Here is an obituary I found on this site...It is really something and speaks to the mores at the time. http://www.genealogybuff.com/ny/ny-misc.htm HER HEART BROKEN--from the Elmira Telegram HAMMONDSPORT, N.Y.--Dec. 25--On Tuesday of this week in our little village was played the last act of a sad, sad drama, and at 12 o'clock the curtain fell and the many spectators turned away from the new made grave of a beautiful and innocent girl with eyes red with weeping and hearts filled with sorrow, and many, we hope and doubt not, were sore and sick with remorse over the cruel words and thoughts that had been the principal means of laying her there years before her time. But it is over now and all that was mortal of poor Mary Bradley quietly rests in a beautiful bed of flowers and satin, far out of the reach and past the cruel sting of false and lying tongues, and her pure and gentle spirit has gone, we feel and trust, to a far kinder and more lenient judge than she found here among the people of her own creed and society. An account of the opening scenes of this sad tragedy was given in the columns of the Telegram some time in June last in an article dated from Bath, which gave the particulars of a circumstance alleged to have been witnessed during a walk through "the glen", just outside this village, by the Rev. Father Agler, at the time in charge of a church at this place, and Rev. Father McGinn, of Rochester, who were visiting here at the time. THS STORY IN SUBSTANCE--as it was given to the Telegram was: A Sabbath or two after the departure of the he loved and respected visiting priest, Father Agler related to his congregation the scene and act he claimed to have witnessed, however, giving no names to the partied, consequently, as is always the case in a small town like this, the report spread like wild fire, and every one was on the qui vive to find out who were the guilty partied, but every act and word of Agler for several weeks following in regard to the scandal was watched and reported from mouth to mouth. Sometimes the dark suspicion would seem to rest on one and sometimes on another, until finally it was decided by nine-tenths of the church society that the guilty girl, and the young man was said to have been a Protestant--was none other than handsome, quiet, unassuming Mary bradley, a girl who had always been stood the very highest in her church and own immediate circle of society, having been for a long time president of a society comprising about thirty young ladies of her church, and possessing a sunny, happy disposition. Her attractive ways won for her the admiration and respect of every one in the community outside her own church as well as in it. As a consequence in a few days tongues ran wild, those who had heretofore been deemed her firmest friends. WERE NOW THE ONES TO SAY THE--bitterest things against her and her good name. At that time she held a responsible position as clerk in the post office here, and many a time during the few weeks following was subjected to the most cutting taunts and insults from her own church people. The remainder of the community hardly knew what to think and merely looked on and wondered "how it would all come out." Very many people, however, firmly stood by poor Mary and never for a moment let a doubt of her innocence (whoever else might be the guilty one), enter their hearts and she was ever treated throughout all her trouble with the utmost kindness and respect by many persons, and every thing possible done to comfort and soothe her wounded feelings. But all of this was of no use, it was as gall and wormwood to her proud heart that her old friends turned against her so, and she soon on the score of poor health resigned her position in the post office. One Sunday evening, a few weeks after the commencement of the scandal, while it was still at fever heat, Agler left town on a short journey and at noon the next day the beautiful new Catholic church just built two seasons ago at a cost of about $8,000, was discovered to be on fire, but by the gallant efforts of the people and the fire department it was saved although badly smoked and soaked with water. The origin of the fire was found to have been in the cellar, where piles of kindling, smelling strongly of kerosene, had to all appearance been smoldering for hours, and had not the doors and windows been closed and the cellar nearly air tight the general opinion was the fire would have broken out in the early morning before anyone was astir, and no doubt had that been the case their handsome little church would have now been lying in ashes. Agler was immediately notified and came home at once and was terribly nervous and distressed over the whole affair. that same evening, after midnight, he was driven to Bath station by one of his parish ioners and has never since been seen or heard of directly by a soul in this place. Prominent members of his congregation say that their bishop knows no more about him than they themselves, and it is stated on good authority that several members of his flock are many dollars poorer by him, as he took with him sums belonging to them varying from $6 to $600. Many different rumors are also afloat as regards his present whereabouts. Many think he is dead, others that he has gone to Rome, and there are others still who say that he is in Canada where he cast off the robes of priesthood and married a lady of wealth. But all this, however, is gossip, and your correspondent cannot say how much of it is truth or how much false. As regards Miss Bradley's troubles, those who had merely thought her innocent and had wondered who the guilty parties really were, decided at once that the vile story had been aimed at poor Mary, and that she was an innocent victim of malice. During the long, weary months of suffering that followed she and her widowed mother and loving sisters have possessed the love and deepest sympathy of a large portion of the community who have nobly stood by the poor girl and her stricken family to the last. The affair told terribly on the sensitive heart of this innocent girl and the weary weeks rolled by brightened, however, by tokens of love and affection from friends far and near, who proved true until death and after. Her sick room was literally one greenhouse of the choicest flowers and delicacies of fruit and game, to temp the appetite of an invalid, where constantly at hand, but it was all of no use, the silver thread that bound her to earth had been rudely broken by false and malicious tongues, and on Saturday evening about 10'oclock she closed her eyes to earthly things and sweetly fell asleep. The funeral was held on Tuesday, December 21. The remains, inclosed in an elegant white casket, were followed to the church by a large concourse of sorrowing and sympathetic friends. Beautiful and expensive hothouse flowers were sent in great profusion from friends here and from other places as well, who had known and loved her in life and wished to do honor to her in death. The services at the church were conducted by the Rev. Father O'Laughlin, of Buffalo, a cousin ot the deceased, assisted by Fathers McGinn, of Rochester; O'Boyne, of Buffalo; Baxter of Bath, and Naughton, of this place. It was the noble Rev. Father McGinn whom Agler claimed was with him at the time of making the discovery in the gien, out of which grew all this terrible trouble. It was one of poor Mary's earnest requests that he be present at her burial, that he might , before the Protestant public, more fully vindicate her fair name. The good and pious priest spoke very tenderly and feelingly of the whole affair, and said, that as God was his judge, the whole story was as black and false a lie as ever stained the spotless name of a fair and innocent girl, and that Mary Bradley died as pure and virtuous as she had always lived ; that she gave all she had to give to vindicate her good name (her life); that her sad death should be a warning and a sorrow to her church, they who had so wronged and driven her to her death. All honor to this noble priest for his splendid words of vindication. We doubt not that some learned doctors might say she died of consumption, but we, who are acquainted with all the circumstances, know that it was of a broken heart she died, caused by cruel words and acts of those who should have been her truest friends. By some she was persecuted to the last, as her dying request as to who should sing at mass for her departed soul, was refused; and as the good and beloved Father McGinn feelingly said, with tears in his eyes, at the close of his remarks, in reference to that last insult; "This cruel and malicious malice and persecution by her own has truly followed this innocent and virtuous girl even into her grave." ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Cribbs" <cribbswh@gt.rr.com> To: ny-irish@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 9:40:40 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: [NY-IRISH] New York obituaries added Hi all, A bunch of New York obituaries have been added to GenealogyBuff.com in the User-Contributed Data Forum. The New York files have been broken out as with all of the states and can be found at http://www.genealogybuff.com/ucd/states/ny_ucd.htm Similarly, the Obituary Forum entries for New York forum can be found at http://www.genealogybuff.com/uco/states/ny_uco.htm The Library of Files for New York can be found at http://www.genealogybuff.com/ny/ New York Newspapers can be researched from http://www.genealogybuff.com/np/newyork_newspapers.htm The Cities of New York can be found at http://www.genealogybuff.com/us_cities/newyork_cities.htm The Counties of New York can be found at http://www.genealogybuff.com/us_counties/newyork_counties.htm Other valuable parts of the site are: Search Central - http://www.genealogybuff.com/search.htm Library of Files - http://www.genealogybuff.com/library.htm Research Tools - http://www.genealogybuff.com/research.htm Canadian Obituary Forum - http://www.genealogybuff.com/canada-bbs/webbbs_config.pl Free Ancestry Databases Shortcut - http://www.genealogybuff.com/ancestry_free.htm Hope this helps. Bill ====NY-Irish Mailing List==== Don't forget to check out the NY-Irish mailing list website. Also, check/add your NY-Irish surnames on the Surname Registry: http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/NYIrishList/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NY-IRISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message