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| New York Supreme Court Judge Albert H. Sewell. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, March 2, 1900.
TAKING TESTIMONY.
THE EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES CONTINUES.
John Patten, Darius Allen, James I. Homer, Silas Lowe, William Bloomer and Edward Bloomer Tell of the Events Connected With the Death of Frank W. Miller.
The examination of witnesses in the trial of John Truck is in progress today. Neighbors of the deceased Frank W. Miller give their testimony in reference to the events that happened on the night of March 14, 1899, and the two days immediately preceding. The first witness Thursday afternoon was John Patten the man who first discovered the fire at Miller's house.
JOHN PATTEN.
The first witness of the afternoon was John Patten, the nearest neighbor of Frank Miller. Witness testified in reply to questions by Mr. Duffey: I live in Virgil about 3/4 mile from Darius Allen's, and about 100 rods from Frank Miller's home. I knew John Truck when he resided in our vicinity three or four years ago. On evening of March 14, 1899, Mrs. Patten and I went to East Virgil to church. It was toward 10 o'clock when we started for our home, about three miles from church. Witness described the physical condition of the country in that locality, the hills and creeks and the location of the houses of numerous people who will be mentioned in this connection. Miller's house stood two or three rods back from road, at a little elevation above road. House was one and one-half story structure about 16 by 20 feet in size. House was clapboarded. Lean-to kitchen at west side of house, unceiled inside.
As Mrs. Patten and I got within twenty rods of the schoolhouse corner, we discovered a light reflected on ice and snow on hill at right. A little further on we discovered that the light came from Miller's place on the hill at left. We drove up as near the fire as the horse would go. Mrs. Patten took the horse by the head, I jumped out went to north window, cinders were falling there. I went to east side, climbed upon gable roof hatchway over door entering cellar, tried to open window above it. Couldn't do it. Broke glass in with thick heavy mitten. Called "Frank" five or six times as loud as could. I knew Miller's sleeping room was the north one. I went to the window of that room. There were but two rooms to the house, except lean-to kitchen. Partition between room ran back at right angles to front of house. Put my face within 2 or 3 inches of window opening when I shouted. Received no response. No smoke came out of window. Think there was none in room. Kitchen was then on fire at corner nearest barns. Wind was blowing away from barns.
Mrs. Patten and I then drove rapidly down to Darius Allen's and roused him. He returned with us. Were not over five minutes at Allen's. At schoolhouse Allen and I got out and Mrs. Patten took the horse up to our house. Were not gone from Miller's house over twenty minutes. Think fire was discovered at about 10:50 P. M.
Mr. Allen got up the hill to the house a little ahead of me. He went right to barn and discovered that Frank's horse and wagon were gone. Mr. Homer and Mr. Lowe arrived at about time we got back there. By this time siding on side of house next Miller's bedroom had burned off. Ed and Will Bloomer came at about this time. Now we saw an object on the floor. Looked like bundle of clothing. It was on north side of room from 4 to 6 feet from west or rear end. It didn't appear to burn rapidly. We didn't think the object was a body then. There was no danger of barns burning, so I concluded to go home at that time, and did so.
Cross examination by Mr. Miller—I had been to Messengerville that afternoon. Looked at my watch at 9:15 while we were at the East Virgil meeting, and we remained some little time after that. Drove home slowly. Took us about three-fourths hour to drive up to where we discovered fire. There was no outside door to the north room; no entrance to that from lean-to. It was dark in the north room when I looked in; couldn't see anything in there. We had a lighted lantern with us. Think there was but one door leading from hatchway to cellar; that was inner side of hatchway. Was only there from three to five minutes before I started for Allen's. Did not go to barn at all that night. It was 11:40 by our clock when I got home. Stayed about 15 minutes at the fire after returning with Mr. Allen.
Redirect examination. I have known of the Miller house for at least thirty years. Had face at window perhaps several seconds when shouting in. I saw Miller between 12 and 1 o'clock that afternoon. Passed him at his mother's. He was driving the bay horse and had the yellow buckboard. Had several bags in back of wagon. There is a mill at East Virgil. I stopped at Mr. Bloomer's on the way down and he passed me. At Mr. Madison's I passed him again. That is the last I saw of him. I saw his horse at Mr. Darling's at East Virgil. I knew Miller's horse, and knew this horse. She was a dark bay mare, low headed. He also had a large gray mare with bunch on foot. It was about an hour from the time I first discovered fire till I got home.
DARIUS ALLEN.
Darius Allen testified: I reside at the corner of the state road 3/4 of a mile from Miller's house. I was home on night of March 14. My daughter came from church at East Virgil some [time] after 10 o'clock. At about 10:30 we went to bed. Mr. Patten came soon. I looked at clock as I went out of room. It was a minute or two before 11 o'clock. I wasn't over four minutes getting ready to go. Didn't see any one at house when I first got there. I first went to south window toward horsebarn to look in. Partition between two rooms had burned down. Was able to go pretty close to window. Could see all of the inside of house. Looked into house to see if I could see the [bed]. Couldn't; think it was burned up. Then went to barn. Found door not quite closed. Noticed that the gray horse was gone. The bay horse was there, and also an oldish bay horse and a colt. Horses did not stand in the stalls where Miller usually kept them. Also noticed that wagon was gone. Went down to cow barn; didn't know but they might be there, but not so. Two calves were there. One had been tied with rope, one with a strap. Both were loose. Rope had been cut. Strap unbuckled. Cows were making a disturbance. Didn't see any hay in mangers of horses or cows. There was no bedding under horses or cows. Miller usually kept stales well cleaned. I had helped him do chores sometimes. He usually bedded his horses and cows. Stables were not cleaned this night.
Went back to house. Mr. Smith, Silas Lowe, Ed and Will Bloomer had arrived by this time. Went back to west side of house. Looked into cellar. One step down to cellar, masonry on each side of hatchway was about 5 feet high. Hatchway projected out from main wall 4 or 5 feet. Cellar door was down, lay on cellar bottom. An iron maul without its handle I afterward saw by cellar door. I then went over to west side on the higher ground. Soon after I saw inside the house what looked like a bundle of clothes. We watched it and concluded it was Miller's body. We got a long pole and run it in through a window and tried to move it, but the fire was so hot we couldn't get near enough. When the floor went down the body fell into the cellar head down with feet leaning up against the wall, back from hatchway door about five or six feet. We got a pail and a bucket and secured water from the well and threw water on the. body. Put on fifteen or twenty pails, throwing it in from hatchway. We kept the fire down around the body. Cellar wall was about 6 1/2 feet high. When the fire got down so we dare go in boards were put in on the coals. I got a barley fork from the barn. I tried to get it out. I couldn't do it alone. Mr. Homer helped me and we finally drew it out. Didn't put tines of fork into body. We left the body in the hatchway away from the fire. A little later it began to snow and rain. We put body on a bran sack and carried it to the horsebarn. The top of the head was gone, one arm was off to the elbow. The other was clear off. The feet were off. One leg was gone to the knee. I found part of one foot and recognized is as Miller's from a bunch at the instep where he had once cut it. I picked this up and laid it up on the wall. The body was not much burned. Clothing was left on chest. Witness here identified the fragments of clothing as that seen on Miller's body. Saw the blue and white striped bib of the overalls. It covered the breast. I stayed there till morning and then went home. Miller had a broken tooth, upper jaw at center. It was very noticeable.
I saw Miller that afternoon at about 1 o'clock going toward East Virgil; saw him coming back some after 4 o'clock. Was driving a bay horse and his yellow running gear wagon. Had a little talk with him returning. He stopped perhaps five minutes. Don't remember noticing whether or not he had bags in when he went down, but when he came back he had three full bags and a partly filled bag in.
I know John Truck. I saw him on March 13 and March 14. On Monday, March 13, he came to our house about 3 o'clock and stayed till about dark. He sat in the house till about 4 o'clock, when I went to the barn to hitch up to go for my girl who was at school. He then went back to the house, and finally stayed to supper by my invitation. He stayed till nearly dark; went out to barn when I did my chores. Said guessed he would go back over hill. Told us his wife wanted to come over to Mrs. Patsey Lee's for some time. Had told her he would come over with her and perhaps he could run upon a cheap horse. Patsey had told him to come and get some chickens he had some time before bought of him. He told us he had sold his horse, and had bought a small farm in Homer. I told him that Mr. Blose had two cheap horses to sell. He inquired what Frank Miller had. I described his horses to him. He started off. He went around toward my horse barn; disappeared around the corner of barn. Soon came back toward me and had a gun. Then I said "Hello, John, you got a gun?" "Yes, and a good one too. I gave $32 for it," he replied. Then he went on. I don't know where he put the gun while he was in my house.
The day of the fire I saw Truck in highway near Miller's house at about 4 o'clock. I was drawing hay. I was near Miller's house. He was ahead of me. After he got to the schoolhouse corner he turned up road to left toward Mr. Patten's. I turned to right toward home. After Truck had gone a little distance toward Patten's he turned back and looked toward me. I know the time of day because when I got home I went in to see if it was time to go for my daughter at school. It was then 4:20.
I milked Miller's cow next morning and got a 14-quart pail nearly full. A calf sucked her some. When I saw the cow in the night her bag was very full of milk.
Cross examination—Don't know how much milk that cow usually gave. When I looked into house I couldn't see any furniture whatever. Had been in house a few days before fire. Miller told me he had forty bushels of potatoes sorted up for market, about fifteen bushels not yet sorted. When Miller stopped in the road at my house Tuesday afternoon going home from East Virgil he said, "Dink, if you want to know some law now I can give it to you. Truck was at my house last night till 12 o'clock and was giving it to me constantly. I am chuck full of it."
Redirect examination—Truck wore a gray ulster in a bad state of wear that day when he was at my house. Witness was shown a coat found in Truck's possession. He said it looked like the coat. Couldn't tell how Miller was dressed that night. Think he wore an overcoat, but was not sure. Know Miller's overcoat; was with him when he bought it. It was rather on the blue and was lined with satin. Shown the coat found non Truck when arrested, said it looked like Miller's coat and he believed it was the coat Miller bought when with him. Miller always locked horsebarn even when he went back on the hill to work. It was not locked that night. Miller usually entered house through lean-to and kitchen. Usually came out front door and locked it when he went away. He fastened the lean-to door from inside. Noticed a blue flame about body as it lay on floor in house. Didn't blaze up much. Miller's 5-gallon oil can usually stood in the lean-to kitchen.
JAMES IRVING HOMER.
James I. Homer testified that he had resided for forty years on the Homer place, on the road above Miller's. Silas B. Lowe is his nearest neighbor. I knew Frank W. Miller. It is about a half mile from my house to Miller's. On the night of March 14, 1899, it was pretty well filled with snow. Teams had not been though it for some time. I was home that evening. Mr. Lowe came to my house and knocked on my bedroom window and shouted. I was asleep. He said, "I think Frank Miller is burning out." I dressed quickly and we started. It was 11:05. I looked at my clock as we left the house. Clock keeps good time. Mr. Lowe looked at his watch at same time, and I saw his watch too. We hastened down the road. Took us from five to ten minutes to get down there. As I went up into driveway by hatchway I saw fire in further corner of cellar through hatchway door, at foot of cellar stairs at northwest corner. I saw potato crates in center of cellar and potatoes in a bin. Hatchway door lay flat on cellar bottom. Looked as though had been pushed right over in. Didn't notice, whether door had been broken. Afterward saw a maul lying on north projecting wall of hatchway. This was after the gable roof of hatchway had been burned off.
Mr. Allan came up from other direction as I arrived. Mr. Patten came in a few minutes. Mr. Lowe was behind me. Will Bloomer and Ed Bloomer came soon a after from south. Mrs. Miller came some time afterward. When I got there roof had fallen in and upper floor dropped down upon lower floor. North, east and south side walls were standing one story high. West side pretty thoroughly gone, also the lean-to. We could look into the house from the west side. We at once saw a black spot on floor of the north room, a little north of center of room. Didn't see any thing fall upon it. I was first one I heard speak of it. It was four or five feet long and about two feet wide, black with a bluish flame burning around the edge. Longer it burned the plainer it showed that it was a body. Seemed to lie on face with head to north. Seemed to see skull after a little while. Could see shoulders and hips before it went into cellar. Bed springs lay on [floor] in northeast corner of north room. Body was west of springs. I helped use a pole to reach in to move object. So [hot] I couldn't get near enough to touch it. Tried it from south side. When floor went down body seemed to go down head first. North end of floor gave way first. Body seemed to stand on head, feet up against north wall. Soon we began to throw water on body. Well was 3 to 4 rods from hatchway door. I threw on water as fast as fast as they could bring it to me. Threw water for probably twenty minutes. Kept flames down from body. Put boards on coals and Mr. Allen and I got body out with a barley fork. Mr. Allen tried it. [Fire] was so hot he couldn't stay; I took fork and got it under body; together we pulled body out on fork. Don't think we stuck tines of fork into body. Laid body on old coat in hatchway; afterward taken to stables. Saw buckle and button on bib of overalls He had on a lace-up shirt. Breast seemed to be left in natural state, skin was observed, hair not burned off. I was there when the coroner came. I went home at about 2 o'clock for a short time. Body was not left alone at any time till the coroner came. I saw Mrs. Miller while she was there.
I knew Truck when he lived in that vicinity. I saw Truck on March 14 at my house. I was coining from the woods where Mr. Lowe and I had been cutting wood. We saw him between us and my house. He got there first and was in the house when I got there. I asked him to sit down and eat dinner and he did so. After dinner we went back to the woods. Truck accompanied us. We went across lots. Mr. Lowe and I went to sawing wood. Truck stayed with us probably an hour, then left saying he was going over to Mr. Blose's to see if he could buy a horse. He wore a gray ulster overcoat with high collar. When shown Truck's coat said it looked like the one he wore that day. Wore a pair of streaked pants, a pair of felt boots with common rubbers over them. He wore a cap, and carried a small gun. When shown a gun witness said it looked like the gun.
Truck told me he had bought a farm near to Cortland and Homer, 3 1/2 miles from each place, a farm of fifteen acres. Said he wanted to go over to Ed Blose's to see if he could buy a horse. We didn't notice that he had a gun till we started back to woods. He picked the gun up from the woodshed where he had left it when he went in. Mr. Lowe inquired, "Are you hunting?" "Some," he replied. "It is a bad day to hunt," rejoined Mr. Lowe. "It is a good day for game," was Truck's answer. Mr. Lowe fired the gun once in the woods; he shot at a mark.
I knew Miller well. One upper front tooth was gone.
At this point at 5:45 P. M. court recessed till 9:30 Friday morning.
FRIDAY MORNING.
At 9:30 o'clock Mr. James I. Homer was recalled to the stand for cross examination. Mr. Miller cross examined for forty minutes, but the witness seemed to make no material change in any respect from his direct testimony.
Upon redirect examination witness said that he didn't wish to be understood as testifying that Truck said that the farm which he had bought was midway between Cortland and Homer, but that it Was 3 1/2 miles from Cortland and 3 1/2 miles from Homer. He supposed Truck meant to say that it was off on the hills east or west from a direct line between the two.
SILAS B. LOWE.
Silas B, Lowe was the next witness called for the prosecution. He testified that he lived on an east and west road upwards of 3/4 of a mile north of Frank Miller's. I married Miller's sister, he said. I was at home on the evening of March 14. I had just retired as I extinguished the light of the lamp I saw the light of the burning building. It was then a few minutes before 11 o'clock. We had company at our house. At 10:35 we spoke of retiring, and very soon all did retire. Noticed time by both watch and clock. I went over to Mr. Homer's and aroused him. It was 11:05 when at his house by his clock and my watch. We went down to fire together. Road was impassable for teams. Didn't take over ten minutes to get down there. Roof and upper floor were down when we got there. Siding on east, south and north sides was still standing. Windows all burned out. West side pretty much all consumed. Passed by cellar way as we came there. Door was open. It lay down on cellar bottom. I saw a maul there later on top of west wall of hatchway. I went as close as I could to window on north end. Couldn't get closer than 10 feet, went around building next. Shortly afterward saw object on floor that didn't burn like the rest. It was near center of north room, a little north of center. As we watched it, it took the form of a body. Bluish flame proceeded from it. I stood by hatchway door looking in when it fell into the cellar. Floor burned off near north side. Body then lay over a sleeper. Body slipped off sleeper and fell up against north wall. Mrs. Miller was there then and we didn't want her to see the body. She concluded to go home then and I went with her. When I got back they were throwing water on the body. I saw Mr. Allen and Mr. Homer get the body out. They left it in hatchway. I went home soon after that. I returned at about daylight. I saw some clothing on body. Some of the boys started to remove it and I told him he had better not do it till coroner came. I afterward sifted all the ashes on cellar bottom at request of district attorney. Used a fanning mill screen fine enough so that we caught shirt buttons. We found buttons, a shoe buckle, portions of the metal work of a gun, castors of bedstead and of a trunk. Found no remains of money, none of a watch, no household utensils. Found ruins of a stove in the cellar.
I knew John Truck when he lived in our vicinity. Saw him on Tuesday, March 14. Mr. Jas. I. Homer and I were returning from the Cyrus Homer's woods. Saw Truck approaching Mr. Homer's house, and afterward saw him in the house. Truck ate dinner with us. Were there at the house about an hour. Truck said he had bought a place near Homer. I didn't pay much attention to the conversation. I was reading at the time. Truck said he had been pressing hay. Soon after Mr. Homer and I started back to the woods. Truck went with us. We went out through the woodshed. When we got out we found he had a gun with him. We had a revolver with us in the woods. We stopped after being at work a little and said we had better shoot at a mark. I fired the revolver two or three times. Truck said "try my gun," and I did try it. I fired it once. Soon after Truck said he thought he would go over to Blose's to buy a horse. I went for the coroner. Started as soon as body was out in hatchway. Came directly home, about 4 o'clock went to Blodgett Mills. Sent word up by a friend to sheriff and coroner. When witness was shown gun found at Truck's house he said it was very much such a gun that he had with him that day.
Cross-examination by Mr. Miller—When they tried to use pole to move body they went to south window, because heat was too great on north side to get there. Body lay across the first or second sleeper from north side. I think the sleeper settled some and body slid off into cellar before sleeper burned clear through and broke. Couldn't see any furniture in house when I got there. I think he said the gun belonged to him and his brother. I think he said they had two barrels to the gun. Could put on a different barrel if they chose. Truck didn't shoot the revolver or the gun in the woods. It was my revolver. Don't remember whether or not Truck re-loaded the gun while there.
WILLIAM BLOOMER.
William Bloomer testified: I reside on the state road in town of Virgil, road leading from Virgil to East Virgil, about a half mile below Mr. Allen's corner. It is about a mile from my home across lots to Frank Miller's. On March 14, 1899, I went to church at East Virgil. Looked at watch just before going to bed. It was then 10:45. Soon after retired father called to me and said there was a fire. Could see blaze over the hill. Dressed, took a lantern, called my brother who lived ten rods further up the road and we started for the fire. We ran part of the way. Mr. Allen, Mr. Patten, Mr. Homer and Mr. Lowe were there when we got there. Went by hatchway door and saw fire dropping down into cellar at back side near cellar stairs. Didn't notice hatchway door, only noticed that it was open. Went to stables when we carried body there. Don't think east side of house was burned much when we got there. Roof was burned down. Saw an object on floor which I thought might be clothes. Soon seemed to be a body. Lay on face. Could see outline of body after a little. Saw bluish flame about body, which didn't blaze so much. I saw the body as it fell. Body lay over on east and west sleeper, a large sleeper. Sleeper didn't burn rapidly. Body slid off and turned over head first into cellar and keeled up against wall.
I know Truck. I saw him between schoolhouse and Mrs. Miller's the day before the fire. He was going toward Mrs. Miller's. He had a gun. I had a pair of horses and a buggy. He was on foot. We passed the time of day.
Seemed to be some clothing over chest on Miller's body when we carried it to the stable. Noticed overall bib with buckles and straps. Saw clothing removed next day. I started to raise up the bib as body lay in hatchway. Did not do so because some one said let it alone till coroner comes. Witness identified articles shown to him on the fragments of clothing seen on Miller.
Truck had on a gray ulster badly worn when I passed him in the road. Identified coat shown him as looking much like the one Truck wore.
I was in both barns that night. Discovered horses didn't stand as they usually did. Oldish work mare usually stood in wide stall with colt. Gray mare stood next and bay next. Gray mare was gone that night and colt stood in her stall. Noticed that wagon and harness were gone. It was Miller's custom to bed his horses heavily. No bedding that night. In other barn two calves were loose. Rope fastening one was cut. Strap fastening other was unbuckled. Cows' bag was very full and hard. Cow stables were foul, no bedding under them. It was Miller's custom to draw manure out each day about noon and to shovel it back at night, It had not been shoveled back that night. I fed cattle next morning. Mangers were empty. Cows looked gaunt. Cows bellowed both at night and in the morning before being fed.
Miller's bed stood in northeast corner of the north room with head to east the last time I was in the room. Have been in his house frequently. Trunk stood near head of bed on east side of north room. Miller kept his shirts and best clothes, money, and valuable papers in this. Miller always kept his house locked. Always locked horsebarn with padlock. Fastened outside door of lean-to on inside with heavy bar. Used to go out of front door and lock that from outside when going away. Down cellar he kept pork in barrel, had some potatoes. Had seen butter in a 2-gallon jar.
Cross examination by Mr. Miller—When I met Truck on day before the fire I spoke to him, but he did not reply to me. It was between 1 and 2 o'clock. I spoke in an ordinary tone, but he didn't look up. The summer before I used to go over perhaps two or three times a week. I know he kept his best clothes in his trunk. One night the previous summer he was going to send some money by me to a man at Blodgett Mills. He went there for it.
Redirect examination—Miller called me to help him find his money that time. His pocketbook had slipped into a glove and he had laid the glove in a writing paper box. We turned the clothes over in the trunk in effort to find it.
EDWARD BLOOMER.
Edward Bloomer testified: I knew Miller well. I saw him last on the Wednesday before the fire; worked for him that day. My brother called for me to go to the fire with him. Clock struck 11 just as I got into house from East Virgil church or just as I was leaving for fire. Couldn't say which. When we got to fire lean-to was burned down, and roof of main part down. Saw object on floor that looked like bunch of clothes. Could see it take shape as fire progressed. Saw it fall into cellar. I stood at entrance of hatchway then watching for it to fall. As floor burned away it slid from sleeper and went down head first into cellar. Helped carry water to throw on body. Stood close by when Mr. Allen and Mr. Homer got body out. Saw it done. Saw body as it lay in hatchway. Saw overalls bib on breast; saw buckles and ends of straps. Saw that clothing removed by coroner next day. Wore pair of striped bib overalls on last day I saw him. Wore shirt with lace front similar to one removed after fire. Miller had a pair of striped gloves. A pair was exhibited to him and he said they looked like Miller's. This pair was found in Truck's possession. Miller had a bluish overcoat. The overcoat found on Truck when arrested was shown to him and he said it looked like Miller's. Witness wore Miller's coat from four to six weeks before the fire. He was up at Miller's without an overcoat. Miller asked him to go to Cortland with him and be went. He wore Miller's blue coat and Miller wore an ulster he had. Miller also had a black diagonal cutaway suit. The suit found on Truck when arrested was shown to witness and he said they looked like Miller's.
Court here recessed till 2 P. M.
Worst Blizzard Since 1877.
GOVERNEUR, N. Y., March 2.—The storm is the worst since the blizzard of 1877, and reports from nearly all the nearby Northern New York towns state that all business is at a standstill. Schools were dismissed early in some of the country districts. Through trains are either many hours late or abandoned. The snow fall is about three feet on the level and the gale has made roads impassable with drifts, many of them being 10 feet high and over.
The Adirondack lumber business, the largest industry in this section, which has suffered much from lack of snow, will be greatly benefitted.
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| Railroad Street facing Main Street and Fireman's Hall. Person in photo unidentified. |
Effects of the Storm.
The heavy fall of snow of Wednesday night followed by the heavy rain of Thursday caused no little inconvenience and in some cases did considerable damage. Reports keep coming in of high water at Binghamton, Ithaca and the southern part of the state, while the northern and western sections report from one to three feet of snow on the level.
The high water in this vicinity and in other sections was in a measure checked by the change in the weather last night. In our McGraw letter to-day will be found an account of the high water at that place and at Blodgett Mills the river and smaller streams were over their banks last night.
About 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon the wet snow on the awning in front of the Wickwire building on Railroad-st. proved a heavier burden that the wood structure, which was kept in place by iron rods, was able to carry, consequently it fell with a crash to the sidewalk. This morning workmen removed the debris. Several window lights in the front of the stores were broken by the fall of the awning. Fortunately no one was under the awning at the time. Mail Carrier W. F. Maher had just finished his afternoon delivery to the people in the building and had been going in and out the stores just before the awning fell. He is congratulating himself to-day over his narrow escape.
A small portion of the roof at the works of the Cortland Howe Ventilating Stove Co. fell in about 5 o'clock.
The Lehigh Valley tracks on South Main-st. were more than a foot under water last night and the workmen from Wickwire's factory had to be transferred in wagons across the tracks.
The Cortland & Homer Traction Co. succeeded in getting a car through to McGraw about 9 o'clock last evening. Cars ran at irregular intervals on the Homer division after 5 o'clock but were not able to get through on time this morning. The scraper has been kept busy all day and a single car has been making trips about once an hour this afternoon.
Crashed by the Snow.
The roof over a one-story room about 20 by 25 feet in size at the Cortland Howe Ventilating Stove Co.'s works caved in yesterday afternoon under the weight of snow and giving out of supports to the floor, which was laid over a cistern. The room had been used for polishing work, but contained little machinery and that of small value. Besides the bending of a shaft, no damage appears to have done to the machinery. Men were engaged in clearing the snow from adjoining roofs when this gave way, and one man was just about to go upon it.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Gas Light Co., Gas Ranges, page 4; Opera House, "Muldoon's Picnic," page 5.
—Tickets for the postponed entertainment in the Hospital course must be exchanged before Saturday evening. Sale now on at Rood's Candy Kitchen.
—Mrs. Ann Smith, a sister of Mrs. Laura Graham of Cortland, died at her home four miles from Ithaca last Wednesday. The funeral will be held from the house Saturday at 10 o'clock.
—Invitations have been issued for the wedding of Mr. Geo. F. Letts and Miss Ina May Thomas which will occur at the home of the bride's parents Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Thomas, Thursday evening, March 15.
—The wet heavy snow of yesterday is to-day slightly frozen making the roads about town difficult of passage. Turning around of delivery sleighs is almost impossible, and not a few broken shafts have resulted from the attempts. Tipovers have been of frequent occurrence through the day, and only those who are obliged to come out are on the roads.
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