News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-06-19
HYDE PARK.
The Peter Agin Case.
HYDE PARK, June II, 1901.

y
now redeem my promise.
1t is with the recollection of the
so-caled Tichborn trials, the great
magazine and newspaper discussion
of the question. "Have we Bourbon
among u.s." and the claim of our
friend John Stewart to A. T. Stew
arts estate, all fresh in my mind,
that | assert that the attempt of
Mrs. Ella BLY, to prove herself and
sister to be the heirs of Peter Agin,
was as bare,faced an attempt to
commit larceny, by the practice OF
perjury, as have ever known.
On the 3Oth of November last, the
claimants appeared before our Pro-
bate Court, with able counsel, and
the following as witnesses: Alfonzo
Ladd of Roxbury, George Waterman,
Della Hassan, Ella BLY, and daughter
Emma Bly, of Northdeld, and Mrs.
Mary Harrington of Lebanon, n. I'll.
The town of Hyde Park and the
administrator OF the estate were
taken wholly by surprise. 1t was
thought best to hear the claimants
case, and a reporter was employed
to take the evidence down in full.
All the evidence offered was taken
under objection.
Mr.. Ladd's testimony only went to
identify Mrs. Ella BLY, and Mrs. Della
Hassam as the children of Peter
Blanchard, who lived in Roxbury in
the years 1867, '6S and 80, where the
mother died in the last named year.
He knew nothing of the previous his
tory of the Blanchard family, but
had known these children ever since.
Now came in George Waterman,
veteran soldier of Co. K, 7th Vt.
Vols, in Co. E., of which regiment
Peter Agin had served. He protested
to great intimacy with Peter during
three years in the service. Swore
that once when he was writing home,
Peter expressed to him his sorrow
that he had no one to write to. Said
he had no living relative that he
knew Of in the world except one sis
ter, who had married a worthless
man named Peter Blanchard, and he
did not know where she was.
That after Waterman's discharge
from the service, he was working in
the lumber woods in Roxbury, and
there took his dinners at Peter
Blanchard's house and became &C
quainted with Blanchard's wife. She
| told him she had a soldier brother
named Peter Agin, and of course he
informed her that he had been in the
service with her brother. This was
in 1869 She soon after died, and
these two girls, who each had twin
sister, were "put out" in the vicinity
and he had known them ever since.
Several years after this, he met his
old comrade Peter at Waterbury, but
never mentioned to him the strange
circumstance of his having met
Peters lost sister and of her death.
Extract from Waterman's testimo.
ny-X. Examination:
Q. "When you met Peter at Water
bury, did you tell him that you had
found bis lost sister,"
Ans. "No sir, l did not say word
to him."
@. You did not feel interested
enough, perhaps?"
Ans. "Well it was none of my bust.
ness, didn't think"
Well | guess not
But now comes Mrs. Ella Bly,
and daughter and Mrs. Harrington:
In 1894 she was contemplating a
visit to a cousin in Montreal, one
Mrs. Maggie McCollum, and took adj
vantage of an excursion to the Pro-
vincial Fair in August of that year
She wrote to her uncle Peter at Hyde
Park that she would come via Hyde
Park and see him. He replied that
she could not go via Hyde Park, but
what would be much better, he would
go to Montreal and meet her there
This arrangement was made. Mrs
Bly, and daughter Emma, then 8
years of age, and Mrs. Mary Har-
rington went on the excursion in
August, 1894, land the superintend,
ent of the railroad says there was nc
excursion in August, 1894 and met
uncle Peter in the depot, and went to
their cousins, Maggie McCollum's
and spent a day and night. Peter
there and then, in the presence Of
these four witnesses, recognized Mrs
Bly, as his neice and expressed his
great pleasure at the meetiog; spoke
of Elias resemblance to his sister
her mother; told her he had some
money; that hereafter she would not
have to work so hard; served al
gallant for all of them for the day
took them to the fair land there wat
no fair at that time); had his hands
full of money, etc. Peters business
called him back next day.
After this, letters were exchanged
between Mrs. Bly, and her "uncle ,
Peter, but all his letters were lost
and none of hers were ever seer
among Peters effects. Peter coulC
not write, and Mr.. E. L. Noyes, whC
wrote all his letters for him during
these years, wrote none for him tt
her and never saw any from her tt
, him.
; 1t would make this "history" TOT
, long for your columns to give you il
detail all the falsehoods put up" b,
, the claimants in the case. Let m
here say that up to this time nothin,
hoC NOD - wl;onko Me- NH,