Vital Records - October 1854

 Oxford Times, October 4, 1854

On Monday at about 11 o'clock, as the Construction Train upon the Syracuse & Binghamton Railroad was passing Whitney's Point on their way to Binghamton, a Mr. George C. Graves, in attempting to jump upon the train, fell between the cars upon the track and three of the cars passed over him.  He lived only about fifteen minutes.  The deceased was about 45 years of age.  Mr. Graves had been in the employ of Messrs. Northrop & Ruggles  near that place, and was on his way to his family who lived in Sanford in this county [Broome Co., NY], where he leaves a wife and six children to mourn his untimely fate.  Coroner Charles A. Seymour summoned a jury and held an inquest over the body, who rendered a verdict in accordance with the above facts, and exonerated those having charge of the train from all censure and blame.  Binghamton Republican.

Married:  In this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY], on the 27th ult., by Rev. J.C. Ransom, Mr. Zalmon Haight to Mrs. Melissa Cline, both of Smithville [Chenango Co., NY].

Married:  In Pharsalia [Chenango Co., NY], on the 24th ult., by Rev. O. Ketchum, Mr. James S. Herrington of North Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], to Miss Frances M. Frink of Pharsalia.

Married:  In Smyrna [Chenango Co., NY], on the 15th ult., by Rev. L. Hartsough, Mr. Amos Franklin of Preston [Chenango Co., NY] to Miss Mary Madoline of Pharsalia [Chenango Co., NY].

Married:  In Guilford [Chenango Co., NY], on the 23d inst., by Rev. J.L. Janes, Mr. Cornelius O. King to Miss Mary Nichols, both of Oxford [Chenango Co., NY].

Died:  In Greene [Chenango Co., NY], on the 19th ult., Mr. Ephraim Winchell, aged 40 years.

Died:  In Earlville [Madison Co., NY] on the 23d inst., Mr. David Simmons aged 77 years.

Died:  In Greene [Chenango Co., NY] on the 19th inst., Mr. Jerrydiar D. Brown, aged 31 years.

Oxford Times, October 11, 1854

On Thursday afternoon, the 5th inst., a bloody and most appalling tragedy occurred partly in the town of Greene, and partly in the town of Coventry  in this county [Chenango Co., NY].  A man by the name of David D. Davis, without any immediate provocation, shot his brother-in-law, Mr. Buell Hotchkiss, and his own wife, with a revolver, and after discharging two shots at Mrs. Hotchkiss without effect, discharged the pistol at his own breast, and fell dead upon the spot.  Davis has always lived in the neighborhood, except during a period of absence in California.  A difficulty had occurred between him and his wife in relation to some money, about $500, which she held in her own right.  A suit had been commenced by the wife to obtain a limited divorce on the ground of harsh treatment, and to obtain a decree for the money which was to have been tried at the Circuit this week.  Davis' wife lived with her sister Mrs. Hotchkiss.  On the afternoon of the murder, Mr. Hotchkiss returning from a funeral in the neighborhood, stopped at Dea. Gillmore's, his nearest neighbor, where he found Davis with Dea. G. and his son.  After conversation of no unusual character, and in which no peculiar appearance was discovered in Davis, he went up to the barn and put on an overcoat containing his pistols.  As he came back, Hotchkiss started to go round the corner of the house, when Davis discharged his pistol, the ball taking effect in the back, and Hotchkiss fell on his face dead.  The younger Gillmore seeing the act ran up towards Davis, who told him to stop, or he would shoot him. Davis then started up the hill towards Hotchkiss' house, at a rapid pace, followed by the elder Gillmore, who called to him to stop. As he came up to the house Mrs. Davis came to the door, when her husband fired upon her and she fell mortally wounded, and survived only a few hours.  Mrs.  Hotchkiss attempted to bolt the door against him, when he fired two shots at her, which missed their aim, she being concealed by the door.  Davis then went a few rods from the house and shot himself, falling upon his face, and when Gillmore reached him he was dead.  One barrel of the pistol only remained undischarged.  Another six shooting pistol, and a dirk knife were found on his person. The dead seems to have been premeditated, and prompted only by malevolence and desperate revenge. The deceased parties were respectable persons.  Mr. H. being a farmer and Mrs. Davis living in his family with her sister, Mrs. H.  The tragedy created the greatest excitement in the community, and a mention of its atrocity chills and almost curdles the blood. The funeral of the victims was attended at Coventry on Sunday by a large concourse of people. The body of Davis was taken by his friends, after the Coroner's inquest, and quietly buried in an obscure place.

Married:  In St. Paul's Church in this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY], on the 5th inst., by the Rev. Samuel. Norton, Clark T. Hayes, Esq. of Unadilla [Otsego Co., NY] and Minerva  H. [Hyde], second daughter of the late Austin Hyde.

Married:  In this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY], on the 6th inst., Mr. Robert Clark of East Marion, L.I., to Mrs. Naomi Seaman of Preston [Chenango Co., NY].

Married:  In Greene [Chenango Co., NY], on the 4th inst., by Rev. H. Gee, Mr. John Bunnel of Tunkhannock, Pa., to Miss Armenia Evans of Greene.

Died:  In this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY], on the 4th inst., Erastus Perkins [Glover], son of James W. and Sarah A. Glover, aged 7 months and 12 days.

Died:  In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], on the 2d inst., Ada M. [Westover], eldest daughter of the late Orlin Westover, aged 18 years.

Died:  At Canterbury, Ct. on the 20th August, of Dysentery, Frank Barstow [Backus], aged 2 years, only child of John and Mary Frances Barstow Backus of Norwich, Conn.  "Another flower hath left the earth, / Another Star hath gemmed the sky."

Oxford Times, October 18, 1854

A melancholy accident occurred in Virgil [Cortland Co. NY] on the 16th ult., which resulted in the death of a highly esteemed citizen.  A well had been dug on the premises of Abraham Veeder, and was being walled up by Judson Elwell, and for the purpose of conveying the stone into the well a large heavy bucket, hoisted up and down by a windlass, was used.  Mr. Elwell was standing on a platform, about sixteen feet from the bottom of the well, in a stooping posture, as the bucket was being drawn up, when nearly to the surface of the ground, from some cause, the hook by which the bucket was attached to the windlass gave out.  The bucket in its fall, knocked Mr. E. from the platform to the bottom of the well, where he struck head foremost upon a rock.  Assistance was immediately at hand, and upon being taken from the well he was found to be fatally injured.  He lived about two hours.  He was about fifty-five years of age, and leaves a large family to mourn his loss.  Cortland Democrat

Married:  In New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY], on the 11th by Rev. R. Whittingham, Mr. Dan B. Skinner of Sherburne [Chenango Co., NY] to Miss jennet Horton of Columbus [Chenango Co., NY].

Married:  In Sherburne [Chenango Co., NY], Oct. 7th, by Rev. W.G. Queal, Mr. Duane F. Wood, to Miss Clarrissa Campbell, both of Smyrna [Chenango Co., NY].

Married:  In McDonough [Chenango Co., NY] on the 1st inst. by Rev. J.F. Stark, Mr. John C. Skillman of Smithville [Chenango Co., NY] to Miss Mary B. Philley of McDonough.

Married:  In Greene [Chenango Co., NY], on the 12th inst. by Rev. C. Darby, Mr. Adoniram Winston to Miss Nancy S. Merrill.

Oxford Times, October 25, 1854

Married:  In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], on the 16th inst. by Rev. J.C. Ransom, Mr. George J. Allen to Miss Charlotte A. Beardsley.

Married:  In Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], on the 19th by Rev. D. Cobb, Mr. W. Wallace Brown of North Norwich, to Miss S. Delight Harrington of South New Berlin [Chenango Co., NY].

Died:  In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY] on the 10th, Mrs. Eunice Rhodes, aged 77 years.

Died:  In this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY], on the 12th inst., Mr. Hezekiah Sherwood, aged 83 years.

Died:  In this village [Oxford, Chenango Co., NY], on the 20th inst., Mary [Tew], wife of Mr. James Tew, aged 33 years.