The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-01-14
A SINGULAR CASE.
A Supposed Murdered Man Re-appears.

IN andago Co., N. Y, to attract such
general 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 attending tlis case
are extraordinary, and seem more like
fictitious tale than ungarnished truth.
Blodgett, who has suddenly appeared
among his old neighbors, for many years
owned and lived ON II fine farm of about
one hundred and fifty acres a 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 geta considerable sum of money to pay
a 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; messen-
ger was sent to Collamer to ascertain if
possible his whereabouts. 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
departed, 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 near the village of Collamer,
on the road to Blodgett's, and at lonely
point. Mrs. Breed, when she heard day
or so Afterwards of the disappearance 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 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 ~ She then heard shrill,
loud cry of "Murder ~ ending in sort
of gurgle, as if some one was being stran-
gled. Shortly afterwards the footsteps of
rection 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 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
ola severe contest. There was noblood on
the ground nor anything to lead to a
knowledge of who the contestants were.
She was confident, however, that a mur-
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 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 disappearance
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 imprson.
ment for life in the Penitentiary at Au
burn. 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 a human
skeleton were found on the shore Of Onei
da Lake, on the upper boundary of the
county. This was believed to be 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 murderers might baf
fe detection. If there remained the shad
ow of doubt that Blodgett was dead thii
dispelled it, and the heirs of the old far
! mer petitioned the courts for tho appoint
ment of administrators of his estate. They
were appointed, and the property remain
/ ing after the settlement of the old mans
affairs was divided among the children.
The astonishment of the Blodgett family
may be imagined when they received I
Q letter some two weeks ago from man il
Q the oil regions purporting to be the sup
8 posed murdered man, detailing the cir