Murder in Sherburne, Chenango County, NY (1878)

 The Cowardly Shot Fired through a Window!

Bainbridge Republican, Bainbridge NY, December 5, 1878

On Tuesday evening last the residents of Sherburne were shocked by the perpetration of one of the most dastardly, fiendish and cruel murders that has ever occurred in the Chenango Valley and which for atrocity seldom finds a parallel in the annals of crime.

Scene of the Tragedy

On Tuesday evening the telegraph announced the fact that a murder had been committed in the town of Sherburne, at what precise locality was not stated.  Our reporter immediately took conveyance and started for Sherburne, through the mud and a blinding storm of snow and sleet.  With a good team he sped up and along the banks of the Chenango enquiring the way. It was soon learned that the tragedy was committed at a point about three miles south of Sherburne village at a place that has long been known as "Nigger Hollow," about a half mile from the main road leading from Norwich to Sherburne.

The Victim

[The victim] of the tragedy was James Morris Hatch, a peaceable, quiet and inoffensive citizen, aged about 50 years, who though a poor man, was respected for his honestly and industry.  He had for many years been a resident of the town, and for nearly four years was in the employ of E.G. Baker, and during the time gave good satisfaction to his employer and was looked upon by him as a faithful and efficient servant.

The Alleged Murderer

Thomas McCann is a native of Ireland, from which he emigrated some twenty years since, coming to this country and settling in the vicinity of Sherburne, where he has worked whenever he could obtain a job ever since, occasionally indulging in sprees and thus wasting his earnings.  When sober, he was looked upon as an inoffensive man, but when in his cups and enjoying his prolonged sprees, he was considered by all who were acquainted with him as a treacherous, quarrelsome and dangerous man.  He is short in stature, strong and compactly built, weighing about 200 pounds.  A low forehead, keen piercing eyes that furtively glance from one object to another and which immediately drop when they meet the gaze of another.  He has had many rows and fracases since his settlement here and dark hints are suggested as to the cause of his removal from "Erin's green shores."

What Lead to the crime

There has been a feud existing between the two families whose places adjoined for something like two years and during most of that time they have not been on speaking terms except at intervals when their animosities broke into open warfare.

Tuesday Afternoon

On Tuesday afternoon, Hatch, it is stated, shot one of McCann's chickens which for some time past had been in a habit of trespassing on the former's premises.  McCann at the time was at the village of Sherburne, where he was indulging in one of his periodical drunks.  On his return he was told by his wife what Hatch had done and in his drunken frenzy he no doubt laid the plot to avenge the wrong by taking the life of his neighbor.

The Fatal Shot

At about ten minutes to five, and before it was fairly dark, Mrs. Hatch lighted a lamp to find some of her wearing apparel that was in a dark recess sleeping room at one side of the kitchen, her husband was standing by the window when suddenly she was started by the heavy report of a gun in close proximity to the house.  She heard the rattling of glass from breaking windows and looking out she saw her husband stagger from the window saying "I'm shot. I'm gone, I shall never get over it," and then fell heavily to the floor, where he immediately expired.  She at once looked from the window and saw Felix McCann standing by the dooryard fence, some twenty-six feet distant with the gun resting on the rail of the fence.  He soon shouldered his gun and ran at a rapid pace toward his home.

Mrs. Hatch

The wife of the deceased does not bear a very enviable reputation in the community where she resides and whatever we heard said against Hatch by the neighbors was on account of the conduct of his wife, he having to bear the odium of her conduct in the past and the difficulty between Hatch and McCann was mainly owing to her.

The Dead Body

The body of the murdered man was straightened out where he fell upon the kitchen floor and Coroner Lyman was summoned, and Dr. E.S. Lyman was also called to make an examination, who found sixty shot of different sizes in the body, principally in the breast and face and one or two shot in the right eye.

Coroner H.C. Lyman examined and took charge of the body and summoned as jurymen the following persons:  W. Church, I. Cole, W. Jones, G. Gates, Chas. Kershaw, B.F. Matteson, M.H. Fish, C.S. Waters, George Briggs.  W. Church was chosen as foreman, the jury was sworn in and then adjourned to meet at the office of Isaac Plumb in Sherburne on Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock.

Arrest of the Murderer

Word was also dispatched to Deputy Sheriff A.R. Bryant who immediately repaired to the residence of McCann and made arrest.  At first, he took the matter very cooly, treating it with utter indifference, but soon became furious and attempted an assault upon the officer but was easily put in irons and conveyed to the residence of the Deputy Sheriff where he was held during the night and where your reporter interviewed him.   He is very wary, cautious and non-committal, and nothing could be elicited from him having any bearings upon the case, except his contradictory statements and during three hours that he was in custody told several different stories in his vain effort to exculpate himself.  He will be taken to Norwich Wednesday night.

From whatever standpoint we may view it, this is one of the most unprovoked murders on record, and if McCann, as Mrs. Hatch asserts, did this bloody deed, he should at once be tried and should expiate for his awful crime upon the gallows, thus proving to the world that old Chenango does not wink at crime.

Notes

Hatch leaves a wife but no children

McCann has a wife and one child.

A Sherburne gentleman remarked in the hearing of your reporter that it was luck for McCann that he committed the offence in Chenango County, for had he done it in Madison County, he would be hung.

We are under obligations to Messrs. Dr. Lyman, Sheriff Bryant, D.L. Atkyns and others for courtesies extended.

James Jones and Wm. Hamlin were left in charge of Hatch's body Tuesday night.

McCann denies that he ever had any trouble with Hatch, but several reputable gentlemen say that he attempted to whip him on the night of the Sherburne Fair and also uttered some loud threats.  Chenango Telegraph, extra