G. G. HORTON SUICIDES

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, August 8, 1890.

G. G. Horton Suicides.

   Last Thursday night George Guerdon Horton committed suicide by swallowing nearly two ounces of laudanum. For several years past he had been in the employ of the Hitchcock Manufacturing Company's wagon works and was highly esteemed by his employers and associates. He came from Greene, Chenango county, and the remains were conveyed to that place for burial Saturday. About six weeks previous to his sad death he was married to Miss Hattie Cook of Whitney's Point, but the union is said to have been of a somewhat discordant nature, which of late had made him somewhat melancholy.

   Friday morning coroner William J. Moore empanelled the following jury:

   Jerome F. Wheeler, Carroll C. Hitchcock, Robert J. McComb, D. S. Jones, Morgan L. Wright, A. E. Ryan, L. D. Meacham, Jr., and C. W. Wiles, who viewed the body and an adjournment was taken until Monday, August 4, at the Grand Jury rooms in the court house.

   E. E. Reynolds was the first witness examined. He stated that deceased came into his store on Railroad street, between 6:40 and 7:15 P. M. of the 31st day of July, and purchased a two-ounce bottle of laudanum which deceased said was to be used for a sick horse. He did not appear despondent. A record of the sale was made, and bottle duly labeled.

   Mrs. George B. Gage, at whose house, 42 Crandall street, Horton had boarded for two weeks, testified that about 6:30 P. M. of July 31st, as near as witness could remember, Horton came into the sitting room and I said 'Hello, Guerd; what's the matter with you?' He replied: 'Nothing very much, only I am mad,' to which I replied 'there wasn't any use of his being mad.' I knew he and his wife had had trouble. He stated that he was going to write two letters as he had made up his mind to go away. About ten minutes after he went up stairs he came down again and asked witness for writing paper and envelopes, returning to his chamber. He paused at the top of the stairs and said he would be down after writing the two letters and if he did not come down by 9:30 o'clock I was to have my husband call him as he wished to take the 10 o'clock train.

   About one-half hour afterward my husband came home, and I related the circumstances to him and he went directly up stairs. In a few minutes I heard him call 'Guerd.' He came down stairs and handed me a bottle, saying: 'Take care of it.' Every effort was made to restore him. He was brought down stairs about three-fourths of an hour after he went up to his room for the last time. He remarked to the witness that the bottle was full and asked her to give him the remaining portion.

   George B. Gage, husband of the preceding witness, related how he came home about 7 P. M., of the aforesaid date and inquired whether the family had got home so that supper might be served. Being told that none but Guerd had arrived witness went to his room where he found deceased lying crosswise of the bed, crying. He stated he did not want any supper. Uncovering his face and eyes he said: 'George, I want to say good-bye.' To witness' inquiry as to meaning of this remark, he clapped his hands over his heart saying: I am gone!' Did not hear deceased say anything in justification of the deed. He had been despondent for some two weeks. He died at 11:40 P. M.

   Dr. A. J. White being sworn testified to being called to attend deceased in his last hours. Found him in a dying condition, sight defective and that he had no power to control his limbs. Detected the odor of laudanum. The quantity he took was 14 teaspoonfuls.

   The jury found that George Guerdon Horton came to his death on the 31st day of July, 1890, about 11:40 P. M., and the said death was caused by an overdose of laudanum administered by his own hand, between the hours of 6 and 6:30 P. M. on said day, the said laudanum having been purchased by himself and taken with suicidal intent. Said death occurring in the village of Cortland, at 42 Crandall street.

Vital Statistics for July.

   Health officer William J. Moore makes the following report for the month of July, 1890.

   Total number of deaths 12: males 7, females 5. Social condition: single 5, married 4, widowed 3. Nativity: United States 11, Ireland 1. Age: under five years, 3; between ten and twenty years, 1; twenty and thirty, 1; thirty and forty, 1; fifty and sixty, 4; seventy and eighty, 2. Cause of death: consumption 2, paralysis 1, gastritis 1, diarrhoea 1, pulmonary apoplexy 1, angina paectoria 1, cholera infantum 1, laudanum poisoning 1, railroad accident 1, premature birth 1. Births 20: males 10, females 10. Marriages 4.

HERE AND THERE.

   Smoke Manhattan Club cigars.

   Nearly five hundred persons took in the excursion to Pleasant Beach last Saturday.

   Universalist Church Sunday evening, subject: "Is immortality conditional?" All are invited.

   The 45th Separate Company will leave Cortland by special train over the E. C. & N. railroad Saturday morning at 4:30 o'clock. They will be in camp at Peekskill [Camp Smith—CC editor] for one week.

   Friday evening, August 22, there will be a harvest party at the Virgil hotel with music by Happy Bill Daniels' orchestra. Bill $1 50. A very carefully prepared programme is being arranged.

   The furious rainfall of Sunday was beneficial in that it gave the pavements a thorough wash, depositing the refuse along the gutters making a remarkably short job of street cleaning Monday.

   A select hop will be given at the Central Hotel Wednesday evening, August 10th. Music by Daniels' orchestra. Dance tickets 50 cents. Proprietor May wishes it announced that no gentleman will be admitted without a lady.

   Large quantities of copper wire and numerous poles have been unloaded here for the Long Distance telephone line, which we understand will pass through Lapeer, with a loop to this village.—Marathon Independent.

   Seventy couples attended the dance given by W. S. Freer at his hall in Higginsville, last Friday evening, and all report a splendid time. The music was excellent and the refreshments were all that could possibly be desired. Mr. Freer's parties are gaining rapidly in popularity.

   It must be pretty evident to everybody that the Hitchcock Manufacturing Company's band is about the best organization of its kind in Central New York. The concert given by the band on the corner of Main and Port Watson streets, last Friday evening, was the best we ever listened to and we have heard some pretty good bands.

   Last week "Jack" Burdick, special officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, caused the arrest of Horace Smith, a teamster of this place, for driving a horse that was quite lame from a spavin. The case was tried on Friday before Justice Bull and a jury. The jury found a verdict in favor of the defendant.

   The long controversy over restoring to Dr. Wm. M. Bradford of Marathon, the entire control of his property has finally been ended and Judge Eggleston has ordered that the committee be discharged and that they pay to Dr. Bradford $1,049 of his pension money, The doctor is adjudged to be now entirely sane and competent to manage his affairs.

   Grant D. Woolston, of this place, who made a contract for the purchase of

Hoag's drug store in Seneca Falls, arrived in that village the night of the fire and put up at the Hoag house. He had his money with him and intended to pay the same over and take possession the following morning. An inventory of stock had been taken the week previous and some repairs had been made for which he had paid but the bargain had not been consummated by the payment of the contract price and delivering of the keys to the store, which is very fortunate for him. He had $250 worth of clothing burned in the hotel.

Sport at Preble.

   A day's sport, consisting of horse racing, ball playing, etc., will take place at Preble on Saturday, August 9th. The horse race is for a purse of $25.00 best 3 in 5, one-half mile heats, $15.00 to first, $10.00 to second. Entrance fee 10 per cent of purse. Four to enter, three to start. Also the same day a match game of base ball between East Homer base ball nine and a team from Preble, for a purse of $5.00 to the winning club. Game called at 1 o'clock P. M., sharp. There is ample room on the track for 4 horses to run and it will be put in the finest shape possible. Purses will be paid at Klock's hotel after the race. Everybody is invited to visit Preble on Saturday, August 6th, and join in the sports.— Tully Times.

Cortland Mechanics Abroad.

   H. T. Hollister has the roofing on the Hopkins contract at Bronksville, some ten miles above New York city, nearly completed; he has yet to do the plumbing. Recently he was awarded the work of doing the plumbing and putting in the gas fixtures at the new $50,000 Opera House in Norwich, Conn. This speaks favorably for the Cortland mechanics and business houses and should be the nucleus of an extensive foreign demand for home productions in this line of work.

DID THE CLOUDS BURST?

Destructive Work of a n Electric Storm—Playful Lightning Strikes in Nine Places—Three Ladies Prostrated—Streets and Cellars Flooded—Horse Killed and Barn Burned.

   The long fall of rain came in torrents upon this village at 1:30 P. M. Sunday. Throughout the entire forenoon and to within a few minutes of the deluge the sultry heat of the atmosphere had been most oppressive. A few large drops had fallen about half past eleven, as a warning that a thunder shower was gathering its forces in the western part of the azure dome. But this heavy cloud passed and the increase of heat was noticed by all.

   Shortly after one o'clock a massive dark cloud bore up from the west and another was observed to be approaching from the southeast, and a gentle breeze arising at the time diverted attention from the threatening storm which suddenly burst forth upon the town. Sunday-schools were just closing and people sought shelter and safety on verandas, in hallways, and wherever momentary cover was apparent. A perfect flood of water was coursing through the streets within ten minutes after the outburst—the water simply pouring from the clouds. A heavy wind arose and fierce flashes of lightning accompanied by deafening peals of thunder caused residences to be well closed.

   For fully one-half hour the water descended and then quickly ceasing, citizens ventured forth to view the scene and the dread tones of the [fire] alarm tolled off 214, causing consternation. A barn in the rear of number 10 Graham-ave. had been struck by the destructive fluid, the hay ignited and a horse belonging to Isaac Lewis killed. Some time was lost to the department in getting at work from the fact that the alarm was sent in from a box to the northwest of the fire instead of from 213 which is on the direct run. Owing to the prompt action of those who discovered the fire the department were able to drown the flames in the loft, although the roof of the barn was badly charred. A drenching rain continued to pour while the firemen were at work.

   As soon as the streets became passable citizens began a tour of inspection and found that the storm was not prolific of as serious happenings as rumor at the outset reported, still it was as disastrous and damaging a storm as ever passed over this village—the water streaming down only when a terrific gale might slightly vary the course of the torrent. Had our village stood at the mouth of a ravine or gorge the result may better be imagined than described. The other damaged premises are:

   Mr. George H. Davidson resides at 117 Groton-ave., but was absent from home during Sunday, when lightning struck the northwest corner of a chimney on the house and tore a number of shingles from the roof.

   J. N. Sandwick's pretty residence situated on Townley street, number 9, shows the track of a bolt from the peak of the roof along the cornice and out through the shingles near the eaves at the front of the building while a considerable quantity of plastering was torn from the walls. Mrs. Sandwick who was standing near the stove at the time received a severe shock, but is apparently enjoying usual good health again.

   The Barnard property, 9 Clinton-ave., occupied by Miss Nellie Day as a boarding house, suffered a splitting of a chimney but no further damage.

   Miss Edith, daughter of Mayor Aaron Sager, was returning from Sunday-school to her home 22 Lincoln-ave., and when directly in front of Hon. R. Holland Duell's residence, 18 Church-st., she sought shelter upon the broad porch. Instantly a descending bolt split a maple tree standing in the yard to the north of the porch. Miss Sager states that she experienced a severe pain in her back and fell against the screen door. She retained presence of mind sufficiently, however, to grasp the bell knob and prevent herself from falling to the floor. Assistance arriving immediately the young lady was carried to her home. She was about as usual Tuesday.

   Edgcomb & Ballard's furniture emporium was numbered among the set of the storm king and the destructive visitor must have made a double visit. A west front window on the top floor was open and it is thought a bolt entered at this point upsetting some articles and coursing about the steam pipes in the building until it came in collision with the conductor which was torn off allowing the water to flow into the basement. A large plate glass window, 10 feet 8 inches long by 7 feet 4 7/8 inches wide was broken into fragments all of which fell outward upon the walk. It is probable that a current also entered over the electric light wire which passes through the sash at the east upper corner in close proximity to the metals used for holding the glass firmly in position. The incandescent globe hanging in front of the window was broken and a costly chair standing directly underneath was badly shattered. It will cost $150 to replace the glass.

   The residence of Mr. Bugby, 60 Groton-ave., was somewhat damaged at the rear of the building.

   Many cellars were damaged by the overflow of cisterns—the inflow of water being fully four times greater than the outlet capacity. Messrs D. F. Wallace & Co. had 1,000 rolls of wall paper more or less damaged in this manner.

   The south wall of a cistern situated in the rear of H. M. Kellogg's hardware and Dickenson & McGraw's shoe store broke, letting a volume of water into the DEMOCRAT press room. Window glass was not sufficiently strong to resist the strain, consequently a vast amount of gravel and dirt was floated over the floor, among paper stock to the detriment of not only ourselves but inconvenience of the public.

   Mr. John T. Davern and J. J. Gillette residing on Charles-st. had badly water-soaked cellars as did N. H. Riply, 97 Homer-ave. Cause, overflow of cisterns.

   Mr. John Kernan, residing at 96 Tompkins-st., was just sitting down with his family to dinner as a blinding flash and instantaneous peal of thunder was followed by a quantity of plaster falling from the ceiling. None of the family were injured; but Mr. Kernan went up stairs, at once, where he found the thimble covers blown out and dust scattered about the hallway and chambers. In a sleeping room to the south of the chimney, a bedstead was wrecked, the cover ignited and to all appearance the bolt had passed out through an open window, across ten feet of porch severing a wire support for a running vine.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO.—Thirty varieties of trees ornament the Sherburne school grounds.

   Mrs. Ed Tracey, of Afton, suicided Friday by taking strychnine. Cause unknown.

   Warren L. Scott, of Norwich, and Fred Nichols, of Bainbridge, have purchased ten thousand acres of timber land, located about eight miles from Forrestport, Herkimer county, N. Y. The timber includes maple, birch, hemlock and spruce, a large percentage of which is spruce.

   About 7:00 o'clock last week Tuesday evening, Dr. E. L. Lord, of Otselic, took twenty grains of morphine, from the effects of which (despite the prompt and persistent efforts of physicians) he died the next afternoon without regaining consciousness. It was not his first attempt at self-destruction. A year or so since, he relinquished the practice of medicine and commenced preparing for the ministry, pursuing his studies so closely as to undermine his health. He had suffered from melancholia since February, and his sad condition was the cause of much grief to his friends. He leaves a wife and four sons, who have the deep sympathy of all in their great sorrow.

   MADISON.— A colored citizen of Cazenovia is traveling with a circus and being exhibited as a Zulu chief.

   Capt. Sorcho, the great aquatic wonder, is giving daily exhibitions at Sylvan Beach this week.

   TOMPKINS.—Annual parade of the Ithaca Fire Department will take place Sept. 3d.

   The channel by Six Mile Creek is being deepened opposite the Hollister property.

   Ithaca is moving for the lowering of the waters of Lake Cayuga, and its efforts are being seconded by the State Board of Health and State Engineer for the removal of obstructions in Seneca river.

   A few days ago there occurred on the west shore of the lake opposite Mrs. Allen Gray's cottage a wonderful exhibition of a child's bravery and presence of mind. Mr. George L. Grays two little boys, Eddie, aged nine, and Harold, aged five, were playing on the dock. Eddie made a misstep and fell into the lake where the water was eight or nine feet deep. Little five year-old Harold instead of screaming with fright or losing time by running for help, lay down at full length on the dock, and when Eddie arose to the surface he seized him by the collar and held on firmly. The brave little lad then used his lungs most lustily and succeeded in attracting the attention of his grandmother, Mrs. Gray. She called on the next cottager, Mr. Dorpin, for help, and he ran to Harold's assistance and pulled Eddie ashore. Mr. Gray says there is no doubt that his oldest boy would have been drowned but for Harold's doing just as he did. The manly little fellow did not seem to realize that he had performed a remarkable act for one of his years.