The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-10-16
ALMOST TOO STRANGE AND HORRI
BILE TO BE TRUE

Yet the story is told with all The signs of truth
about it b, The Norwich Journal, published in
Chenango County, New York.
L" On sthe farm belonging to John Johnson on
the east hill, and within the bounds of the corpo-
ration, lives tenant by the name of Harvey
Hammond, whose family consists of himself and
wife, sister in-law, brother in-law, and his wife,
the latter of whom was The victim of the most
damnabe transaction that came under Greene
observation. She is about nineteen, good looking
and was married few weeks since Her health
is poor. she having been subject for years to
species of epiIeptic fit. On Monday evening, the
29th uIt. this young couple (Burdick by name)
had retired somewhat early, when the husband,
feeling some pain from wound in the leg, re-
ceived some time before from an axe arose and
went into the kitchen, where the of the fami-
ly were, for the purpose of dressing the sore
He had been there q few minutes when they
heard scream from the bedroom. and on going in
they found Mrs Burdick on the floor laboring
under extreme fright. She said that soon after
her husband left the room, she fell hand pass
lightly over her face, but surprising that it was
Mr.. Burdick feeling his way to the bed, she was
not alarmed until the hand seized her throat and
disabled her from making any cutlery. Immedi-
ately another arm was placed under and raised up
her head, while third hand grasped her legs and
pulled her from the bed. She seized the feather
bed with one hand. and with the other by a des-
perate effort. succeeded in releasing her throat
and screamed. When found she and the bed
were the floor, and an article of woman's ap-
parel Ca cape we believe) lay near by. This
cape was afterwards identified as her mothers. a
Mrs. Baxter. who lives in the next house, also
tenant Of" Uncle John" A door was open lead
ing out of the room, but no other trace of the per-
petralOTs was found
p" On the following day TUESDAY, the 30th,)
Mrs. Burdlck, being in very weak state went
to the same room after dinner for the purpose of
rest, having first taken the precauion to secure
the blinds by string, and to faslen the door that
was entered the previous night The window
was raised and left up. Between two and three
o'clock Mrs. Hammond, hearing a SLIGHT noise in
the direction of Mrs. b IS room went in and dis
covered it empty, and the blinds taken from the
hinges, the string broken and the door still bolted
As the male members of the family were at work
in the fields, some little time elapsed before thew
were informed of these facts, when Mr. Hammond
Immediately mounted his horse and gave the a.
larm in the village The story that woman was
carried off in mid day. and within the corporation.
IN plain sight Of the whole village, gained but
little credence, and but four or five could be in
duced to go up and search After looking for
nearly two hours, she was found about three quar-
ters OF a mile from the house, in a swamp, on
Col. Rathbone's farm. She was in a natural
ditch, about eighleea inches deep, made By the
Overlooking Of spring. She was lying on her
back, her feet under large log Of wood. another
log laid across her breast, and third lengthways
on her body. Her hands were tied. large Gag
of the thickness of a mans arm. and made Of rags
sewed together, forced into her mouth. her
neck handkerchief tied tightly over her mouth,
and her apron bound over her eyes. In this situa-
ton she had lain for two hours Or more, her BODY
immersed in the filthy muck and water. her head
being just above the surface Four men carried
the insensible body 10 the house, where. after
great exertions life was restored Reason has not
yet entirely returned, but during few lucid in
iervals her statement is as foows:-
While asleep she was seized, gagged and
blinded, then forced through the window by two