Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-01-10
would naturally be passing her house ON |

would naturally be passing her house on
the way home, he having left Collamer at
a late hour, she was awakened by noise
In the road directly in front of her house.
Listening, she became convinced that it
was caused by party of men struggling
in the road. She heard voice which
she did not recognize say, "Knock him
in the head, quick I" She then heard a
| shrill, loud cry of murder p ending in
a sort of gurgle, as if some one was being
| strangled. Shortly afterward 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 attempt
to see what was being done in the road
| but after the men had gone away 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 strug
gle at the time, but went out in the morn.
| ing and discovered evidence of severe
contest. There was no blood on the
ground, nor anything to lead to knowl-
| edge of who the contestants were. She
was confident, however, that murder
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 murderers were
sought on every hand, but all to no pur-
pose.
One of the men who was suspected as
being a leader in the supposed murder OF
Mr.. Biodgett, was bad character named
Carey. Some time after the disappear
ance of Mr.. Blodgett, Carey was arrested
on suspicion of being the murderer OF one
johnson, in Collamer. He was convicted
of the crime, and sentenced to be hanged,
which sentence was committed to I'M
prisonment 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
| der the skull and other parts of human
skeleton were found On the shore OF
Oneida lake, on the upper boundary OF
this county. This was believed to be a
part of the remains of Mr.. Blodgett, it
being thought that he had been thrown
into that body of water, or stream
emptying into it, in order that his muir
derers might battle detection. If there
remained the shadow ssof a doubt that
Blodgett was dead, this dispelled it, and
| Uu6 uGlFS Vi tu6 OlQ pGGlblOuco oAAO
courts for the appointment Of admins
traitors of his estate. They were appoint
ed, and the property remaining after the
settlement of the old mans affairs was
divided among the children.
The establishment of the Blodgett fami
ly may be imagined when they received a
letter some two weeks ago from man in
the oil regions purporting to be the sup
posed murdered man, detailing the cir
cumstances of his disappearance and re-
| questing a sum of money to be sent him
in order that he might return home, as he
was penniless and did not wish to die
away from home. One of the sons was
sent to Pennsylvania to make personal
investigation, and after considerable
search found the writer, ard he turned
out to be Mr.. Blodgett. Although he was
greatly changed the son found no difficult
ty in recognizing him, and he last week
returned with the old man to the farm.
Blodgett says that no attempt was ever
made on his life, but gives no reason for
his unceremOnious going away, or no &C.
count of his life during the five years he
was absent The affairs of the family are
somewhat mixed up by the appearance of
the old farmer. His property had been
divided among the heirs, and they were
in possession of their respective shares.
| An amicable adjustment will probably be
made, as the Blodgetts are all warmly at,
tached to each other and overjoyed at the
return of their father Ce7atre06l1e (N Y.
| Chr " Y World