Bainbridge Republican, Bainbridge, NY, November 21, 18789
Marriages
GRAHAM - GRISWOLD: At the M.E. Parsonage in Afton, N.Y. [Chenango Co.], Nov. 13th, by Rev. N.J. Hawley, Mr. Charles Graham of Afton to Miss Frank Griswold of Coventry [Chenango Co. NY].
ATHERTON - ISABLE: By Rev. Scott at Holmesville [Chenango Co. NY], Oct. 22d, 1879, Mr. Silas Atherton to Miss Loni Isable, all of Holmesville.
Bennettsville, Chenango Co. NY: We have the pleasure of recording the marriage of Thomas H. Lloyd to Mary A. Lloyd, adopted daughter of the bridegroom's father; Rev. H. Robertson officiating. The wedding was a quiet one but thoroughly enjoyed by those that were there. Ye correspondent was the happy recipient of some of the wedding cake.
Deaths
WILKINS: Wilkins Settlement, Chenango Co. NY: David Wilkins after a few days' illness, died at the residence of Mr. Lyman L. Wilkins, on Monday night last, at the advanced age of 82 years. The funeral was held at the house on Wednesday, and the remains were deposited in the cemetery at North Afton [Chenango Co. NY].
TORREY: About half past four on Thursday last, Eddie Torrey, aged about 17, son of Tracy Torrey, while hunting near Peter Wiles', one mile this [side] of "Texas" in attempting to climb a fence, fell, causing his gun to be discharged, the load penetrating his right leg between the hip and knee, and lodging in his left. He managed to drag himself by his hands about twelve rods to the road, where he was found about 7 o'clock. He was immediately carried to Peter Wiles's and physicians brought as soon as possible. He died about 11 o'clock. Otselic Valley Register
News Items
The rumors afloat that Myron A. Buel's body had been dug up and sold to a medical college in Albany is absolutely false. There is only a dissatisfaction on the part of his relatives that he was buried in the family burial lot. They wanted to have him buried in the potter's field.
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Trial of Fred Jackson
It is so long since the murder for which Jackson is now being tried at Norwich [Chenango Co. NY] happened, that many of our readers have probably forgotten the particulars and we, therefore, publish a recapitulation of the case:
The accused, Frederick D. Jackson, is a mulatto, twenty-three years of age, and resided with his mother, Mrs. Sylvia J. Jackson, widow of Henry Jackson in Oxford [Chenango Co. NY]. She was a much-respected mulatto woman, residing in her own house in the west part of the village and worked at washing and house cleaning. Fred was at the time employed in a livery stable in the village. About half past eight o'clock on the morning of the 15th of February last, the near neighbors were summoned to the house by a message from Fred who "thought his mother was dead." The body of Mrs. Jackson was found lying on a bed off from the kitchen and Fred was sitting in a chair near a trap door leading to the cellar, which was open and blood spots upon the floor. In answer to questions put to him, he stated in substance that about eight o'clock that morning his mother had a bad spell with her heart and went down cellar to get some cider. He heard her say "Oh Fred!" and went to her when he found she had fallen down cellar. He went down and picked her up and had got part way up the stairs when he fainted and fell back with her in his arms. He brought her up and put her on the bed, then went out and called to someone in the street, who notified the neighbors. The women who assisted in laying out the corpse noticed severe bruises about the head and arms, the right arm being broken at the wrist and fingers of the left hand broken.
A jury was summoned and the inquest closed at twelve o'clock on Sunday night, and after two hours a majority of the jury signed a verdict finding Fred guilty of murder, but three of the jury did not concur in the finding, yet were of the opinion that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant the holding of the prisoner for jail, where he has since remained, apparently indifferent about the matter and maintaining perfect silence.
District Attorney Church assisted by McGeorge Bundy of Oxford and the prisoner defended by James W. Glover of Oxford and E.H. Prindle of Norwich. The District Attorney in the faithful discharge of his duty has spared no efforts to collect evidence in the case. Large photographs of the various rooms and cellar in the house where the mother and son resided have been taken and maps prepared and blood found upon the premises has been subjected to a chemical analysis by an expert to determine by microscopic tests whether or not it is human blood.
Later: The trial came to a close at Norwich Wednesday evening, Hon. E.H. Prindle summed up the case. He said the prisoner did not go upon the stand because he was not competent, physically, but if he were he could only repeat his former evidence before the coroner, which was that his mother fell down stairs. Nothing positive has been proved against him. Mr. Prindle went over the evidence and argued that it was more probable that the wounds upon the head were made by falling down stairs than that they were made with the pick handle. At 2:45 o'clock District Attorney Church began his summing up for the people. And at 4.45 o'clock Judge Martin began his charge to the jury.
At 5:30 o'clock the jury retired and returned about 9 o'clock with a verdict of murder in the second degree.
