Norwich Mystery, 1883

Norwich Mystery

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, January 10, 1883

Some fertile brained correspondent of the Elmira Telegram from this village, produces the following piece of surprise:

 

About two miles north of Norwich [Chenango Co., NY], a few rods from the main road and hidden from sight only by a cluster of bushes, is a deep ravine nearly seventy-five feet deep.  The descent is almost perpendicular and is rough and stony.  At this spot, on the 12th of January, 1857, Ralph Benedict, a young, enterprising farmer, was supposed to have met a terrible death.  He left this village about 7 o'clock in the evening of that day, and has been missing ever since.  The next morning his horse and cutter were found at the bottom of the ravine.  The horse was terribly mangled and frozen stiff.  It was then supposed that the body of young Benedict had fallen through the ice and was carried away by the rapid stream of water.  A long and faithful search was made and not the least trace of the missing man could be obtained.  Last Wednesday his widowed sister, Mrs. Jerusha Doolittle, received a letter purporting to be from him, and dated at Boulder, Col., in which he says he is well and wealthy. He enclosed a draft for $1,000."

 

We have failed to find the "oldest inhabitant" that remembers anything about the affair, or the parties mentioned.  And cannot just now locate a "rapid stream of water" in the vicinity referred to, sufficient ot carry a man away under the ice.  But no, it didn't, come to this, for the person is living and enjoying good health.  But what a cool and picturesque spot the ravine will be to visit next summer now that is discovered.

 

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, January 24, 1883

 

Norwich:  The appearance of an article entitled "The Norwich Mystery," has caused considerable of a sensation in Chenango county papers over the fact that a correspondent of an out-of-town paper should be more enterprising than themselves, and have therefore pronounced the whole matter a hoax.  They claim that no such person as Ralph Benedict ever existed, and if he did, the mysterious disappearance is all bosh.  The facts of the case are well remembered by such reliable men as Theodore Hill, Benjamin Slater, James Thompson, Hosea Avery, Isaac Evans, Paul Wescott, Samuel Cole, and several others, who will vouch for the truthfulness of the matter.  Your correspondent called on Tuesday last, and had an interview with Mrs. Doolittle, the sister of Benedict.  She thought it rather strange and could not understand why the village papers should try to make her brother out a myth when he was so well known here twenty-five years ago, and his disappearance was the subject of great comment and many articles in the papers at that time. She produced three copies of the Chenango Telegraph, if my memory serves me right, in each one of which is an article fully three quarters of a column in length. The first is headed "The Missing Farmer;" the second "Still Unexplained," and the third "Still a Mystery."  Mrs. Doolittle has a second letter from her brother, and is willing if found necessary, to give both for publication.--Telegram

 

After full fifteen minutes of hearty laughter we settle down and endeavor to "clear up" that "mystery."  "The last straw broke the camel's back," and on reading the continuance of the strange disappearance and supposed death of Ralph Benedict, in the "Sunday Telegram, Saturday Night and Binghamton Tribune, we were incited to accept the challenge of investigation, and hence we started out on Monday morning with the determination of knowing more or less about the affair.

 

First the scribe endeavored to hunt up the said Mrs. Doolittle, and, if possible, satisfy his one longing desire of a lifetime to look upon a $1,000 check, also to read the "second letter" from that long lost brother.

 

We travelled for two hours about the streets of the town--in our mind--and think we have the idea of a first class geographical survey, and were as fruitless in our search for Mrs. Doolittle as the police and detectives have been for Charlie Ross, or as many unsophisticated individuals have been in looking after "Tom Collins."  We returned to our desk as disappointed as some of the political aspirants have recently in the make up of Jewels at Albany.

 

Our next move was to interview the reliable citizens mentioned in the article which last appeared.  Hence we proceeded.  The first we called upon was the venerable, but sprightly Hosea Avery.  In answer to the question of what he knew of the affair, the good natured gentleman replied that the whole thing was as much a myth as Neptune's Hambletonian steed;  he had no recollection of such an occurrence, and would refer the scribe to Ben Slater, who would know all about the incident if there was any.

 

"Good morning, Mr. Slater," exclaimed the smiling scribe, dropping into the pleasant restaurant, "what can you tell me about the Benedict affair which is said to have taken place about twenty-six years ago?  Is there anything in it?"  Nor a word of truth in it.  Why, young man, you must be a bigger fool than Butler's ghost to suppose there is, and don't you forget it.  My memory is just as good of transpirings of fifty years back as of today, and no such person ever lived here, and if he did such an event never transpired within my knowledge. these are facts, bluer than the Connecticut lawn; and I say it anything of that kind had happened, I should have been there on that day.  Yes, sir, and we would have known more about it later."  And as the scribe started out the door he heard the gentleman add something about "that he never knew a year that brought both a comet and a transit of Venus that wasn't an off year."

 

Samuel Cole, who has lived over half a century in town, failed to remember anything about the case, also good Elder Button who has weathered the storm of earth's rebuttals for "nigh onto three score years," and whose memory is clear as crystal, knew nothing of it.  "Why fifty men in town will tell you the same thing," he said.  Neither did Thomas Noyes, Theodore Hill, James Thompson, Paul Westcott, Isaac Evans or Billy Brooks, none of them could "vouch for the truthfulness of the matter."

 

"No," said Billy Brooks, "I am smart, quick and handy, but I don't just remember the circumstances.  To the best of my knowledge don't think anything of the kind took place," and Billy with that characteristic wink in his eye, whispered in our ear, "a total prevarication--ha!  No, I guess, not."

 

Disgusted with the whole affair and more with the wild goose chase, only entered upon to gratify the triple correspondent, we returned to "sarch" the Telegraph files for articles twenty-five years ago.  None there.  We failed to find the article, but found each and every paper for thirty years back, however.

 

The scribe feels sad for the disturbance of mind which the naughty newspapers have cause the sister, and would suggest that since we have failed to find her we are not blamable for expected apologies on our part, but we trust that she will pardon our continuance of the affair and that she will get that check cashed and remunerize that enterprising out-of-town correspondent, who gets a head of the home papers."