The Greene, NY Affair - 1845 - Part 5

The Greene Affair

In Justices' Court, Before E.C. Kattel, Esq.

Binghamton Courier, December 17, 1845

The People vs. John Johnson, Examination of Witnesses, Nov. 20 [1845]

Ann Augusta Burdick, continued testimony

Ann Augusta Burdick further examined:  When I returned from washing at the time I heard Johnson and my mother talking, the window curtains were drawn; did not hear how Mrs. Bolt was got rid of.  Johnson said he got a couple of men below Binghamton to get rid of her.  At the time Johnson was there the second time and I told him my mother had not returned, Johnson said first--"Oh, good Lord, what shall I do?"  He did not at that time say anything about anybody's helping him.  I did not see to notice any other of these bones to describe them except the skull.  I recollect the Saturday previous to my abduction; saw mother on that day; had a conversation with her on that day in relation to what I overheard between her and Johnson.  I saw mother on the following Monday; saw her at her house; my husband was with me there; he did not hear all the conversation that was had between us.

I did not see Johnson and my mother together either Saturday, Sunday or Monday.  I was at Hammond's on Monday evening.  I laid down in the fore part of the evening, my health was not very good, laid awake and did not go to sleep.  I heard someone open the door and come into the room and put their hands onto my head and took hold of my neck afterwards, and another one came up and took hold around me, they were taking me up and I raised up my hands and took their hands from my  neck, the hands were on my throat tight, so that I could not talk, after I loosened the hands, I hallooed, I think three times, when I hallooed the last itme, Mr. Hammond's folks started and they dropped me down, they left me in the bedroom door on the floor.  I was on the bed, I clenched the bed when they took me up and they pulled the bed off with me onto the floor.  I felt the arm which took hold of my neck, I thought it was a woman's dress sleeve upon it and felt like a woman's arm. There was an article of clothing found in the room after they came in with lights, Hammond's folks brought in lights.  This article found was a calico cape, it was my mother's cape, it was not there before they came in, I examined the cape, the ends of the cape were torn where it was pinned.

The next day, Tuesday, after dinner, I laid down in the room where I was the night before, the doors and window blinds were fastened.  I got to sleep a short time after I laid down; Mrs. Hammond came in a few minutes before I went to sleep; the first I knew after I went to sleep was, I was awakened by someone putting something in my mouth; I was there on the bed in the bedroom, I did not see the person, I was prevented by having something tied over my face, I do not know what it was, but they put something in my mouth, I could not speak of make any noise; next I was taken up off from the bed and carried out of the door; there were two persons, they were both men, they carried me out of the door from where I lived; after I got a short distance from the house, they laid me down, one of them held my head and the other put a vial to my mouth, tried ot make me take what was in the vial and I refused; I raised up my hands and struck the vial, after I had done that the other struck me twice on my forehead, struck with his fist.

I cannot say what became of the contents of the vial.  I thought I broke the vial when I struck it.  One of them used some very profane language. I swallowed some of the contents of the vial, not a great deal, it was a very bitter taste.  Next I was taken up and carried to the fence, after I got there they dragged me over the fence, after they got me over, one of them spoke to the other and told him to help carry me, and he told me he could not., when I was taken up and carried to another fence, after he dragged me through he took me by my arms and dragged me a spell on the ground, dragged me to another fence and dragged me over that, he dragged me down the hill into the swamp and laid me down and asked me if I knew them.  I told them I did not, unbound my eyes and asked me again if I knew them, I told them I did not, the gag was removed from my mouth.  I asked them to let me go home or write a line to Mr. Burdick, one of them took a paper from his pocket, and a pencil, he wrote on the paper and showed it to me.

I asked him to lay it upon a log there was close by me, told me he would not, but would lay it down in a place where something had stepped on the ground and did so, he covered it up, after he had done that, the other one took a knife out of his pocket and opened it, he came towards me with the knife, and I begged of him not to kill me, the other one stepped up betwixt us and told him not to kill me, he then laid his knife down on the ground beside of me, he took hold of me and rolled me into the water that was close by.  When they rolled me into the water I lay on my face, my hands were tied, my feet or legs were not tied, there was something in my mouth, it was put in before they rolled me into the water, my hands were tied in the house, after they had rolled me into the water, they went apiece from me and got a log and throwed on me.  One of them spoke and said he had done enough for five dollars, said he had not got pay for carrying Mrs. Bolt off yet.

The other one spoke and said he had.  The other one spoke and said he hoped mr. Johnson would go through the village as he said he would, so that folks would see him so that he would not be taken up.  Next they took another log and throwed across my head and neck.  I asked them what they had carried me off for, and they said because they was got to. They did not mention where they were from or any place. They said Mr. Johnson had got them to do it.  After they throwed the logs across my head and neck they spoke and said they must be in a hurry or they would be too late, they then started away from me.  After I thought them gone I turned over as well as I could, my face out of the water.  I could not get up or get out.  Next I tried to get the paper that they laid down and could not, next I fixed myself as well as I could out of the water, which is the last I can remember.