HE SHOT TO KILL

This is the best reproduction obtainable from the scanned newspaper. The furrows to the left indicate a road or highway. About five buildings are barely detectable near midpoint of engraving.

This is a view looking southwest of Lime Hollow Road, the likely "cross road" mentioned in a Cortland Standard news article. The marl pond can be seen in the upper left quadrant.

This is a northeast view of Lime Hollow Road.  Cortland Contarian contributors have examined this neighborhood  and suspect that the Tripp residence was located on the south side of Lime Hollow Road. The dried-out marl pond can be seen in the lower right of this Google map section.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, December 20, 1895.

HE SHOT TO KILL.

Rensselaer W. Tripp Kills Geo. W. Galpin and Then Commits Suicide.

A SHOT GUN LOADED WITH SLUGS.

A Senseless Quarrel Results in the Death of Two Human Beings—The

Whole Story—The Coroner to Hold an Inquest.

   At about 8 o'clock on Wednesday morning, the souls of two human beings were suddenly ushered into eternity without preparation as a result of a trivial misunderstanding.

   George W. Galpin, aged 45 years, a painter and paper hanger by trade, lived on a forty acre farm in Lime hollow, two miles south-west of Cortland and about one mile north-west of So. Cortland. Rensselaer W. Tripp, aged 73 years lived with his second wife on a 29 acre farm on the opposite side of the highway. Galpin's house is about ten rods west from Tripp's house and his barn is fixated directly opposite the house. Galpin worked at his trade most of the time in this village and his three sons, William, Clarence and George, aged 17, 15 and 13 respectively, worked the farm.

   At the hour named Galpin went to the barn to harness his horse, his wife and son William going with him. After harnessing Galpin got in the open buggy and started for his work in Cortland. As he drove by a low shed standing near the road on Tripp's premises, the latter fired through a window hole at him and Galpin fell from the wagon into the road. Mrs. Galpin, who was still in the barn heard the shot and ran into the road and saw the horse and empty wagon going like mad towards Cortland. She called to her son and ran up the road and found her husband lying in a pool of blood where he had fallen. He was dead. The slug with which the gun was loaded had struck him a little below the temple on the left side of the head and passed out at about the same point on the opposite side. When she found he was dead she screamed and presently some of the neighbors came to her assistance. Before anyone arrived however, she heard the sound of two shots from the direction of the shed. Her son William who was with her when the first shot was heard, advised his mother to go home as he feared Tripp would shoot them, but she refused to go.

   Mrs. Michael McNiff. who lives about one hundred rods east on the road to Cortland was attracted by seeing the horse and wagon dash by her house and she was the first to arrive. John Bristol, who lives on H. B. Smith's farm on the road immediately south, was the next to arrive and he carried Galpin to his home and laid him on a bed. Mrs. Galpin sent one of the boys to Cyrus Hatfield's about one half mile east, who came to Cortland for Dr. C. E. Bennett.

   Mrs. Tripp was busy about her household duties and did not hear the shots.

Soon after the last shot, she saw people running past the house and she went to the barn to find her husband. He was not there. As she came out and passed by the open end of the shed, she saw him lying on the ground face downward. She called to him but he did not answer. As she went nearer she noticed that his clothing was on fire. Elmer Chaffee a neighbor arrived just at that moment and discovered a horrible hole in Tripp's breast. The big slugs had done their work most effectually. Tripp was dead. Chaffee put out the fire in his clothing. His coat was hanging from a ladder and a double-barreled, muzzle loading shot gun lay partly across his body and a pine stick about two feet long with a notch cut in one end was in his right hand. When he was satisfied that he had done for Galpin, he evidently reloaded the empty barrel of the gun, took off his coat, placed the butt end of the gun on the ground and the muzzle against his chest, and used the stick to push the trigger of the gun. On the first trial the cap snapped, as one barrel was found to be still loaded, but he succeeded on the second trial in blowing a hole through his chest that must have produced instant death.

   In his coat pocket was found a dirk, ground to a keen edge. The blade was five inches long and was enclosed in a sheath. In the pockets of the same coat was found some slugs that would just about fit the barrels of the gun. They were made from sheet lead, cut into strips and twisted and pounded into the shape of a minnie ball. It is believed that he reasoned that it might possibly require two shots from the gun to finish Galpin and that be intended to use the dirk on himself unless he had plenty of time to reload the gun before the neighbors arrived on the scene. He did not mean to be arrested and seeing his shot had done its work, he chose to shoot himself as being the easiest and quickest method of doing the job.

   The shed is about 12x25 feet and stands with the enclosed end within 25 feet of the traveled path of the highway. The north end is open. It was used for storing wagons and agricultural implements used on the farm. Near the south end and on the east side was a window hole two feet square. A ladder was hanging on some pegs on the inside and the end of one of the standards crossed the centre of the opening and it is believed that Tripp rested his gun across the ladder. Tripp was a dead shot and he was quite proud of his skill as a marksman. He was about 6 feet tall and probably weighed 185 pounds.

   Some twenty years ago he and his son Frank, with A. D. Wallace, Charles Haben and W. H. Alexander of Cortland went to Brazil to work on a railroad for a Philadelphia firm. After a few months Wallace and Haben rowed down the Amazon in a row boat and after a hard voyage reached home. A year or so later Tripp and his son arrived home. Tripp kept the Mansion house in Homer for a year or two before going to Brazil, but he lost some money in the venture. He was born in Dryden, and not long after he was married, moved to south-west Missouri where he lived a few years, after which he returned to So. Cortland. He was said to be a kind man in his family and was a pleasant man to meet ordinarily, but is said to have had an ungovernable temper when aroused. The neighbors tell of several instances where he had gone gunning for people he thought had insulted him, but this is the first time he had injured anybody. Mrs. Tripp says he slept very little Tuesday night and awakened her several times during the night. A week ago last Sunday Mr. and Mrs. Tripp spent the day with Mrs. Tripp's brother, Mr. Chas. House, who resides between So. Cortland and Virgil. Tripp said then that "He wouldn't stay here long." Mr. House replied that he was liable to live to be an hundred. Tripp answered, "You don't know my feelings."

   Galpin was a small man not more than 5 feet 4 inches in height and would not weigh more than 125 pounds. He was inclined to be somewhat stubborn and liked to have his way, but he was not very hard to get along with. Mrs. Galpin arrived home Tuesday night from a four weeks' visit with relatives at Coudersport. Pa. The Galpin boys are reported to have annoyed Tripp by calling him and his family some vile and insulting names and that quite frequently.

   Occasionally Galpin's hens got on Tripp's premises and last summer he shot six of them. Galpin's cat had a dispute with Tripp's cat under the latter's window and the latter shot Galpin's cat. In September last the latter sued the former for killing his hens and recovered a verdict which Tripp had to pay. A short time since Galpin stared at Tripp as he was driving by and the old man was heard to say, "He won't stare at me many more times.''

   Mrs. Tripp's experience in life has been a singular one to say the least. Her first husband Henry L. Danes was the engineer of the boiler that was blown to atoms in the power house on the Normal school grounds, February 22, 1870, and was carried home dead. A few years later she married Amasa Brewer of Homer, who died suddenly of heart disease while working in his garden and was carried into the house dead. Seven or eight years ago she married Tripp and he committed suicide on Wednesday and was carried into the house dead. Mr. Chas. H. Danes of the Homer Republican is her only son.

   Coroner Bradford and Dr. Bennett arrived at about noon and the body was carried from the shed to the house. The following jury was empanelled: Charles H. Danes, foreman, E. J. Bockes, Henry Bates, Charles Munson, Elmer Chaffee, John Kane, Wells Niles, Henry Ellsworth, John Bristol. J. J. Lamont and Samuel Miller.

   Dr. Bennett performed the autopsy on both bodies and described the condition of the wounds each had received. Mrs. Galpin and Elmer Chaffee were sworn, but no new facts were elicited. The inquest was then adjourned to the undertaking rooms of Fletcher & Blackman in this place on Monday, December 23 at 10 A. M.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   TOMPKINS—Ithaca had twenty-four fires and fire alarms this year.

   The latest additional to the professional business in Groton is a hen doctor.

   The coming summer will probably see an addition built to Sage Chapel.

   The military hop of Cornell will occur January 9, the debate taking place on the 10th.

   The Ithaca Democrat says that some of Ithaca's whiskey is so poor that it gives drinkers the grip.

   The Ithaca News says: "One express man in this city keeps four greyhounds to watch his merchandise.

   Arrangements are being completed to hold a Christmas party at the Elm Tree House, McLean, Wednesday evening, December 25th.

   Ben Golden had the misfortune recently, to have his hand caught in the machinery of the flour mill at Ludlowville and but for the timely assistance of Eugene Morey would have lost his hand.

   An Ithacan who went duck shooting at Union Springs and returned empty handed, states that the scarcity of wild ducks arises from the fact that they are being hunted in all sorts of steam craft despite the strict gaming laws.

   A Trumansburg correspondent says: R. H. Stone has ten new machines for sorting beans at his warehouse, operated by steam power and ten handsome young ladies. The output is from 40 to 60 barrels of sorted beans daily.

   Business is so prosperous with the Peerless Typewriter Company that they have about decided to add two stories to their factory next spring. It is said that the demand for their machines is now greater than they can supply with existing facilities.—Ithaca Journal.

   

Given Away.

   Saturday, Dec. 21, Monday, Dec. 23 and Tuesday, Dec. 24. by the Grand Union Tea Co., a present to every purchaser at their store, 22 Main St., Cortland, of a Handsome Calendar for 1896. This calendar is made up in four sheets, neatly tied at the top in such a manner that as each quarter expires the sheet may be turned back, thus keeping the whole calendar intact for the year. Each sheet contains, besides a calendar for three months, a handsome colored plate. These plates being appropriately styled: Sympathy, Patience, Confidence, Dignity and Insolence.

   We feel that in offering this handsome calendar to our patrons we are not only presenting them with something useful but ornamental as well. They may be seen in our windows. They speak for themselves. Remember they will be given away only on the dates above mentioned. Keep time and place in mind, and get ready to start the New Year right by becoming one of our patrons.

   GRAND UNION TEA Co.,

   22 Main St., Cortland, N. Y.

BREVITIES.

   The monument to be erected to the memory of the late Rev. B. F. McLoughlin in St. Mary's cemetery has arrived and will be set up at once. The base weighs ten tons and the monument will be twenty-five feet high. It was made in Rutland, Vt., and is said to be a very fine piece of work.

   An erroneous impression seems to exist that the law making the term of town supervisors and town clerks two years was repealed by the last legislature. This is not the case. The term remains two years, and the supervisor and town clerk elected next spring will hold office two years.—Oneonta Spy.

   The new pipe organ for St. Mary's church has arrived and workmen are engaged in putting it up. They hope to have it up by Saturday night.

   Mr. Z. H. Tanner, formerly of South Cortland, has purchased the Model market in the Cortland House block of I. J. Smiley & Co. and took possession last Monday. The business will be conducted as heretofore and by the same assistants. The new proprietor proposes keep the best of everything in his line.

   Mr. John H. Howard has converted his saloon on 12 Port Watson-st. into a day and night cafe where he will be pleased to see all of his old friends and patrons—except Munson and Trimm—at any hour of the day or night. He receives fresh oysters and clams daily which are sold by the measure or sold in any style desired. Lunches of all kinds served promptly. Soft drinks on sale. Tobacco and cigars and billiard and pool tables.