BRUTAL MURDER IN TOMPKINS CO. AND TRAIN WRECK NEAR VESTAL

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, March 23, 1888.

BRUTALLY MURDERED.

Tompkins Co. Has Another Bloody Tragedy.

   ITHACA, March 17.—About 9:30 o'clock last night, Richard Barber, aged twenty-seven years and an English farm hand, called at the dwelling of Richard Mason and his wife, an aged couple living about six miles west of this place. The old people were abed, but Mason got up and let Barber in, he being an intimate acquaintance.

   After a short friendly talk, the old man started to go to the cellar to get some apples for his caller. As he turned to go, he was felled by a blow on his head by an iron stove shaker in Barber's hand. He struck the old man again, and supposing that he had killed him he went into the bedroom and pounded Mrs. Mason over the head until she was dead.

   Mr. Mason was not killed by the two blows. He recovered, and on hearing his wife pleading for her life, begged Barber to spare her. The villain then returned and literally pounded Mason's head to a jelly. He then poured oil from a kerosene lamp over Mason's clothing and the carpet, and setting it on fire, fled.

   Mr. Mason crawled from the burning building and to a neighbor's house. He told who had committed the crime. Barber was arrested while on his way to his boarding place. On being taken before Mason he was identified as the murderer of his wife. The house was entirely consumed, and with it the body of the murdered woman.

   The murderer is now in jail here. The motive for the crime was robbery, Barber knowing that the old people had $100 in the house. [Reminds us of the murder of Paul Layton in Dryden—CC editor.]

Page Two/Editorials.

   Hon. David Gray, who was injured in the disaster near Vestal last Friday morning, died on Monday last.

   The Wells, Fargo & Co., Express has bought all the rights and franchises of the Erie Express Company and will take possession at once. This gives the former company service from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts, something they have long wanted but have never until now been able to secure.

   A wool grower has turned up in this state who does not want any tariff. There is an ingenuous simplicity about the way in which he works out his problem. He says: "There was no duty to speak of on wool in 1859, when I got 16 cents per pound in this state for my clip, nor in 1860, when I received 27 cents per pound in Boston, but there was a duty on it in 1872, when my spring clip brought 52 cents and the fall clip 82 cents, and the duty is on it yet, when wool is quoted at 7 1/2 cents in the market. If the duty on wool ran its price up to 52 cents in 1873, why has it let it drop to 7 1/2 cents now?"—San Francisco Bulletin.

   The result of the recent charter election in Syracuse opened the breach in the republican party in our sister county somewhat wider than it was before. Already the two factions are talking about capturing the delegates to the National Republican Convention. There seems to be some difference of opinion between Senator Francis Hendricks and Congressman Belden and as both aspire to be leaders in this district, the signs for a lively tilt in the convention are good. If Belden chooses to go to the convention he will undoubtedly go, as he has plenty of money and spends it pretty freely where his interests are concerned. "Soap" goes a long way in the republican camp and brings about wonderful results. The Onondaga republicans now talk of taking both delegates to the National Convention as usual. The only way the republicans of this county can prevent it will be to unite against Onondaga county and by holding the balance of power they might secure one of the delegates.

WRECK NEAR VESTAL.

D. L. & W. TRAIN HURLED FROM THE TRACK.

About Twenty Injured—Three Cars Thrown Down an Embankment and

Burned—One Passenger Fatally Injured—Cause of the Derailment Unknown.

   At fifteen minutes past three o'clock, last Friday morning, train No. 12 on the D. L. & W. jumped the track about two miles west of Vestal. No. 12 is one of the fastest trains on the road, and at the time of the accident was running at the rate of fifty miles an hour. A day coach and two sleepers were precipitated down an embankment fifteen feet in height. Twenty-two persons were injured, among them Hon. David Gray, formerly editor of the Buffalo Courier, whose injuries are probably fatal.

   Just what caused the accident cannot yet be stated. There seems to be no doubt that the day coach jumped the track, but what caused it to leave the rails is not positively known.

   The train consisted of the engine, baggage car, one day coach and the two sleepers, "Bath" and "Waverly." At the point where the cars left the track there is a pretty sharp curve, but engineers have usually passed this point without slackening speed. The train was a few minutes behind time, and it is probable that its speed was somewhat faster than usual. The forward trucks of the day coach were the first to leave the rails. The coupling between the smoker and the day coach broke and the smoker remained on the track. The day coach started down the embankment, followed by the two sleepers. They remained upright for a short distance and then the three coaches toppled over on their side.

   There were only three passengers in the day coach, and these three were men. Their names are Dr. L. D. Graham, James A. Marcy and Morris Link. Dr. Graham was the first to recover from the shock, and after seeing that his companions were safe he hastened to the door of the coach. Upon reaching the outside he discovered that the rear of the coach was on fire, and at once set about extinguishing it. He was assisted in this by two other men, but they soon found that their efforts were futile and gave it up.

   Nearly all the passengers in the two sleepers were more or less injured. Fortunately none of them were fastened by the broken seats or timbers, and they all readily made their escape. The passengers who were least injured worked nobly in assisting their less fortunate companions to escape through the doors and windows.

   As soon as the accident occurred the engineer started with the engine, baggage car and smoker toward Binghamton for assistance. While waiting for the return the passengers stood about in the snow, many of them clad only in their night clothes. When the engine returned with help, the wounded passengers were placed in the coaches and brought to this city. Upon their arrival a portion of them were taken at once to the city hospital and others to the Hotel Bennett, where they were cared for.

   The only person whose injuries are serious is Hon. David Gray, of Buffalo. He has not been in good health for some time past, and was on his way to Cuba accompanied by his brother, John S. Gray. As soon as John S. Gray recovered from the shock he made an unsuccessful effort to find his brother, and then climbed through one of the windows to the top of the car There he remained begging for some one to assist in rescuing his brother. Dr. Graham was the first to respond to his appeals. He entered the sleeper and discovered David Gray lying in the aisle with the lower portion of his body covered with rugs and bed clothing. He tried to lift him, but finding he was unable, procured help and carried him from the car.

   The rescue was none too soon, for the flames from the day coach had already communicated to the sleepers and were rapidly approaching the point where Mr. Gray lay unconscious. In a short time the day coach and the two sleepers were entirely consumed, and only the metal portions of the cars remained. Dr. P. L. Graham was on his way to New York to take a course of lectures at one of the medical colleges. The passengers are unanimous in praising his cool-headed and heroic conduct.

   The story which he tells of the wreck is as follows: "I was sitting near the front of the day coach. Link was two seats ahead of me and Macy was at my left. I felt the cars leave the rails and grasped the seat before me. Macy was hurled over my head and struck on the side of the car as it began to tip. I heard Macy groaning and as soon as the car became stationery, I tried to carry him out. This I was unable to do and called to Link to assist me. Together we succeeded in getting him outside.

   "I saw that the rear of the coach was on fire but thought there would be no difficulty in putting it out. I went to those in the sleepers and told the passengers if they were comfortable to keep their places. Then I tried to extinguish the fire. Two other men were working with me. Twice we almost succeeded in conquering the flames, and if the supply of snow near the fire had not become exhausted we would undoubtedly have succeeded in saving the coaches. Then we gave this up.

   "I went back to the sleeping coaches again. Mrs. Robinson was standing on top of one of the coaches with her baby in her arms. I told her to drop the child to me. She did so, and I wrapped my coat about the baby When I saw John S. Gray on the top of the car in his night shirt I persuaded him to get on my back and carried him to a place where he could be comfortable. Mr. Gray begged me to save his brother. I went into the car and found his brother lying in the aisle almost covered by quilts and rugs. He was unconscious. I took him by the arms and tried to raise him, but he was too heavy for me. I procured help, and we laid him where he was safe from the flames.

   "Then we began to carry out the baggage and piled it up. In a short time the heat from the burning coaches began to fuse the wires and some of them dropped on the baggage. Then we moved it again. It seemed to me a long time before the engine returned from the city with help. I thought it was about two hours, but it may not have been so long. John Gray insisted upon my accompanying his brother to the hospital and [I] came with them."

THE INJURED.

   Eight of the injured passengers were taken to the hospital. Their names and injuries are as follows:

Morris Link, Sandusky, O., fractured collar bone and ribs.

James Tucker, colored porter, scalp wound; incised wound of the leg, and some hemorrhage.

D. F. Sullivan, conductor, Buffalo, contusion of eye and general abrasions.

Florence Sullivan, brakeman, Elmira, contused wound of shoulder, scalp wound.

Hon. David Gray, Buffalo, formerly editor of the Courier, cerebral hemorrhage, extensive shock; will die.

James A. Macy, stock raiser, Wyoming Territory, contusion of shoulder and back.

Dr. P. L. Graham, London, Ontario, scalp wound.

E. Devries, New York, contusion of hip.

C. P. Koln, Dunkirk, scalp wound.

William Macomber, Buffalo, slight contusions.

P. V. Carroll, Buffalo, contusion of eyelid.

M. J. McCormick, Green Bay, Wisconsin, contusion of back.

Miss Rennie Webster, Oil City, Pa., injury to back.

John J. Zimmerman, Buffalo, N. Y., fractured ribs.

H. L. Pierce, Buffalo, slight injury to foot.

J. A. Ribble, Buffalo, injury to hand.

W. A. Hawkins, Brooklyn, N. Y., slight injury to arm.

H. J. Albert, Philadelphia, Pa., injured shoulder.

M. Boehmk, Cleveland, O., scalp wound.

   There were a number of others who sustained bruises but they were very slight.

   Four of those at the Hospital remained only to have their wounds dressed, and in the afternoon the only patients there were Messrs. Gray, Link, Macy and Dr. Graham. The patients lay on the mattresses which were placed on the floor. Dr. Moore of this city, the company's surgeon, was in charge. Everything possible was done to alleviate the sufferings of the unfortunate passengers. Dr. Moore proved himself eminently capable of discharging the duties of his responsible position.

   Out of twenty-two claims for damages for loss of baggage, fifteen have been settled. In a very short time after the accident the representatives of the road were on hand.

   C. P. Koln claimed to have lost about $600 and was paid that amount. It is claimed that one other of the parties received $800, and another $300. The engineer's name is George Shoemaker and the fireman's Ed Ward. Neither was injured.—Binghamton Republican.

Richard Barber, Journal of Social Science, Issues 34-36, 1896: http://books.google.com/books?id=JPM5AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA139&lpg=RA1-PA139&dq=historic+Richard+Barber+trial,+Ithaca,+N.Y.&source=bl&ots=uA3ZQfUgcT&sig=20TjB8VR1uxHAIJUdhjKm9C3Q-A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Gw9AVJ6ZD8L9yQT1kIFg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=historic%20Richard%20Barber%20trial%2C%20Ithaca%2C%20N.Y.&f=false