Following is a follow-up to the story of the murder of James Morris Hatch, the alleged murderer being Felix McCann. A News story detailing facts of the murder was posted to this blog February 9, 2025. Source: Bainbridge Republican, December 5, 1878.
The Sherburne Tragedy - A Visit to McDann, What He Says
Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, January 2, 1879
On Saturday last we made a brief visit to the county jail [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY] with the object of having a little talk with McCann, the accused murderer of Hatch. We found the prisoner in the common room of the jail in company with two or three others accused of minor offences, and to all appearance he was composed and unconcerned. He seemed to be pleased at our visit and anxious to talk about the difficulties between himself and the Hatch family previous to the murder. Of the murder he claims to know nothing, asserting with a positive air that he did not hear the report of the gun on the fatal evening, and that he knows nothing about the shooting. Of Mrs. Hatch he spoke in very harsh terms, and claims that when he was a widower, a few years ago, he was beguiled by her into improper intimacies. He further says that at that time Mrs. Hatch importuned him to marry her and offered to shoot Hatch provided he would do so. He tells a shocking story of immorality in the Hatch family. Some years ago, he says, the Hatches lived in Madison county [NY] and while Mrs. Hatch was absent from home visiting her father's family, Hatch was guilty of incest with his own sister. For this, McCann says, Mrs. Hatch procured a divorce and although she subsequently lived with him, they were never remarried.
McCann claims that on the evening of the murder he returned from Sherburne, and after a little while went out to feed his hogs, while the little girl went to the barn to milk the cows. The barn was some distance from the house, but the hog pen was only a few steps from the door. After feeding the hogs and as soon as the little girl returned from milking, he went to the barn with the girl to tie up the cows. He says that upon his return from Sherburne he took off his coat and did not again put it on. After tying the cows, did not go out again until after the shooting. To our suggestion that the little girl had sworn on the inquest that he did wear a coat, he replied that the girl was mistaken.
The gun he had in the house he said he procured on Saturday before the murder, with a view of trying it and purchasing it if it suited him. He fired it at a post, on Monday. It had been loaded a long time and was rusty and dirty. He had owned several other guns but had been without one for a year or two before getting this one. He lays great stress on the point that the Hatches were constantly strewing corn in the road to entice his chickens on to their premises. At noon on the day of the murder, he says that he was sitting at the table eating his dinner, when Mrs. Hatch came down the road in front of his door and began to use very abusive language. Finally, she called to Hatch to bring a revolver to her, she continuing in front of McCann's door. Hatch brought her the revolver, and Mrs. McCann heard her say that she would send a charge through the Irishman - meaning McCann. She finally departed for Sherborne.
While stoutly denying all knowledge of the murder, he as stoutly expresses the opinion that it was committed by Mrs. Hatch. He complains bitterly that on the morning he was brought to Norwich, while in Deputy Sheriff Bryant's kitchen, in Sherburne, an attempt was made to manufacture testimony against him. A son of Mr. Bryant's, he says, snapped a cap on the pistol in the room, and the exploded cap fell to the floor. Subsequently, while he was changing his clothes, the cap was picked up by someone and kept as evidence against him, it being alleged that it had fallen from his clothes. He converses clearly and earnestly about matters happening before and after the crime, but had but little to say about the shooting, except to assert his innocence. We did not press him with questions and promised that we would give, without exaggeration, a correct report of what he had to say.
His trial will probably come on at the January term of the Oyer and Terminer, and then we trust that all the facts in the case may be brought out, and justice be meted out to the guilty.
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In April 1879, Felix McCann was found guilty of murder in the first degree of James Hatch and sentenced to be executed by hanging (Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, April 3, 1879). The sentence would be carried out June 6, 1879. (Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, June 7, 1879). Details of the trial and execution are provided in the referenced news articles.
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