Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-27
A Romance in Real Lie.
ReSpptsrsnce OF Man supposed 20 hsv
been Murdered.

beem murdered
Onondnga County, N. Y. December 18th.
Never since the discovery Of the Cardiff
giant in this county has anything occurred In
its boundaries to attract such general inter
est as tho return to his home, near the viii
lagc of Collamor, of IN old farmer named
Blodgutt who, IL Is supposed on strong cir
cumstantial evidence, hld been Brutality
murdered by unknown assnssns one night
about five years ago.
Blodgett. who hns suddenly appeared
among his old noighbors, for many years
owned and lived on fine farm ofnbuut one
hundred and fifty acres. lie left home one
Friday evening to go to CoIlamer' where he
was to get considerable sum of money.
lie did not return that night nor the next
day, A messenger, sent to Collamer to AS
certain his Whereabouts, went to the place
where MIR. BlOdgGtt was TO get his money
and was informed that he had drawn the
money and depai ted. apparently for home.
IL was ut once suspected that he had been
murdered. The supposition became almost
certainty by II story Of Mrs, Joseph Breed
living on the road to Bodgeti's, Mt u lonely
point. Mrs. Breed. stated that about ten or
eleven o'clock on Friday night, she was
awakened by nOise in the road directly in
front .ofthe house. She heard u voice say.
"Knock him on the head-quickr' She
then heard shrill, sharp cry of "Murderl"
ending in sort of gurgle rs If some one was
being strangcd. Shortly afterwards the
footsteps oftwo or three men, rs If running
in the direction of Collamer, were heard,
and then all was silent Mrs. Breed was
too much frightened to go out to the scene OF
the struggle mt the time, but went out in the
morning and discovered evidences of Sc
we're contest. There was no blood on the
ground nor anything to lead to u knowledge
ofwho the contestants were, Diligeut search
Il.
and traces of the murderers were sought on
every hand, but all to no purpose
One of the men who was suspected of be-
ing u leader in the supposed murder of Mr..
BlOdgctt was u bad character named Carey.
Some time after the disappearance of Mr..
Blodgett, Carey was arrested or suspicion of
being the murderer of one johnson, in Col
lamer. lie was convicted Of the crime and
sentenced to be hanged, which sentence was
committed to imprisonment for life IN the
Penitontiary mt Auburn. This strengthened
the belief that he was the murderer of the
old farmer.
4 year or two after the supposed murder
the skull and other parts of u, human skele-
ton were found on the shore of Oneida Lake.
This was believed to he part ofthe remains
of MIR. Blodgett, il being thought that he had
been thrown into that body Of water, or II
stream cmptying into 1t, in order that his
murderers might battle detection. If there
renamed n shadow of dUnbt that Blodgett
was dead this dispelled it, and the heirs of
the old farmer petitioned the courts for the
appointment of administrators of his estate.
They were appointed, and tho property re-
manning after the settlement of the old man 5
affairs was divided among the children.
The astonishment of the Blodgett family
may be imagined when they received let
ter some two weeks ago from man in the
oil regions purporting to be the supposed
murdered man, detailing the circumstances
ofhis disappearance and requesting sum
of money to he sent him in order that he
might return home, us he was penniless and
did not wish to die away from home. One
of the sons was sent to Pennsylvania to make
II personal investigation, and after consider.
able search found the writer, and he turned
ont to be Mr. Blodgett. Although he was
greatly changed the son found no difficulty
in recognizing him, and he last week return
ell with the old man to the farm. Blodgctt
says that no attempt was ever made on his
life, but gives no reason for his unceremon-
Gus going away, or anyaccount of his life dur
ing the five years he was absent. The affairs
of the family were somewhat mixed up by
the appearance of the old farmer. His prop
crty had been divided among the heirs, aud
they were in possession Oi their respective
shares. An amicablc adjustment will pro-
badly be made, rs the Blodgetts are warmly
attached to each other, and Ovcrjoyrd ut
the return of their 'nther.