(Original Text, Copyright (c) 2011 Cynthia Shenette)
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
Thanks to John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch for providing the idea for Amanuensis Monday.
This is part two of the article transcription I began last week. Please forgive any inconsistencies with this post. Blogger editor has been giving me grief for two days, plus the spell-check function doesn't seem to be working.
Boston Journal, April 16, 1901, p. 6.
VOLCANO of WRATH (Continued)
Hotel Men Protest.
Mr. M. C. Needham, proprietor of one of the hotels here, the Coldbrook House, said: "The attack of Mr. Talmage was wholly unnecessary. It seems to me. The only result is the stirring up of bad feeling. It seems as though the man must be crazy to talk as he is reported as having talked. I was not present at the funeral."
Mr. J. C. Bemis, proprietor of the Spring House, which hotel it is said Mr. Talmage alluded to when he spoke of a drunken broil, when asked what he thought of the minister's address said: "Rotten! A mean assault upon this village. There has not been any drunken broil in this hotel. Mr. Talmage's statement is wrong."
Mrs. J. W. Beamis, daughter-in-law of Mr. J. C. Bemis, corroborated the statement. She said: "I am sure there was no drunken broil in the place or I should have heard of it."
One of the citizens of Coldbrook informed the Journal correspondent that the story of a drunken broil probably came from a little altercation between a visitor to Coldbrook and one of the villagers, in which the latter said something that displeased the former, and was slapped in the face for it. He did not return the blow, and that is all there was to the so-called "broil."
Much feeling is displayed here also over a recent letter to the Barre Gazette from Assistant Medical Examiner Henry J. Walcott, Jr. in which he says he was unable to find a woman to help the unfortunates on the day of the murder. He was obliged to telephone to Barre for two women, he says, to help wash and lay out the children. Coldbrook people say that when Mrs. Spooner came through Coldbrook Mrs. R. F. Parker, Mrs. O. D. Webber and Mrs. H. S. Howard all volunteered to go to the house. But they were told it was no place for women, and that no help was needed.
Dr. Walcott also writes that it was almost impossible for him to secure half a dozen old sheets for use at the Naramore house. Here at Coldbrook it is stated for a fact that on the first call for white sheets Mrs. M. C. Needham gave 13 and three pillow cases. Mrs. H. B. Webber and Mrs. H. B. Parker gave clothes, and Mrs. J. W. Bemis supplied many things needed. Several others contributed, too.
In Mr. Talmage's Sunday address Mr. Naramore was made to appear as a shiftless, ne'er-do-well fellow, who shifted much of the burden of supporting his family upon his wife, and was also quarrelsome and intemperate. Naramore was said, by Mr. Talmage, to be almost wholly responsible for his wife's crazed condition of mind, when when killed the children.
Husband Says He Lies.
Mr. Naramore was seen this morning at Mr. Clarence H. Parker's lumber mill, where he is employed. He was hard at work with overalls, jumper and an old cap on, helping to saw apart huge logs of wood.
"I have not read the address and know nothing about what Mr. Talmage said of me except what I have been told by those who heard it or read it, " said Naramore.
A copy of a newspaper containing the address was shown to Mr. Naramore by the Journal correspondent, and he read with interest. Then he said with much seriousness:
"I am an ignorant man or I would reply in writing to that as it should be replied to. It is full of misstatements regarding me and my family. It is true that I am lazy; I have never denied and I cannot help it, but I don't suppose I am the only lazy man in the world.
"I am not a drinking man though, and nothing disgusts me so much as to see a man intoxicated. It is true that I have taken a drink occasionally, but I never was drunk but once in my life, and no one would have known anything about that if I had not told them about it. Go to any one I have worked for. I don't want you to take my word for it, but make inquires for yourself; go to Rutland and see Mr. F. S. Hunt, in whose mill I worked as a fireman of the engine for 13 1/2 months. In all that period I only was absent from work 11 days. I received $12 a week."
"The money I earned went to my family; my grocery bill at Mr. Parker's store was on the average about $5 per week, sometimes $1 to $1.50 a day. Mr. Hunt will tell you that I was not a drinking man."
"Why did you leave Mr. Hunt's employ?" asked the Journal correspondent.
"He sent me to Worcester to get a piece of machinery. Before I went a fellow employed at the mill asked me to bring back a gallon of rum for him and I agreed to do so. The man's name was Charles Faulkner. I brought back the rum and Mr. Hunt learned of it and discharged me. I ought not to have agreed to get the liquor.
Has Gained Friends.
"I am not entirely innocent, and I don't want you to understand me as trying to make you believe so.
"I don't want to put all the blame on my wife, for that would not be right. I have no doubt that she was insane when she killed the children. When I married her she was one of the best women I ever knew, and I loved her. She came of good people. I know that.
"She was nervous and naturally jealous. There was a woman in the neighborhood here who kept telling her false stories about me going about with other women and getting drunk. She finally came to believe them and I could see a change in her behavior toward me. She would believe this gossiping woman and not believe me; that was what caused her to go insane, I believe.
"But this minister, Mr. Talmage, has made an ass of himself, in my opinion. Suppose I am guilty, it don't justify him making it so prominent in a public address. He's only gaining enemies by it. I have gained friends and not lost one by what he has done. He wrote me a ridiculous letter which I have not paid any attention to," and Mr. Naramore exhibited the letter, which at some length called upon him as a man who had failed in his duty to his wife and children, not to deny the facts, but, by deeply repenting, and make thorough reformation.
"A man here in Coldbrook has reported around that I was seen on the streets of Worcester with a certain woman living in this village one night before my wife committed the deed. That is a lie. I have always had a particular dislike for this woman; if this sort of thing keeps up, I have been thinking that I shall go to Worcester and consult a lawyer about it.
"I never struck my wife or abused her. We did jaw each other once in a while, but that was all. My wife wanted to move and I had planned to secure the Mason Luce place if possible, which she had always liked. I was going to arrange to buy the place on installments, and when I told her she appeared much pleased.
"For the past two years I have not been out of work, altogether, more than six weeks. I had been at work for a week at Mr. Parker's mill, when the end came. My wife knew I was earning money enough to support the family and there was enough in the house to eat for her and the children the day the children were killed. I never deceived my wife; never told her one thing and got a friend to tell her another story, as Mr. Talmage says I did.
"One time when I was not working she told told me she would go to work herself if it wasn't for the children. I said that if we could put the children out among good, kind people, to live then she could go to work, and I would go somewhere else for work. Then we could come together again later. I told her I would do the best I could to bring us all together once more under the same roof. She seemed to be pleased with the idea. I thought.
"Mr. Talmage's statements about screams being heard coming from my house at 12 P. M. the night before the murder, is a lie. I was sound asleep in the house at that hour. It is not likely I could have been ill using my wife or quarrelling with her."
Volcano of Wrath (Part 1 of 2) - Amanuensis Monday
Other Posts You Might Like:
Flu 1918 (Part 1 of 3) - Amanuensis Monday
Madness Monday: The Stuff We Throw Away, and...
Tombstone Tuesday: Jacob Riis, Riverside Cemetery, Barre, MA
Tombstone Tuesday: Francois Chenette, Civil War Soldier
Showing posts with label Naramore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naramore. Show all posts
Volcano of Wrath (Part 1 of 2) - Amanuensis Monday
(Copyright (c) 2011 Cynthia Shenette)
The "Coldbrook Tragedy" Continues, Or Spin, Blame, and The Evils of Liquor
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
Thanks to John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch for providing the idea for Amanuensis Monday.
Last August I started writing about the Naramore family murders which took place in Coldbrook Springs, MA for my post, COG 97: Researching The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4). I am still actively researching this case and have posted bits and pieces of my research after my initial Carnival of Genealogy post. Given the notoriety and sensational nature of the case, newspaper articles have not been difficult to find. Most were written immediately after the murders and deal with the murders themselves. I found this article from the Boston Journal different from many of the others. It details the townspeople's reaction to the murders and to the Reverend Charles Talmage's comments on the case. It also quotes Frank L. Naramore, the husband of the murderer, and provides some insight into his personality and his relationship with his wife. The article includes a photo of Frank Naramore, but unfortunately the copy is so poor it isn't worth trying to post the photo. If I am able to get a better copy/scan of the photo I will post it at a later time. Also, the article is quite long, so I am posting it in two parts.
Boston Journal, April 16, 1901, p 6.
VOLCANO of WRATH
_______________
[Photo of Frank L. Naramore]
FRANK NARAMORE
_______________
Coldbrook Folk Enraged at Rev. Mr. Talmage--Mr. Naramore Gives the Clergyman the Lie Direct.
Coldbrook, Mass., April 15--In this ordinarily quiet country village a real volcano of wrath has broken forth as a result of the address of Rev. Charles H. Talmage in Williams Hall, Barre, Sunday afternoon and it is hardly surprising, for such an arraignment as that contained in Mr. Talmage's remarks is seldom heard outside of a court room.
The awful tragedy of a few weeks ago, when Mrs. Naramore murdered her six children, and which was the nominal subject of the Barre clergyman's Sunday address, occupies a very small place in the public mind here compared with the crushing blow which the villagers feel was aimed at their little community by Mr. Talmage. Even the terribly harsh things that were said about Frank L. Naramore, the husband and father do not arouse the sympathy and indignation that they would ordinarily.
Men and women here have been talking of nothing else all day, in the streets and in their homes: and the newspaper reports have been eagerly scanned. With the majority there is nothing but the strongest condemnation. A few, however, shake their heads and say that there was some truth at least, in what the Barre clergyman said. There were quite a number of Coldbrook people at the Barre meeting Sunday.
Mr. Talmage's Plain Words.
In his address Mr. Talmage stated that while the Naramore house, where in the children were murdered, was located in Barre, it was about five miles away from the centre of the town, on its rim, in fact, and near the Coldbrook village. "Thus, while the house is on Barre land, it is part of the Coldbrook community," said Mr. Talmage.
His description of Coldbrook follows: "Two railroad stations, Post Office, store, meat market, bucket shop, grist mill, two blacksmith shops and a hall. A small church (with good people whom I know), but with much to do and to dare, and much to discourage also, there are twenty-five houses, and about one hundred people, and there are two hotels. The town of Oakham, of which Coldbrook is a village, voted this year and last, 'No license:' the year previous, 'license.' Regardless of the vote, either way, no town license is taken out, and the common understanding is that liquors are freely sold in bold disregard of the law.
"All this, however, is to the humiliation and sorrow of the law-abiding, temperance people both of Oakham and Coldbrook. The latter, however, in the immoral deadening effects, suffers most. Disturbances, which follow in the train of intemperance, occur. The next week, on the Sunday after the tragedy, the harrowing report went out of a drunken broil in one of the hotels. * * *
"Earnest citizens of Oakham have been interested to do their duty, and have always obeyed in Coldbrook. Their efforts, however, have not been very successful. Some three years ago, a committee of three was appointed to see what could be done. Those men tried to do their duty. However, it was not long before two of the three had their buildings burned. Who did it was never proved. We simply give the facts in the matter.
"The statement concerning intemperance in Coldbrook is unpleasant, but essential, in completing our description of the environment of the Naramore home."
Mr. Talmage also stated that the proprietor of one of the hotels in Coldbrook had recently died from the effects of excessive drink.
Selectmen's Denials.
Mr. Frank S. Conant, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of Oakham, said to the Journal correspondent today: "I have not heard any complaints about the village of Coldbrook Springs and no particular attention has been called to it as a place where liquor is sold illegally before this address of Mr. Talmage's, that I know about.
"Mr. Talmage, in his address, says a committee of three was appointed about three years ago in Oakham to see what could be done to suppress illegal liquor selling in the town. I have looked the matter up and find it was July 16, 1890 that the committee was appointed. It is true one of these men had his buildings burned soon after, and some months later another member lost some buildings by fire. But there were other fires intervening. I do not believe the property of these men were burned on account of their being on the committee. I do not believe that Coldbrook is any worse than any other country villages about here."
Mr. Henry Parker, a Selectman of Oakham, said: "I fail to see any reason why Mr. Talmage should make this attack on Coldbrook Springs. It has nothing to do with the murder of the Naramore children, and is wholly uncalled for. I am very sorry that the matter could not have been dropped, after the funeral of the children.
I do not believe that you will find any community where there is so little liquor drinking among the young men as here in Coldbrook. The great majority of them do not touch intoxicating liquor. I think you will find more habitual drinkers in Barre among young men than here in Coldbrook. It is as easy to obtain liquor in Barre as it is anywhere.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Amanuensis Monday: Frank L. Naramore Obituary
Tombstone Tuesday: Frank L. Naramore, The End of a "Tragedy"
Tombstone Tuesday: The Naramore Children, Riverside Cemetery
Wordless Wednesday: Coldbrook Springs, A Town No Longer
The "Coldbrook Tragedy" Continues, Or Spin, Blame, and The Evils of Liquor
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
Thanks to John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch for providing the idea for Amanuensis Monday.
Last August I started writing about the Naramore family murders which took place in Coldbrook Springs, MA for my post, COG 97: Researching The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4). I am still actively researching this case and have posted bits and pieces of my research after my initial Carnival of Genealogy post. Given the notoriety and sensational nature of the case, newspaper articles have not been difficult to find. Most were written immediately after the murders and deal with the murders themselves. I found this article from the Boston Journal different from many of the others. It details the townspeople's reaction to the murders and to the Reverend Charles Talmage's comments on the case. It also quotes Frank L. Naramore, the husband of the murderer, and provides some insight into his personality and his relationship with his wife. The article includes a photo of Frank Naramore, but unfortunately the copy is so poor it isn't worth trying to post the photo. If I am able to get a better copy/scan of the photo I will post it at a later time. Also, the article is quite long, so I am posting it in two parts.
Boston Journal, April 16, 1901, p 6.
VOLCANO of WRATH
_______________
[Photo of Frank L. Naramore]
FRANK NARAMORE
_______________
Coldbrook Folk Enraged at Rev. Mr. Talmage--Mr. Naramore Gives the Clergyman the Lie Direct.
Coldbrook, Mass., April 15--In this ordinarily quiet country village a real volcano of wrath has broken forth as a result of the address of Rev. Charles H. Talmage in Williams Hall, Barre, Sunday afternoon and it is hardly surprising, for such an arraignment as that contained in Mr. Talmage's remarks is seldom heard outside of a court room.
The awful tragedy of a few weeks ago, when Mrs. Naramore murdered her six children, and which was the nominal subject of the Barre clergyman's Sunday address, occupies a very small place in the public mind here compared with the crushing blow which the villagers feel was aimed at their little community by Mr. Talmage. Even the terribly harsh things that were said about Frank L. Naramore, the husband and father do not arouse the sympathy and indignation that they would ordinarily.
Men and women here have been talking of nothing else all day, in the streets and in their homes: and the newspaper reports have been eagerly scanned. With the majority there is nothing but the strongest condemnation. A few, however, shake their heads and say that there was some truth at least, in what the Barre clergyman said. There were quite a number of Coldbrook people at the Barre meeting Sunday.
Mr. Talmage's Plain Words.
In his address Mr. Talmage stated that while the Naramore house, where in the children were murdered, was located in Barre, it was about five miles away from the centre of the town, on its rim, in fact, and near the Coldbrook village. "Thus, while the house is on Barre land, it is part of the Coldbrook community," said Mr. Talmage.
His description of Coldbrook follows: "Two railroad stations, Post Office, store, meat market, bucket shop, grist mill, two blacksmith shops and a hall. A small church (with good people whom I know), but with much to do and to dare, and much to discourage also, there are twenty-five houses, and about one hundred people, and there are two hotels. The town of Oakham, of which Coldbrook is a village, voted this year and last, 'No license:' the year previous, 'license.' Regardless of the vote, either way, no town license is taken out, and the common understanding is that liquors are freely sold in bold disregard of the law.
"All this, however, is to the humiliation and sorrow of the law-abiding, temperance people both of Oakham and Coldbrook. The latter, however, in the immoral deadening effects, suffers most. Disturbances, which follow in the train of intemperance, occur. The next week, on the Sunday after the tragedy, the harrowing report went out of a drunken broil in one of the hotels. * * *
"Earnest citizens of Oakham have been interested to do their duty, and have always obeyed in Coldbrook. Their efforts, however, have not been very successful. Some three years ago, a committee of three was appointed to see what could be done. Those men tried to do their duty. However, it was not long before two of the three had their buildings burned. Who did it was never proved. We simply give the facts in the matter.
"The statement concerning intemperance in Coldbrook is unpleasant, but essential, in completing our description of the environment of the Naramore home."
Mr. Talmage also stated that the proprietor of one of the hotels in Coldbrook had recently died from the effects of excessive drink.
Selectmen's Denials.
Mr. Frank S. Conant, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of Oakham, said to the Journal correspondent today: "I have not heard any complaints about the village of Coldbrook Springs and no particular attention has been called to it as a place where liquor is sold illegally before this address of Mr. Talmage's, that I know about.
"Mr. Talmage, in his address, says a committee of three was appointed about three years ago in Oakham to see what could be done to suppress illegal liquor selling in the town. I have looked the matter up and find it was July 16, 1890 that the committee was appointed. It is true one of these men had his buildings burned soon after, and some months later another member lost some buildings by fire. But there were other fires intervening. I do not believe the property of these men were burned on account of their being on the committee. I do not believe that Coldbrook is any worse than any other country villages about here."
Mr. Henry Parker, a Selectman of Oakham, said: "I fail to see any reason why Mr. Talmage should make this attack on Coldbrook Springs. It has nothing to do with the murder of the Naramore children, and is wholly uncalled for. I am very sorry that the matter could not have been dropped, after the funeral of the children.
I do not believe that you will find any community where there is so little liquor drinking among the young men as here in Coldbrook. The great majority of them do not touch intoxicating liquor. I think you will find more habitual drinkers in Barre among young men than here in Coldbrook. It is as easy to obtain liquor in Barre as it is anywhere.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Amanuensis Monday: Frank L. Naramore Obituary
Tombstone Tuesday: Frank L. Naramore, The End of a "Tragedy"
Tombstone Tuesday: The Naramore Children, Riverside Cemetery
Wordless Wednesday: Coldbrook Springs, A Town No Longer
Tombstone Tuesday: Frank L. Naramore, The End of a "Tragedy"
(Original Images and Text, Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette)
A Lonely End To A Tragic Tale...
For those of you who have been following my series on the Naramore family and "The Coldbrook Tragedy" which I began for the 97th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, here is the unmarked grave of family father Frank L. Naramore. Frank died on 04 Mar 1936 and was buried in Hope Cemetery in Worcester, MA on 07 Mar 1936. Frank's grave is a single grave to the right of the memorial plaque with the small metal marker sticking out of the ground. There is no headstone.
Here is another photo of the grave from the opposite direction. This time the grave is to the left of the grave plaque with the metal marker.
Here is another photo, and again Frank's unmarked grave is to the left of the plaque with the metal marker.
This seems to be the classic sad ending to a tragic tale. In 1901 Frank had a wife and six children. In death he was alone. His obituary says he leaves no known relatives. His last address, given in his obituary, is listed as 44 Exchange St. in Worcester which was a rooming house at the time he lived there. My guess is no one knew or cared where he was buried, or has visited his grave since he died in 1936. Perhaps it's an appropriate conclusion to a life poorly led.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Tombstone Tuesday: The Naramore Children, Riverside Cemetery
Tombstone Tuesday: Jacob Riis, Riverside Cemetery, Barre, MA
Tombstone Tuesday: Francois Chenette, Civil War Soldier
Madness Monday: The Stuff We Throw Away, and...
A Lonely End To A Tragic Tale...
For those of you who have been following my series on the Naramore family and "The Coldbrook Tragedy" which I began for the 97th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, here is the unmarked grave of family father Frank L. Naramore. Frank died on 04 Mar 1936 and was buried in Hope Cemetery in Worcester, MA on 07 Mar 1936. Frank's grave is a single grave to the right of the memorial plaque with the small metal marker sticking out of the ground. There is no headstone.
Here is another photo of the grave from the opposite direction. This time the grave is to the left of the grave plaque with the metal marker.
Here is another photo, and again Frank's unmarked grave is to the left of the plaque with the metal marker.
This seems to be the classic sad ending to a tragic tale. In 1901 Frank had a wife and six children. In death he was alone. His obituary says he leaves no known relatives. His last address, given in his obituary, is listed as 44 Exchange St. in Worcester which was a rooming house at the time he lived there. My guess is no one knew or cared where he was buried, or has visited his grave since he died in 1936. Perhaps it's an appropriate conclusion to a life poorly led.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Tombstone Tuesday: The Naramore Children, Riverside Cemetery
Tombstone Tuesday: Jacob Riis, Riverside Cemetery, Barre, MA
Tombstone Tuesday: Francois Chenette, Civil War Soldier
Madness Monday: The Stuff We Throw Away, and...
Tombstone Tuesday: The Naramore Children, Riverside Cemetery
(Original Images and Text, Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) This was definitely one of the most interesting cemetery experiences I've ever had. Last week I drove out, or tried to drive out, to Riverside Cemetery in Barre, MA to take a photo of the Naramore memorial for my post, COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1). I checked MapQuest before I went and plugged the details into my GPS. I knew the cemetery was in the Barre Falls Dam area. The town of Coldbrook Springs no longer exists as a town as it was taken by the state for the dam in 1930.I drove down three separate dirt roads which became narrower, rockier, and more remote. On the last road, according to my GPS, I was only about 500 feet from the cemetery, but the road looked questionable at best. I decided to double check my information and try again another day. Over the weekend I confirmed the location with another researcher familiar with the area. Yesterday I tried again following her directions. I found the cemetery without a problem.
When I got out of my car it was like traveling back in time. The Riverside Cemetery is remote and silent, far from any traffic sounds. I walked through the wooden arch at the front of the cemetery and eventually found the Naramore memorial down a hill, away from the main part of the cemetery. I will say the memorial wasn't exactly what I was expecting with all of the offerings left on and around the stone.
I took my pictures and left for the day. While I drove around the area, I noticed the Barre Falls Dam area is dotted with little old cemeteries--Parker Cemetery, Coldbrook Cemetery, and Riverside Cemetery. There's something kind of interesting, and maybe a little sad about them. Whether it's an accurate statement or not, at least to me, they almost seem like people and places that time forgot.
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 4 of 4)
(Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette)
Epilogue
On August 4, 2002 a granite memorial marker was placed and dedicated to the six Naramore children in the Riverside Cemetery in Barre, Massachusetts. The ceremony was attended by approximately three dozen people including the town historian, members of the Barre Historical Society, local politicians, and the Massachusetts Secretary of State. The group gathered to remember the six slain children and mark in a dignified way their previously unmarked paupers' graves. Two musicians played a flute duet for the occasion.
As one of the T&G articles said, nothing can excuse Lizzie Naramore's actions. Yet what does the "Coldbrook Tragedy" say about society in 1901--the lack of a "social safety net," the place of women in society, mental illness, the court system, the child welfare system? What does it say about society today? How much have things really changed?
See Also:
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 2 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 3 of 4)
Epilogue
On August 4, 2002 a granite memorial marker was placed and dedicated to the six Naramore children in the Riverside Cemetery in Barre, Massachusetts. The ceremony was attended by approximately three dozen people including the town historian, members of the Barre Historical Society, local politicians, and the Massachusetts Secretary of State. The group gathered to remember the six slain children and mark in a dignified way their previously unmarked paupers' graves. Two musicians played a flute duet for the occasion.
As one of the T&G articles said, nothing can excuse Lizzie Naramore's actions. Yet what does the "Coldbrook Tragedy" say about society in 1901--the lack of a "social safety net," the place of women in society, mental illness, the court system, the child welfare system? What does it say about society today? How much have things really changed?
See Also:
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 2 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 3 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 3 of 4)
(Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) After all that time on the Internet, and with eight pages of notes what did I learn and what do I really know? Let me break it down.
What I'm sure of (or at least reasonably sure of):
~ Coldbrook Springs no longer exists as a town and is now part of watershed land for the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC).
~ Baldwinville is part of Templeton.
~ Frank and Lizzie's wedding date
~ Ethel Marion's birth date
~ Chester Irving's birth date
~ Lena Blanche's birth date
~ The children's death date
~ The children's burial place - Riverside Cemetery, Barre, MA
~ Name spellings are flexible (e.g. Naramore/Narramore, Lena/Lina).
~ Lucius Naramore's real estate was worth $8,000 and his personal estate was worth $5,000 in 1870, and his real estate was worth $4,000 and personal estate was worth $2,500 in 1860 (U.S. Census).
What I think I know, but I need to verify (or get more details):
~ Frank's birth date and birthplace
~ Frank's death date is after 1930, and he is probably buried in either Worcester or Winchester, NH.
~ Lizzie's birth date and birthplace
~ Birth dates and birthplaces for Charles Edward, Walter Craig, and daughter Elizabeth
~ Lizzie gave birth to seven children, six of whom were still living when the 1900 census was taken.
~ Josiah Craig's approximate birth date and wedding date
~ Craig family descendants still live in St. Andrew's, New Brunswick.
~ Lizzie worked in a boarding house in Baldwinville, MA.
~ Frank's father Lucius was married twice, and Minerva Warren was his second wife.
~ Frank's family in Winchester, NH were farmers and in the lumber business.
~ Lizzie was committed to the insane hospital in Worcester (There were two facilities, but I believe she was committed to what is now Worcester State Hospital.).
~ Templeton, MA paid for the funerals of the children.
Good to know, here say, or gossip, but might be worth following up on:
~ Lizzie worked as a domestic in Baldwinville, MA, Manchester, NH, and Eastport, ME.
~ Lizzie worked as a dressmaker.
~ Governor Curtis Guild, Jr. visited Lizzie at the insane hospital before pardoning her.
~ Lizzie had Frank arrested.
~ Frank was arrested for assaulting another man and fined $10.
Interesting to know:
~ Lizzie had to leave her family home in New Brunswick at an early age. Why?
~ Lizzie worked as a dressmaker until her eyes gave out.
~ Frank had not seen his half-brother for 13 years up until the time of the murders. Again, why?
~ Frank earned $12 a week, but was out of work for two months the winter before the murders.
~ The murders happened in March after a cold winter with little food for the family.
~ According to one newspaper report Lizzie was described as a large, handsome woman.
~ Frank and Lizzie's daughter Elizabeth was called Bessie.
In general, my standard operating procedure is believe nothing and verify everything. Over the years I've found errors in death certificates, marriage records, burial records, and census records. I try to double check everything or find multiple sources when I can. Also, as you can tell, I am interested in the details of people's lives beyond names and dates. What makes people tick? What were their day to day lives like? So where do I go from here?
The first thing I would do is go to the Worcester Public Library to verify what I already have with the Ancestry Library Edition and the NEHGS database. I would check the print version of the Worcester City Directories for information for Frank Naramore to track where he was living before and after 1930. The directories also (sometimes) provide death dates and removal dates and locations. If I find Frank's death date I could check the local paper for obituaries to discover additional information and his burial place. I could check the Worcester City Hall Clerk's Office for a death certificate. I'd review the microfilm for local newspaper articles about the crime. I'd check the border crossing lists between the United States and Canada to see if I could discover if Lizzie returned to New Brunswick after she was released from the insane hospital. Are hospital records available? My guess is no, but it couldn't hurt to check. Other potential sources of information include records for the towns of Templeton and Barre, MA and Winchester, NH. A library or historical society in St. Andrews, New Brunswick might have some information as well. Court records might be available and accessible. That just a start...
I discovered a lot of information. What I didn't discover is what happened to Lizzie Naramore after 1906 or 1907. I believe she worked for meager earnings in the Boston area and returned once to visit the graves of her children. One of the newspaper articles I read suggested she may have moved to a larger city such as Boston or New York to escape notoriety by disappearing into the crowd. She may have changed her name or returned to Canada.
The mystery continues...
Update 9/6/10: To see a transcription of Frank Naramore's obituary see my blog post Amanuensis Monday: Frank L. Naramore Obituary.
See Also:
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 2 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 4 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 2 of 4)
(Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) The assignment for the 97th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy was to spend between three and five hours researching someone's genealogy from scratch. I will admit I did spend a bit more time, about six hours, researching the Naramore family. I also wrote some of my notes by hand rather than printing everything off, so the note-taking process involved some extra time. I typed up my notes after I completed my research.
For my research I only used sources that I was able to access online from home. Its also worth mentioning that I do not have a subscription to Ancestry. Shocking I know. When I need to use Ancestry for my ongoing family research I use the Ancestry Library Edition at the Worcester Public Library, but the Library Edition is not available for home use. I do have a subscription to Footnote.com. All of the other sources I used are free and available online either through the Worcester Public Library (WPL), the Boston Public Library (BPL), or the Internet. In general, when I'm working on my genealogy, I do as much research as I can from home, so I can make the best use of my time when I do go to the library.
Let me say I am surprised at how much I was able to discover working from home. I want to add the disclaimer that the resources I used are just the start of my research. The Internet provides lots of information, but most of the information needs to be verified elsewhere. In general I prefer original documents or copies of original documents, rather than transcriptions. Human error with transcriptions is always a factor. In part three of my series I will outline what my next steps will be as far as researching and accessing original material and records to support and further my research.
My main goal was to find out what happened to Lizzie Naramore after she was released from the state mental hospital. What became of her? Where did she go? My secondary goal was to trace the Naramore and Craig families as far as I could within the limited research time frame allowed by the COG guidelines and to learn a little about Frank Naramore and Lizzie Naramore to put crime into context.
I started my research with the Family Search Pilot database, because I knew I would probably find birth, death, and marriage information for Massachusetts for the time period I was researching. According to Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910 Frank Lucius Naramore (born 1864, age 26) married Elizabeth Ann Craig (age 25) on 25 Oct 1890 in Templeton, MA. The groom's father was Lucius Naramore and his mother was Minerva Warren. The bride's father was listed as Josiah Craig and her mother was Hannah E. Clark.
I easily found three of the Naramore children listed in Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915. Ethel Mario[n] Naramore was born 29 Jun 1891 in Templeton, MA. Interestingly, Ethel was born eight months after her parents' marriage. I also found birth records for Chester Irving Naramore (born 14 Jun 1896 in Oakham, MA) and Lina [Lena] Blanche Narramore [Naramore] (born 27 Mar 1900). My guess is another search trying alternate spellings would reveal results for the other three Naramore children.
Not surprisingly I found all six of the children's death records in Massachusetts Deaths & Burials, 1795-1910. The correct death date is listed for all of the children--21 Mar 1901. The death records list the place of death (Barre, MA), Frank Naramore's birthplace (Winchester, NH), and Elizabeth Ann Craig's birthplace (Eastport, ME). The birth dates for the children do not correspond with the dates listed on the birth records I found. The burial place for all the children is listed as Canada which is incorrect. All of the children were interred in the Riverside Cemetery in Barre, MA. Also, while Lizzie spent some time in Eastport, ME I believe she was born in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.
Using a combination of sources--Family Search Pilot, Heritage Quest, and Footnote.com--I found U.S. Census information from the years 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1930. I found the record for Frank, Elizabeth, and all of the children for 1900. I also found U.S. Census information for Frank L. Naramore and siblings in Winchester, NH for 1880. I also found census information for Frank L. Naramore, siblings, and parents in the 1870 U.S. Census and in the 1860 U.S. Census. Lizzie was listed as Elizabeth Craig (age 16, approximate birth date 1865), along with her father Josiah (age 54, approximate birth date 1827), and sister Hannah Craig (approximate birth date 1864) in the 1881 Canadian Census in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Most interestingly I found Frank L. Naramore living as a boarder with another family in Worcester, MA in the 1930 census. I was not able to find any mention of Lizzie in the census after 1900 or any mention of her at all after 1906.
I found two articles in PERSI (Heritage Quest) regarding the Craig family of New Brunswick listed in the references below. I also found a listing for Frank Naramore's brothers' sawmill in the Gazetteer of Cheshire County, Town of Winchester, NH, 1736-1885.
I also found some family tree information on RootsWeb, and a message on the message board from a woman who is also doing research on the Naramore family. I contacted the woman on the message board and we exchanged research information.
Given the sensational nature of the case I found numerous newspaper articles from across the country using Chronicling America and Footnote.com, as well as the Boston Globe (1872-1922) via the Access Newspaper Archive available through the BPL online. I discovered a lot of information from the newspaper articles, some of it conflicting, and much of it hear-say. One article from the Boston Daily Globe published a reporter's interview with Frank Naramore the day after the murders. Frank's interview paints a less than flattering portrait of Elizabeth, and mentions she had him arrested once. He also implies that Elizabeth accused him running around with women and spending money on rum.
Overall I have eight pages of typed research notes. Besides the children and Frank and Elizabeth I was able to find some information for a total 19 additional family members, as well as nine other people involved in the case in some capacity.
See Also:
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 3 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 4 of 4)
References:
Craig Family, 1785-1985, New Brunswick. Loyalist Gazette. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Dec 1985. Vol. 23, issue 2.
Joel & Sara Craig's Colony, New Brunswick. Beaver: Canada's History Magazine. August 1998. Vol. 78, issue 4.
For my research I only used sources that I was able to access online from home. Its also worth mentioning that I do not have a subscription to Ancestry. Shocking I know. When I need to use Ancestry for my ongoing family research I use the Ancestry Library Edition at the Worcester Public Library, but the Library Edition is not available for home use. I do have a subscription to Footnote.com. All of the other sources I used are free and available online either through the Worcester Public Library (WPL), the Boston Public Library (BPL), or the Internet. In general, when I'm working on my genealogy, I do as much research as I can from home, so I can make the best use of my time when I do go to the library.
Let me say I am surprised at how much I was able to discover working from home. I want to add the disclaimer that the resources I used are just the start of my research. The Internet provides lots of information, but most of the information needs to be verified elsewhere. In general I prefer original documents or copies of original documents, rather than transcriptions. Human error with transcriptions is always a factor. In part three of my series I will outline what my next steps will be as far as researching and accessing original material and records to support and further my research.
My main goal was to find out what happened to Lizzie Naramore after she was released from the state mental hospital. What became of her? Where did she go? My secondary goal was to trace the Naramore and Craig families as far as I could within the limited research time frame allowed by the COG guidelines and to learn a little about Frank Naramore and Lizzie Naramore to put crime into context.
I started my research with the Family Search Pilot database, because I knew I would probably find birth, death, and marriage information for Massachusetts for the time period I was researching. According to Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910 Frank Lucius Naramore (born 1864, age 26) married Elizabeth Ann Craig (age 25) on 25 Oct 1890 in Templeton, MA. The groom's father was Lucius Naramore and his mother was Minerva Warren. The bride's father was listed as Josiah Craig and her mother was Hannah E. Clark.
I easily found three of the Naramore children listed in Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915. Ethel Mario[n] Naramore was born 29 Jun 1891 in Templeton, MA. Interestingly, Ethel was born eight months after her parents' marriage. I also found birth records for Chester Irving Naramore (born 14 Jun 1896 in Oakham, MA) and Lina [Lena] Blanche Narramore [Naramore] (born 27 Mar 1900). My guess is another search trying alternate spellings would reveal results for the other three Naramore children.
Not surprisingly I found all six of the children's death records in Massachusetts Deaths & Burials, 1795-1910. The correct death date is listed for all of the children--21 Mar 1901. The death records list the place of death (Barre, MA), Frank Naramore's birthplace (Winchester, NH), and Elizabeth Ann Craig's birthplace (Eastport, ME). The birth dates for the children do not correspond with the dates listed on the birth records I found. The burial place for all the children is listed as Canada which is incorrect. All of the children were interred in the Riverside Cemetery in Barre, MA. Also, while Lizzie spent some time in Eastport, ME I believe she was born in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.
Using a combination of sources--Family Search Pilot, Heritage Quest, and Footnote.com--I found U.S. Census information from the years 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1930. I found the record for Frank, Elizabeth, and all of the children for 1900. I also found U.S. Census information for Frank L. Naramore and siblings in Winchester, NH for 1880. I also found census information for Frank L. Naramore, siblings, and parents in the 1870 U.S. Census and in the 1860 U.S. Census. Lizzie was listed as Elizabeth Craig (age 16, approximate birth date 1865), along with her father Josiah (age 54, approximate birth date 1827), and sister Hannah Craig (approximate birth date 1864) in the 1881 Canadian Census in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Most interestingly I found Frank L. Naramore living as a boarder with another family in Worcester, MA in the 1930 census. I was not able to find any mention of Lizzie in the census after 1900 or any mention of her at all after 1906.
I found two articles in PERSI (Heritage Quest) regarding the Craig family of New Brunswick listed in the references below. I also found a listing for Frank Naramore's brothers' sawmill in the Gazetteer of Cheshire County, Town of Winchester, NH, 1736-1885.
I also found some family tree information on RootsWeb, and a message on the message board from a woman who is also doing research on the Naramore family. I contacted the woman on the message board and we exchanged research information.
Given the sensational nature of the case I found numerous newspaper articles from across the country using Chronicling America and Footnote.com, as well as the Boston Globe (1872-1922) via the Access Newspaper Archive available through the BPL online. I discovered a lot of information from the newspaper articles, some of it conflicting, and much of it hear-say. One article from the Boston Daily Globe published a reporter's interview with Frank Naramore the day after the murders. Frank's interview paints a less than flattering portrait of Elizabeth, and mentions she had him arrested once. He also implies that Elizabeth accused him running around with women and spending money on rum.
Overall I have eight pages of typed research notes. Besides the children and Frank and Elizabeth I was able to find some information for a total 19 additional family members, as well as nine other people involved in the case in some capacity.
See Also:
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 3 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 4 of 4)
References:
Craig Family, 1785-1985, New Brunswick. Loyalist Gazette. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Dec 1985. Vol. 23, issue 2.
Joel & Sara Craig's Colony, New Brunswick. Beaver: Canada's History Magazine. August 1998. Vol. 78, issue 4.
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 1 of 4)
(Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) A hundred years before the Andrea Yates and Susan Smith cases made national news, a similar but mostly forgotten tragedy occurred in the sleepy little town of Coldbrook Springs, Massachusetts. In 1901 "The Coldbrook Tragedy," as was it was called also made national news. I became intrigued by the story a number of years ago after reading an article in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette about the case. I decided to research some of the people involved in the case for the 97th Carnival of Genealogy and for a writing project I hope to work on later this year. "The Coldbrook Tragedy" is not related to my personal genealogical research in any way.
A Brief Overview of the Case
On March 21, 1901 in Coldbrook Springs, sometime in the early afternoon, a Mrs. Elizabeth A. Naramore killed her six children one by one, oldest to youngest, with a club and an ax in the kitchen of the family home. She then, unsuccessfully attempted suicide. Elizabeth, also known as Lizzie, later plead guilty in Worcester Superior Court to the murder of one child, daughter Ethel Marion Naramore, age 9. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Mrs. Naramore was sentenced to life in the state hospital in Worcester. On November 30, 1906, after spending five years at the mental hospital, she was judged to be sane and released.
Some Details Concerning the Case
First some background on the case as told in the Telegram & Gazette (T&G). I accessed the articles listed below from the ProQuest database, Massachusetts Newsstand via the Worcester Public Library (WPL) website. I used the articles in the T&G for basic information on the case and as a starting place for my research.
According to the T&G Elizabeth Craig Naramore was a native of St. Andrews, New Brunswick. At the age of 19 she met and married Frank Naramore of Baldwinville, Massachusetts even though her friends and family were opposed to the match. The couple moved to Coldbrook Springs, near the town of Barre in central Massachusetts. Mrs. Naramore was described as a hard worker and a loving mother. Husband Frank Naramore, who worked at the nearby Parker Lumber Company, was a well paid worker but also an undependable wastrel, abusive, and a womanizer. While Frank wasted the money he earned, Lizzie and their six children lived in poverty. The children were: Ethel Marion, age 9; Charles Edward, age 7; Walter Craig, age 5; Chester Irving, age 4; Elizabeth, age 3; and Lena Blanche, age 12 months.
Shortly before the tragedy occurred, Lizzie reached out to the Overseers of the Poor in Baldwinville for assistance. When the overseers visited the Naramore home they determined that the Naramores situation was so dire, due to the dilapidated condition of the home and the lack of food for the family, the decision was made to take the children away. Five of the children were to be placed with foster families and the youngest, an infant, would be sheltered at a poorhouse in Holden, Massachusetts.
Before the authorities were able to take her children away, in an act of desperation, Lizzie killed them one by one and then tried to kill herself. She survived the suicide attempt, was tried and plead guilty to the murder of her oldest child Ethel Marion Naramore. She was never tried for the murders of the other children. Elizabeth Naramore was committed to the state mental hospital. After her release she left central Massachusetts to work as a clerk in a Boston department store, returning once in 1907 to visit the graves of her children. Frank Naramore left Barre after the children's funeral and the subsequent trial of his wife and was never heard from again. At the funeral for the children, the Reverend Charles Talmage, pastor of the Barre Congregational Church, gave an impassioned speech which placed the blame for the situation squarely on Frank Naramore as an abusive father and the community at large for turning a blind eye to the what was known to be a situation of abuse and neglect.
See Also:
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 2 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 3 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 4 or 4)
References:
Bradford L. Miner. (2002, July 31). Barre plans dedication of Naramore memorial :[RT. 9 WEST Edition]. Telegram & Gazette,p. B4. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Massachusetts Newsstand. (Document ID: 144296651).
Bradford L. Miner. (2002, June 30). A final tribute ; Six slain children will be forgotten no longer :[ALL Edition]. Telegram & Gazette,p. A1. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Massachusetts Newsstand. (Document ID: 130795151).
Bradford L. Miner. (2002, August 5). A town bears witness ; Barre memorial honors six slain children :[ALL Edition]. Telegram & Gazette,p. B1. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Massachusetts Newsstand. (Document ID: 146878981).
A Brief Overview of the Case
On March 21, 1901 in Coldbrook Springs, sometime in the early afternoon, a Mrs. Elizabeth A. Naramore killed her six children one by one, oldest to youngest, with a club and an ax in the kitchen of the family home. She then, unsuccessfully attempted suicide. Elizabeth, also known as Lizzie, later plead guilty in Worcester Superior Court to the murder of one child, daughter Ethel Marion Naramore, age 9. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Mrs. Naramore was sentenced to life in the state hospital in Worcester. On November 30, 1906, after spending five years at the mental hospital, she was judged to be sane and released.
Some Details Concerning the Case
First some background on the case as told in the Telegram & Gazette (T&G). I accessed the articles listed below from the ProQuest database, Massachusetts Newsstand via the Worcester Public Library (WPL) website. I used the articles in the T&G for basic information on the case and as a starting place for my research.
According to the T&G Elizabeth Craig Naramore was a native of St. Andrews, New Brunswick. At the age of 19 she met and married Frank Naramore of Baldwinville, Massachusetts even though her friends and family were opposed to the match. The couple moved to Coldbrook Springs, near the town of Barre in central Massachusetts. Mrs. Naramore was described as a hard worker and a loving mother. Husband Frank Naramore, who worked at the nearby Parker Lumber Company, was a well paid worker but also an undependable wastrel, abusive, and a womanizer. While Frank wasted the money he earned, Lizzie and their six children lived in poverty. The children were: Ethel Marion, age 9; Charles Edward, age 7; Walter Craig, age 5; Chester Irving, age 4; Elizabeth, age 3; and Lena Blanche, age 12 months.
Shortly before the tragedy occurred, Lizzie reached out to the Overseers of the Poor in Baldwinville for assistance. When the overseers visited the Naramore home they determined that the Naramores situation was so dire, due to the dilapidated condition of the home and the lack of food for the family, the decision was made to take the children away. Five of the children were to be placed with foster families and the youngest, an infant, would be sheltered at a poorhouse in Holden, Massachusetts.
Before the authorities were able to take her children away, in an act of desperation, Lizzie killed them one by one and then tried to kill herself. She survived the suicide attempt, was tried and plead guilty to the murder of her oldest child Ethel Marion Naramore. She was never tried for the murders of the other children. Elizabeth Naramore was committed to the state mental hospital. After her release she left central Massachusetts to work as a clerk in a Boston department store, returning once in 1907 to visit the graves of her children. Frank Naramore left Barre after the children's funeral and the subsequent trial of his wife and was never heard from again. At the funeral for the children, the Reverend Charles Talmage, pastor of the Barre Congregational Church, gave an impassioned speech which placed the blame for the situation squarely on Frank Naramore as an abusive father and the community at large for turning a blind eye to the what was known to be a situation of abuse and neglect.
See Also:
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 2 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 3 of 4)
COG 97: Researching "The Coldbrook Tragedy" (Part 4 or 4)
References:
Bradford L. Miner. (2002, July 31). Barre plans dedication of Naramore memorial :[RT. 9 WEST Edition]. Telegram & Gazette,p. B4. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Massachusetts Newsstand. (Document ID: 144296651).
Bradford L. Miner. (2002, June 30). A final tribute ; Six slain children will be forgotten no longer :[ALL Edition]. Telegram & Gazette,p. A1. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Massachusetts Newsstand. (Document ID: 130795151).
Bradford L. Miner. (2002, August 5). A town bears witness ; Barre memorial honors six slain children :[ALL Edition]. Telegram & Gazette,p. B1. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Massachusetts Newsstand. (Document ID: 146878981).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
