Crime in Chenango County, NY - Part 2 - George Dennison

 Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, Norwich, NY, March 26, 1879

Crime in Chenango County, NY - Part 2

George Dennison

The trial of George Dennison took place January 21, 1833.  the story of the crime briefly told, is as follows:  George Dennison and Reuben Gregory were, in the year 1832, residents of the town of Columbus [Chenango Co. NY] - the latter the son of a respectable tavern keeper on the road from New Berlin to Columbus. Dennison was a young man of dissipated habits, but an intimate friend of young Gregory.  On September 30, 1832, the day of the murder, Dennison visited the Inn, and having already drank freely was refused further supplies of liquor by the elder Gregory.  Upon this he indignantly left, threatening vengeance.  The elder Gregory uniformly wore a slouched hat and was in the frequent habit of smoking.  Upon this day, young Gregory had a severe attack of the toothache and after resorting to various remedies without relief had been advised to try tobacco. Towards evening, taking up, filling and lighting a pipe and seizing her father's slouched hat, he passed into a room which opened upon the woodshed on the north of the Inn, sat down in a chair, pulled his hat over his eyes and began to smoke. Dennison in the meantime had gone home, loaded his gun with a charge of shot and started out "to pepper old Gregory's legs," as he asserted. Stealing along in the deepening twilight to the Inn, and seeing through the window, as he supposed, the elder Gregory, seated in his accustomed seat and smoking, he deliberately aimed and fired. The charge of shot entered the heart of the unfortunate son. The next morning Dennison was arrested.  He was horrified at finding that he had shot his most cherished friend, but this did not avail.  He was brought to Norwich and lodged in jail. Gregory was only twenty years of age. At the term of court commencing January 21, 1833, Judge Monell presiding, Dennison was tried.  John Clapp, Esq. was the prosecuting attorney, and Abial Cook, Henry Van Der Lyn and S.S. Randall, Esqs. appeared as counsel for the prisoner. The trial was held in the old Presbyterian Church, which stood on the site of the present Congregational edifice and consumed only two days. The jury was out one and one-half hours, when they brought in a verdict of guilty.  On the 23d of January the prisoner was sentenced. Every effort was made in his behalf, but to no avail. Governor Marcy refused to interfere with the sentence.

March 18, 1833, Dennison was hung.  The place of execution was at the foot of the hill south and west of the Catholic Church and near where the track of the Auburn branch now runs.  such a crowd of people has never been in Norwich, either before or since. They flocked in from every direction till they numbered upwards of 12,000.  At 11:30 A.M. on the day of execution, Dennison robed in white was conveyed by Sheriff Franklin, in a sleigh drawn by two horses and containing his coffin, to the place of execution.  He exhibited great nerve throughout.  On going out of the jail, he noticed that one of the strings to his shoe was untied, and placing his foot upon a chair, he tied it as unconcernedly as though going on a pleasure trip.  He took his seat in the sleigh, beside the coffin, almost cheerfully, and arriving at the gallows, sprang from the sleigh, and unaided, firmly ascended the stairs and took his seat - his feet resting upon the fatal drop.  On his right sat Deputy Sheriff Brown and on his left Deputy Sheriff Perkins, and on an adjoining platform were seated several clergymen.  

What might be called the ceremonies at the scaffold were opened with a prayer by Rev. Mr. Sprague.  The prisoner then read a written address, in which he warned all young men against the use of intoxicating drinks.  Addresses were then made by Elder Swan, Rev. Mr. Bogue and Rev. Mr. Birdsall.  During one of the addresses the prisoner asked Deputy Sheriff Brown for his tobacco box, took a chew, coolly put it into his mouth and with thanks and a smile, handed the box back to its owner. At the conclusion of the addresses, the sheriff adjusted the rope.  As he did so the prisoner remarked : "I have worn a more graceful necktie than this before now."  [He] took leave of him by a shake of the hand and descended to the foot of the gallows, the prisoner standing firmly on the fatal drop.  Rev. Mr. Bogue was then asked to pray, and he did to the length of three quarters of an hour.  As the conclusion of this lengthy appeal, which under the circumstances seemed much longer, the drop fell. Dennison died without a struggle, holding in his hand a handkerchief.  He was only twenty-seven years of age and left a wife and two children.  Some historians say that on the day of execution he shed not a tear; others, among them his counsel S.S. Randall, Esq. assert he wept during Rev. Mr. Bogue's prayer.

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, March 22, 1883

Fifty Years Ago

On the 19th day of March 1833, just fifty years ago, Jefferson Finch, Orrin Howard and Sidney Howard, then of Columbus [Chenango Co. NY] drive into Norwich [Chenango Co. NY] to see the execution of George Dennison, for the murder of Reuben Gregory on the night of September 30th, 1832, in the town of Columbus.  Mr. Finch now lives [in 1883] in New Berlin [Chenango Co. NY] and is seventy-nine years old, O. Howard and S. Howard, both of South Edmeston, Otsego Co. [NY] the former sixty-eight, the later sixty-five.

The day of the 19th of March 1833 was clear and warm.  The snow melted rapidly.  The military companies formed a long square in front of the jail about 11 o'clock A.M.  The sleigh containing the coffin in the center; the prisoner sat on the coffin, robed in white, and Grant B. Palmer, late of Columbus, owned and drove the team to the gallows.  Amos A. Franklin was Sheriff.  The band played the death march and moved with slow and solemn tread.

Dennison made a speech on the gallows, attributing the trouble to whisky.  Elder Bouge made a long prayer and the fatal drop fell a few minutes past one P.M.  Ten thousand people were supposed to be in Norwich that day, and more than at any other time before in any one day.

This was the first execution in the County.  Cook and Van Der Lyn were attorneys for the prisoner.  Dennison was buried at Columbus Quarter.  No stone or monumental cross tells where his ashes lie.

A half century with her fleeting years has passed away, and scores that were living then have passed away also, but these three men have stood the shock of time, to see a new generation, and note the great change in Norwich, in the County, and in the country at large.