Transcribed and Donated by Joanne Murray
daughter of Alexander Calhoun
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Friday, May 16, 1884An eleven-year-old daughter of Alexander Calhoun of Arietta, Hamilton County, was horribly burned Sunday morning. Her clothes caught fire from a stove. She died Sunday night.
Death in Arietta
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Friday, July 11, 1884Eleven cases of trichinosis and one death are reported at Arietta, Hamilton County. The sufferers had all eaten raw ham, and consists of one family and boarders.
Peter Burlinghame
From: The Elizabethtown Post (Elizabethtown, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, February 16, 1893Another Murder in Essex County
Port Henry the Scene of the Tragedy.Peter Burlinghame, a laborer, was shot Saturday night at 9 o'clock in front of the house where he had been living about two miles from Port Henry and died at 6 o'clock Sunday morning. In his ante-mortem statement he accused an Italian named Frank Julien of doing the shooting.
It seems that Burlinghame had been living for some time with a woman of questionable character. Sunday night as he returned to the house with supplies he found this Italian, who had been attracted to the place by the woman keeping house for Burlinghame, there. According to Burlinghame's story, the Italian drew a revolver and shot him without a moment's warning.
An autopsy disclosed three bullet holes in the head. A revolver was found in the possession of the woman with whom Burlinghame lived and, as three chambers of the revolver were empty, she was arrested.
Frank Julian, the accused Italian, who fled from the scene of the crime immediately, is described as a man six feet tall, with dark brown or black mustache, hair a trifle grey about the ears; scar on cheek, scar on right hand and also scar between thumb and finger of left hand; front teeth irregular and somewhat decayed.
William B. Nye
From: The Elizabethtown Post (Elizabethtown, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, February 16, 1893William B. Nye
The Venerable Adirondack Guide Parishes in a Burning House.Early on Wednesday morning, February 8th, the farm buildings of George Pratt, located on the west shore of Mirror Lake, in Berlin, VT, were consumed by fire and William B. Nye, the venerable Adirondack guide, was burned to death. And Mrs. Pratt, aged 73 years, the mother of George and sister of Mr. Nye, was seriously burned about the head, face and hands.
It seems that between 2 and 3 o'clock on that morning the hired girl, according to her story, was awakened by a crackling noise. She arose, opened the door and was met by blinding smoke. She at once gave alarm to the hired man and Mr. Pratt, who carried Mrs. Pratt, with whom the hired girl had been sleeping, out of the burning house and gave alarm to the neighbors.
Meanwhile Mr. Pratt tried to arouse Mr. Nye, who slept in the upper room, where the fire is supposed to have originated, but could not on account of the thick smoke. He then ran down stairs and out doors, got a ladder and tried to reach the window of Mr. Nye's room but was again baffled by smoke and all efforts to rescue the doomed man were abandoned.
Mrs. Pratt's face was burned black and her hair all burned off. Her feet were badly frozen and her ankles cut and bleeding. The household effects, house and barn and all the contents of the latter excepting the live stock and a few farming tools, were destroyed, causing a loss of $4,000. Insurance $2,050.
William B. Nye was one of the last of the "Old Adirondack guides" and was so well known and thoroughly appreciated that his unfortunate end will be learned with sincere regret not only in the Adirondacks where his name had become a household word, but in every part of America inhabited by those who had availed themselves of his services during the early days of guiding in the region. S. R. Stoddard, who has done so much to popularize the Adirondacks, knew Mr. Nye in the prime of his vigorous manhood, when he was at the zenith of his fame as a guide and hunter. In his illustrated book, "The Adirondacks", Mr. Stoddard refers to "Bill," as he was familiarly called, in the following complimentary way: "He is one of those moulded men, nearly six feet in height, powerfully built, knowing no danger or fatigue, and well versed in wood craft. Silent, morose even if you in any way gain his dislike by a display of supposed superiority, (and by the way he is but a type of the old time guides who, as a class, are modest, unassuming and withal, as noble a set of men as walks the earth - who have learned their own insignificance among the grand things of nature and silence in her solitude; who know what is becoming in man and the upstart who presumes too much on his position as employer, expecting fawning servility, had better go back to civilization for all the extra comfort he can get out of a sojourn in the woods.) If he likes you he cannot do enough for you, always ready and willing, and around the camp fire his tongue once loosed, the stories of wild wood life told in his quiet quaint style are full of interest and a sure cure for the blues."
Mr. Nye came over from Vermont and settled in North Elba during the days of the early settlement of that town. He worked at farming, guiding, and building roads. He cut the trail leading from the Adirondack Lodge to the top of Mt. Marcy. He also cut the trail leading to the top of Whiteface.
In his palmy days he was associated with such men as Robert Scott, The elder Moody's, John Cheney, Mitchel Sebattis [sic], Orson S. Phelps (Old Mountain Phelps), Joseph Nash, Elijah Simonds, John Brown, of Harper's Ferry fame, Gerrit Smith, and Samuel Dunning, most of whom, like the subject of our sketch, have joined the silent majority on the other side.
A few years ago Mr. Nye, feeling the infirmities of old age creeping upon him, decided to go and live with his sister, Mrs. Pratt, at Berlin, VT. He occasionally visited this region, the last visit being in the autumn of 1892. At that time he paid his respects to Elizabethtown, stopping over night at Maplewood Inn, where he entertained guests with many interesting reminiscences. Although then nearly 77 years of age he was planning to attend the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago where he would doubtless have been well received.
We are informed that the remains of our unfortunate friend have been buried in the family lot at the Berlin Cemetery.
Mrs. Joseph Wood and George Burnell
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, February 21, 1901Judson Ross and Joseph Wood left Tuesday for Hope Falls, Hamilton County, to attend the funeral of Mrs. Joseph Ross and her son, George Burnell, both of whom died Monday morning. George Burnell was drawing logs, and the load tipped over and killed him. His brother Seymour brought the body home on a sleigh, and upon going into the house to inform Mrs. Ross of the sad accident, found that she was dead. She had cooked breakfast that morning and appeared to be as well as usual. Joseph Ross is at Cape Nome, Alaska.
[Fred L. Abrams] brother of William Abrams
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, November 13, 1902Hunting Accident
Another hunting fatality is reported in the Adirondacks. William Abrams and his brother were after a deer near Pisecos [sic] Lake, Hamilton County, when Abrams mistook his brother for a deer and shot him dead. The victim of the accident was 17 years of age. Their father was a guide.
William Cowles
From: The St. Lawrence Herald (Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co., NY) Friday, September 23, 1904The second of the season's hunting fatalities occurred in the Adirondacks Tuesday morning of last week, when William Cowles, a widely known Hamilton County guide, was shot and killed instantly by his companion, James E. Higgins, while deer hunting at Lake Piseco.
William Cowles
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) August 1904William Cowles, a well-known guide at Piseco, Hamilton County, was accidentally shot by James E. Higgins, a resident of that place, while trying to capture a deer they had in the lake Tuesday morning. They were each in a boat, and the deer was in the lake between them. Higgins shot at the deer and the ball, glancing off the water, hit Cowles, who was in the other boat, in the left side killing him instantly.
John E. Morgan
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, November 14, 1907[Under deer hunting fatalities]
John E. Morgan, of Utica, killed near Sheriff's Lake in Hamilton County. Undetermined whether Morgan was killed by one of his companions or a member of some other hunting party.
Robert G. Shaw
From: The Elizabethtown Post (Elizabethtown, Essex Co., NY) October - December 1907Death of Robert G. Shaw
Robert G. Shaw died at his residence, no. 2 James Street, Auburn, NY, September 22nd 1907. Funeral services at the residence on Wednesday, Sept. 25th, and burial at Jamestown, NY, the next day.
The deceased is survived by a widow, a step-son Norman G. Meade, an aged mother, widow of the late Thomas G. Shaw of Olmstedville, NY, a sister, Mrs. Edward M. Talbot, residing at Olmstedville, NY, and a brother, Anson B. Shaw of Auburn, NY.
The deceased was born in Newcomb, Essex Co., NY June 20th 1852. When 2 years of age his parents moved to Olmstedville, NY, at which place his boyhood was passed. He read law at Elizabethtown, NY, being admitted to the bar in January 1878, and practiced in Essex, Warren and Hamilton Counties until his removal to Jamestown, NY in 1882.
In Jamestown he practiced his profession, being employed to draw the first charter for his adopted city.
In 1884 he married Mrs. Evelyn M. Mead and in 1887 was elected City Clerk and appointed City Attorney, serving in these positions six years.
Mr. Shaw began his duties as Ass't Clerk in Auburn State Prison in 1894, continuing until May 1905.
Owing to failing health he engaged in the work of life insurance, but outdoor work failed to bring the desired improvement.
A patient sufferer for 18 months, his death is a release from pain and suffering.
Of a kindly nature, He had a host of friends who will regret to know of his death.
Joseph LePage
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, April 21, 1910Fatal Fall of Sixty Feet
Joseph LePage of Indian Lake, Hamilton County, in attempting to cross the state dam near that village Saturday night fell to the rocks below, a distance of sixty feet. He sustained injuries from which he died Sunday morning. His wife and five small children survive.
John Schriner
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, September 2, 1915John Schriner of Morehouseville, Hamilton County, was killed Saturday, being caught in a threshing machine and terribly injured. His skull was fractured and his body was terribly lacerated.
Clifford Crimm
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, July 19, 1917Fist Fight May Have Fatal Results
According to the latest advices, Clifford Crimm, a Raquette Lake man, who was badly beaten at Carryin Mills in that place a few days ago, during a free for all fight among mill hands, had a chance to live. One eye is gouged out and the man is badly bruised and cut about the entire body. His condition is serious and he may not live.
Nick Valentine, who was arrested, is held pending the outcome of the man's hurts. He is in the custody of Sheriff Patrick Sweeney. Crimm was beaten into insensibility and his features are hardly recognizable. According to reports, the fight resulted from several days' debauch in which both men took part.
Crimm lives in Little Falls, while Valentine is said to be a wandering lumber worker. It is probable that Eugene D. Scribner of Gloversville, acting district attorney of Hamilton County, will take charge of the case. He was notified of the crime and is now awaiting developments in Crimm's physical condition.
Eula Davis
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, November 28, 1929Duane Must Die in Electric Chair
Albany. Nov. 26 - Ernest Duane of Speculator, Hamilton County, must die in the electric chair for the murder of Eula Davis, aged Adirondack guide and recluse.
The court of appeals today unanimously affirmed his conviction of murder in the first degree. The new execution date will be fixed tomorrow.
Duane shot and killed his friend in the latter's isolated cabin on Lake Whittaker, near Speculator, just one year ago. His motive was robbery, according to evidence adduced at his trial in May at Speculator.
Supreme Court Justice Christian J. Heffernan sentenced Duane to death during the week of June 24th, but the appeal filed by his attorney acted as a stay.
Hon. Frank E. Tiffany
From: The Adirondack Record - Elizabethtown Post (Elizabethtown, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, December 24, 1931Hamilton County Judge Dies at Inlet
Hon. Frank E. Tiffany, County Judge and Surrogate of Hamilton County died at his Inlet home Saturday last after an illness of several months. He enjoyed the distinction of being the only county judge in the "Empire State" not a member of the bar, which was made possible by a constitutional amendment. For many years he conducted a store at Inlet.
Edward Bennett
From: Ticonderoga Sentinel (Ticonderoga, Essex Co., NY) Thursday, August 4, 1932Well Known Guide Passed Away Friday
Edward Bennett, 78, operator of hotel at Raquette Lake after brief illness.
Glens Falls. July 30 - Edward Bennett, 78, for nearly twenty years a well known guide and hotel man at Raquette Lake, died at his home here Friday after an illness of two weeks.
Mr. Bennett was born March 5, 1854 in Newark, NJ and received his education in the public schools of Hyde Park, NY. In 1874 he began his career as an Adirondack guide and in 1880 he opened at Raquette Lake a hotel known as "Under The Hemlocks," the first framed house to be built at Raquette Lake. The hotel was destroyed by fire two years later and was almost immediately replaced by a much larger structure, which Mr. Bennett operated until 1891. He was one of the pioneers in the development of the Hamilton County section and was widely known in Northern New York.
Following his retirement Mr. Bennett resided at Warrensburg for a number of years, moving to Glens Falls more than 20 years ago.
On June 23, 1880 Mr. Bennett married Miss Mary Shaughnessy, by whom he is survived. He also survived by three daughters, the Misses Edith, Margaret and Julia Bennett, and a son, John E. Bennett, all of Glens Falls, and one sister, Miss Margaret Bennett of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Last Updated: Wednesday, 14-May-2008 13:14:14 PDT
Copyright © 2005: Joanne Murray