Obituaries (May 2)

Marietta C. Floyd

Northern Christian Advocate, June 13, 1849

Marietta C. Floyd died in Orwell [PA], of consumption, April 4, 1849, in the 23d year of her age.  Four years since she professed faith in Christ, and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, but about two years since, she lost her former peace of mind.  Some months before she died she sought and found again that peace she had lost, and died in hope of a blissful immortality.  Philip Bartlett,  Orwell, Pa., May 10

Mary Loveland

Northern Christian Advocate, June 13, 1849

Mrs. Mary Loveland died in Florence, Oneida Co., N.Y., on the 9th of May, in the 76th year of her age.  She was born in Weathersfield, Mass, was converted and joined the M.E. Church about fifty years ago.  For a few years past the infirmities of age had paralyzed her physical energies, and "the weight of numerous years" caused her to recline upon her staff day after day; yet she bore her extreme sufferings with great patience, and died shouting victory over death and the grave.  J.M. Parf.

Amos A. Goodale

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, February 1, 1890

Amos A. Goodale, of Richfield Springs [Otsego Co., NY], who was familiarly known to the thousands of summer visitors as "Beecher," died Tuesday morning of heart disease.  He was 70 years of age, and for years has had charge of the bus for the Spring house.  He was tall, well formed, and always wore a plug hat and a long clerical coat.  His long white hair, his smooth shaven face and his cast of countenance gave him a striking resemblance to Henry Ward Beecher.  Hence his nickname.  For more than thirty years prior to the building of the railroad he was stage driver on the line from Herkimer to Richfield Springs.  He was one of the most successful jehus on the line, and his reminiscences of his career were always well told and interesting.

Franklin A. Paddock

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, February 1, 1890

Franklin A. Paddock, a well-known lawyer, of New York, the only brother of United States Senator A.S. Paddock, of Nebraska, died recently from a nervous trouble.  Three years ago Mr. Paddock was at his country seat in Delhi, Delaware County, and one day read "Allan Quartermain."  Haggard's romance caused him to dream that night that he was in the sea, swimming away from reptiles.  He thought he saw his brother standing on a rock stretching out his arms to save him and imagined that he had to dive to save himself from some approaching monster.  So vivid was the dream that he dived out of bed and struck his head such a blow that paralysis subsequently set in.   Although he resumed the practice of his profession later, it is believed that the attack of paralysis caused his death.

Binghamton Tragedy

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, February 1, 1890

Friday morning of last week, shortly after 8 o'clock, a horrible discovery was made in Binghamton [Broome Co., NY], on North Chenango Street.  Three dead bodies were found in a Chinese laundry, conducted by one You Lee. The laundry is a new one-story building.  A railroad man was the first to make the discovery.  Upon entering the place he found one Chinaman, Sing Lee, leaning over a table in the front room of the place.  Tapping him upon the shoulder and receiving no reply he discovered that he was dead.  In an adjoining room on the floor beside a bed lay the proprietor, You Lee, and a woman about 25 years of age, named Mary Sweeney, stretched across the Chinaman's body.  A cat was also found dead under a table.  And it is evident that the three were suffocated by coal gas which escaped from a stove. There were no marks or bruises upon the bodies.

The Binghamton Republican of Wednesday gives the following graphic story of the funeral of the dead heathens.  The remains of the Chinamen, Wing Lee and You Lee, who were found dead in You Lee's "wash house" last Friday morning were taken to New York last evening.

At an early hour yesterday morning Who Wong Chong, in company with another Celestial, called on Undertaker Cornell and paid $70 for the two coffins. Armed with joss sticks and other paraphernalia, and the necessary disinfectants, they were led into the presence of the dead.  A bar of common soap was placed at the foot of each coffin, in which were placed Chinese candles resembling cat tails. These were lighted and while they were burning, combs, brushes, hats, shoes and other articles thought necessary for a long journey were placed in the coffins in which the Chinamen lay, attired in their best.  The forms were then neatly covered with slips of vari colored paper, upon which Chinese prayers were inscribed.  The Mongohans then placed something resembling incense in a pail, which they swung over the corpses and during the ceremony they chanted their religious service.

This closed the ceremonies, after which the Celestials retired, and the coffins were placed in a box for shipment to New York.  After a short period has elapses the bodies will sent to China where both the dead men leave families.

The remains of the dead Chinamen were conveyed to the Erie depot at 9 o'clock last evening.  Wong, who was left to accompany the bodies, was armed with a flour sack from which he distributed printed Chinese prayers to drive away the evil spirits.  He also threw a quantity on the coffins and in the car in which the bodies were placed.