The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-02
A Romano i'm Real Life,
REAPPEARANCE OF A MAN SUPPOSED ]
HAVE BEEN MURDERED.

anudgO CO., IN, l., W uObIdCI ouCu Seu-
eral attention in the vicinity as the re-
turn to his home in the town of De Witt,
near the village of Collamer, of an old
farmer named Blodgett, who, it was sup
posed on strong circumstantial evidence,
had been brutally murdered by unknown
assassins one night about five years ago.
The circumstances ascending this case
are extraordinary, and seem more like a
fictitious tale than ungarnished truth.
Blodgett, who has suddenly appeared
among his old neighbors, for many years
owned and lived on a fine farm of about
one hundred and fifty acres mile or so
from Collamer. He was generally con-
sidered wealthy, and had the entire con-
fidence of the whole community, having
held offices of trust in the town, being
Assessor at the time of his disappearance.
Five years ago he left home one Friday
evening to go to Collamer, where he was
to get considerable sum of money to
pay number of worknen the next
night who were constructing a building
for him. He did not return that night
nor the next day, and his family became
alarmed +; messenger was sent to Col
lamer to ascertain if possible his where
abouts. The messenger went to the
place where Mr.. Blodgett was to get his
money, and was informed that the old
farmer had drawn the money and de-
parted, apparently for home. This news
was carried to the family of the missing
man, and it was at once suspected that
he had been murdered. The supposition
that he was murdered became almost a
certainty by the story of Mrs. Joseph
Breed, living g'near the village of Collamer,
on the road to Blodgett's, and at a lonely
point. Mrs. Breed, when she heard a
day or so afterwards Of the disappear
ance of Mr.. Blodgett, stated to the
family that somewhere about ten or
eleven o'clock on Friday night, about
the time the old man would naturally be
passing her house on his way home, he
having left Collamer at o late hour, she
was awakened by noise in the road di-
rectly in front Of her house. Listening,
she became convinced that it was caused
by a party of men struggling IN the
road. She heard a voice which she did
not recognize say, Knock him in the
head quickw She then heard a shrill,
loud cry of Murder !" ending in a sort
of gurgle, as if some one was being
strangled. Shortly afterwards the foot
steps of two or three men as if running
in the direction of Collamer, were heard,
and then all was silent. Mrs. Breed was
too much frightened to make any'at-
tempt to see what was being done in the
road, but after the men had gone she
looked out of the window, but it was too
dark for her to see anything. She was
afraid to go out to the scene of the
struggle at the time, but went out in
the morning and discovered evidence OF
a severe contest. There was no blood on
the ground nor anything to lead to a
knowledge Of who the contestants were.
She was confident, however, that muir
der had been committed, and when she
heard Of the sudden disappearance of
Mr. Blodgett, there was no doubt in her
mind that he was the victim. Diligent
search was made for the body of the
murdered man, and traces of the muir
derers were sought on every hand, but
all to no purpose.
One of the men who was suspected as
being leader in the supposed murder
of Mr.. Blodgett was a bad character
named Carey. Some time after the dis
appearance of Mr.. Blodgett, Carey was
arrested on suspicion of being the muir
derer of one johnson, in Collamer. He
was convicted of the crime, and sem
fenced to be hanged, which sentence was
commuted to Imprisonment for life in
the Penitentiary at Auburn. This
strengthened the belief that he was the
murderer of the old farmer.
A year or two after the supposed MUIR
Ger the skull and other parts of human
Oneida Lake, on the upper boundary Of
the county. This was believed to be a
part of the remains of Mr.. Blodgett, il
being thought that he had been thrown
into that body of water or Il stream
emptying into it, in order that his mur.
derers might battle detection. If there
ramained the shadow of a doubt that
Blodgett was dead this dispelled it, and
the heirs of the old farmer petitioneG
the courts for the appointment of ad,
ministrators of his estate. They wert
appointed, and the property remaining
after the settlement of the old man.
affairs was divided among the children
The astonishment of the Blodget
| may ne WllGu lnty IC
ceived letter some two weeks ago from
a man in the oil regions purporting t.
be the supposed murdered man, detail
ing the circumstances of his disappear
ance, and requesting a sum of money t.
be sent him in order that he might re
turn home, as he was penniless and die
not wish to die away from home. On
of the sons was sent to Pennsylvania t,
make personal investigation, and afte
considerable search found the writer
and he turned out to be Mr.. Blodgett
Although he was greatly changed tn
s0n found no difficulty in recognizin,
him, and he last weak returned with tn
old man to the farm. Blodgett says tina
no attempt was ever made on his life
but gives no reason for his sunceremoniou
gong away, or no account of his lif
during the five years he was absent
The affairs OF the family are somewha
mixed up by the appearance of the oil
farmer, His property has been divide
among the heirs, and they were in pos
session of their respective shares. A
amicable adjustment will probably b
made, as the Blodgetts are all warml
attached to each other, and overjoyed g
the return of their father.
EVENING SUITS. .--Polonaises forl
parts of some of the reception and dir
ner dresses lately imported, hence thes
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