Vital Records, Otsego County, NY, 1878

 Freeman's Journal, Cooperstown, NY, July 11, 1878

Marriages

At the residence of the bride's relatives in South Valley [Cattaraugus Co. NY], July 3d, '78, by Rev. W.H. Humphrey, E. C. Clark to J. Ulman both of Roseboom [Otsego Co. NY].

At the residence of Geo. Westcott, Milford [Otsego Co. NY], July 3d by Rev. A.B. Richardson, Alson Irish of Fly Creek [Otsego Co. NY] and Alice Westcott of Milford.

Deaths

Near Schenevus [Otsego Co. NY], June 30th, 1878, Loretta D. [Bennett] daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Bennett, aged 20 years and 8 months.

In Camden, N.Y. [Oneida Co.], July 4th, Mary [Cuppemull] wife of E.S. Cuppemull of this village [Cooperstown, Otsego Co. NY].

Morris Chronicle, Morris, NY, July 17, 1878

Marriages

July 4:  At Oneonta [Otsego Co. NY], by Rev. Y.C. Smith, Ezra W. Chrispell of Davenport [Delaware Co. NY], and Miss Allie M. Anderson of Franklin [Delaware Co. NY].

July 4:  At Oneonta [Otsego Co. NY], by Seymour Scott, J.P. Wm. H. Slater of South Hamilton [Madison Co. NY], and Catharine Edwards of Otego [Otsego Co. NY].

Deaths

June 28:  In Mattison, Mich. after a short illness, Dan Cushman, brother of Pitt Cushman, formerly a resident of Pittsfield, Otsego County, N.Y., aged 74 years.

July 5:  In Oneonta [Otsego Co. NY], Mertie E. [Ostrom] daughter of Eliza J. and James M. Ostrom, aged 5 yrs.

July 6:  In Oneonta [Otsego Co. NY]. Isaac Utter, aged 75 years.

July 6:  In Oneonta [Otsego Co. NY], Ann S. [Jacobie] wife of Wm. Jacobie, aged 63 years, 9 months and 6 days.

July 8:  In Milford [Otsego Co. NY], very suddenly of heart disease, Betsey Winslow in her 70th yr.

July 13:  In Morris [Otsego Co. NY], John C. Wilson in the 22d ye4ar of his age.

Mr. John Fisk died at the residence of his son, Hirm Fisk, June 24th.  He was born in the town of Otego [Otsego Co. NY], June 20, 1789, but spent most of his life in the town of Unadilla [Otsego Co. NY] where he died.  He was a good and true man, a worthy citizen, and a faithful, earnest Christian.  He served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812 and served his God as a consistent member of the Baptist Church for more than sixty years and a considerable portion of this time held the office of Deacon.  Unadilla Times

News Item

A Murderer of Over Seventeen Years Ago Identified

In December, 1865, in the town of Brookfield, Madison County [NY], about one mile north of West Edmeston [Otsego Co. NY], was committed a most dastardly murder.  Dennison Crandall and wife, an aged couple had in their possession a large sum of money.  This fact being known, a vile-looking gang of men entered Mr. Crandall's premises for the purpose of robbery.  In the melee which ensued, the robbers succeeded in their designs, only on a more bloody scale.  Mr. and Mrs. Crandall were shot at and beaten in a horrible manner, and finally left for dead.  Mr. Crandall rallied, and after hours of unconsciousness, only to find his wife dead. The news of this tragedy spread.  Search for the guilty ones proved of no avail, and not even the incentive of the reward of a $1,000 caused their arrest.  About that time there was a man named Isaiah Belville staying with the Loomises, but after the murder he was missing.  Recently Grove Loomis died, and this Belville returned to claim by foul means the property which he had left. For that he was arrested and confined in Rome jail.  During the past week, Mr. Crandall and his son went to Rome, sought an interview in the jail with this Belville and identified him as the man who committed the murder, and for which a warrant had been issued for his arrest.  Returning after an absence of twelve years, he went by the name of George Belville, as he did when arrested on the charge of perjury.  Since his confinement in the jail, he has written two letters, both of which he signed his name "Isaiah."  Of course, he denies the charge of murder and protests his innocence of all other charges. The fact that the warrant for his arrest in 1865 bears the name of "Isaiah," and the positive identification by Mr. Crandall and the letters which he has written prove almost conclusively that he is the man who committed that murder, as stated above.