Murder of Mrs. James Scott Near Chenango Lake
Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, October 25, 1907
The murder of Mrs. James Scott, which was brought to light with the discovery of her dead body in a lonely piece of woods near Chenango Lake, Wednesday afternoon, is one of the most revolting crimes in the history of this section of the country. William Scott, the stepson of the dead woman is under arrest charged with the murder. To E.S. Harrington, a lifelong friend of the family, he has confessed that he fired the fatal shot, but even without that admission, the chain of circumstantial evidence pointing to young Scott's guilt is unusually strong.
The History of the Case
Since his release on parole from the Elmira reformatory where he was sent a year ago on a charge of grand larceny in the second degree, William Scott had been contemplating matrimony. He had an idea of keeping house in the upper rooms of the family residence on Waite Street. He had talked of this more or less with his father and stepmother, but they had given him little encouragement in the enterprise.
Friday afternoon young Scott came to the family home and told his father that he was going to look at a stove which a farmer near the lake had for sale. He asked him to come along and look at the stove. Mr. Scott told the young man that he did not want to do this, as his eyesight was none too good, and he could see but little. He suggested that Willie take his stepmother along with him. William agreed to this, and they drove away.
They took the lake road and stopped once or twice to make inquiries for one William Follett. The last place that they were noticed was the Guile farm. Soon after they were seen passing there going toward the lake, Willie was seen driving back alone. Perhaps an hour had elapsed. When he arrived at the family home on Waite Street, he told his father that he had left his stepmother at Frank Stockwell's and that he need not worry, as he would have someone there to get breakfast for him. Then he went across the river to the Brown farm where he had been employed.
Soon after he reached the Brown farm, he approached Fred Genung, a farm hand employed on the farm and pulling out a revolver attempted to sell it to him. Genung took the revolver and examined it. One chamber contained a loaded cartridge, the others containing empty shells.
Scott Visits the Sheriff
Saturday morning, William Scott came to the county jail and asked to see the sheriff. After talking with Sheriff Beardsley for some little time, he casually remarked that his father and stepmother had quarreled Friday morning, and that he had taken her driving that afternoon. He said that they had gone up the lake road after chestnuts and that he had started back home with her. He said that after passing the Hotel Virgil on the return drive, they had met Frank Stockwell, and that his stepmother had then left the wagon and driven off with Stockwell.
Sunday morning, James Scott, the husband of the murdered woman, and the father of the self-confessed murderer, went to Stockwell's and found that his wife was not there. Saturday night young Scott had called at his father's home and made certain incriminating remarks, which aroused suspicion that all was not as it should be. Monday, Mr. Scott and a party of neighbors spent the day searching for the missing woman. That night they came to the jail and told Sheriff Beardsley all of the circumstances as they then knew them. The next morning (Tuesday) Willie Scott was located at the Brown farm and brought to the jail.
Suspicions are Aroused
Sheriff Beardsley questioned him for some time and from his replies became suspicious enough to detain the young man in the jail. That day the sheriff went out with the searching party and from his investigations became convinced that to the best of his judgment, no statement made to him by young Scott was true.
Then entered S.E. Harrington into the case. Mr. Harrington has been a lifelong friend of the Scott family. He is a straightforward, honest man, and one who readily gains confidence. Without his aid it is doubtful if the authorities would have been able to ferret the matter out.
Tuesday evening, Mr. Harrington went to the Scott home and asked to see the wagon which William had used on the drive Friday afternoon. This he examined carefully without result. When he asked Mr. Scott if any lap robes had been used, one was produced, and on examination Mr. Harrington found what he took to be blood stains. The blanket is now in the hands of the authorities who will determine by analysis whether the stains are blood stains or not.
Harrington came to the jail and had a talk with Scott Tuesday night. Scott was non-committal but asked Harrington to call again in the morning. This Harrington did. After four or five short talks Harrington gained Scott's confidence and he agreed to take him to the place where he would find the missing woman.
In talking with Scott, Harrington told him that, assuming that Mrs. Scott was dead, the body would be surely found within a few days, and that the guilt would unquestionably be fixed on him. Harrington intimated to the young man that if he helped him find the body a way for escape might be found. Harrington told him, that if he had a son who was in trouble as he thought Scott was, he would be glad if someone else would help him to get away where he could make a fresh start and live an upright life. Young Scott broke down and said that he would lead him to the body. At the same time Scott asked Harrington to fix things so that he could escape and asked him to hurry.
The members of the searching party Wednesday were Sheriff Beardsley, Deputy Sheriff Robbins, Mr. Harrington and William Scott. They left Norwich about 11 o'clock. The body was found at 1:30 o'clock.
Harrington arranged matters so that he was handcuffed to Scott. The plan was understood by Scott to be this: He was to lead Harrington to the body, whereupon the handcuff was to be unlocked and he was to escape. To carry out this idea Harrington gave Scott food and money. On various pretenses, Harrington contrived to unlock and lock the handcuff several times to convince the young man that he had the key which would do it.
When Harrington's house was reached, the team was stopped. Harrington unlocked the handcuff and went into the house and got an overcoat, leaving Scott in the wagon. Scott apparently suspected nothing and fully believed that he was to be allowed to escape as soon as the body was found. While driving along the road, toward the lake, Harrington and Scott talked in low tones about the matter and finally Scott admitted to Harrington that he killed her. He said that she fell to the ground and died almost instantly when she was shot.
According to agreement, Scott pressed Harrington's hand before the Borland cottage was reached and upon receiving this pre-arranged signal, Harrington had the carriage stopped, and told Sheriff Beardsley that he and Scott were going to look for the body. Everything worked like machinery. Sheriff Beardsley agreed, and Scott started to lead Harrington through the woods. It was part of the scheme that the sheriff and Deputy Robbins should ostensibly search in another direction, and they kept in the background. before leaving the wagon, Harrington had slipped the real key to the handcuffs to the sheriff and had retained a false key which would not unlock them.
Scott lead Harrington directly to the body, showing not the slightest emotion. the body of the murdered woman was found lying back downward on the leaves. The head was drawn back, and one arm was under and one arm over the body. The clothing was disarranged, and the position of the lower limbs was unnatural.
As soon as the body was found Harrington shouted at the top of his voice. Then he pulled the false key out of his pocket and attempted to unlock the handcuff with it, but of course was unable to do so. Scott then realized the ruse which had been employed to trap him and at the same time find the body of his victim and called Harrington a traitor. He struggled to get away, but Harrington was able to hold him until the sheriff an Deputy Robbins arrived. After he realized that he had been trapped, Scott stated that he did not shoot his stepmother, but that someone else who was in the wood did it.
Delia M. Scott, the murdered woman, was 43 years old. She was born in Manchester, England, and was a daughter of John and Catherine Maloney. She came to this country 19 years ago and became the wife of James Scott sometime after that. For several years the family lived in the vicinity of Chenango Lake, not far from where Mrs. Scott was killed last Friday afternoon.
The alleged murdered is 23 years old and is the youngest son of James Scott and a former wife. The woman killed was a stepmother.
James Scott, the father, is a man in his sixties, and has an honorable record in the Civil War. He is a member of the G.A.R. Mr. and Mrs. Scott had just completed payments on their little home on Waite Street and with Mr. Scott's pension were in fairly comfortable circumstances. While they are poor people, the Scotts have always been honorable, hardworking and industrious. Since moving to this village, Mr. Scott had found considerable work in trucking and other similar occupations.
William Scott, or Willie, as the family call him, as a lad was continually getting himself into trouble and only by the efforts of parents and friends was kept out of serious difficulty with the legal authorities many times. Last year, he purloined a horse and cutter which he brought to this village and disposed of, and for this he was sent to the Elmira reformatory. His release on parole was procured only recently through the efforts of his parents and friends.
What Was His Motive?
To Mr. Harrington, Scott stated that he did not know why he killed his stepmother, but notwithstanding this statement, his father, James Scott, is inclined to believe that the crime was carefully planned before it was executed. He believes that the motive was a desire to obtain possession of the family home on Waite Street and that had Willie not been taken into custody when he was, he too would have been a victim of his son's fiendish mind.
Mr. Scott was very bitter toward his son Wednesday night. He visited him at the jail after the discovery of Mr. Scott's body and it is said that in some respects the interview was a stormy one. At the Sun office Mr. Scott stated that he had disowned the boy and had told him never again to call him father.
For the purpose of setting himself right with the public, Mr. Scott left at this office a statement signed by Sheriff Beardsley which said in substance that Willim had retracted his previous allegations of a quarrel between Mr. and Mr. Scott on Friday morning last, and that no such quarrel had taken place.
Scott as a prisoner
Scott does not seem to take his confinement in the jail seriously. Tuesday morning, before starting out to show Mr. Harrington where to find the body of his stepmother, he ate a hearty breakfast and when he returned from the harrowing experience of locating the remains of the woman that had been murdered in cold blood knowing as he must have, that he was a prisoner held on a capital charge, the first thing that he demanded was food. He laughs, talks and sings. One favorite song which he sang just before going out with the officers Wednesday morning had as its theme, "My Dear Old Mother." He spends much of his time pacing up and down the corridor in front of his cell.
Scott Electrocuted Monday Morning
Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, June 15, 1909
Auburn, June 14: William Scott, who in October 1907 murdered his stepmother, Mrs. Delia Scott, near Chenango Lake, shortly after 6 o'clock this morning paid the penalty of his crime in the death chamber at Auburn prison. the execution was unusually successful and clean being entirely free from distressing incidents.
In view of the fact that Scott's near relatives are poor, Father Hickey of Auburn will take charge of the remains for a proper burial in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Cemetery on the shores of the beautiful Owasco Lake. Undertaker W.H. Meagher will have charge of the burial, which will take place at 3 o'clock this afternoon.
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