TRAGEDY IN HOMER

The Cortland News, Friday, February 8, 1884.

A Tragedy in Homer.

   On Tuesday, Feb. 5, about 1:30 P. M., there occurred in our sister village that which resulted in a suicide, and to which may be added a more terrible crime— homicide. From the various reports of the affair, which conflict in many details, we gather the following: Mr. James E. Lines, about 50 years of age, has long been a resident of Homer, and was by trade a carriage trimmer. He is said to have possessed an unusually violent temper, and if crossed in his plans, especially when under the influence of liquor, to have been dangerous in his excitement.

   For some years past he has been working at his trade in Denver, Col., but unaccompanied by his family, and about a month ago returned to this section, and has since been stopping with his wife at the house of his son, Mr. Percy Lines, in Homer, and with his daughter, Mrs. E. F. Hitchcock, in Cortland.

   On the morning of the day in question he went to Homer, and going to his son's house on the corner of Grove and Fulton streets, endeavored to induce his wife to accompany him back to Colorado, but, being unable to do this, it is thought that he either became furiously angry, thus losing control of himself, or so despondent at the prospect of returning without her, she desiring to remain in this section with her children, that he resolved to kill her.

   Meantime he was very uneasy, going to and from the depot several times after dinner, and finally, upon his expressing a wish to see his wife alone, his daughter-in-law took her child and went into a neighbor's. It is supposed that he again demanded that she should go west with him, and, upon her refusing, a war of words ensued, when he drew a Colt's navy revolver (44 calibre, 6 chamber) from his satchel and commenced firing at her. She took refuge in flight, not, however, before she had received two wounds, one in the fleshy part of the neck near the spinal chord, and the other in the cheek just under the eye, in which the ball passed through her face, coming out the other side. She ran out-doors, falling exhausted into the snow, and in attempting to again run, fell and was caught by Mr. Will Hitchcock, who had rushed from his office nearby upon hearing the firing, and who assisted her to that place.

   Dr. Frank Green was sent for and soon arrived, and with Dr. George D. Bradford did all in their power to alleviate the sufferings of the unfortunate woman. Meantime a large crowd of workmen from the cutter shop and of neighbors surrounded the house to prevent the escape of Mr. Lines. This proved to be an unnecessary precaution, for upon entering the house there was presented a sight which chilled them, and one which will long be carried in the memories of those who witnessed it.

   Mr. Lines, with his head lying in a recumbent position on a chair, with his legs doubled up under him, surrounded by a pool of blood, which flowed from a large hole passing from temple to temple, from which his brains were oozing, was the sight which they beheld. He had escaped. The last ball had done its work upon the momentarily insane author of all this trouble. The reasonable supposition is that upon seeing through the window his wife fall into the snow, and supposing his aim to have been as true as intended, he, in a fit of either desperation or remorse, directed the next bullet to his own temple, and judging from his position and the location of the hole in the cupboard made by the bullet after passing through his head, he must have been standing at the time and fell forward, limp and lifeless, into the chair.

   The news of course spread rapidly, and a large crowd was soon in the neighborhood. A jury was immediately impaneled by Coroner R. A. Goodell, the body viewed and the post mortem examination appointed for Wednesday afternoon. The last report is that Mrs. Lines will probably recover. The verdict was that the deceased came to his death from a pistol wound inflicted by himself.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Lent begins the 27th of February.

   Two [horse and wagon] runaways on Monday. No damage to mention.

   The Normal re-opens next week, Wednesday, Feb. 13.

   Cortland this week is full of life and bustle and teams and people and business.

   Waters-Witch Engine Company are making arrangements for a grand ball on the 22d of this month.

   The bear of this section failed to see his shadow on the second of February, so of course the said section is to have an early spring.

   The two houses just begun on Clayton street are for Mr. M. L. Alexander and Mrs. O. Baker. The digging shows no frost in the ground.

   A seven-year-old daughter of a neighbor declared in our house the other day that her brother "has had two teeth pulled and on one of 'em was an ulster."

   Rev. S. E. Wilcox, pastor of the Homer Baptist church, tendered his resignation at a meeting of the members held last Saturday. It has not as yet been accepted.

   Mr. Sackett L. Wright has leased the store in the Cloyes building now occupied by D. L. Bliss as a cigar store, and on the first of April will take possession with a stock of boots and shoes.

   Rev. George Adams gives his third lecture on "The Commandments" in the Universalist church on Sunday evening, Feb. 10. Special subject for the evening, "Profanity and the Sabbath." All are cordially invited to come and hear.

   At the prohibition convention held at Firemen's Hall last Saturday, Mr. W. J. Buchanan and Mr. Nelson P. Walsworth were nominated for no-license commissioners. They are staunch prohibitionists and members of the Baptist church.

   The "Wheat" question is the topic of Garrison & Co.'s new advertisement this week, and a good deal can be learned by reading it. The advertisement contains information, and the firm keeps the flour therein treated. A word to the wise is sufficient.

   Wednesday morning Mr. D. J. Robinson fell down the cellar stairs at the residence of J. P. Loucks on Reynolds avenue and cut his jaw and the back of his head quite seriously, besides badly bruising various parts of his body. Being an old man, some time will elapse before he can recover.

   On Tuesday evening the Presbyterian church was crowded on the occasion of a lecture by Mrs. Layyah Barakat, a Syrian woman and a refugee from some Egyptian massacre. The fact that admission was free will explain why so few were present at Mr. French's lecture.

   The Farmers' Club will meet at the Academy Hall in Homer to-morrow afternoon, when Prof. E. J. Peck, principal of the Academy, will address the meeting upon "Forestry and Tree Culture." Prof. Peck is an interesting speaker, and an enjoyable session may safely be looked for.

   Homer has a "Mclntyre Squad," junior. There are five of them and their ages range from four to twelve years. They are the sons of Messrs. John, Charles and Newton Bates and H. W. Blashfield and Alex. Coon, are all cousins and grandchildren of Mr. Alex. Bates. This week they appeared at two entertainments there in "The Mclntyres," “Miss Brady's Pianay Fortay" and “The Charleston Blues," and were enthusiastically received. Mr. W. O. Parsons was their trainer, and he thinks the Cortland squad will have to look to their laurels. They should come to Cortland.

   About 5 o'clock yesterday morning fire was discovered in Silverman's photograph gallery, corner of Main and Lincoln streets, and though the fire department was at once on hand, the flames had made such headway—being fed by the chemicals used in the business—that only a part of the frame was saved from utter destruction. The cause of the fire is not known, so far as we can ascertain. Mr. Silverman was there until 8 o'clock the previous evening, and the son of a neighbor, who had occasion to send for a doctor, passed there about an hour previous, but saw nothing wrong then. Loss about $2,500, mostly on negatives; insured for $1,000.

   The lecture Tuesday evening by Rev. J. B. French, on the "Battle of Gettysburg," was very poorly attended, though all speak of it as one of the best lectures of the kind ever delivered in Cortland. It was of intense interest to the veterans, and especially so to those who participated in the battle.

   The Public Herald, of Philadelphia, until lately The Agents' Herald, is doing a good work for publishers in exposing frauds and dead-beats, and on that account should be in every newspaper office in the country. We are particularly pleased with the plain terms the Herald uses in speaking of the patent medicine swindling concerns which seek to entrap unwary youth. The Herald is published by L. Lum Smith for only 50 cents per year.

   A good-sized crowd witnessed the fox-chase Saturday, Feb. 2, which was held from Adams street [Homer Avenue] and was two miles and a half straight away and back. Fourteen dogs started in the first race and prizes were taken as follows: 1st, James Seacord, $12; 2d, John Gallagher, $8; 3d, Geo. Morgan, $4; 4th, Robert Ennis, $1. In the shake-purse race eight started, Geo. Miller's dog taking first prize,$1.25, and John Gallagher's second, 75 cents.

   The little five-year-old daughter of Mr. Alvin Gay, Little York, was badly bitten by a large dog belonging to Mr. Burdette Salisbury, of that place, a few days ago. It appears that the little girl was petting and playing with the dog, when he turned upon her, tearing the flesh from her face in a horrid manner, and but for the timely arrival of assistance would undoubtedly have killed the little girl. Dr. Burdick, of this village, attended the little sufferer, who is to all appearances doing well. Her face, however, will be scarred.—Homer Rep.

   Mr. M. L. Decker had the misfortune to lose his horse last Sunday night. He was driving in the vicinity of the school house a mile west of the village, when the animal's feet began to knock together. Laying the cause to smooth shoes, no attention for awhile was given to the peculiarity, but as the horse grew worse Mr. Decker concluded to return, and had reached Mr. L. D. Hopkins', when the animal could go no farther. On being taken into the barn, he circled about three times and fell, dying about 3 o'clock Monday morning. The surgeon who was sent for declared the cause to be spinal disease, for which there was no remedy.

   The local paper is the best read paper in the world. All the city papers can not supply the place of the home paper. No other contains the marriages and deaths, to say nothing of divorces and births; no other relates the scandal happening before the doors of the townspeople; no other gives the time of the next ball, picnic or political meeting, or discusses the affairs of town or county, or gives in detail the local news, which can be obtained from no other source. Everybody reads it, and that is why the local paper is the best read paper in the world.—Whitelaw Reid in N. Y. Tribune. We have given Whitelaw credit for saying a good many truths; but this shows his head to be uncommonly level.

   Will some one please step into the little newspaper offices [Cortland Standard and Cortland Democrat—CC editor] around the corners and inform the editors that notwithstanding their prophesies and protestations the Normal teachers, who followed the direction of the Local Board as against that of Superintendent Gilmour, are to be paid for their services. The decision of the Board of Claims awarding them payment was made over two weeks ago, and yet these editors have not heard of it. Also, inform these mighty men of the quilt and scissors that notwithstanding their efforts to belittle the school; in spite of their manifest wish that the school would fail, the Normal, under the management of the "nincompoops" composing the Local Board and the "ignoramus" principal, stands to-day in the front rank of educational institutions.

   But a few days ago relatives and friends were called together to attend the funeral of Mrs. Morgan L. Webb. Yesterday the last sad rites were performed over the remains of Mr. Webb. The old gentleman was at the Savings Bank, of which he was secretary and treasurer, on the Wednesday previous, and was then suffering from an apparently slight cold. From that evening he seemed to have gradually failed until about 3 P. M. on Monday, when he gently breathed his last. Old age (80 years) and the shock of his wife's sudden death seem to have been the only causes of his decline. Mr. Webb was one of our most valued citizens. He has held various positions of honor and trust, in all of which he was staunch and true to the interests involved. He will be greatly missed.

   The Library Association is in receipt of the following donations, viz.: By will from Mrs. G. H. Arnold, 72 books, 14 volumes of Scribner's Magazine and 2 volumes of Phrenological Journal; Band of Hope, 30 books; Mrs. Sarah Sturtevant, 3 books; Rev. Mr. Stark, 2 books; O. D. Owen, California, 1 book; Henry Freer, 1 box book covers. The committee have purchased 70 new books, making a sum total of 700 books now in the library. Attention is called to the fact that there are many books of reference in the library, the free use of which is offered to the public at the room on the days on which the library is open for the drawing of books. Persons returning books to the library leave them at their own risk, except when the librarians are present. In case of their being so left and lost, the person to whom the book is charged will be called upon for the price of the book.

   The State Board of Fire Underwriters has appointed, as a part of the State organization, a Cortland County Board, with H. J. Messenger as president, Theodore Stevenson secretary, Jas. Maybury treasurer, and Miss Mary Hubbard stamp clerk. This is for the purpose of protecting the rates of the different companies doing business in the county. It is the duty of the stamp clerk, who is a disinterested party, to examine every policy issued and, if in accordance with the established rates, to place his stamp upon it. The foregoing action was taken by a committee from the State Board which visited Cortland last week. Heretofore the rates of insurance in this village have been whatever could be obtained, the agents competing and bidding for risks. Hereafter the rates will be uniform, the committee having established them on buildings and other property hereabouts. It is claimed that the risks are greater and the rates less than in any other place of its size in the State, and hence the premiums have been advanced, in many instances doubled and in some tripled.

   This week Mr. C. E. Ingalls [dentist] took possession of his new house [55 North Main Street--CC editor], which has been in process of erection for some months past. It is built of the best brick, put up in the most substantial manner, with rooms very conveniently arranged. On the first floor, north side, are the hall, dining-room, and kitchen, and on the south side the parlor, sitting-room, bedroom, bath-room, and closet; folding doors connecting the hall and the three principal rooms. The bed-rooms are supplied with marble basins, and pipes for hot and cold water. The water from a portion of the roof is conducted to a large tank in the garret while a cistern occupies a corner of the cellar and is sunk several feet below its bottom. The woods throughout were selected stock, and consist of ash, pine and cherry. All of the doors are of the last two, some of the cherry panels therein being very handsome. The cupboards and wainscoating in the dining-room and kitchen are of ash. The whole is well built, is finished in the best style, and in all respects stands second to none in our village. It reflects credit, not only upon Mr. Ingalls, the owner, but upon the mason, Mr. David Beers, the carpenter, Mr. Walter Stevenson, and the painter, Mr. Arthur Ingalls.