HE PREFERRED DEATH.
Alfred Seaman, an Inmate of the County
Jail, Cuts His Throat and Hangs Himself.
Alfred Seaman, an inmate of the county jail,
committed suicide last Friday morning by cutting his throat with a razor and afterward
hanging himself. He occupied a cell on the upper tier with Hiram Baker, whose
name is not unfamiliar to readers of the DEMOCRAT. At about 6:30 in the morning
Baker awoke and seeing nothing of Seaman he went into the hall and began a
search for him. Opening the door of the cell in the northwest corner of the jail,
he was horrified to see the body of Seaman dangling from an improvised rope
which was attached to the steam pipes overhead. He at once notified Deputy
Sheriff Angel, who happened to be within hearing.
Sheriff Miller was called and the body was cut down. Seaman had twisted one leg of his pantaloons into a rope and winding a stout cord about it had fastened one end to the steam pipes. His handkerchief had been made into a noose for his neck and was securely fastened to the lower end of his pantaloon. He had evidently stood upon an empty cheese box and after cutting his throat from ear to ear and severing the windpipe, had kicked the box aside. The handkerchief pressed into the wound and somewhat retarded the flow of blood.
A scrap of paper was found pinned on his vest directed to Deputy Angel and asking that his body be turned over to his family for burial. A package of letters addressed to each of the publishers in this place and to several citizens and members of his family were found in a pocket in his vest. The one addressed to the DEMOCRAT, reads as follows:
Sheriff Miller was called and the body was cut down. Seaman had twisted one leg of his pantaloons into a rope and winding a stout cord about it had fastened one end to the steam pipes. His handkerchief had been made into a noose for his neck and was securely fastened to the lower end of his pantaloon. He had evidently stood upon an empty cheese box and after cutting his throat from ear to ear and severing the windpipe, had kicked the box aside. The handkerchief pressed into the wound and somewhat retarded the flow of blood.
A scrap of paper was found pinned on his vest directed to Deputy Angel and asking that his body be turned over to his family for burial. A package of letters addressed to each of the publishers in this place and to several citizens and members of his family were found in a pocket in his vest. The one addressed to the DEMOCRAT, reads as follows:
CORTLAND JAIL, 8 [P. M.]
To the
Editor Democrat:
SIR: —I
thought as I sit here grieving over my unfortunate position and the cause that
brought me here, it seems that I would go wild. I can never endure the trouble
that I see. Mr. Editor, if I was guilty of committing rape on that girl or made
an attempt to commit rape I should say hanging or shooting was too good for me,
but I call on God to witness the truth of what I say, it has all been
conspiracy. Those that should have been my friends proved on the start to be my
worst enemies and now they see what they have done and may God forgive them as
freely as I do.
I love my wife and children,
they are all of my life to me and to be separated from all that is dear to me
without committing the crime that is laid to me it is hard to bear. Mr. Editor,
do not think me insane for I am not, but my heart aches that I must suffer for
a crime that I have not committed. I die to-day by my own hand but I rather do
the deed than go to States prison and I think my family would rather bury me
than to have me go there. Mr. Editor, you can print this or not, just as you
think best, and if you don't, spare my family from any harsh words in
your paper.
Good bye,
ALFRED SEAMAN.
The letters were all much like
the above.
Seaman was arrested October
24th last, charged with committing a criminal assault on his step-daughter,
Myrtle Pennoyer and was held to await the action of the grand jury. He gave
bail and was at liberty for a few days when his bondsmen surrendered him to the
sheriff, since which time, he has been in jail. He was indicted by the last
grand jury and his trial was to have taken place at the Court of Sessions to be
held March 7th next.
Coroner W. J. Moore impanelled a jury Friday
morning and after viewing the remains, the inquest was adjourned to 7 P. M.,
when the investigation proceeded. The following citizens composed the jury: Geo.
J. Mager, foreman; E. F. Jennings, I. W. Brown, Henry Bates, E. D. Mallery, T.
F. Grady, and C. F. Thompson.
After hearing the evidence the jury rendered
a verdict whereby they found that the deceased's death was caused from strangulation
and by his own hand.
NEIGHBORING
COUNTIES.
CHENANGO.—Preston's Democratic supervisor
had 1 majority.
The Norwich Furniture Co. has declared a
five per cent dividend.
Oxford is now lighted by electricity. James
Guile has charge of the plant.
O. B. Curtis, of Preston, received $1,205
from his dairy of 24 cows, last season, sent to the Lewis creamery.
Assemblyman Stanton has introduced in the
Assembly a bill to create a police justice in Norwich, with an annual salary of
$1,000.
A dispatch from Washington says that S. B.
Pope was, on Tuesday, appointed postmaster at Columbus, in this county. The office
is fourth class.
Postmaster Ed. Daniels of Sherburne was in
Norwich yesterday to get hold of the reins over a spanking pair of horses he
had purchased from parties in Mt. Upton, and which were brought to Norwich for delivery.
The genial postmaster is proud of his purchase, as well he may be.
Nathan Eldridge, of Smyrna, has challenged
C. C. Wilber, of the same place, to a stallion race for a purse of $250, and
has deposited $100 forfeit with the Chenango Telegraph.
"Ed" Jones of Afton, being despondent
over domestic troubles, attempted to end his life by shooting himself with a revolver
the other day. The ball struck a rib just over his heart and glanced off, thus
doubtless saving his life. Dr. Hayes was summoned and extracted the bullet. He
was arrested and charged with an attempt at self destruction and held to await the
action of the Grand Jury.
MADISON.—DeRuyter will be a no license town
after May 1st.
There were six funerals in Hamilton in one
day last week.
Bennett Bros, have leased the Morrisville
stove foundry for a term of five years.
The Oneida Daily News has discontinued
publication, owing to lack of patronage.
Crumb's cheese factory, at Poolville, was
sold last week to a Mr. Crandall of Brookfield. Capt. Hatch runs it this year.
W. W. Lull, of Earlville, has a remarkable Jersey
heifer. She will be two years old in March, and now gives fifteen pounds of
milk per day.
Norwich parties caught a 7 3/4 pound pike in
Oneida lake last week, in which was a half pound perch and inside the perch was
a small minnow, which later was used as bait on one of the hooks.
A correspondent of the Oneida [Times] says: The cave at Chittenango Falls has been opened and visitors can explore it. The cave has been made inhabitable 150 feet below the surface and
then the opening extends southwest, how far is not known. After going 150 feet the lights go out, and it is not considered safe to go farther in the darkness. In the distance which has been explored five
rooms or caves are found, from 12x14
to 30x50 feet in diameter. The cave is a wonderful discovery.
TOMPKINS.—Ithaca has a new industry. It is a
soup factory.
It is said that the Ithaca Kindergarten is in
need of more funds.
New [finishing] machinery is soon to be put
into the Dryden Woolen Mills.
Dr. Wells, of New York, paid a fine of $200
in Ithaca, last Friday, for shooting quail out of season.
The Dryden Cornet Band have purchased new
uniforms. The color is bottle green trimmed with black.
The amount of the Literary Fund apportioned
to the Groton Union School is $303.90, much larger than usual.
It seems that the first report given in regard
to the excise vote in Ithaca was incorrect. The town went license by 160
majority.
At an early hour last Thursday morning, the
Academy building in Trumansburg was discovered on fire. The only engine in the
village was disabled and there being no way of fighting the flames, the
structure and its contents were entirely destroyed. The building was insured
for $2,500.
In
Memoriam.
Floyd Barnes Hitchcock was born in Cincinnatus,
N. Y. July 22, 1864. When but a lad his father removed to Cortland Village from
Cincinnatus, where he resided up to the time of his death which occurred on
February 10, 1892. His early education was obtained in the common schools at Cincinnatus,
and afterwards at the Cincinnatus Academy, and subsequently at the Cortland
Normal school.
When his father first came to this village, before he had developed his mammoth industry which now bears his name, and while Floyd was but a lad he displayed a very apt talent for business, working with his father, side by side in the shop, taking an equal interest with him in the success of the work while the institution was but in its infancy.
As the manufacturing interest began to extend with which he was so closely identified in boyhood, he soon gave up his entire attention to school duties and gave the very best energies of his life and thought toward helping his father extend the business.
When his father first came to this village, before he had developed his mammoth industry which now bears his name, and while Floyd was but a lad he displayed a very apt talent for business, working with his father, side by side in the shop, taking an equal interest with him in the success of the work while the institution was but in its infancy.
As the manufacturing interest began to extend with which he was so closely identified in boyhood, he soon gave up his entire attention to school duties and gave the very best energies of his life and thought toward helping his father extend the business.
Step by step he occupied one place after another
until he became familiar with every branch of the business and under the skillful
tutorage [sic] of his father became an expert and successful manager of the various
branches of business until finally when the Hitchcock Manufacturing Company was
organized he was made one of the Directors and subsequently vice president and
superintendent.
It is an old saying that goods well bought
are half sold, and as he had charge of that branch of the business very few were
considered more skillful in that direction than he.
Perhaps the secret of his short life was due
to the fact that he never allowed himself to have a divided thought upon any enterprise
which he undertook. Having once resolved to carry out a certain line of
business he bent every energy to its accomplishment. His energies and determination
in this respect were very marked.
In his life he was always quiet, courteous,
but positive, and those who knew him best and who had dealt with him always found
him living strictly to the promise which he had made.
In 1884, on the 1st of May, he was united in
marriage to Cora M. Brown, a young lady of remarkably pleasing temperament with
whom he lived until her death which occurred about five months before his own.
One beautiful daughter of some five years of
age is left fatherless and motherless by this peculiar stroke of Providence,
within a less period than five months.
In early life Floyd gave evidence of his love
for Christ while his mother was still living. On his removal to Cortland he united
with the First M. E. Church where he has ever been an acceptable member. The
loss of his wife a few months ago was a severe blow to him and had it not been for
the hope that he would sometime meet her in a better world it would have been apparently
unbearable. Little did he think that in five short months they would be again
united.
His sudden but sad death in the community in
which he resided and in which he was so active a citizen cast a marked shadow
upon all who knew him.
The funeral, which occurred on the 21st inst,
was one of the largest ever witnessed in our village. The cortege which marched
from the house to the church, and from the church to the cemetery was preceded by
the Hitchcock Mfg. Company's band, playing a funeral dirge, followed by the Fire
Department and by the Hitchcock Hose Co. as a special guard. About 300 of the employes
of the Hitchcock Manufacturing Company also marched in the procession. The decorations
of flowers, testimonials of the esteem in which he was held were numerous, and
were the voluntary gift of those who knew him best, and were, as follows, viz.:
A broken wheel, from Penn & Lee of Syracuse; cross and crown from Drake and
Rooks; a broken wreath with "Our Superintendent," and open Bible by
the office force of the Hitchcock Mfg. Company; a broken wheel by wood
department; crescent and anchor by the trimming department; a beautiful wreath
by the shipping department; gates ajar by the paint department; tablet on which
was inscribed "His Record was clear" by the blacksmith department; a
pillow inscribed "Have Rest" by the foundry department; a ladder,
star and trumpet by the Hose company; a floral wreath by L. S. Hayes & Co.; a
beautiful wreath of white Immortals from the Cortland Fire Department; a wreath
of flowers with the word "Band' in the centre from the Hitchcock
Manufacturing Company's Band.
The bearers were chosen one from each of the
six Fire Companies, and the pall bearers were the six representatives from said
companies on the Board of Engineers.
Life is not measured in this instance by the
length of years but by the accomplished results. His has been a success in that
he had won friends and had been a stimulant to others to make theirs as active
and as earnest as his has been while life lasted.
COM.
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