MRS. HAIGHT OF DERUYTER WAS SENTENCED TO HANG.

Cortland County Democrat, March 23, 1883.

DEATH OF GEO. W. HAIGHT.
Mrs. Haight Arrested, Charged With the Murder of Her Husband--An Inquest to be Held To-Day.

    Geo. W. Haight, who was mysteriously shot while in bed at his home in DeRuyter three weeks ago, died at 10:30 A.M., yesterday. Mrs. Haight was arrested two or three days since, by Deputy Sheriff Moochler, on the charge of assault with intent to kill, and has been in charge of an officer since her arrest. It is said that when arrested she was preparing to go to Philadelphia to live. The examination has been set down for Saturday, but owing to the death of her husband a new warrant will be issued, charging her with murder. She takes her arrest very coolly. Considerable excitement has been aroused by a statement that poison has been found in a coal bin at Haight's house. An inquest will be held to-day, at 11 A.M.

The Clinton Courier, Wednesday, April 4, 1883.

The DeRuyter Murder.

   On the night of February 27 last, Mr. Haight, justice of the peace, at DeRuyter, Madison county, N. Y., was shot while in bed and lived with a bullet in his brain nearly a month, when death came to his relief. A coroner's inquest was held and the verdict charged Mrs. Haight as the person who did the shooting. The people of DeRuyter were inclined to treat the murderess roughly as will be seen by the following:

   The coroner's inquest in the Haight case at DeRuyter was concluded, Tuesday afternoon, the last witness being Mrs. Abbie Salisbury, of Delphi. She testified that she worked at Haight's ten weeks last fall. She often saw a revolver covered with a cloth under Mrs. Haight's pillow. The every day life of the couple was not always pleasant. On one occasion Mrs. Haight told me to take up the kitchen carpet, but Mr. Haight did it instead. This displeased his wife, who said to him: "You are a devilish fool; I wish you were in hell." At another time she called him the same name and added: "Few folks know what a damned smart husband I've got". Such language was not uncommon. Haight never talked back, but would usually leave the house. Witness said that the last time she staid over night at the house she left before breakfast, having decided for prudential reasons never to eat another meal in the house. The jury returned a verdict within 20 minutes, charging Mrs. Haight with the murder of her husband. The audience approved of the verdict by vigorous applause. Mrs. Haight was taken to Morrisville jail by the deputy sheriff, who went by carriage to Shed's Corners to take the train. The people got out with pistols, pans, tin horns, &c, and hooted the woman out of town.

DeRuyter New Era, The Weekly Gleaner, Thursday, Jan. 3, 1884.

THE HAIGHT COMMISSION.

The Prisoner Pronounced Sane-The Testimony—Her Visions and Threatened Revelations.

   MORRISVILLE, Dec. 27. Mrs. Haight sat in a rocking-chair calmly looking about the room when the commission, consisting of Judge Samuel S. Edick and Dr. Wilson T. Bassett, of Cooperstown, and Dr. Horatio N. Buckley, of Delhi, appointed to inquire into her sanity, met in the Grand Jury room at the Court House yesterday afternoon. She was represented by M. D. Barnett of Rome. District Attorney Smith, of this place and L. B. Kern of DeRuyter appeared for the people.

   Mrs. Wing of DeRuyter was the only witness called by the defense. She said that she had been employed at the Haight home before the shooting and testified to the habits of Mrs. Haight. She related what she considered the peculiarities of the prisoner; among them was the regularity with which Mrs. Haight bathed, which, she declared, she did every day; she also had peculiar notions regarding the cooking of codfish; the witness said that she cooked codfish and potatoes together in the same frying pan and that Mrs. Haight objected to this proceeding; once when she was assisting Mrs. Haight to dress she disarranged her hair, and Mrs. Haight became very angry and said: "You'll remember never to do that again;" she then pulled the hair of the witness over her eyes, breaking some of it off; once, before Mr. Haight was shot the prisoner told the witness, she said, that if anything happened to George or herself, not to go for Doctor Clark, but to call Doctor Truman; the witness declared that this statement did not alarm her and that she did not think it very strange.

   Dr. E. N. Bush of the State Lunatic asylum at Utica, said he had made insanity a special study; saw Mrs. Haight once and examined her to determine the state of her mind; she was, in his opinion, sane; from the examination made, he thought that she was sane on February 27th, 1883; he had known people of apparently sound mind who had been insane six months before; he had known physical pain to cause mental aberration.

   Dr. A. W. Truman of DeRuyter testified that he had treated Mrs. Haight from May 26th to July 24th, 1882, for rheumatism; she was, in his opinion, sane at that time; he was called to attend Mr. Haight at the time he was shot and saw Mrs. Haight then; she was sane at that time, he said.

   Dr. Silas S. Clark of DeRuyter, who for sixteen years prior to the spring of 1882 was Mrs. Haight's physician, swore that he considered her perfectly sane; he treated her for rheumatic inflammation; he had known rheumatic inflammation to affect the brain.

   Deputy Sheriff Moochler of DeRuyter, who had charge of Mrs. Haight after the shooting, swore to the making of a list of household effects to be sold at auction; Mrs. Haight, he said, made out the list herself; it was done in a methodical, business-like manner. A letter purporting to have been written by the prisoner to Wells, Richardson & Company, asking for the salary due Mr. Haight and the disposition to be made of the goods, was read and placed in evidence. Doctor Brush said that it was possible for an insane person to have written it, but that it bore no evidences of insanity.

   This closed the testimony, it being decided not to examine a large number of witnesses who had been subpoenaed.

   The court took the papers and at 9 o'clock this forenoon repotted that Mrs. Angenette Haight is of sound mind, and was so on the 27th day of February last.

   The cell occupied by Mrs. Haight in the jail is very large and contains a full size bed, bureau, three chairs, a trunk and various other smaller articles. It is carpeted. All of the furniture was brought there by the prisoner. 

   To the Syracuse HERALD representative this morning she said she did not care to talk of her trial, which is set down for the February term of the court. She said that she disliked reporters because they had misrepresented her. Taking a picture of her murdered husband from the looking-glass, she gazed at it intently for several minutes and said: "He was a good, kind husband; no better man ever lived. I wish he could have lived. I dream of him almost every night." 
   Replacing the picture she looked from the barred window of her cell for a time, and turning suddenly looked earnestly into the face of her visitor and said: "Do you know that I am a spiritualist, young man—yes, and if I wanted to tell all I know of the night my husband was shot it would cause trouble to some people. At the proper time I will speak, part of what took place I will tell you. I was lying with my back to my husband when I heard the report of a pistol; opening my eyes I saw standing before me a man above medium height; his hands were behind him and over his face is what appeared to be a piece of lace so arranged that the features were not distinguishable; he had on flesh-colored pantaloons and a shirt of the same color; his hair was black. After looking intently at the bed for a moment he backed away and disappeared through the pantry door. His hands were kept behind him. I saw him by the light from the stove. I know him and will some time tell his name. He had trouble with my husband over some money once."

   Mrs. Haight says that since she has been in prison she has seen the spirits of her children, and that often in the night there is a hand tapping on the walls of her cell. “It sounds,” she said, “as if someone is striking the wall with a strap. It is not such a noise as a rope would make, remember that, please; it is not the sound of a rope.” 
   If she should be convicted, Mrs. Haight said, it would be on perjured testimony. She says that lawyer Kern does not like her and will work very hard against her. As she shook hands with the HERALD reporter and bid him goodbye, she said: “I don’t suppose people care anything about me, or what I say. My only hope is in my counsel, Mr. Barnett. He will do everything he can for me, no more.”

   The trial of Mrs. Haight is expected to come off early in February.

 

 

Rome Daily Sentinel, Monday Evening, February 11, 1884.

THE HAIGHT MURDER CASE.

How Justice George W. Haight, of DeRuyter, Was Killed—Beginning of the Trial of Mrs. Haight for the Crime.

   MORRISVILLE, Feb. 11— Early on the morning of Tuesday, February 87, 1883, Justice George W. Haight of DeRuyter, in this county, was shot in the head while in his bed. He died from the affects of the wound. The trial of Mrs. Angenette Height, wife of Justice Height for the murder began here to-day at the circuit court and court of oyer and terminer, Judge William Murray, of Delhi, presiding.

   By order of the court last Wednesday an extra panel of 100 jurors was drawn expressly for the Height case. District Attorney Edgar W. Wilson appeals for the people, assisted by Hon. Lambert B. Kern, of DeRuyter. Mrs. Height's attorneys are Barnett & Bronner, of Rome, assisted by Dexter E. Pomeroy, of Utica. A large number of witnesses has been subpoenaed, and these, with the jurors and spectators, have filled the hotels to their utmost capacity.

   Before the hour of opening the court Mrs. Height was escorted into the court room by Sheriff Brownell. She was heavily veiled and dressed in mourning. She did not appear to have suffered much from her long confinement, and was apparently in good health. She seems to be indifferent to the proceedings.

   At 1:55 Judge Murray took his seat and Crier Fleming called the court to order. The roll of the extra panel of one hundred jurymen was called and sixteen were found to be absent. Thirteen of the remaining jurymen were excused from serving on the case. At 3 P. M. the jurors are being sworn in and the selection of the jury for the trial will probably not be completed before to-morrow, as both sides will be careful to secure a jury to their satisfaction. It is generally thought that another panel will have to be drawn. Arrangements have been made for daily copies of the proceedings to be furnished the attorneys. For this purpose, Miss A. E. Beers, Mrs. J. R. Palmer and James Throop, will aid the regular stenographer, John B. Murry.

   The crime with which Mrs. Height is charged was committed under very peculiar circumstances, to say the least, and the trial promises to be one of unusual interest The people of Madison county have been very much excited over the affair. At the time of the murder Mr. and Mrs. Height had been married about fourteen years. He was her third husband. At the time of the marriage Mrs. Haight was living in a home in DeRuyter which she had purchased with money left her by her second husband. It is located just off the main street near the center of the village, and is a pleasant story and a half house with a wing. Mr. Haight was keeping a drugstore at DeRuyter at the time, but was afterward burned out. He then went traveling for different firms. He was very popular with all of his acquaintances, and a year before death was elected justice of the peace for the town of DeRuyter.

   Mrs. Haight had been troubled with rheumatism for a number of years, and in consequence was unable to set around very well. Because of this affliction, Mr. Haight would frequently travel some distance out of his way in order to get home and care for his wife. He did all a kind husband could do for an invalid wife.

   A week or so before the murder, the services of Mrs. Furnum, a friend of the family, were secured, to assist Mrs. Haight in the household work. A few days before he was shot Justice Haight returned from a northern trip made for Wells, Richardson & Co, manufacturers of a butter color, and remained at home, doing all he could to make it a pleasant Monday night. Mr. and Mrs. Haight retired in the front room of the main part of the house. Mrs. Furnum slept in an adjoining room.

    About 2 A.M. Mr. Haight arose and waited on his wife, and again went to bed. In his affidavit taken the same day Justice Haight says: "About 3 A. M.  I was awakened. I saw my wife place a revolver to my head and pull the trigger. When I became conscious I found myself on the floor with a wound in my head from the discharge of the pistol by her. I got into bed myself and then sent for a physician."

   Mrs. Haight said her husband assisted her back to bed; that she lay on her right side because of her rheumatism. She went to sleep very soon, and sometime after, how long she did not know, she was awakened by a shot. It was so sharp it stunned her. As soon as she could speak she called to her servant, and told her to go for a physician, as something was the matter. Before the servant left the house, George got off the bed and fell by the window, striking his head against the wall.

   "I have no theory," she said, "as to how the shooting occurred. The hole in his head, which they say was caused by a bullet, might have been made by his striking his head against the wall. It looked so, anyway."

   Dr. Truman arrived a few minutes afterward and took charge of the wounded man. He was able to move around during the day, but was told the wound was mortal, as the ball was in the brain. No statement could be got from him in the presence of his wife but when he was removed to the residence of Mrs. [Ames?], a relative, he made an affidavit charging his wife with the crime.

   On the 30th of March, Justice Haight died. A post mortem examination revealed the facts that all the organs besides the brain were in s perfectly healthy condition. March 24, an inquest was held by Coroner Ransom, and on the following Tuesday Mrs. Haight was held for the grand jury. She was removed to the Morrisville jail the same night by Deputy Moochler. At the session of the grand jury following the murder, Mrs. Haight was indicted for murder in the first degree. October 16 she was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.

    A special defense of insanity was entered by her counsel, and a commission was appointed to determine her mental condition. The commission on December 27th, decided Mrs. Haight sane, and her trial was fixed for the present term of court.

   At the time of the murder Justice Haight carried insurance policies on his life amounting to $15,000. Ten thousand dollars of this was in one accident insurance company. The premiums on these policies were always promptly paid by Mrs. Haight. One policy in the accident company was taken out on January 31, but a few weeks before the shooting. A desire for this insurance money is thought to have been Mrs. Haight's motive for the crime.

NOTES.

   The people of DeRuyter are much incensed against Mrs. Haight. When she was taken away to jail the people got out with tin pans, horns, pistols, etc., hooted the woman out of town.

   During the holding of the coroner's inquest in DeRuyter an effigy of Mrs. Haight was suspended from a tree. On a piece of paper attached to the effigy were these words: "Mrs. Haight, beware, your turn comes next. VIGILANCE COMMITTEE."

    A scrap of Mrs. Haight's history is as follows: Her father's name was Silas Bump. He and his son ran a grist mill at Waterville, near Manlius, for some time, and finally he bought a farm near Fabius. About 1864 Mr. Bump sold his farm and went to live with his daughter, Mrs. Edgerton, now Mrs. Haight. He remained for two years. During this time Mr. Edgerton died as he was returning from the south, where he had been for his health. After this Mrs. Edgerton lived in Delphi for about two months, and her father died very suddenly. In about a week or ten days her mother died, which intensified the suspicion of foul play entertained on account of her father's death. Three children were born to Mrs. Edgerton, all of whom died on the farm about 1867.

   Mrs. Edgerton married Cyrus Wood of DeRuyter. He died within a year, and his relatives have always averred that he was poisoned. He left her his property amounting to…[line of newsprint missing—CC editor.]

   When a girl Mrs. Haight was fine looking and was quite charming in appearance until she passed forty years. When her first husband died not a word had been said about her. She taught school for many years. She was efficient and well liked.

   It seems that some time before the shooting a mysterious letter was sent to Mrs. McGuire, of DeRuyter, suggesting her to get some purge or spittle from a certain corpse and place it under a plank in Haight’s dooryard, where she would find $20. At the time of the inquest the letter was in existence and in the possession of Mrs. Hattie Hammond, Fayette, Fayette county, Iowa. District Attorney Smith sent for it. In response to a letter sent her by Mrs. Burdick, of DeRuyter, Mrs. Hammond made the following statement:

   “Mrs. Schulyer Stanton, of West Woodstock, died from a cancer. During her last sickness Mrs. Haight went there and wanted the nurse to save her some cancer water. Mrs. Haight said she was afraid she had a cancer, and she heard that cancer water was a sure cure. The nurse told her she would not obtain it for her at any price, for it would be certain death to anyone using it. The nurse was Mrs. Nancy [Eaton?], who is now living with her daughter, Mrs. Dr. Ferry, of Fabius.”  

   It is expected that the trial will be an exciting one and that a number of sensational developments will be made.

   A large number have recently attempted to see Mrs. Haight, but they have been disappointed, as she has walled her cell door.

The Marathon Independent, Wednesday, February 27, 1884.

Mrs. Haight to Hang.

Guilty of Murder in the First Degree.

To be Executed April 18th—Sentenced by Judge Murray.

   MORRISVILLE, N. Y., Feb. 25. –Hundreds of people assembled at the Court House Saturday morning at an early hour to hear the closing arguments in the Haight trial. The prisoner's chair was surrounded by women. The Court was formally opened at 8 o'clock by Justice Murray. It had been previously agreed that Attorneys Smith and Pomeroy would occupy but one hour each and Burnett and Kern two hours each in summing up.

   Mr. Pomeroy spoke first, for the defense, and referred to the various points on which the defense was based. Mr. Smith, for the people, followed by a very strong speech in which he reviewed the evidence in the case from the time of the murder to the opening of the trial. Messrs. Burnett and Kern occupied two hours each in summing up the case, which was ready for the justice's charge to the jury at 5:15 P. M.

   M. Justice Murray charged that the prisoner was entitled to every reasonable doubt if any doubt existed, but that a mere possibility or supposition must not be considered as a doubt in the case. He spoke of the magnitude of the crime and of its importance to the people "but" he said, "it is better to let a good many guilty persons go free than to punish one innocent person." He called the attention of the jury to the statute concerning murders, reviewed the statements of all the witnesses and explained the different degrees in such a crime. He closed by saying the sanity of the prisoner must be considered in their verdict.

   During the whole charge, which occupied two and one-half hours, the prisoner sat motionless, with her eyes fixed upon the justice, not moving them until 8 P. M. when the jury filed out. Her eyes had a peculiar pleading expression as she looked at each juryman until the last one had left the room and the door was closed.

   Very few people left the court room, as most of them were prepared with lunches and a determination to watch the case to the end. At five minutes past eleven o'clock that night the jury returned to the court room. Clerk Stewart polled the jury and said:

   "Jurymen, look upon the prisoner. Prisoner, look upon the jury. What say you, gentlemen of the jury, do you find the prisoner at the bar guilty or not guilty?"

   "Guilty of murder in the first degree," said Foreman Enoch E. Brown.

   By request of Mr. Bronner the jury was then polled individually, and each man repeated that he agreed with the verdict.

   Mrs. Haight showed no signs of emotion nor did she waver when she heard the verdict. The prisoner was then taken from the court room to the jail supported by Sheriff Brownell where she was held until 10 o'clock this morning, when Justice Murray passed the sentence.

   Judge Murray read from the manuscript his remarks in a solemn and very impressive manner, as follows:

   "You have been duly presented for trial by a grand jury of this county. You plead not guilty to such presentment. A jury has been selected for your trial with great care. You have been defended by able, untiring and faithful counsel who have spared no pains in their preparation of your case. They have made a great effort in your behalf. They have done everything for you that human agency could do. You have had a fair impartial trial.

   "The jury have listened patiently and attentively to the evidence in the case and after full deliberation under the solemnity of their oath they have by their verdict found you guilty of murder in the first degree. With that verdict we are entirely satisfied. We have no doubt you fired the pistol with your own hand that produced the wound which caused the death of George W. Haight and that you did it with deliberation and premeditation, intending thereby to take his life. It is painful to contemplate that such a crime was possible to be perpetrated by an aged female upon her own husband while lying by his side in the dead hours of the night. To the credit of the female sex it can truthfully be said that such a crime is rare, very rare indeed. You are well aware of the punishment that awaits such a criminal.

   "You have been in prison many months. You have had time for reflection and your intelligence and education enables you to look the future full in the face and fully realize your sad condition.  We can only admonish you that it is time to look beyond this mortal existence into that future that knows no end; that you should occupy the few remaining weeks of your life in preparation for such eternal existence. We earnestly recommend you to embrace and cherish the hopes and consolation of the Christian religion, and repent of your misdeeds and seek salvation for your immortal soul through the atoning influence of the blood of our Divine Redeemer.

   "God’s mercy knows no bounds. He is ever ready to give; His arms are ever open and ready to receive, even the greatest of criminals. There is still an opportunity for you and we urge upon you to at once make preparations by penitence, and prayer, and supplication to Almighty God for His mercy.

   "Be not misled by any delusive hopes through human agency. The sentence is that you be taken back to the jail from whence you was taken, and that on the 18th day of April, 1884, between the hours of 10 o’clock in the forenoon and 4 o'clock in the afternoon of that day, you be taken by the Sheriff of Madison county, from the cell where you are confined, and in the jail of Madison county, at Morrisville, in said county, or the yard adjoining thereto, you be hanged by your neck until you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul."

Recommended:

Angenette Haight: http://unknownmisandry.blogspot.com/2011/09/angenette-haight-black-widow-serial.html
Angenette Bump Haight: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~edgerton/John1817.htm

Utica Morning Herald, Monday, March 26, 1883: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~edgerton/~MiscDocuments/MrsAngenetteBumpEdgerton-inquest.jpg  

Concerning Mrs. Haight, DeRuyter New Era, The Weekly Gleaner, March 6, 1884: http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2013/Deruyter%20NY%20New%20Era/Deruyter%20NY%20New%20Era%201884/Deruyter%20NY%20New%20Era%201884%20-%200234.pdf

George W. Haight memorial: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Haight&GSiman=1&GScnty=2004&GRid=126299080&

Mrs. Haight found Guilty, Feb. 25, 1884, Buffalo Evening Republic: http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%202/Buffalo%20NY%20Evening%20Courier%20and%20Republic/Buffalo%20NY%20Evening%20Courier%20and%20Republic%201884.pdf/Newspaper%20Buffalo%20NY%20Evening%20Courier%20and%20Republic%201884%20-%200178.PDF