Freeman's Journal, Cooperstown, NY, August 15, 1878
Marriage
At Springfield Center [Otsego Co. NY] on the 7th inst. by Rev. L. Casler, Willis G. Tunnicliff and Miss M. Addie Wemple of the above place.
Deaths
At Fly Creek [Otsego Co. NY], August 9th, 1878, Alexander LeRow in the 86th year of his age. The deceased was a veteran of the war of 1812. He served three years in the army at that time and took part in one battle. He leaves an aged widow and seven children.
At Oaksville [Otsego Co. NY], July 27th, '78, Hugh M. Seaton, aged 56 years.
At Schuyler's Lake [Otsego Co. NY], July 25th, Lester Dygert in the 61st year of his age.
At Richfield Springs [Otsego Co. NY], August 6th, Lydia B. [Keeler] wife of J.M. keeler, aged 52 years and 6 months.
Oneonta Herald & Democrat, Oneonta, NY, August 16, 1878
Deaths
In Delhi [Delaware Co. NY] Aug. 12, Geo. Andrews aged 30 years.
In Davenport [Delaware Co. NY] Aug. 3d, of consumption, Wm. McNee Jr. son of Wm. McNee, aged 21 years.
In Gilbertsville [Otsego Co. NY] Aug. 9, Daniel Caulkins aged 20 years.
Last Saturday, Michael Galer of Middlefield [Otsego Co. NY], aged about 79 years, died suddenly while upon a load of hay. On Sunday morning following Mrs. Galer, the wife of the deceased, who had been sick for some time also died. They were both buried on Monday.
Saturday last Jehiel Beach aged 70 years, of Walton [Delaware Co. NY], was found dead in a lot where he had gone to repair fence. He was a son of Wm. Beach, a grandson of Timothy Beach, who settled in Sidney [Delaware Co. NY] in 1789, and an uncle of Asa Strong of this village.
Mrs. Harry Radeker of Colchester [Delaware Co. NY], was found dead in the milking yard, where she had gone to milk cows.
On Tuesday of last week, Henry Bartlett an aged citizen of Franklin [Delaware Co. NY] went to his nephew's, Dwight Bartlett, for the purpose of picking berries. Not returning, his family supposed he was visiting, and Dwight Bartlett supposed he had returned home. Last Thursday it became known that Henry Bartlett was undoubtedly lost, and an extensive search was made by citizens. He was found toward evening in a berry lot on the old Walton Road, dead and much decomposed. He was buried that evening, his body being in a condition that forbid of examination or change of apparel.
News Items
Epitaph on a young babe: He came, he saw, he stopped a day, / And then in silence went away; / It seemed to us his act confessed / He liked the place he came from best.
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Murder and Suicide at Unadilla
The past week has been one of great excitement in our usually quiet village and, perhaps with the exception of the sad Goodrich and Morehouse drowning affair, by which four persons lost their lives in the Susquehanna river at this place, some some two years ago, no event in the history of the town has so startled our citizens as the report that ran through our streets like wildfire last Thursday evening a little after eight o'clock, that Marshall Grannis had just murdered his wife, and then finished the tragedy by shooting himself. Upon hearing the report, your correspondent hurried to the scene, found Grannis dead and his wife just breathing her last. As there are many reports flying around, some of which have found their way into the paper, I will endeavor, briefly as possible, to lay before your readers a true history of the whole affair.
Grannis has been a resident of this town [Unadilla, Otsego Co. NY] from a child and has always borne a bad reputation. He has been in the habit of drinking intoxicating liquors to excess for many years, and when under its influence was of a quarrelsome disposition. Some few months since, he was arrested on a charge of "drunkenness and disorderly conduct," and at the time made threats of dire vengeance against Officer Tupper who arrested him. On this charge he was sent to Cooperstown jail and on his return, it being about the time the Murphy temperance movement was flourishing here, he became a temporary convert to that doctrine and for a few weeks wore the blue ribbon, and religiously adhered to his pledge. His career as a temperance man soon gave way to his appetite for drink and his old habits returned, seemingly aggravated by his temporary abstinence. It appears that in his domestic affairs like all others, he was arbitrary and brutal, often abusing his wife with blows and kicks, so that on several occasions they had separated, but after a short interval had "made up," and with many promises on his part had been united again. The immediate cause of the last separation which culminated in this fearful tragedy of Thursday evening was his discovering in his house a young man or boy by the name of Warner, under what appeared to him very suspicious circumstances. A fearful row immediately ensued, which ended in his turning his wife out of doors and forbidding her return. Mrs. Grannis, after a few days, hired rooms in E.C. Belknap's building and commenced housekeeping with her two youngest children, a boy and girl. One older boy is living with an uncle on the Unadilla River road, and another in Rochester at the House of Refuge, having been sent there about a year ago for being engaged in a burglary in this village.
On the day of the tragedy, Mrs. Grannis had been working for Mr. Mulford at Sidney Plains [Delaware Co. NY]. On her return in the evening, she met her husband in the street opposite Mattice's Hotel, and had a short conversation, Grannis asking her to come down to C.D. Fellow & son's store within half an hour and he would make her a present. She promised to meet him there and immediately passed on to her rooms in the Belknap building, near where the conversation took place. A few moments later she came down stairs accompanied by her little girl and immediately proceeded to Fellows & Son's store, where she had been but a few moments when Grannis came in, asked the little girl to "kiss papa" and stooped down for the purpose, and upon arising, thrust his revolver, a small Empire, twenty-two caliber, into his wife's face and fired, the ball entering her right eye and burying itself in the brain. Geo. B. Fellows, the only other person in the store, being behind the counter at the time, started toward Grannis saying, "Marsh, what are you doing?" when Grannis turned toward him, and Mr. Fellows wisely thinking "discretion the better part of valor," started for the door to summon assistance, but before he could get outside another report followed and Grannis fell to the floor with a bullet in his right temple, which result in almost instant death. A number of persons immediately rushed in and found the murderer and suicide with his victim stretched on the floor welting in their own blood and presenting as ghastly and frightful a spectacle as one often sees in a rural village like Unadilla in an ordinary lifetime.
The two were buried at five o'clock Friday afternoon in the Episcopal Church cemetery. It is thought by many that Grannis had designs upon other persons beside his wife, as he had been making threats in a vague manner against several others, among whom was Major C.D. Fellows, who had befriended his wife since the separation by assisting her in obtaining the means to commence housekeeping, but fortunately Mr. Fellows was not in the store at the time, which, perhaps saved a third victim from being added to the number. As to the numerous versions of the causes that led to this affair, we will make no comments, but will -- "Think of her mournfully, / Gently and humanly, / Not of the stains of her; / All that remains of her / Now, is pure, womanly."
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