Murder & Mayhem in Jefferson County

by Cheri L Farnsworth

  The first shot entered Burlingame’s nose and came out of his mouth, splitting the bullet and knocking out two of his teeth. The man turned and started toward his wife, and either grabbed or struck the hand in which she held the weapon, for a bullet was found lodged in the ceiling. The third shot was fired at short range, leaving powder marks on the body. The bullet struck him in the shoulder and tore down through his heart, killing him instantly.

  Jessie then ran to the front room, where she shot herself through the heart. She died instantly. After the coroner’s inquest, the bodies were removed from the home in twin gray caskets. Although the precise time of the tragedy is unknown and there were no witnesses to the crimes, blood stains and the position of the bodies, as well as the location of the gun, made county officials confident that Mrs. Burlingame was solely responsible for taking her husband’s life and then her own. Even though the case seemed cut and dry, questions have always remained regarding Jessie’s reason for the tragic murder-suicide. A 1999 Watertown Daily Times article called “In Chaumont, a Favorite Haunt, Full of Spirit” claimed, for example, that jealousy may have been the impetus that caused Jessie to act as she did; or perhaps it was the agony of an excruciating toothache. The article later mentioned rumors that both spouses may have been unfaithful and said District Attorney Wilcox speculated, at the time, that Dillenbeck may have threatened his wife with divorce after learning of her infidelity. Early news articles from 1922 said Jessie was “of a highly nervous disposition, petulant and headstrong” and that she may have shot Roy Burlingame “in a fit of uncontrollable anger and through fear of exposure.”

  Jessie Burlingame was survived by her mother, Emma Dillenbeck, and her brother, Alvin, as well as a couple of aunts, one of whom was co-owner of the couple’s home. Roy Burlingame was survived by his father, who lived in Boonville, and his brother, Walter, of Watertown. Two months after the murder-suicide, Jessie’s heirs said they did not object to Roy’s father and brother sharing the estate.

  The Journal and Republican of October 26, 1922, said:

  Burlingame left a small estate, but attorneys for heirs of both have been investigating reports of equity in an insurance policy held by Burlingame. At least one policy lapsed through failure to meet the premium within the year. Although relatives of neither husband nor wife admit knowledge of a policy in force on August 20, it is known that facts concerning the deaths were investigated on behalf of an insurance corporation. This inquiry, it is understood, to have concerned the possibility of the wife surviving the husband, but its purpose has not been revealed. Under the coroner’s verdict of murder, attorneys say, the wife could not inherit, had she survived…Even should the appearance of a life insurance equity increase the estate, the outcome would not be influenced, as lawyers state that an heir could not inherit, having killed the testator.

  As it turned out, Roy Burlingame did have a Travelers Insurance policy for $10,000, and ultimately, the court ordered the heirs of both Roy’s and Jessie’s families to equally divide the policy. Thus, the final chapter in another tragic Jefferson County crime story was written, and the final story in this book of horrors is brought to a close.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  BOOKS & REPORTS

  Farnsworth, Cheri. Haunted Northern New York Volume 4. Utica, NY: North Country Books, 2010.

  “People v. Farmer (Court of Appeals of New York, Oct. 19, 1909.)” The Northeastern Reporter. St. Paul: West Publishing Co., 1910.

  Revai, Cheri. Haunted Northern New York. Utica, NY: North Country Books,

  2002.

  NEWSPAPERS

  Cape Vincent Eagle. “Double Tragedy at Chaumont.” August 24, 1922.

  ———. “Farmer and Wife Both Indicted.” May 21, 1908.

  ———. “Hanging of Hiram Smith, Whom Many Believed Innocent, in Watertown, Is Recalled.” March 28, 1929.

  ———. “Hiram W. Smith.” December 10, 1914.

  ———. “Murder Near Great Bend! The Murderer Commits Suicide!” January 16, 1873.

  ———. Note regarding Edward G. Haynes. December 21, 1916.

  Daily Journal. “The Abortion Murder.” January 18, 1873.

  ———. Note regarding Frank Ruttan. February 23, 1876.

  ———. Note regarding Sarah Conklin. December 10, 1875.

  Jefferson County Journal. “A Chapter of Horrors.” January 16, 1872.

  Journal & Republican. “Alleged Confession.” February 13, 1876.

  ———. “Back to Auburn Prison.” November 27, 1913.

  ———. “Burlingame’s Relatives to Inherit His Estate.” October 26, 1922.

  ———. “Court Orders Estate Split.” September 25, 1924.

  ———. “Kellogg Opposes Parole of Haynes.” July 12, 1917.

  ———. “Murder Recalled by Brennan’s Death.” December 9, 1918.

  ———. “Wife Murders Her Husband Then Turns Gun on Herself.” August 24, 1922.

  New York Times. “Murder and Suicide: Shocking Murder Discovered at Great Bend, N.Y.—The Murderer Is Arrested and Commits Suicide.” January 12, 1873.

  Ogdensburg Daily Journal. “Mrs. Farmer Electrocuted; Exonerates Her Husband.” March 29, 1909.

  St. Lawrence Republican. Note regarding Henry Miles. November 21, 1894.

  Watertown Daily Times. “In Chaumont, a Favorite Haunt, Full of Spirit.” October 31, 1999.

  Watertown Herald. “Brevities (regarding Mary Farmer).” July 4, 1908.

  ———. “Did Allen Shoot?” October 9, 1897.

  ———. “End of the Trial.” October 30, 1897.

  ———. “An Expert Talking.” October 2, 1897.

  ———. “Farmer Not Guilty.” March 5, 1910.

  ———. “Farmer Trial Begun.” October 24, 1908.

  ———. “Funeral of Henry Miles.” September 20, 1902.

  ———. “The Great Trial—Weaving the Web to Convict Haynes.” September 18, 1897.

  ———. “The Grumbler’s Pen: Recalling the Story of the Last Hanging.” June 6, 1908.

  ———. “Hanging of Evans.” May 16, 1908.

  ———. “The Harbor Murder.” April 24, 1897.

  ———. “Henry Miles—Convicted of Murder in the First Degree.” March 17, 1894.

  ———. “In Prison for Life.” November 6, 1897.

  ———. “Looks Like Murder.” May 15, 1897.

  ———. “Must He Die?” March 10, 1894.

  ———. Note regarding Henry Evans’s axe murders. November 10, 1900.

  ———. Note regarding Henry Miles. December 1, 1894.

  ———. Note regarding Mary Ockwood. June 5, 1897.

  ———. “Shot Dead: A Rochester Woman Killed Near Evans Mills.” December 19, 1893.

  ———. “Shot in the Neck.” May 1, 1897.

  ———. “A Startling Story—Tracing the Murder Home to Allen.” September 25, 1897.

  ———. “Town Crier (regarding Henry Miles).” December 1, 1894.

  ———. “Town Talk (regarding Henry Miles).” November 17, 1894.

  Watertown Re-Union. “The Abortion Case.” January 18, 1877.

  ———. “The Antwerp Sensation.” January 23, 1873.

  ———. “A Cold Blooded Murder.” December 6, 1893.

  ———. “The Conklin Murder.” December 9, 1875.

  ———. “The Conklin Tragedy.” December 16, 1875.

  ———. “Court of Sessions (People vs. George Hewitt).” May 31, 1877.

  ———. “Court of Sessions (People vs. George Powell).” February 22, 1877.

  ———. “Crouch Acquitted.” May 19, 1897.

  ———. “Crouch Stood the Test.” October 20, 1897.

  ———. “Cruel Murder: With Head Crushed, Body Jammed in Trunk.” April 29, 1908.

  ———. “Farmer and Wife Plead Not Guilty.” May 6, 1908.

  ———. “Farmer Is Guilty.” November 4, 1908.

  ———. “Farmers Ar
e Held for Grand Jury.” May 9, 1908.

  ———. “The Farmer Trial.” June 17, 1908.

  ———. “The Farmer Trial.” June 18, 1908.

  ———. “The Farmer Trial.” February 26, 1910.

  ———. “Fighting for the Brennan House.” July 18, 1908.

  ———. “Fixes Crime on Mrs. Farmer.” May 13, 1908.

  ———. “Frank Ruttan—Murderer of Sarah Conklin.” May 11, 1876.

  ———. “Hatchet Found at Brownville.” May 13, 1908.

  ———. “Haynes Now in Jail.” May 26, 1897.

  ———. “He Killed Mary Ward—Sentence Served Out.” September 17, 1902.

  ———. “The Henderson Crime.” May 19, 1897.

  ———. “Henry Miles’ Case.” November 10, 1894.

  ———. “Indian Woman Killed.” May 12, 1897.

  ———. “In Prison for Life.” November 3, 1897.

  ———. “It is Still a Mystery—Sackets Harbor Murder Puzzles the Detectives.” May 5, 1897.

  ———. “The Jury Acquits.” March 5, 1910.

  ———. “Miles Convicted.” March 14, 1894.

  ———. “Miles Is Spared.” December 12, 1894.

  ———. “Miles Sentenced.” March 21, 1894.

  ———. “Mrs. Farmer Electrocuted.” March 31, 1909.

  ———. “The Murder Case.” May 13, 1908.

  ———. Note regarding Alzina Sprague. March 13, 1873.

  ———. Note regarding Mary Ockwood. May 19, 1897.

  ———. Note regarding People vs. George Powell. February 28, 1878.

  ———. “On Trial for His Life.” September 8, 1897.

  ———. “The Powell Drowning Case.” March 16, 1876.

  ———. “Preparing for Trial.” September 1, 1897.

  ———. “The Prosecutor’s Side.” September 15, 1897.

  ———. “The Rutland Murder.” December 9, 1875.

  ———. “Ruttan’s Confession.” May 18, 1876.

  ———. “The Sackets Tragedy.” April 28, 1897.

  ———. “Seeks Recovery.” June 27, 1908.

  ———. “A Serious Charge: A Carthage Doctor Charged with a Grave Crime.” January 11, 1878.

  ———. Story regarding Conklin murder. May 11, 1876.

  ———. “Suicide Near Sterlingville.” March 16, 1876.

  ———. “A Terrible Tragedy.” April 21, 1897.

  ———. “Took Poison.” October 2, 1889.

  ———. “The Trial of Miles.” March 14, 1894.

  ———. “Trunk Undoing of Mrs. Farmer.” January 27, 1909.

  ———. “The Ward Murder.” December 13, 1893.

  ———. “Wilbur Crouch Dead.” December 13, 1902.

  ONLINE SOURCES

  “Cabin Fever.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_fever.

  “Evans-Gaige-Dillenback House.” National Register of Historical Places, New York, Jefferson County. www.nationalregisterof historicplaces.com.

  “Henry Evans.” JeffCo Wiki. http://jeffco.wikispaces.com/Henry+Evans.

  “Jefferson County, New York.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_County,_New _York.

  “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder.

  “Slaughter Hill.” JeffCo Wiki. http://jeffco.wikispaces.com/Slaughter+Hill.

  “Watertown (city), New York.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_County,_New_York.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Author Cheri Farnsworth and “Coco.” Photograph by Jamie Revai.

  Cheri Farnsworth has written the following titles (some under the name of Cheri Revai): Haunted Northern New York (vol. 1–4, 2002–2010), Haunted Massachusetts (2005), Haunted New York (2005), Haunted Connecticut (2006), Haunted New York City (2008), The Big Book of New York Ghost Stories (2009), Haunted Hudson Valley (2010), Adirondack Enigma: The Depraved Intellect and Mysterious Life of North Country Wife Killer Henry Debosnys (2010), Murder & Mayhem in St. Lawrence County (2010) and Alphabet Killer: The True Story the Double Initial Murders (2010). She enjoys researching regional history, true crime and the connection between history, crime and the paranormal. Farnsworth lives in St. Lawrence County with her husband, four daughters and a menagerie of pets.

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