May 26, 2012
•100 Years Ago – May 1912• The saga of Timothy Hill I was gratified to receive several calls from readers concerning the May 12 article in this column of the life of Timothy Hill and his famous 1912 murder trial. The man was an Adirondack legend in his own time and the story is still recalled by many today. He was accused of murdering his live-in girlfriend by forcing her to drink strychnine while the defense contended that she had taken her own life. A century ago, the famous murder case concerning the death of Anna Loveland was the subject of endless speculation in area homes, churches, barber shops and pool halls. Even now, some readers are familiar with the story. In the words of poet John Greenleaf Whittier, “Judge of the wonder, guess at the fear! Think what ancient gossips might say, shaking their heads in their dreary way, between the meetings on Sabbathday.” To the amazement of nearly everyone, the jury brought in a verdict of Not Guilty.
Hill goes to meet his maker Timothy Hill died Jan. 13, 1941 at Marcy state mental hospital. He was survived by his brother, George M. Hill of Riverbank. According to former Warrensburgh resident Murray Pratt, a distant relative, near the end of his life Tim Hill had been living at the Warren County Home in Warrensburgh for quite some time until home staff could no longer handle him because he was so violent and mean. They sent him to Marcy because he could no longer be restrained. Upon his death, the Woodward Funeral Home in Warrensburgh transported his remains to Horicon where he was laid to rest in the South Brant Lake Cemetery (also called the Bartonville Cemetery) in a silent
grave, in readiness for him to meet his maker — He took many secrets with him. Thanks go to my good friend, historian Franklin K. Bennett of Warrensburgh, for allowing me to delve into his research files.
A fisherman’s paradise W.F. Reynolds and Percy Austin of Warrensburgh rode to North Thurman on their bicycles morning, May 11, 1912 and spent the day there fishing. They caught 56 speckled trout between them. Mr. Austin lost his eye glasses in a case somewhere between Athol and the top of Kenyontown mountain. (Note…In a letter to the editor of the Glens Falls Times, on May 3, 1912, F.D. Orcutt of Chicago wrote in part, “In 1844 my father moved from Hartford, Washington County, to Lake George on what was than known as the Smith Brook place, about four miles north of Caldwell (Lake George) village on the west shore of Lake George. I was then eight, being as poor as Job’s turkey that leaned up against the barn to gobble and fish was an important item. We would bind two logs together for a boat and with a long pole get outside of the rocky point east of the Diamond Point Hotel, the late Coolidge place, here or most anywhere else we could pole this raft. Either one or two people during the early months of summer could catch in less than one hour all the fish — black bass, perch and sun fish (called Ring-Eyed Jonathans) a family could eat in two days. As soon as we could buy an old boat we would follow the fish out on the grass ground, 32 to 35 feet of water, where in August and September we could catch black bass up to seven pounds and perch, bullheads and eels in any quantity desired.” (Note…Orcutt went on to say that in 1854 or 1855, one night he speared the first Pickerel caught in Lake George. It got away from
•• Real Estate Transactions March 15 — April 5 •• Date
Transaction
Amount Muni Address
03/15 Robert A. Simard to Joseph G. Walts $215,000 LG CondoE29,ProspectHeights 03/15 NewLifeSrtgaPrptys to LindaPolunci $75,000 QBY 70 Boulevard plot 03/15 Trent Sano to Matthew Aaron Nolan $130,000 QBY 13 Greenway North plot 03/15 WarrenCo. To Walter M. Meinecke $13,100 CHS 20.6 acrs Olmstedville Rd. 03/16 Michael Harris to Jeffrey Stiles $133,560 GF Tremont St. plot 03/19 CharleneSigman to MarkFleckenstein $77,500 GF 13 Sagamore St. plot 03/19 Andrew Johnson to Sara E. Nizolek $109,750 GF Fulton St. plot 03/19 Matthew Hallock to John Burdett $131,500 JBG Durkin road plot 03/20 Wayne Karabinos to Linda S. Berger $103,500 HOR Grassville Road plot 03/20 Joseph Teasdale to Harvey Burstein $225,000 GF S anford St./Glen St. plot 03/20 NandoCuccurese to Barry Rothstein $23,000 LG 1/10Ldg.10.Cresthvn.1 03/21 Joan A. Kuznia to Paul Kuznia $96,000 WBG Lot#7 Long Pt. Townhses. 03/22 Kenneth Konet to Kevin J. Wood $285,500 GF 3 Horicon Ave. plot 03/22 James D. Anker to James W. Haker $225,000 JBG Lot 2, Anker subdvsn. 03/22 Steve Riley to Suzanna Berndt TRST $189,000 LG Lot #5 Imrie subdvsn. 03/22 MH Imperial Homes to Trent Sano $236,000 QBY Sherman Ave. plot 03/22 Richard A. Lee to Mark E. Frost $65,000 GF Lot #11,WindyRidge sbdv 03/23 Joan Champagne to Anne D. Gucker $82,900 GF 18 Nelson St. plot 03/23 Allen Ledford to Louis Stocklas $142,000 WBG RockyRidgeEsts,lower loop 03/23 Prime R. Case to Jonathan Bowers $240,000 QBY Case Prime subdivsn. 03/23 Kevin Wood to Matthew M. Harris $370,000 QBY 16 Cobblestone Drive plot 03/23 Victor R. Grant to Christopher Music $87,500 LUZ Luz-Corinth Rd. plot 03/26 Owen Monroe to Edwd.Schwenzfeier $38,000 JBG 2698 Garnet Lake Road plot 03/26 Beneficl.Homwr to Atatekamac LLC $44,500 GF 10 Stevens St. plot 03/26 Edward L. Boyle to Penny Downs $121,000 QBY 40 Margaret Drive plot 03/26 GV Proptys to Gore Village at N.C $2,400 JBG Rte. 28 plots 03/27 MichaelWebbEXT to Thos. Cromwell $21,000 SC cty. Hwy. 12 plot 03/27 Gary L. Baker to Fred Witz $49,000 THR 90 Cameron Road plot 03/27 Robt.J.Sweet to Daniel McNeill $20,000 WBG Warrensburgh Tract plot 03/27 Robt. Walp Jr. to James T. Conway $28,000 CHS Pine Knolls subdvsn plot 03/28 Donald Fuller to Donna Taglione $127,000 SC plot off HarrisburgLake Rd. 03/29 MarkSchmit toStephenMcFarlaneTR $937,500 LG townhouse at The Antlers 03/30 Edward D. Harder to DLA Proptys $140,000 LUZ Church St. plot 03/30 Margaret Carpenter to Mark Berding $204,000 QBY Lady Slipper Drive plot 03/30 Richd. Corbett to KatherineCreveling $332,916 LG Lake George shoreline plot 03/30 DNE Lands to Michael R. Dinsmore $137,000 GF 266 Warren St. plot 03/30 R. Bardin III to Christopher Juckett $50,000 QBY Bardin Drive plot 04/02 Laura L. West to Paul McKinney $222,000 QBY 44 Autumn Lane plot 04/02 Brian Delaney to Andres Harwood $98,000 QBY Lot 60, Old Forge Park 04/02 James L. Sweet to Evan F. Glading $11,000 HAG E. West Hague Road plot 04/03 MarkBroderick to Christopher Coyne $65,000 CHS Rte. 9 plot 04/03 Cynthia L. Bunk to Michael Atkins $210,000 JBG 50-acre plot 04/03 Michele weis to Heather Pellegrino $43,000 JBG 21 Woodland Lane plot 04/04 Brian WilliamsEXTR to Patrick Tully $126,000 GF Grove Ave. plot 04/04 Phyllis Scribner to Michael Lieberth $250,000 GF Horicon Ave. plot 04/04 George McGowan to Frederick Guido $48,000 HAG West Hague Road plot 04/05 Gerald Parker to Clark S.Cntry.Mall $130,000 HOR 2acrs near BrantLakeCreek 04/05 John L. Smith Sr. to MSRY LLC $30,000 LG Truesdale Hill Road plot 04/05 Marshall Ford to Edward Foy Jr. $1.18miln BLT Main St./lakeshore plot 04/05 Donna H. Haanen to LBJN Devlpmt. $485,000 QBY Bay Road plots 04/05 Cheri M. Kenney to Richard Dray $30,000 CHS Andrew Pond Lane plot KEY: GF=Glens Falls; BL=Bolton; CHS=Chester; HA=Hague; HOR=Horicon; JBG=Johnsburg; LG=Lake George; LUZ=Lake Luzerne; QBY=Queensbury; SC=Stony Creek; THR=Thurman; and WBG= Warrensburg.
Screening for local farming film WARRENSBURG — The acclaimed documentary film “Small Farms Rising,” will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 24 at Grind ‘N Gears Cafe at 3897 Main St. at no charge. Focusing on sustainable agriculture, the film is presented by Warrensburgh Beautification, Adirondack Mountain Garden Club and Adirondack Harvest. The film depicts the daily work of first-
Opinion - Adirondack Journal - 7
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generation farmers in the Adirondacks and the Champlain Valley who have reinvented family farming operations through innovative approaches. Small-scale agriculture is depicted in the film as a benefit to the health of local economies and the communities they serve — if supported by community demand. Adirondack Harvest partnered with Mountain Lakes PBS and photographer/director/ Ben Stechschulte to produce this film.
him in the dark but was later found dead and it weighed 22 & 1/2 pounds. This man’s letter brings back fond memories. In the winter of 1957 I lived in Lake George on McGillis Avenue, not far from Birdie and Dave’s tavern down on the corner of Canada St. Often in the morning, too early for the patrons to be in, I would go down to the tavern and sit in a chair in the front window while Birdie bustled around to get ready for the evening crowd. There I had a panoramic view of the lake. I would watch the ice fishermen diligently pursuing their prey as they huddled over their tip-ups and small holes in the ice as the frigid cold wind whirled around them. Later on, one would occasionally come into the tavern to get warm and show off his fish and usually try to sell them. I heard many good fish stories in those days. Those were happy times!
Death came unexpectedly Sergeant Thomas McCarthy, 42, formerly of Wevertown, died at the home of his sister, Mrs. McDonald in Seattle, Wash., April 14, 1912 of injuries sustained on that day from the accidental discharge of a gun he was handling. For 17 years he was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and he fought all through the Spanish American War. Mrs. Caroline Bennett, 70, a sister of Mrs. Dennis Weaver of Warrensburgh, died suddenly of heart failure May 8, 1912 at her home in Glens Falls. She was about the house during the day and in the evening called on a neighbor living on the lower floor of her home. She returned to her own rooms and was found the following morning by her son sitting in a chair, dead in her bedroom. She is survived by her husband, five daughters and five sons.
Local news roundabout In Lewisville (River St. area) is stated on
Correction: (Editor ’s note: due to a newspaper staff member’s error, a 2009 roster of Pottersville Volunteer Fire Department members was printed in Denton Publication’s recent special section saluting emergency responders in the area. The current roster is as follows:)
Pottersville Volunteer Fire Dept. - 2012 Roster Guy Swartwout, Chief Kevin Feldt, 1st Assistant Chief Robert Leszyk, 2nd Assistant Chief Todd Stanley, Lieutenant
good authority that there will be a Warrensburgh pool and billiard room in the near future, for the occupancy of which a new building will be erected. Clarence Culver has purchased a new Pope motor cycle. Mrs. John Beswick is suffering from a partial paralysis of the neck and shoulders caused by, it is thought, a recent operation for her ears for which she underwent in Albany. Godfrey Hewitt is building g an addition to his residence. The Bates Cemetery in Johnsburgh Corners has been enclosed with a new fence which improves the grounds very much. Some of the state lots which have formerly been cleared or denuded by fire are being set to pine trees. State Patrolman R.T. Armstrong has charge of the work. J.J. Latham of Warrensburgh and Mrs. Effie C. Pratt of Thurman were married May 17, 1912 in Warrensburgh by the Rev. H.F. Titus of the Methodist Episcopal Church. A fancy big oak chiffioner, handsomely finished with fine deep drawers and a large French plate glass mirror, can be purchased at Burger ’s store, Glens Falls for $9.98 on easy terms of $1 down and $1 weekly. At Dickinson’s Market in Warrensburgh, fresh fish is 6 cents a pound and liver is 3 pounds for 25 cents. At Cora Montgomery’s millinery store, she will give a goldfish in a small bowl with every purchase. On July 1, 1912 she will be going out of business. It was just 48 years ago, May 31, 1864, at 2:30 in the afternoon, that a coal stove housed in the Glens Falls Hotel kitchen (located about where the roundabout is in 2012) started the worst fire in Glens Falls history. No less than 112 commercial buildings were destroyed which leveled the city’s business district. (Note: The Glens Falls Hotel was rebuilt as The Rockwell House which was later renamed Hotel Towers. It also was destroyed by fire in 1950.) Readers are welcome to contact Adirondack Journal correspondent Jean Hadden at jhadden1@nycap.rr.com or 623-2210.
Delvin Wheeler, Chief Pumperman Issachar Modert, Lieut. & Training Officer Patrick Murphy, Safety Officer Lyn Swartwout, Secretary/EMS Captain Kevin Ferguson, Treasurer Michael Ferguson, Executive Committee Eugene Dutcher, Commissioner Frank Meade, Commissioner Jonathan Barney Eugene Carman Adam D'Angelico Jeffery Finch Douglas Howe John Howe Jr. William LaPierre Rico Lopez Kathleen Modert Thomas VanPelt
Letters to the Editor Campsite closures show APA, DEC are working against us To the Adirondack Journal: in his recent letter-to-the-editor, Don Sage is right on the money in calling for the abolition of the APA . The agency was founded by New York power elites bent on “saving” the Adirondacks for themselves, and is run with malevolence toward local people. They are succeeding in forcing the people out. But it’s not just the people. Since it suits their goals, the so-called environmentalists at the APA and the state Department of Environmental Conservation have succeeded in wiping out much of the biodiversity and decimating the deer population, thus hurting rifle-toting hunting guys whom they especially despise. This anti-human attitude did not dominate DEC’s predecessor 90 years ago. The New York State Conservation Commission reported to the state legislature in 1924 with numerous photos illustrating its achievements opening the forest preserve to the people’s enjoyment. A typical example shows a family camping with their automobile parked beside them, laundry hanging from tree to tree, with simple canopies and tables, at a big, open primitive campsite referred to as “a vacation home in the forest preserve.” The Conservation Commission wrote of the urgency of keeping up with the public demand for additional campsites. It described plans to provide more fireplaces, locate springs for good drinking water, and enlarge campsite areas enough to allocate fireplaces. Compare this with the Warrensburg-Lake Luzerne campsites on the Hudson River
where DEC recently closed around 100 beautiful, easily accessible camping areas, reporting to the APA with satisfaction there now are no more maintenance problems. Not one APA commissioner asked about the effect on the people who formerly enjoyed these campsites. In the 90-year-old Commission report, the officials spoke with pride of repairing fireplaces, keeping brush cleared, keeping signs in good condition and apprehending and fining a person who left a campsite filthy. Carol LaGrasse President Property Rights Foundation of America
Always putting motorcyclists down To the Adirondack Journal: ‘Tis the season for motorcycling, and I plus many others like me polish the chrome and tinker on our motorcycles to prepare for a great season of riding on our roadways. But then we see things like the recent letter-to-the-editor titled “Many motorcycles are far too loud.” Well, the opinion expressed in the article ruffles my feathers. Did the author, J. P. Gitto, want a bike when he was younger and his parents said no? Who is he to say what is loud — trains are loud, but people like to hear them; and guns are loud, but people like to shoot them. Well, I love Harleys and love to hear them roar! As far as noise at a stop light, what one minute at a stop sign offends you, Mr. Gitto? Well get over it, we pay our taxes and pay for our bikes to be on these roads — So deal with it, we aren't going anywhere and my hog will roar ‘til the day I die, so keep it to yourself — because I'm sure we could find fault with something you do. Ethan Vernum Pendall Hollow Shop, Athol