MRS. FOOTE CLEARS HER PARAMOUR

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, December 25, 1891.

CLEARS HER PARAMOUR.

Mrs. Foote Finally Confesses That She Murdered Her Husband.

   BINGHAMTON, N. Y., Dec. 18.—About two months ago, the charred remains of Richard Foote, a farmer of Peasetown in this county, were found in the ruins of his barn. His wife and her paramour, Lewis Furman, were suspected of having caused Foote's death. At the coroner's examination, Mrs. [Mary] Foote confessed that Furman killed her husband by beating him on the head with a club; that after the death of Foote, Furman carried the remains to the barn, placed them in a manger, covered them with millet and after saturating them with kerosene oil, set the mass on fire, hoping to destroy the evidences of his crime. She confessed at that time she knew of Furman's intention to murder her husband.

   Furman was indicted by the grand jury for murder in the first degree on the strength of Mrs. Foote's testimony. She was held as witness and incarcerated in jail. To-day she confessed to Sheriff Okerman and Deputy English that she had killed her husband. They quarreled, he beat her, she procured an axe from the woodshed and thus armed warned him not to strike her. He attempted to do so, when she struck him on the head with an axe. The third blow crushed in his temple, killing him instantly. Furman came into the house after the murder, was told how she had killed her husband, and shown the remains. They discussed the best method of disposing of them, and decided to place them in a manger in the barn, saturate them with kerosene and burn the building. They did so, Furman assisting her and lighting the funeral pyre. She later attempted to burn some of the bones of the body in the stove in her house. Certain evidence discovered in her home corroborates this last confession which she declares is the truth.

An Old Newspaper.

   A few days since, a gentleman carried into Fitch's store a pair of shoes to be cobbled. An old newspaper was wrapped about the shoes, the appearance of which caught the attention of Mr. Fitch. It proved to be a copy of the Chenango Union when that paper was in its first volume. It bore the date "Norwich and Oxford, April 26, 1848." The publishers were Messrs. Leal & Sinclair and it was printed on a fine quality of rag paper such as was used in the days before wood pulp cheapened the cost and the quality at the same time. The paper consisted of four eight-column pages and was about the size of the Sun and contained a much larger proportion of foreign than home news. It was more of a curiosity than is usually found wrapped around a pair of shoes.—Morning Sun.

JOHN A. GIVENS.

Alive, But Ill, at Wheeling, W. Va.—He Telegraphs Home for Money.

   Last April, John A. Givens, only child and heir of the late [Amass] Givens of this village, left Cortland for a visit to the Pacific coast, intending to be gone some months, or, if he found a good business opening and liked the country, he thought some of making his home there. He was about 22 years of age, and only about a year previous come into possession of the property left him by his parents, which consisted of two houses and lots in this village, and a few hundred dollars beside. He mortgaged one of the houses for $1,000 and taking the money left for San Francisco.

   Jack was inclined to be a little wild and Mr. H. B. Hubbard, who had been his guardian until he became of age, tried to prevail upon him to forego the trip, but he declined the advice. Some of his young associates heard from him soon after he arrived in San Francisco, but after a little no news of him could be obtained.

   His friends and relatives here corresponded with friends in San Francisco, who undertook to find the young man if he was in the city. Their efforts proved unavailing, however. They traced him to an inn or sporting resort and this was the last seen of him. It was believed that the inmates had drugged him with spirits, robbed him and put him on board one of the many ships that are always anxious to obtain sailors whether they have had experience or not.

   Although nothing could be heard of him his late guardian believed that he would turn up somewhere in the near future, and the result proves that he was right about it, for last Sunday evening he received a telegram dated at Wheeling, W. Va., signed by John A. Givens, saying that he was there sick and asking that funds be sent to him by telegraph. Owing to the fact that Givens' disappearance had been published all over the country, Mr. Hubbard thought possibly, the telegram might have been sent by some faker, who had become conversant with Givens' story through the newspapers; consequently before sending the money he took measures to prove beyond question that his late ward sent the telegram, and that he was actually in the land of the living and particularly in Wheeling, W. Va.

   The proof came to him positively about two o'clock Thursday afternoon and the money asked for was promptly forwarded. It is to be hoped that young Givens has seen enough of the outside world and that he will return home fully satisfied to remain in Cortland. The reports that have been published recently in the New York papers are greatly exaggerated. Jack is not the heir to a large estate nor is he at all related to the prominent persons named in the dispatches. He could perhaps, live comfortably on his income by the exercise of a little prudence. Like many young fellows of his age, he inclined to be a little wild, but he was not at all vicious.

PAGE FOUR/EDITORIALS.

   Judge Kennedy, on Tuesday last, decided that Supervisor Thos. J. Welch, of Syracuse, was guilty of contempt of court for taking the election returns of several districts of that city to Albany. The defendant claimed that he was subpoenaed to appear before Gov. Hill at Albany, in the proceedings brought to remove County Clerk Cotton, and that the subpoena ordered him to produce the returns. The action of Welch of course interfered with Judge Kennedy's program for the counting in of both Peck and Munro, and it is not to be presumed that any defence [sic] that Mr. Welch could have interposed, would have saved him from the wrath of the Lilliputian Judge. He was sentenced on Tuesday to pay a fine of $250, and to be imprisoned in the county jail for thirty days and in case the fine was not paid he was to be kept in jail until it was paid, not exceeding 250 days.

   Gov. Hill was equal to the occasion however, and upon application granted a full pardon which was forwarded by special messenger. Mr. Welch occupied the parlor of the penitentiary for a few hours when he was released by the arrival of the pardon and joined his friends. The board of supervisors of Onondaga county is a tie and there are several important appointments to be made by the board. With Mr. Welch in the penitentiary, the republicans would be able to make all these appointments. With Mr. Welch in his seat, the chairman, who is a democrat, could break the tie and elect democrats to these important places.

   Judge Kennedy refused a stay of proceedings pending an appeal in Welch's case, a most unusual course for a judge to pursue, and calling the sheriff handed him a commitment and directed him to take Welch in custody at once. Whether Judge Kennedy's action in the premises, was caused by a desire to get rid of Welch until after the republicans had succeeded in securing all these appointments, we are unable to say, but the prompt and eminently proper action of Gov. Hill has frustrated any such purpose, if it was entertained.

   Judge Kennedy's record in the State Senate is still quite fresh in the minds of the people, and his extremely partisan and whiffling rulings and decisions in the recent election cases have added no laurels to his judicial reputation. Judge Kennedy should step down and out.

   The Court of Appeals adjourned on Wednesday last until Tuesday next when it will convene for the purpose of announcing its decision in the election cases. The rumor that has been published in some quarters that a decision had been made is incorrect. No decision will be announced until Tuesday next.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   An Ithaca bum stole his mother's bed and sold it for whisky.

   The New York Central Railroad's net earnings last year were over $7,000,000.

   There are 11,000 net tons of silver in the United States Treasury at Washington.

   A. B. Coon of Friendship died recently of blood poisoning from the bite of a rat.

   Eight thousand persons at Nashville, Tenn., are under treatment for influenza.

   The raven is the only bird known to the entomologists which is a native of every country in the world.

   A New York man made over all his property to his wife. She eloped and he is now in the poor-house.

   For the past week a gang of highway robbers have been operating on the roads leading from Hornellsville, N. Y.

   The daughter of President Barrilas, of Guatemala, was married, Saturday, and her portion besides her husband is $4,000,000.

   The Ithaca street railway will be extended up East Hill to the E., C. & N. depot, and will probably be operated by electricity.

   The absolute wealth of the United States is put at $62,610,000,000, or about $1,000 per capita, as against $870 per capita, in 1880.

   The American Express Company has issued orders to all its messengers to wear their revolvers outside their clothes in a belt in plain sight.

   It is said that in the steeple of the old St. Stephen's church, East Haddam, Conn., hangs an old bell of Spanish make, dated 805 or 815.

   At the dedication of the Masonic Home in Utica, which will occur next year, the Grand Master of England, the Prince of Wales, may take part. Some of our leading members predict it.

   Owing to the prevalence of diphtheria at Athens, Pa., the schools were closed yesterday for the Christmas vacation, it being thought better for the health of the children and to prevent an epidemic,

   It was discovered Sunday night that the gratings in the main corridor of the Herkimer jail had been filed and sawed in such a manner that by an hour's work the men could have escaped. A saw and two files were found. The tools must have been brought in from the outside by visitors.

The Cortland Wagon Company.

   At the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Cortland Wagon Company held at their office last Friday the following directors were chosen for the ensuing year: L. J. Fitzgerald, Hugh Duffey, F. Cy. Straat, A. F. Aird and O. U. Kellogg of Cortland, and W. B. Clark of Waterloo, D. W. Shuler of Amsterdam, and C. M. Bolden of New Jersey. At a subsequent meeting of the directors the following officers were elected:

   President—L. J. Fitzgerald.

   Vice-Pres. and Superintendent—Hugh Duffey.

   Secretary and Treasurer—F. Cy. Straat.

   The company's prospects never looked brighter than they do now, and they anticipate a very large trade the coming season. With largely increased facilities, additional buildings and machinery, they confidently expect to be able to fill all their orders promptly.

Hitchcock Hose Co.

   The following officers have been elected to serve the ensuing year, by Hitchcock Hose Co.:

   President—Chas. E. Reed.

   Vice-President—Carroll E. Hitchcock.

   Foreman—M. F. Roche.

   1st Assistant—David Morris.

   2nd Assistant—Walter Head.

   Rec. Sec.—W. J. Roche.

   Financial Sec.—George Trench.

   Treas.—M. J. O'Brien.

   Property Clerk—Floyd B. Hitchcock.

   Representative—Chas. H. Drake.

   Trustees— F. B. Hitchcock, C. P. Drake, W. J. McAuliffe.

   Delegate to State Convention—W. J. Roche.

Items.

   Van Bergen's Park, one of the resorts on the Tully Lakes, has been leased by a couple of professors, who will institute a sort of Chautauqua the coming season.

   New quarters costing $400,000 are to be erected at Madison Barracks, Sacketts Harbor, sufficient to accommodate an entire regiment. It is thought a navy yard will be re-established there.

   Henry F. Hardy, the convict who escaped from Clinton prison and was shot down at Plattsburg, Oct. 4, by a police officer, escaped from prison again last week.