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| Successful elopement 1893, The Graphic. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday,
April 18, 1893.
HAVE THEY ELOPED?
Two
Cortland People Missing Under Singular Circumstances.
Mrs. Orlando Willis and Charles Simpson are
missing and it is the general opinion that they have eloped. Mr. Willis,
who is a trusted employee of the Cortland
Cart & Carriage Co., came to his home at 36 1/2 Hubbard-st. yesterday
shortly afternoon and found that everything appeared as usual. His wife seemed
unusually gay and before he left for his work she asked him what kind of meat
he wished for supper. He told her to get any kind that she wanted and that is
the last he has seen or heard of her.
Mr. Willis' younger brother Johnnie was sent
up to Mr. Clark's grocery, a short time after Mr. Willis left, for a pound of
raisins. While he was gone the neighbors state that a dray pulled up at the
house and two satchels and a bundle were loaded into it and it was driven off.
Mrs. Willis went to her dressmaker's, where she had been having a dress made,
put on the new dress and—disappeared. She told the dressmaker that she was
going to visit her mother, but as her mother has been dead six years it is
hardly probable that she has seen her. She is supposed to have gone directly
from her dressmaker's to Mrs. W. W. Gale's millinery store, where she purchased
a fine, black straw hat trimmed with black lace, black ribbon and purple
lilacs.
Little Johnnie returned to the house with
the raisins, but found it deserted. He thought that perhaps the wife had gone to
some of the neighbors or up town and waited till Mr. Willis returned home to supper.
Mr. Willis at once mistrusted that all was not right and went up stairs where
he had left $33 in money. It is needless to say that he did not find it, but,
he thought she might have gone up town with it and paid a number of small debts
which he owed. He immediately went to Mr. Clark's grocery store and inquired if
his wife had paid $10 on the account. They stated that she had not been to the
store nor had she paid them any money. Mr. Willis then came to the conclusion
that she had left him and departed to parts unknown with Mr. Simpson. This
morning he began packing up his household goods and is moving this afternoon to
his mother's home, Mrs. Mary A. Willis at 11 Evergreen-st.
Simpson is a good looking man about 24 years
of age, black curly hair, black eyes, small black moustache, and wore a blue slouch
hat, dark brown overcoat, navy blue coat and vest and large green plaid trousers.
Mrs. Willis wore a black dress with a black and red changeable silk front on
the waist, a black jacket trimmed with black fur which was hooked together with
mouse heads and loops. She was a very pleasant little woman always full of fun
and although not extraordinarily pretty she had a rather striking manner which
always attracted a second glance at her. She was possessed of an abundant head
of brown hair, was about five feet high, and had a trim petit figure. She was
less than 23 years of age and was possessed of a pair of deep, brilliant, black
eyes which suggested the possibility of a mild flirtation.
Orlando Willis, the husband, is a man about
medium height, light hair and eyes and small light mustache. He appears every
inch a gentleman and talked about his wife's departure with little reserve. From
time to time he had heard stories circulated which connected his wife's name
very familiarly with Simpson. He did not believe that there was a word of truth
in these stories. He loved his wife, loved her yet, and trusted her perfectly.
He is spoken very highly of both by the neighbors and at the place where he
worked. He is a temperate man and was esteemed by all his fellow workmen.
There was a story around town this morning
that Mr. and Mrs. Willis were never married. In justice to them both, we wish
to state that Mr. Willis showed a STANDARD reporter this marriage certificate
which was bona fide in every particular. It was dated November 15, 1890.
BURGLARS MAKE A RAID.
FOUR
HOUSES ON PORT WATSON-ST. ENTERED LAST NIGHT.
A Gold
Watch and Chain Taken From Mr. Fish—No one Else Misses
Anything—No
Clue to the Visitors.
A party of burglars must have been out on a
lark in Cortland last night, for they seem to have entered houses more for the
pleasure of doing it than for the sake
of carrying off plunder, as in only one case was any thing missed. It was just
about 3 o'clock when
DR. AND MRS. A. J. WHITE
of 58 Port
Watson-st., whose bedroom is off their dining room were awakened by a very
peculiar noise. They thought they heard footsteps on the piazza next the dining
room door and concluded that some one was coming to call Dr. White to some sick
patient. They waited to hear the bell ring, but it didn't ring. In a moment a
ray of light swept across the dining room and appeared on the wall where it was
plainly visible from their bed. It disappeared almost instantly. They couldn't
think what it was. The doctor thought it was lightning. All was still. Then
there was a strange sound hardly audible. In about five minutes the flash of
light was repeated, and in a moment or two it came a third time. Then the doctor
was on his feet in a moment determined to know what it was. He struck a light
and stepped out into the dining room. A window near the bedroom door was pushed
up half way, and the curtains were blowing furiously. No one was visible. Mrs.
White aroused her two daughters, Misses Cornelia L. and Mary H. and they looked
the house over. Nothing was missing. The three ladies sat up the remainder of
the night, but the doctor soon went to bed again. It seemed likely that the noise
they heard was the effort to raise the window; the flashes of light were flashes
from a dark lantern as the burglars took a look at their work or to see if the
coast was clear. When Dr. and Mrs. White
began to talk and when the doctor lighted the gas, probably the party decamped.
AT MR. FISH'S.
It was about 3:30 when Mr. E. A. Fish of 66
Port Watson-st. was aroused by the squeaking of the door of his bedroom. He
arose, lighted a lamp and went out through the sitting room, dining room and
kitchen. All the inside doors of the house stood wide open, but Mr. Fish
remembered that the house was very hot when they retired and concluded that
Mrs. Fish had left them so. He returned to bed and slept until nearly 6
o'clock. As he started to dress and stepped into the bath room he was amazed to
find his vest which he had left on a chair in the bed room lying on the floor
there.
Investigation showed that his gold watch,
chain and fob, valued at about $100, were all missing. There had been a little
bottle of medicine in his vest pocket, and this was very carefully placed on the
floor of the bath room. His wallet which was in his trousers pocket and which
contained quite a sum of money was not disturbed. Entrance had been effected
[sic] by working the night-lock of the front door with a key, the bolt not
being slipped. The burglar probably left by the dining room door, as this was
found unlocked. Mr. Fish thinks he scared him away by his light but he is very glad
he was so thoughtful as to leave his medicine so carefully.
AT MR. DUFFEY'S.
The next call was made at the home of Mr.
Hugh Duffey of 80 Port Watson-st. Mr. and Mrs. Duffey are in Europe. Misses
Grace K. and May Duffey and Master Hugh Duffey, Jr., with a servant girl were
alone in the house. Usually they have the company of Juno, their huge mastiff,
who is a splendid watch dog, but last night her majesty was shut up in the
barn. Some time during the night Miss Duffey was awakened by the sensation of a
flash of light across her face, but it was so indistinct that she hardly
thought of it. About the same moment she heard her brother Hugh groan and begin
to talk in his sleep. He stopped pretty soon and nothing more was thought of
it.
This morning when the servant girl went down
stairs she found all the drawers wide open in the pantry, in the sideboard, in
the library case in the library, and things in general in great confusion. A
window in the kitchen was wide open, the fastening having been wrenched loose.
She called Miss Duffey and it was decided that an attempt at burglary had been
made. At 2 o'clock this afternoon nothing at all had been missed except
possibly some oranges and bananas from the sideboard. If they
recollect rightly the fruit dish was full last night, and this morning it was
nearly empty. Miss Duffey will hereafter enjoy Juno's company nights. She is at
a loss to know where the flash of light could have come from. It must have been
from the landing on the stairs, as this is the only place where the proper
range with her bedroom door could be procured. Probably young Hugh's talking
drove the burglar back down stairs, as he was going up.
AT MR. SUGERMAN'S.
The home of Mr. Philip Sugerman of 88 Port
Watson-st, came next. All the family sleep up stairs, No sound was heard during
the night, but this morning a decanter of wine from the sideboard was found on
the floor in the dining room. A bracket lamp in the kitchen was found on the
back piazza, having been taken from the bracket. The chimney was removed and stood
beside the lamp, and the cap which closes the opening through which the lamp is
filled was removed and lay on the steps. Nothing was missed, though quantities
of solid silver spoons and table ware stood around and were in the drawers to
the side board, none of which were locked.
Taking all in all, the calls on Port
Watson-st. last night were of a very peculiar nature.
The East
Side Reading Room.
One of the manufacturing centers of Cortland
is located near the eastern extremity of Elm-st. Its distance from the Y.M.C.
A. rooms, the public library, or any pleasant place of resort suggested to a
few philanthropic citizens the need of such quarters in this vicinity. The citizens
thus minded were certain teachers in the Normal and public schools of the town.
Through their efforts there has been sustained for a year, such a place of
resort known as the East Side reading room in the brick building at the corner
of Elm and Pomeroy-sts.
About the first of April this committee transferred
the furnishings of said room, together with the responsibilities and care of
the enterprise to the Woman's Christian Temperance union of Cortland. A
committee from its membership have leased the same rooms, and after closing them
a short time for cleaning and repairs, now announce the re-opening of the East
Side reading room on Wednesday evening, April 19. There will be no formal
"opening or reception," but on and after that evening the rooms will be
open every week-day from 7 to 10 P. M. and Sundays from 4 to six o'clock.
In making this public announcement the
committee of the W. C. T. U. desire to acknowledge the generosity of the former
committee in giving for their use the entire furnishing of the room. Besides the
small library and files of desirable magazines, new literature has been added,
and the rooms will now have four daily, nine weekly and two monthly papers. It
is expected that the men frequenting these rooms will express their
appreciation of the enterprise by a careful but thorough use of the literature placed
at their disposal. Boys under twelve years of age will not be admitted.
Any donations for the rooms either of money
or books, if left at the rooms with the janitor Mr. A. E. Pindar, will be
registered and reported to the Treasurer of the reading-room committee.
 |
| John Bull train at World's Fair Columbian Exposition in Chicago. |
JOHN
BULL TRAIN.
America's
First Locomotive Starts For the World's Fair.
NEW YORK, April 18.—The queerest railroad
train that has been seen in many a long year drew out of the Pennsylvania depot
amid the cheers of a big crowd of curiosity seekers.
The train consisted of engine No. 1 of the
Pennsylvania railway and cars Nos. 8 and 5. Engine No. 1 of the Pennsylvania
road is also engine No. 1 of the United States, being the first railway
locomotive used on this side of the Atlantic. It is called John Bull, and
started to puff its way laboriously to the World's fair, where it
will be an object of wonder to millions.
John Bull shows no sign of his great age
except his antique construction. He is painted and polished so that he shines as
fair as the latest born of modern locomotives.
The coaches look like stage coaches on railway
wheels. They, too, are in gala attire, being painted a bright green with the
inscription "John Bull Train,"
The train is manned by veteran railroaders.
ENGINEER
KILLED.
Escape of the Passengers Little Short of a
Miracle.
ROCHESTER, April 18.—A special
from Canandaigua says: Train No. 13, the fast mail on the Auburn road, which is
due in Rochester at 5:40 p. m., loaded with passengers from the Empire state express
at Syracuse, ran into an open switch at Shortsville and crashed into a line of freight cars standing at the
warehouse of the Empire Drill company.
Engineer John McManus of
Rochester saw what was going to happen and instantly applied the air brakes,
reversed the engine and jumped from the cab just before the crash came.
His head struck a projection
on the mail car, scattering the blood and brains over the white sides of the
postal coach. Clarence Aldrich was the fireman, but he remained in the cab,
crouching close behind the boiler, and escaped with no serious injuries.
None of the passengers was hurt
and not a pane in the windows of the cars was broken, a fact that is considered
almost miraculous, when the speed and the tremendous shock are taken into
consideration.
HOMER DEPARTMENT.
Saturday evening an order
known as the O. U. A. M. was instituted in Odd Fellows' hall with thirty
charter members. State V. C. and State Deputy Ray of Little Falls, assisted by
Cortland brothers, officiated.
A quiet home wedding occurred at the residence of Mr. Henry Maxim on Spring-st. Sunday evening when Mr. Chester Maxim, an employe at Maxson & Starin's lumber
yard, and Miss Eliza Tutton of Vesper were united in the holy bonds of
matrimony by Rev. S. F. Sanford. The ceremony was performed in the presence of
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Bennett and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Maxson about 9 o'clock,
immediately after which a wedding supper was served. The bride and groom will
each be 61 years of age next fall and are a happy couple. Mr. Maxim was at his
work, bright and early yesterday morning, but was frequently called away to
"set them up" to the boys as soon as they "got onto it."
Work was begun Monday morning
on putting in the new plate glass front in the Bennett building, occupied by
the postoffice. This shows enterprise and there are a number of other
"seedy" looking fronts in town whose owners ought to show a little
animation, wake from their Rip Van Winkle sleep and let people know that they
are alive. Those 8 by 10 panes are or should be a thing of the past in a town
the size of Homer.
It was Triumph hose, No. 4,
who have the new gong on their hose cart.
Mr. F. M. Briggs, of the
undertaking and furniture firm of Briggs Bros., has returned from Syracuse,
where he has been attending Clark's Embalming school. He brought with him a
diploma, which qualifies him in this line of business.
Mr. Edward Pierce has resumed
his old place in Atwater at Foster's drug store.
The street commissioner and
his gang of men are busy cleaning the streets. The gutters on Main-st. are
receiving the first attention.
WAS IT AN OVERDOSE?
Saturday morning about 9 o'clock Mrs. Dora
Fowler, who runs a dressmaking establishment on James-st., sent her little
daughter Edith to Josephine Brown's apartments across the way, over W. B.
Newcomb's harness shop, to have her come over and have a dress fitted which she
was having made. The little girl soon returned and stated that Mrs. Brown was
asleep and that she was unable to waken her. Mrs. Fowler went over a few hours
later and found that Mrs. Brown was still apparently sleeping on the bed with
her clothes on.
As she was unable to wake her, Mrs. Norton
was called and Mr. J. O. Burrows, who attends to her fires, happened in. All
efforts to arouse the sleeper were futile and Dr. Leland Potter was summoned.
When he saw the case he called Dr. George D. Bradford as counsel. They decided
that if the woman had taken poison it was too late to administer an antidote
that would help her any and it was also impossible for them to make her swallow
anything. The two physicians worked with external remedies at various times for
many hours, but the woman remained sleeping till about 3 o'clock Monday morning
when she regained consciousness.
She was
quite delirious Sunday night but recovered enough to talk Monday morning. She
stated that all was a blank to her from Friday night. It was learned, however, by
a STANDARD reporter, that she was divorced from her husband several years ago
and that at one time she had been in the habit of taking morphine or a like drug
but had stopped the use of it. Several neighbors were called upon and it is the
general opinion that she took a dose of the drug, much larger than she intended
and but for the hard work of the physicians would probably never have awakened
from her sleep. Hopes are entertained for her recovery.
—There will be no meeting of stenographers this
evening.
—The electric lights all over town went out
between 9 and 10 o'clock last night and people out later than that had to poke
home in the dark. Why was this?
—Mr. Leroy Aldridge has taken the agency for
the Gales bicycle. He expects one of the wheels in a few days and will then be
ready to show it to his friends.
—L. R. Lewis is to-day placing a Kelsey
corrugated furnace in the Central school building for the purpose of heating the
halls which are not heated by the Smead system.
—In our account of the Screen factory fire
by an oversight the Emerald company was omitted. An alarm came to them through
their gong and two of the members immediately started down Port Watson-st.
—Edgar Allen Poe's short stories now running
in The STANDARD are among the most famous in the language. Of their kind they
are classics, and even persons not given to story reading will find them strangely
fascinating.
—Messrs. E. L. Pierce and T. N. Hollister have
received the new Cleveland wheels ordered some days ago through G. F. Beaudry.
They are decidedly different in appearance from any others in town and are
attracting much attention. The enamel of the frames is colored a pale green.
The wheels only weigh about 23 pounds and are geared quite high.
—Mr. G. M. Hopkins this morning completed arrangements
by which he bought out the grocery business formerly conducted by his brother,
E. A. Hopkins, and more recently by George McKean & Co. at 22 Main-st. He
took possession this morning. Mr. W. E. Fitch, who has been in charge of the
store for the last few months, will remain with him for a short time.
—To-morrow is Washington's birthday and a
holiday at the Normal school. The "father of his country" was born so
near the opening of the winter term that for a number of years it has seemed best
not to take the holiday at that time, but to postpone it until the day
following the close of the first half term. This forms a kind of breathing
spell before starting on the home stretch of the last half term.
—The C. M. B. A. hold their social for members
only this evening at their rooms in the Empire hall. Great expectations are
indulged in for a fine social time, as the committee in charge have spared no
expense or effort to make this the banner event of the season. The program consists
of songs, stories and recitations, and exhibition of the teleautograph by Mr.
J. F. Dowd, who has had it specially prepared for the occasion.
Board of
Trustees.
About the usual amount of routine business
was disposed of at the meeting of the village board last evening.
Chief N. J. Peck of the fire department came
before the board and stated that new hose was needed. He said that the village
could get along with 500 feet, but that 1,000 feet would be safer. He
recommended rubber hose as being safer and more reliable than the cotton although
it was heavier and more bulky to handle and carry on the hose carts.
It was decided that the board would hold a
special meeting next Monday evening and meet agents from various fire
department supply companies, look at their samples and select what hose was
needed. Mr. Peck also brought up the question of ordering a new supply of paper
rolls for the gongs in the Emerald and Hitchcock hose rooms and as they were
nearly out it was decided to order them immediately. It was also decided, on
suggestion of the chief, to order a new shut off. No definite decision was reached
in regard to putting a gong, similar to those in the Emerald and Hitchcock hose
rooms and in Chief Peck's residence, at the waterworks.
The clerk was instructed to purchase twelve
jars, like those used for generating electricity in the engine room.
The street commissioner was authorized to
have the watering trough on the corner of Clinton-ave. and Main-st. cleaned. He
was also authorized to remove the lamp post from in front of Miss Mollie
Keator's residence.
The matter of sidewalk repairs was laid over
to give the property owners opportunity to repair defective sidewalks before
the twentieth of this month, but it was decided to get prices on crosswalks.
The electric light question was informally discussed
as a number of lamps around town are working very dissatisfactorily.
The following bills were allowed and ordered
paid:
Street commissioner's pay roll, $145.75
F. D. Smith, 14.25
George O. Gilbert, draying, 30.
Mr. McMahon, laying side walk, 5.77
E. S. Greely & Co. of N. Y., supplies
for fire alarm, 63.75
Cramer and Mellon, labor and supplies, 1.24
Cortland & Homer Gas Co., coal and gas,
15.86
Frank M. Samson, salary, 25.
Police force, 98.
Frank Place, surveys, 4.
The meeting was then adjourned.
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