Vital Records, Chenango County, NY, May 1875

 Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, May 6, 1875

Marriages

GODFREY - BENEDICT:  At the residence of the clergyman in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], April 26th by Rev. G.W Foster, Mr. Richard Godfrey to Miss Mary Benedict all of Norwich.

BROOKS - WESCOTT:  At the Baptist Church in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], on Thursday evening, April 29th ult by Rev. L.M.S. Haynes, LeRoy J. Brooks M.D. to Miss Adella P. Wescott, all of this village.

The large audience room of the Baptist Church was well filled on Thursday evening last, the occasion being the marriage of Dr. Leroy J. Brooks to Miss Adella P. Wescott, daughter of Paul L. Wescott, Esq.  The church was elegantly decorated with flowers, a work of love performed by the many friends of the fair bride, who were all anxious to testify their good wishes for her prosperity and happiness. As the bridal party passed to the church, they were greeted with music from the 103d Regiment Band, stationed in the pagoda; and as they approached the altar they were welcomed by joyous music from the organ.  The ceremony was performed by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Haynes, and was brief but impressive. As the party left the church, the organ again filled the spacious room with sweet music, this time tuned to the "Wedding March."

The services at the church being over, the happy couple repaired to their rooms, accompanied by their friends, where congratulations were offered.  Later in the evening they were greeted with a serenade by the Handel and Haydn Society; and on the following evening, the 103d Regiment Band repaired to the front of their residence and played some of their choicest pieces.  Altogether the affair was a pleasant and graceful one and hosts of friends join in the wish that the happy couple may have a pleasant and prosperous voyage over the sea of matrimony.

Deaths

AYLESWORTH:  In this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], suddenly of scarlet fever, May 4th, Mary A. [Aylesworth], daughter of Nelson and Phebe A Aylesworth, aged 3 years.

MILLER:  In Afton [Chenango Co. NY], April 25th, Eliza [Miller], widow of the late Philander Miller, aged 57 years.

LYON:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co. NY], April 24th, Lois O. Lyon, aged 42 years.

HIGLEY:  In Bainbridge [Chenango Co. NY], April 28th, Miss Viroqua Higley aged 20 years.

BALDWIN:  In South Pitcher [Chenango Co. NY], April 24th, Mr. Orrin Baldwin, aged 67 years and 9 months.

ROGERS:  In German [Chenango Co. NY], April 21st, Mr. Richard Rogers, aged 70 years.

MARCY:  In Greene [Chenango Co. NY], April 18th, Mrs. R.J. Marcy, aged 75 years.

INGRAHAM:  In Oxford [Chenango Co. NY], April 28th, Hattie E. [Ingraham] wife of George Ingraham, aged 26 years. 

PERRY:  In Tuscola, Mich., April 1st, Mr. EW. Perry, son of the late Dea. John Perry of Oxford [Chenango Co. NY], aged 68 years.   m

LASELLE:  In North Plains Mich., Jan. 20th, Mrs. Roxana Laselle, aged 67 years, formerly of Earlville [Madison Co. NY].

ROWLEY:  At the residence of his son-in-law, R.D. Gulle, in Yaleville [Chenango Co. NY], April 17th, Mr. Seth Rowley in the 91st year of his age, formerly of New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY].

BLINEBERRY:  At the County House in Preston [Chenango Co. NY], May 1st, Mrs. Blineberry, aged 82 years, one of the original members of the M.E. Church in Norwich.

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COLE:  In Marietta, Ga., April 18th, Mr. Henry G. Cole, formerly of Guilford [Chenango Co. NY], aged 59 years.

The Marietta (GA) Journal announces the death of Henry G. Cole, a prominent resident of that city, which occurred on the night of the 18th ult., after a long and painful illness from heart disease.  Mr. Cole was born in New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY], in this county, and when but a lad was adopted by the late Samuel Kent, of Guilford [Chenango Co. NY], by whom he was reared to manhood.  Upwards of thirty years ago he removed to Marietta, where he acquired a large amount of property. During the war he was an ardent Union man and since its close he was a candidate for Congress.  He was a man of his own peculiar views, but consistent in his principles and a useful citizen.  His age was fifty-nine years, and he leaves a wife and several children to mourn his loss.

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EGGLESTON:  In Guilford [Chenango Co. NY], April 27th, Mrs. Sidney Eggleston, aged 67 years.

Guilford:  Again has our community been called upon to mourn the loss of another of its aged and highly respected citizens in the person of Mrs. Sidney Eggleston, who died about 5 o'clock, Monday afternoon, aged about 67 years.  Mrs. Eggleston became a resident of our village at an early day - coming from Connecticut after her marriage to the late Sidney Eggleston, since which time she has lived to witness the growth and prosperity of our village and its surrounding country. She and her husband many years ago untied with the Methodist denomination and were instrumental in founding its first church here, of which they continued prominent and influential members till their deaths.  Some years since, Mrs. Eggleston became disabled from a paralytic stroke, from the effects of which she gradually grew worse until her decease.  In her death we have lost a good citizen as well as a sincere and consistent Christian. Besides a large circle of friends, she leaves an adopted son and daughter, Rev. A.G. Eggleston, of New Haven Connecticut, and Mrs. Edwin Hunt of our town, to mourn her departure. the funeral on Friday was attended by a large number of old friends and acquaintances.

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CHAPMAN:  In this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY, May 3d, Miss Hattie S. Chapman, only daughter of Benjamin Chapman, Esq., aged 33 years.  

With the fading twilight of Monday evening, Hattie S. Chapman passed peacefully into the Silent Land.  The tortures of her sickness had been so long and so severe that death was not an unwelcome visitor.  Without a struggle, like one fanned by the wing of the Angel of Sleep - by the poets made twice brother of Death - she sank away. Thus ended a life that was incomplete in the number of its years, but all complete in the harmony of its aim and of tis attainment - a life very beautiful in all its promises, very loveable in all its benefactions, but all too brief in its duration.

She grew up here in our midst and her life was characterized by all the [benefits] that wealth and culture can give.  Yet they had no power to warp the nobler impulses of her gentle heart.  She was ever the devoted Christian, the faithful Sunday School teacher, the steadfast friend to the poor and friendless, the wise counsellor and helper on to those who were seeking that better life, which comes of self-sacrifice. She was a zealous member of the church in which she belonged, but no bigoted spirit ruled her. She ever rejoined in the prosperity of the cause of her blessed Savior, forgetting as unworthy of her Christian womanhood what church roll, ever working that the ingathering might increase. She was never indifferent in the demands of society, but always subordinated those demands to a higher scene of duty. she may have had some premonition that her life on earth was to be a short life, and so valued every hour of the day, giving it to good works rather than to idleness.

She has died in the springtime.  Through the perfume of the budding flowers she is borne out from her home forever; but the fragrance of her gentle life will linger in perennial sweetness, long after those flowers have blossomed and perished.  May those to whom she was nearest and dearest find consolation in the word of God, which was her comfort as the green familiar earth was shut out from her eyes and the angel of Death led her through the dark waters to the land of eternal morning.

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News Item

The Albany Argus of the 27th ult. publishes the following item, which has something of a local interest:

"George Greenwood, alias Burr Denning, "the hairless man" died on Saturday.  In the early part of last week, Constable Wheeler of Norwich Chenango County, went to Troy for the second time to arrest Greenwood on a charge of horse stealing.  He took his prisoner [to the] depot, when Greenwood was taken suddenly ill, and Wheeler left him lying in the depot, and took the train for home.  Late at night Greenwood was found by officers from the Second Precinct, and taken to the station house, from which place he was removed to the Marshall infirmary, where he died of chronic diarrhea at an early hour Saturday morning.  It having been alleged that the conduct of Wheeler in leaving him in the depot had accelerated his death, Coroner Defrness investigated the matter, but decided an inquest unnecessary."

The "Hairless man" was a former occupant of the County House in Preston [Chenango Co. NY] from which place he came to this village about the first of October last and stole a horse and buggy from Hial G. Hickok. The property was soon afterward recovered in Binghamton, the thief having disposed of it, and the next that was heard of him, he was an invalid in a Troy almshouse.  Upon learning of his whereabouts, officer Wheeler visited that institution, and found that the man without hair was too ill to be removed and the officers in charge promised to telegraph Wheeler when he had sufficiently recovered to undertake a journey to Norwich. A few days afterward the officer received a telegram from the officials of the Troy almshouse, notifying him that this man was then able to travel, and Wheeler at once went to Troy. When he reached the almshouse, he was informed by the officials that Greenwood was "playing sick," and that it would be the correct thing for the officer to leave without seeing him, the officials of the institution offering to send the man to the depot.  This was done, and soon a hack drove up at the depot, and the invalid was removed to the building.  Wheeler then discovered that the man was too ill to travel, and refused to take charge of him, believing that it was the intention of the Troy officials to throw upon his hands one of their dying paupers. When he left, the sick man was in charge of a city officer.

We publish this statement in justice to Mr. Wheeler, from whose account of the transaction it appears that there are two sides to the story.  The "hairless man" was from his birth destitute of capillary covering, not having even an eyelash to boast of.

Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, May 6, 1875

Deaths

ROSS:  In Otselic [Chenango Co. NY], April 8th, Mary M. [Ross, wife of William Ross, aged 20 years.

LEVISEE:  In Beaver Meadow [Chenango Co. NY], April 20th, of Scarlet Fever, Walter [Levisee], son of JW. and M.J. Levisee, aged 5 years and 4 months.

MARCY:  At the residence of J.C. Marcy, of Greene [Chenango Co. NY], April 18th, 1875, Mrs. R.J. Marcy, relict of A.L. Marcy, aged 75 years.

Mrs. Marcy was remarkable for qualities both of mind and heart.  With aesthetic tastes, she was keenly practical in all the affairs of life.  With sympathies deep and refined, her presence became the sphere of blessed influences. To her children she was the embodiment of that which is most dear and sacred in "love," "home."