Book Description

Murder & mayhem in little rural upstate New York; Yes it's true! From 1726 until 1974 about 35 murders hit the news in Schoharie County, NY. The book is loaded with pictures of actual newspaper articles. Some of the murders were sensational, some were swept under the rug and some are unsolved. I was a bit surprised at how many husbands killed their wives. The hills and valleys of the County also offered some rather interesting funky stuff too. When you look at the headlines in the newspaper, what is your eye drawn to first? Let's say there is a story about someone winning a million dollars, another about 200 new jobs and a murder. Most of us, I believe, look at the murder first. Why, I do not know but we do. Some of the convicted went to the gallows, some to the electric chair and a couple were even burned at the stake. I found a paper, compiled by a class at Hartwick College, NY, that listed 140 hangings in all of New York State from 1673-1890. The weird and unusual occurrences that took place in or near Schoharie County are sprinkled throughout the murders. Some of my favorites are the guy who tried to sell his wife for $25, the man who slept for five years, the booby trapped house and the supposed German spy. This book also chronicles the people and places that the bad guys were in contact with. There are pictures of the attorneys, jail and court houses that they frequented. It seems that, in the past, the Schoharie County jail did not have a very good reputation for keeping prisoners within their walls. I hope you enjoy what I have found in the news about the bad and or strange side of Schoharie County.