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February 07 1898/1998

Herrick - Two ladies have been nominated for school directors in Herrick township, Mrs. W. F. Lyons and Mrs. White. Good for Herrick; it has set an example that other towns in the County might follow with no risk of their school Boards deteriorating.


Susquehanna - The worst snow and windstorm of the season visited this section on Monday night and Tuesday. The railroad tracks were badly drifted and trainmen had a tough time. The big Leslie steam snow excavator was sent from this place to Middletown (NY) to release a drifted-in freight train and to clear the track along the New York Division. Two locomotives hauled Palmer's Jefferson "Flyer" and all trains ran several hours late.


Montrose - Mrs. H. A. Gregory recently sustained a broken arm, the result of being tipped out of a sleigh. AND The blizzard which struck town Monday night and continued the next day, so impeded travel that our streets presented a rather deserted appearance. The Narrow Gauge had a hard time getting up that evening, only as far as H. Brewster's farm, and three passengers stayed at Mr. Brewsters that night.


West Auburn - A jolly load from Silvara attended our literary Friday evening, also a load from Spring Hill.


St. Joseph - The Parlor Stove on which tickets were sold to pay for a new organ in St. Joseph's Church, was dispensed of Thursday evening, Jan. 27th. The winning ticket was No. 37 and was held by Mrs. Daniel F. Donovan of Brackneyville, Pa. Some 800 tickets were sold and placed in the jury box for disposal.


Hallstead - According to reports Carl's race track is to be the scene of every conceivable type of athletic game during the coming summer. It is doubtful if the place will be recognized by old residents once these features crystalize into reality. AND Owing to a neuralgic affliction Rev. D. L. McDonald was not able to return from a visit to Binghamton to occupy the Methodist pulpit Sunday, and Rev. A. F. Harding, of Great Bend, delivered an interesting and convincing sermon that "the arm of the Lord is not straitened." Though Mr. Harding is an aged gentleman and pleased to style himself "one of the old fashioned folks," yet everywhere he is regarded with great veneration and broad love.


Hopbottom - A birthday party was held at the residence of Mrs. Almira Brown and a few neighbors and relatives came in to help her enjoy her 66th anniversary the other day. They brought their work and had an old fashioned visit. Mrs. Candace Newton, over 80 years old, sewed without glasses. Others present were: The Mrs's Rhoda Case, John Tiffany, Myron Titus, Alzina Cory, Alonzo Bell, J. Y. & N. Y. Saunders, , N. M. Finn, F. E. Adams and Miss Pamelia Tewksbury. They all had a good time and it will be long remembered by those that were there. Each guest took an old-fashioned doughnut as a souvenir of the occasion.


News Brief: The time-honored prophet, the ground hog, emerged from his winter quarters on Wednesday, basked in the sunshine for a few minutes, beheld his shadow and beat a hasty retreat. The meaning of all this is, of course, that we are pretty sure to have six weeks more of winter.


Rush - Continued: (Arrested For Murder: James Eagan and Cornelius Shew Now in Jail Charged with Killing Jackson Pepper). "Suspicions" On Wednesday morning, following the murder, District Attorney Ainey was summoned to Rush and quickly responded, reaching the scene of the crime several hours previous to the death of Jackson Pepper. Suspicions of all kinds were presented to him. Some people in their eagerness insisted that everyone in Rush township should be arrested and made to prove their whereabouts at the time the crime was committed--a sort of putting everything through the sieve, in the hope that the guilty person would not go through. Some wanted blood hounds, ignoring the fact that the rain of the previous night or early morning had obliterated the trail--and also that with nothing to set the dog to, the scent would more likely lead to the body of A. J. Pepper himself, or possibly to Mr. Pickett, Mr. Wilber or Mr. Granger, who had so kindly helped to carry the body to the house. There were theories and suspicions by the score; this one and that one being pointed out by an anxious public as the guilty parties. Realizing that there was a double duty to be performed--first to discover and bring to justice the guilty, if possible; second to clear away unjust suspicions resting on the innocent--Dist. Atty. Ainey offered his service to the acting coroner, A. Carter, Esq., who availed himself thereof. Every person with a theory or suspicion or a "suggestion" was heard, and so far as practicable, each of these was run out. At the very outset, two theories presented themselves prominently. First, that the crime was the work of local people; second, that it was the work of tramps. The former seemed the more feasible, because it was hardly to be credited that tramps would know the rumors concerning Pepper's secreted wealth, or that they would leave a pocketbook containing $85 untouched in the old man's pocket. There was, however, to support the tramp theory, the fact that two men who were credited with belonging to the "hobo" family, were seen in the vicinity of Fairdale, at Swackhammer's near Butterfield Springs, and at several other places on the road to Skinner's Eddy. Mr. Ainey had at once placed himself in communication with one of the best detective agencies in the United States, and within a week from the date of the murder one of their most skilled operators, fresh from the succesful solution of another murder case, was in Rush and hard at work. He was given full sway and his daily operations were reported through headquarters to the District Attorney's office. One by one all "clues" concerning the local suspects were run out and abandoned. About 150 witnesses were examined before the coroner's jury, and a record of their evidence preserved for future use. [To be continued....]

Compiled By: Betty Smith

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