blair

July 8, 1853 - January 1908

Advices were received here Monday announcing the death of Dr. Louis P. Blair of McDonough [Chenango Co., NY], at the General Hospital in Buffalo Sunday, from Bright's disease. Dr. Blair had been ill about a year, although he had been more or less a sufferer from diabetes for several ears. The best medical skill was secured, but was only successful in prolonging his life a few months, as it seemed certain that he could not get well from the beginning.  Dr. Louis P. Blair was born July 8, 1853 on his father's farm in the town of Chenango, Broome county, and was the son of A. Edson and Caroline Blair.  In early life he worked on the farm, and after he completed his common school education he taught school for a few years.  he began the study of medicine with Dr. J.A. Pettit of Buffalo, and followed with a course at the Buffalo Medical College, and later at the Kentucky School of Medicine at Louisville, from which he graduated in 1877.  Dr. Blair came to McDonough in 1878 or 1879 from Castle Creek, N.Y.  He was 55 years of age.  As a physician he built up an extensive practice and was known throughout the county.  He leaves a large estate, including several good farms.  In politics he was a Republican, holding the leadership of his town many years.  He has served as postmaster and represented his town on the Board of Supervisors.  He had many strong friendships, and because of an arbitrary ad intolerant temperament, occurred some enmity.  In the practice of medicine he showed a great capacity for sympathy and kindness, but always exacted the utmost loyalty from his friends.  Dr. Blair was married twice, his first wife being Mary Slater of Triangle, NY., who died in 1902.  He was again married August 2, 1907 to Miss Mary Bliven of McDonough.  He is survived by his wife, four sisters, Mrs. Moody of New Haven, Conn., Mrs. W.H. Bristol, Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. H.B. Johnson, and  a nephew, Morris T. Blair of Binghamton.  The funeral service was held yesterday in Buffalo, and was in charge of Rev. W.W. Watrous of McDonough.  The remains were cremated and it is probable that the ashes will be taken to Binghamton, where his wife is buried in Spring Forest cemetery.

Luther Clayton Wakeman

May 1908

On Saturday afternoon Mrs. Watrous and grandchildren while in a piece of woods about a mile from Bainbridge village [Chenango Co., NY] in search of wild flowers, discovered the body of a man.  The lady immediately went to the nearest house and notified the occupant, Mr. Deforest, who is turn notified the undertaker.  Coroner Johnson of this village was summoned by telephone and after giving directions for the removal of the body to the undertaker's rooms, went to Bainbridge to determine the cause of the man's death.  The body was badly decomposed, having evidently lain where found several days. The body was identified as that of Luther Clayton Wakeman, and more fully so by Mrs. Hutchinson, a sister, who had been summoned from Afton. Wakeman was a single man, 30 years of age and of intemperate habits.  He was a man of all work about farms and in the village and was in the habit of taking a by--path through the woods where his body was found in going to places where he worked.  He was last seen alive on Monday, the 11th inst., which is supposed to have been the day of his death.  The body was on the knees beside a tree with the heard partly under, and there was every evidence that Wakeman had stumbled and fallen, striking his head against the tree. The blow broke his neck and death occurred instantly. There were no indications of foul play, and the coroner decided that death was due to an accidental cause.  Besides the sister above mentioned, deceased is survived by his mother who resides in Oneonta and two brothers who reside in Lestershire.

Middletown Daily Argus, May 25, 1908

Luther Wakeman disappeared form his home at Bainbridge on Tuesday and his whereabouts were not discovered until Friday, when his body was found on Pruyn Hill near the cemetery.  The Coroner was called and after examining the body found the neck was broken. The Coroner attributed the death to an accidental fall. Wakeman was about 30 years of age and was not married.  He had worked at various occupations about Bainbridge and was well known. The inhabitants consider his death a mystery and not everybody believes that it was possible for him to have broken his neck by falling.

Philo S. Mead

February 1908

A McPherson, Kansas paper in mentioning the death of Philo S. Mead, which occurred in that city February 10th, of inflammation of the bowels of which malady he had suffered several previous attacks, says:  "Mr Mead's death marks the end of a life that has been interwoven with the history of McPherson almost from its beginning.  He came here over thirty years ago, and in modest quarters, engaged in the loan business which he continued until the time of his death.  He was modest in his habits, almost to the point of eccentricity and although he owned a great deal of property in McPherson county and was rated as one of the wealthiest men in the country, his life was very common.  Although he at no time permitted the facts of his charitable works to be made public, it was known that he contributed large sums of money to philanthropic work.  He was  a faithful member of the Presbyterian church and took an active interest in religious and especially in missionary work.  Philo S. Mead was about sixty-five years old.  He is survived by his wife and only daughter, Miss Grace Mead, who is attending college at Colorado Springs.  Mr. Mead had several cousins in the east but no closer relatives.  Mrs. Ward Kinney of this city is a sister of Mrs. Mead."

William Allen

July 21, 1908

William Allen was found dead in his home in Bainbridge village [Chenango Co., NY] Tuesday afternoon, July 21.  Mr. Allen had been ill with Bright's disease since last December.  Mrs. Allen is employed at the Park hotel, going to her work in the morning and returning at night. The dwelling in which they lived is a double house, a Mrs. Neff and her son occupying the other part.  Mrs. Neff not seeing Mr. Allen about the house as usual sent word to Mrs. Allen who, thinking that something serious had happened, had Mr.  Hall, her employer, accompany her home. They found Mr. Allen on the floor dead. Dr. Evans, Allen's physician pronounced death due to Bright's disease.  Mr. Allen was 38 years old and his sole surviving relative [is his wife].

Bainbridge Republican & Express

July 23, 1908

Will Allen, a young man about 30, residing on the upper end of Bixby street, was found lying dead on the floor of his room Tuesday afternoon.  His wife is engaged as a domestic at the Park hotel in this village.  Monday night she was not at home and Tuesday when Mr. Allen did not appear about the house as usual the neighbors notified Mrs. Allen who came to the house and made the discovery.  A physician was summoned and the cause of death was pronounced to be due to acute Bright's disease.  Mr. Allen had been a suffered from kidney malady and was in very poor health.

Nellie Williams

March 13, 1908

Nellie Williams, 25 years old, employed as maid in the family of Samuel A. Marshall in Norwich [Chenango Co., NY] disappeared from his home Friday night and is thought to have taken her own life. Tracks were found leading from beneath a window at the Marshall home, across the fields to the banks of the Chenango river, swollen with the spring floods. There were no return tracks.  Friday night, instead of going to her room upstairs, Miss Williams told Mrs. Marshall that she thought that she would sleep on the lounge downstairs.  Going to her room she got a pair of work shoes and placed them at the head of the lounge.  Saturday morning the family found no breakfast awaiting them.  Miss Williams had mentioned going to visit her relatives in Madison county and it was first thought that she might have left early in the morning to go there. After dinner, however, Mrs. Marshall became thoroughly alarmed and telephoned to police headquarters.  Investigation showed tracks leading from beneath the window of the room in which the girl had slept to the banks of the river. Then it was recalled that the window had been found open that morning.  Outside was found a sidecomb which belonged to the girl. The tracks were evidently made by a person walking in stocking feet.  Search developed the fact that Miss Williams had left her hats, coats and practically all of her clothing.  Sunday morning and afternoon parties dragged the river below the point indicated by the tracks from the Marshall house.  Dynamite was also used to cause the body, if in the river, to come to the surface, but without avail.  Search of the river banks failed to reveal any trace of the missing girl.  Miss Williams, whose parents live in Madison county [NY], and who has a sister living in Cazenovia, was a bright attractive young woman. At times it is said that she had appeared melancholy, but that she had always appeared brighter and more cheerful afterward. So far as it is known there is no reason for her to have taken her life.

Body Recovered

May 1908

The body of Miss Nellie M. Williams, who disappeared from the home of S. A. Marshall in Norwich [Chenango Co., NY] on the night of March 13, and who was believed to have been drowned, was found lying on some driftwood on the north end of a small island in the Chenango river, about a mile below the village Friday morning.  The discovery was made by two young men while fishing, the one who first discovered the body being named Crook. The remains were badly decomposed and were not easily recognized as those of the missing girl, but close examination of the clothing and other means of identification established the fact that it was Miss Williams. The coroner was notified and the body removed to an undertaking establishment and made ready for burial.

The dead woman was the daughter of Humphrey Williams of Cazenovia and had made her home in Norwich for several years. She had been in the employ of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall for the past year, and retired on the night of March 13, sleeping in the parlor on a couch. She had removed her outer clothing and her shoes.  Her watch, pocketbook, ring and other valuables were found on the table the next morning, as she had laid them down, but the room was vacant. A window was open and beneath the window the prints of a stockinged foot was plainly discernible.  The tracks were traced to near the bank of the river, which runs about thirty rods from the house, and there all trace of her was lost. Search was made up and down the river, but owing to high water, no clue was found, and it was believed by some that she might not have bene drowned after all.  Her father and sister were notified and spent many anxious days in searching for her body. A reward of fifty dollars was offered by her father for the recovery of the girl and many men entered into the search.