Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-28

Return Of . Man supposed to have
been Murdered Five Years Age
PerPleXistes Of His AoiFs-The Mys
terAOus Dts uggle On the Night Of iAis
Disappearance.
From the Syracuse Journal, Dec. 81
The Collamer sensation Is still the leading
topic Of conversation in northeastern Ononda-
ga, and as time flies other facts come To light
made to the affair in the journal q few DAYS
ago the full story was not told; but, now th At
We are in possession of all the facts and circum-
stances Of the case, we will lay il before our
readers.
1t appears that Mr.. John 8. Blodgett, the old
farmer who lie the hero of the story, was sup
Iosed to have been murdered near Collamer,
fse years ago, by the notorious Cary gang, the
leader Of which is now undergoing q life SEN
t. nee in Auburn prison for the murder of John
son. Tue recent temperance of Bledgett
among his Old friends and associates very natu-
rally created much excitement, and was looked
upon by many people as a sort Of resurrection
be had lived many years prior to his mysterious
disappearance on farm, mile or two from
C0liamer, which he owned, and where he had
made considerable money. He was prominent
citizen of the township, and had a large and
highly.respectable family. On the night he
went away he was known to have a large
sum of money in his possession. He was In
the village, and left at a late hour, going
toward home. That night a widow named
Breed, living near C0llamer, on the road
leading to Biodgett's, heard noises in front
of her house in the road, which proceeded
from severe struggle among party of men
The struggle continued some little time, when
the cry Of "murder!" was heard, and shortly
after retreating footsteps. The next day she
told what she had heard, and Mr.. Blodgett not
having returned home, it was at once reason
ably supposed that he had been murdered and
his body taken to the woods or swamp near by
Search was made, and continued for weeks
without finding any trace OF the body. Sus-
picion at once rested on Cary and his gang,
but no positive evidence being had, no arrests
were made, and the affair soon blew over
After waiting a reasonable time, and no tidngs
being heard of the missing farmer, his heirs
had administrators appointed ON his estate, and
the property be left was i'll course of time di-
yided among the family.
Some days ago one of the sons of Blodgett
was greatly surprised TO receive letter In the
hand writing of his father. from some place in
the Pennsylvania oil region. This letter bore
the signature of what all had long supposed t.
be the murdered man, and the circumstance
was altogether unaccountable. After a long
consultation by the family, it was decided that
one OF them should inv ate the matter. He
started at once for the place mentioned in the
letter, in finding its writer who really
proved to be the long lost father. He was
brought home, seeming to every one as one from
the dead.
AS his return places the affairs of the Blodgett
family in most singular situation, no little
interest is manifested in what the prospectiye
result Will be. The old man being alive, of
course his heirs have no actual title to the
property they hold. They have improved If
:
these improvements the old man has nothing
TO n AXE compensation; yet if he makes claim
To recover his property, it Is clear that he will
be sustained by the courts. Whether affairs will
be amicably arranged to the satisfaction of al
the parties, or whether the law will be invoked
arc al present only matters of speculation.
1T is now believed that the mysterious strug-
gle near Mrs. Breeds, on the night of Bloigetf's
disappearance, was between a party of dsspe-
radoes and jew pedler, who made frequent
visits to that section before that time, but who
has never been seen since, being there about on
or about the night in question. 1t was geper-
ally supposed that he carried considerable
money with him. Portions of human rem aims
found on the shore OF Oneida lake year or so
after Blodgett's disappearance, and believed at
that time to be his, are now thought 10 be
those OF the jew pedler, and therein lies
the mystery. There are men who profess
TO remember having seen two men, with
wagon suspiclOusly guarded, proceeding
northWaTd one morning. about the time
when Blodgett disappeared, who now think
the wagon contained the murdered peGler.
But the story obtains very little credence, for it
does not stand to reason that murderers would
take the chances of transporting their victim
such distance before seeking a place to hide
their crime. 1t will be remembered that about
year ago an account was given in the journal
OF the finding of peddler's trunk a short dis
lance north of Messina Springs, among some
bushes. mystery connected with the circum-
stances has never been unraveled, and the
opinion prevails now stronger than ever that a
murder Is in some way connected with that dis
cOvery. Investigation bearing upon all of
these strange affairs only deepens the mysteries
and complcates circumstances connected with
them.