Lunger Tragedy
Related by Henry Murray Jr.
July 25, 1945
In 1871, (1870) John
Lunger and his wife an aged couple lived in an old boat on the shore of
Cayuga Lake a few rods south of Goodwin Point. A young man by the name
of Michael Ferguson, a nephew of the couple lived them and a young girl
did the housework.
Ferguson murdered the old couple and
taking the girl in a boat rowed across the lake and hid in a haystack in
the Town of Lansing.
Two sisters of Mrs. Lunger, Mrs. Wm.
Wakeman and Mrs. Than Hines, living near Kingtown, were notified of the
tragedy and Mr. Wakeman called on neighbor, Henry Murray Sr. for the use
of his team to convey the bodies to the Trumansburg Cemetery.
They barrowed a sleigh of Mrs. Jane
Woodworth (mid. Of Orsamus) who lived in Kingtown, and hitching the team
to the same and loading box, with charred remains in the back of the
sleight. Henry Murray Jr. then aged about 14 drove Mr. Wakeman and Mr.
Hines to the cemetery. Ferguson was hung in Ithaca at the jail. The girl
married and lived at Varna.
·
Fay Smith of Lansing can tell you
who the girl married. She was still living a few years ago.
·
Henry Murray Jr. was born in the Town of Covert,
April 5, 1857. He has charge of the parking area back of Ithaca Hotel.
·
July 25, 1945 Mrs. J.B. Smelzar
*Jane Woodworth
grandmother of Mrs. Smelzer
* Fay Smith lives near
Benson Corners with his nephew Purley Haring R.F.D Groton. (By Mrs.
W.D. Haring July 30, 1948)
* Mrs. Than Hines was
Margaret Lunger Hine, a sister of Jonathan Lunger not a sister of Mrs.
Jonathan Lunger J. F. Lunger 7/9/57
*Anna Lunger Married
Edward J. Beard. She died December 21, 1890 Norene Turcsik 11/26/06
* Anna Lunger was
Jonathan Lungers daughter not housekeeper Norene Turcsik 11/26/06
