Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/240

 216 HISTORY OF act of barbarity was perpetrated by a man named Foster, a tory at that time, and the same, who a few years since (1819) was hanged for the murder of his wife, by poison, in Delaware County, N. Y., at Delhi. That the same Foster did murder Colonel Alden, was ascertained by a certain James Campbell, another tory, who stated to David Ogden, that he had heard this Foster boast of the act, while they were both with the British at Niagara. He was at length overtaken by justice, and ended his miserable life on the gallows, although at the advanced age of — years. He died without a confession of his guilt. The spring following the execution of Graham, a fire broke out in the court-house and jail, which were then all included in one building. The following extract is from the Grazette : — On the 17th of April, about half-past 3 o'clock in the morn- ing, the fire was discovered by some person, and the alarm given, but all attempts to save the building proved fruitless. What added to the horror of the scene, a young man from the town of Andes, by the name of Abraham Coon, who, but three days before had received the sentence of the court to a short confinement for the petty theft of three yards of cotton cloth, was extricated from the ruins of the building — his arms and legs completely burned off. His mangled remains were interred in the village burying ground. At this time no family resided in the building, and it was supposed the fire originated in his own room.'^ A meeting of the citizens was immediately called, and it was determined to apply to the Legislature for a loan to enable them to erect new buildings, without resorting to the expedient of directly taxing the people for the whole amount. The limit of the legislative session was about closing, and no time was to be lost. The late Amasa Parker, Esq., was dispatched to Albany to lay the case before Gren. Root, then a member of that body, and to co-operate with him in procuring the loan.