Murders and Funky Stuff in Schoharie County

129 Main Street,Sharon Springs NY 13459

13 March, 2023

Description

Murder and 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 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 courthouses that they frequented. It seems that, in the past, the Schoharie County jail did not have a very good reputation for keeping prisoners within its walls.Karen McLaughlin Cuccinello has self-authored and self-published five local history books over the past few years: Schoharie County One Room Schoolhouses, The Schoharie Alps: History of Summit, Murder and Funky Stuff in Schoharie County, Emergency Medical Services in Schoharie County, Schoharie County Clubs and Lodges, etc. and Spanish American War Veterans with Connections to Schoharie County. Karen also writes for the local newspapers and historical societies, is a genealogist, Summit Town historian, archivist in the history room of a local library, is a records management clerk, member of Association of Public Historians of New York State, contributor to the Delaware County NY Genealogy and History website and has posted over 7700 photographs of gravestones on findagrave.com. Karen has lived in upstate New York all her life.This program is available by Zoom only but will be available for playback at a later date for those who register.