Vital Records, Chenango County, NY (1879)

 Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, Norwich, NY, March 12, 1879

Deaths

Columbus, Chenango Co. NY:  On Friday evening last, Mahala Griffin died at the residence of Oliver Myers.  Her age was about 83 years.  Of her life and death, we know nothing which we regret for it would seem that a person of her age must have an interesting story.  funeral services yesterday at the Universalist Church.

On Sunday evening the 2d inst. Samuel A. Martin a much loved and highly respected citizen of this town, bid adieu to the scenes of earth to enter into possession of that blessed inheritance of the just which fadeth not away.  Mr. Martin was a victim of typhoid pneumonia and after he was stricken expressed no desire to recover but a wish to join the wife and daughter who were taken from him in the early part of the winter by the same fatal disease. The funeral was attended on Tuesday.  Mr. Martin possessed in an eminent degree all the attributes of a genial Christian gentleman, and as such, was widely known throughout Chenango, but in our own town he was best known and most dearly loved. We believe our entire community joins in earnest sympathy with the two sons and two daughters who are left to mourn their great loss.

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On Monday morning, Dr. S.D. Hand of Binghamton [Broome Co. NY], was suddenly stricken down by death while awaiting the departure of a train at the depot in that city.  The Binghamton Republican gives the following particulars:  The doctor had arisen early [---?---] that he felt unusually bright and well and after breakfast started for the depot, preferring to walk for the exercise, rather than to drive.  He was attending to go to Cortland, having telegraphed to meet a brother physician there.  Arriving at the deport he purchased his ticket and was about to take a seat in the waiting room when he suddenly uttered an exclamation of pain and sank to the settee, rolling off as he touched it.  Baggage master Costello caught the doctor and supported his head, and other gentlemen endeavored to revive him, but in vain.  He had gone the "long journey."

He was born in New Lebanon, Columbia County, in 1806.  Here he spent his youth, gaining such an education as he could in those days.  At seventeen he commenced teaching and had among his pupils Samuel J. Tilden.  At twenty-five he graduated from Berkshire Medical College and in 1835 he removed to Binghamton where he has since resided and where he proved to be a practitioner of the high order.

He always took great interest in politics.  He was a strong abolitionist and so often assisted, protected and harbored slaves on their way to Canada, that his house was known as one of the stations of the "Underground Railway."  The doctor suffered the ill treatment to which the then advocates of the then unpopular anti-slavery cause were suspect.  His --- and worth, however, were recognized by his election to membership in the Constitutional Convention of 1867.  He was highly esteemed and respected for his many good qualities and his sudden death created a profound sensation in Binghamton.  He was an uncle of Dr. S.M. Hand of this village [Binghamton, Broome Co. NY].

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, Norwich, NY, March 15, 1879

Marriage

Afton, Chenango Co. NY:  C.W. Spencer and Mrs. Libbie Church were married at the Presbyterian Church on Thursday evening of last week.  The church was literally packed at an early hour, all eager to see the novel ceremony of a marriage in Church.  the ceremony was performed by Rev. D.N. Greenman, the pastor. The happy pair returned Wednesday from their extended wedding tour in good health and spirits.  May they have a long and happy life.

Death

On Tuesday last, Rufus Burlingame died at his residence in Afton [Chenango Co. NY].  Mr. Burlingame has lived in Afton all his life and was 68 years of age. A good neighbor, steady and industrious, respected and honored by all for his integrity and uprightness, he leaves a large circle of friends and Afton loses in him one of her best citizens. His funeral takes place Thursday the 13th inst. at one o'clock P.M.

News Items

The Elmira Free Press acknowledges the receipt of a very pretty card exceedingly small in size, bearing upon its face the following: "Bessie May Bally, weight 6-1/4 pounds.  It was the card of a little lady who has just come upon the stage of action, with the following remarkable pedigree, which, as it reaches into our own county, we give it entire:  

Bessie is the infant daughter of John E. and Florence Bally, who are well known in this city [Elmira, Chemung Co. NY].  The child is the first of a fifth generation and has ten living grandparents.  Of these, four grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. John Bally and Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Shumway of this city [Elmira]; five great-grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. James Pope of Morris, Otsego County, Mr. and Mrs. Uriah Marvin of Deposit, and Mrs. Hannah Shumway of Elmira. The tenth grandparent is the great-great-grandmother, Mrs. Hannah Hoyt, widow of the late Dea. Thaddeus Hoyt of Coventry, Chenango County [NY].  Mrs. Hoyt has reached the ripe age of eighty-four and is as hearty yet as many women a score of years younger.  She is a sister-in-law to Cook St. John, who died in Delaware County, in 1876, at the advanced age of one hundred and three.  May the years of the little one be many and be blessed with a heritage of comfort, inflowing from the convergence of such pure ancestral streams.

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A Mystery Solved

Last week a skeleton was found in an abandoned lead mine at Ellenville [Ulster Co. NY], causing great excitement in that vicinity and eager anxiety to probe the mystery connected with it.  During the investigation this week by the coroner, the mystery has been solved by the identification of the remains as those of the missing telegraph operator, David Smith, which appears to have been a case of violence.  The mother of young Smith, who is living at Accord, Ulster County [NY] has identified the clothing as that of her son, who disappeared in February 1866.  His family then supposed he left on account of disappointment in a love affair. The strongest proof is the fact that in the skeleton the hip joint was stiff, which was the case with young Smith. On and near the remains were the dead man's boots in a state of good preservation, an overcoat of dark brown beaver cloth such as Smith wore when last seen alive, a cigar holder of bone, a horn comb, four desk or trunk keys, a piece of glass cane and a pair of kid gloves.  The most perfect article found were a pair of dark red wristlets, ribbed with black.  There was neither hat, wallet money or watch found on the skeleton, although Smith carried all these articles on his person.

There is no doubt that Smith was murdered, his body rifled and hidden or thrown into the mine.  The latest story, told by the Ellenville Press places the crime on a dead man named Joseph Flicker who had trouble with Smith at a ball just before he disappeared.

Flicker, who was known as a cruel man, went crazy three years ago and died at the Ovid Asylum.  In his delirious ravings he imagined himself visiting the old mine and pointing toward it, would cry, "There he goes!  There he goes!" as though seeing some person vanishing form his sight. Thus ends the mystery.