Vital Records, Norwich, NY, July 20 & 27, 1870

 Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, July 20, 1870

Marriages

WOODIN-SEARLS:  At the First M.E. Church in Rome [Oneida Co., NY], July 12th, by Rev. Wm. Searls, Mr. E. A. Woodin, of Auburn [Cayuga Co. NY], to Miss Ella Searls, daughter of the officiating clergyman.

CRAIG - HAMLIN:  In Afton [Chenango Co., NY], July 9th, by Rev. B.B. Carruth, Mr. Robert Craig to Miss Mary Hamlin, all of Afton.

Deaths

HICKEY:  In this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], suddenly, July 18th, Mr. Owen Hickey, age about 50 years.

HYER:  In Rockdale [Chenango Co., NY], suddenly, July 15th, Mr. Charles E. Hyer, aged about 50 years.

Charles E. Hyer, of Rockdale, who has been blind for a number of years past, died very suddenly on Friday last.  He left his home for a walk, and crossing the river, stopped at a neighbor's house, saying he would rest a few moments.  He was observed to become drowsy while sitting in his chair; soon he became unconscious, and death speedily ensued.  He was about 50 years of age.

BINGHAM:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], July 9th, Mr. Thos., L. Bingham, aged 75 years, formerly of Greene [Chenango Co., NY]

DIMOCK:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], July 13th, Mrs. Harriet Dimock, aged 53 years, formerly of Guilford [Chenango Co., NY].

HOAG:  In Smithville [Chenango Co., NY], July 11th, Mary E. [Joag], wife of Stephen C. Hoag, Jr., aged 23 years.

ACKLEY:  In Bradford, Wis., June 27th, Mr. Joseph Ackley, Jr., aged 52 years, formerly of Coventry [Chenango Co., NY].

BATEMAN:  In Hamilton [Madison Co., NY], July 15th, Mr. Benjamin Bateman, aged 61 years, formerly of Sherburne [Chenango Co., NY].

BLACKMAN:  Justus Blackman, one of the oldest inhabitants of the town of Pharsalia [Chenango Co., NY] died on the 14th of last June, aged 89 years. 

He was born in Andover, Conn.   Fifty years ago, he came to this County, and settled in the town of Plymouth.  He lived there until twenty-nine years ago, when the "dread monster" entered his home circle and took therefrom the joy and companion of his bosom.  He then went to Pennsylvania, where he remained seven years, and then came to Pharsalia, where he has lived from that time until his death, with his daughter, Mrs. Marsh.  Eleven years ago last January his hip was fractured by a fall, and he was helpless from that time, and for the past year was not dressed, nor able to leave his bed, yet he bore all his suffering and affliction without a murmur, with all that fortitude that characterizes the true Christian, and has now gone to his long home, to meet friends gone before, and to reap that reward which awaits the finally faithful.

Owen Hickey, a laboring man, came to his death on Sunday night or Monday morning last, in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], under the following circumstances:  He was a single man, and boarded at the house of William Carr, who keeps a boarding house and drinking saloon on the tow path, north of the lock near the hammer factory.  About two o'clock on Monday morning, his lifeless body was found by officer Smith, at the bottom of the front entrance to the cellar of that house, he having evidently fallen from the widow of the second floor immediately above. Coroner Avery held an inquest on Monday morning, and upon examination it was found that his neck was broken in two places.  His roommate testified that Hickey was in their room when he went to sleep; that both had been drinking during Sunday. Deceased had his pants and boots on at the time of the accident. which probably occurred after midnight.  It is supposed that he sat in the window, and losing control of himself fell out.  He is represented as an industrious man, having been employed upon the Midland Railroad for two years past, who occasionally took a little too much beverage.  He was aged about 70 years, and has a brother, John Hickey, living at Weedsport, Cayuga Co., and another brother supposed to be residing at Syracuse.

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, July 27, 1870

Marriage

WOOD - FITCH:  In Cuba, N.Y., July 11th, by Rev. Mr. Daley, Mr. Frank D. Wood of Greene [Chenango Co., NY], to Miss Mina E. Fitch, formerly of Greene.

Deaths

BARTLE:  In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], July 10th, Mary L. [Bartle] wife of Levi Bartle, aged 47 years.

MEAD:  In Oxford [Chenango Co., NY], July 18th, Mrs. Lydia A. Mead, aged 68? years.

DAVIS:  In East Greene [Chenango Co., NY], July 16th, Harriet D. [Davis], wife of O.D. Davis, aged 55 years.

EVANS:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], July 20th, Mr. Theodore Evans aged 31 years.

Murder in DeRuyter

On Saturday morning July 16 at half-past six o'clock, the body of Dennis Griffin, a workman on the Midland Railroad, was found in a pit on section 26 about two and a half miles east of DeRuyter village [Madison Co., NY]\.  When found the body lay on its face, about three and a half feet from the side of the pit, which is twelve and a half feet deep, the head towards the south side of the pit.  The back part of the skull, in a line even with the upper portion, or ear, was completely crushed in, evidently by a heavy blow, and there was a slight contusion on the face, near the eye.  A.V. Bentley, Esq., acting as Coroner, summoned a jury.  Drs. Spencer and Mudge testified as to the injuries.  It was proven that the deceased passed Scott's Hotel about 9 o'clock the evening previous, and a few moments later another man passed in the same direction, walking faster than Griffin. This was the last seen of the deceased.  It was known that Griffin had some fifty or sixty dollars in his possession.  Four cents only were found on the body. The verdict of the jury was that deceased came to his death from causes to them unknown.  The pit where the body was found was about one half mile from the highway, and was not in the usual path to Griffin's boarding place.  Griffin had spent the day in the village endeavoring to collect a debt.  He was an intemperate man.  The position of the body, the blow on the back part of the head, the fact of his money being gone, all prove conclusively that he met his death by foul means.  A good deal of excitement exists over the matter in DeRuyter, especially in the immediate neighborhood, and the opinion is universal that he was murdered.