Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-01-10

monster sea lions, | horned morse, sealS,
Alpine goat, ostrich, pelicans, 2 Abyssin-
ian lions, Bengal tigers, Asiatic yak,
Gland, llama, leopards, serpents, apes,
gorillas, chacma, q camels, dromedaries,
elephant, Happy Family, and other
minor animals, amounting to one hun
dred specimens.--N. y. Commercial id
Uertiser.
A Supposed Murdered Man Returns
Home After an Absence Of
Five Years.
Never since the discovery of the
Cardiff giant in this country has anything
occurred in its boundaries to attract such
general interest in this vicinity as the re-
turn to his home in the town of Dewitt,
near the village of Collamer, of an old
farmer named Blodgett, who, 1t was sup
posed, on strong circumstantial evidence,
had been brutally murdered by unknown
assassins one night about five years ago.
The circumstances attending this case
are extraordinary, and seem more like
fictitious tale than ungarnished truth.
Blodgett, who has suddenly appeared
among his old Deighbors, for many years
owned and lived on 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-
fldence 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 workmen the next night
who were constructing building for
him. He did not return that night nor
the next day, and his family became
alarmed a messenger was sent to Cola
mer to ascertain if possible his where
abouts. The messenger went to the place
where Mr.. Blodgett was to get his money,
and was told that the old farmer had
drawn the money and departed, appar.
emily for home. The news was carried to
the family of the missing man, and it was
at once suspected that he had been muir
dered The supposition that he was mur'
dered became almost a certainty by the
story of Mrs. Joseph Breed, living
near the village of Collamer, on the
road to Blodgett's, and at lonely point.
Mrs. Breed, when she heard day or so
afterward of the disappearance of Mr..
Blodgett, stated to the family that some
where about ten or eleven o'clock on
Friday night, about the time the old man
would naturally be passing her house on
the way home, he having left Collamer ut
a late hour, she was awakened by noise
| in the road directly in front of her house.
Listening, she became convinced that 1t
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 ~ She then heard q
shrill, loud cry of murder r' ending in
o sort of gurgle, as if some one was being
strangled. Shortly afterward the foot
steps of two or three men, as II 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 a 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..
Bludgett 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 leader in the supposed murder OF
Mr.. Blodgett, 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 commuted to i'm
prisonment for life in the penitentiary al
Auburn. This strengthened the belief
that he was the murderer of the old
farmer.
A year or two after the supposed mur
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
part of the remains of Mr.. Blodgett, Il
being thought that he had been thrown
into that body of water, or stream
emptying into it. in order that his mur
derers might battle detection. If ther'
remained the shadow sof doubt tina
Blodgett was dead. this dispelleS it, anC
the heirs of the old farmer petitioned th'
courts for the appointment Of admins
traitors of his estate. They were appoint
ed, and the property remaining after tn
settlement of the old mans affairs wa
divided among the children.
The astonishment Of the Blodgett fami
ly may be imagined when they received
letter some two weeks ago from man il
the oil regions purporting to be the sup
posed murdered man, detailing the ci.
cumstances of his disappearance and re
questing a sum of money to be sent hin
in order that he might return home, as h
was penniless and did not wish TO di
, away from home. One of the sons wa
, sent to Pennsylvania to make persons
J investigation, and after considerabl
search found the writer, and he turne
, out to be Mr.. Blodgett. Although he wa
greatly changed the son found no difficu
, ty in recognizing him, and he last wee
returned with the old man to the farm
, Blodgett says that no attempt was eve
= made on his life, but gives no reason fo
/ his unceremonious going away, or no az
: count of his life during the five years h
was absent. The affairs of the family al
} somewhat mixed up by the appearance {
the old farmer His property had bee
J divided among the heirs, and they wei
! in possession of their respective shares
An amicable adjustment will probably
} made, as the Blodgetts are all warmly a
! tached to each other, and oVerjoyed at II
return of their father CentreOille IN. Y
} Cor. N. Y. World.
"A curious copper coin was recent
: unearthed near Manchester, n. IL. o
, one side appears the date, 500, in Arab
/ numerals and small crown; upon IL