From the Chenango Union of Norwich, NY
Wednesday, July 27, 1870

   Murder in DeRuyter. - On Saturday morning July 16, at half-past six o'clock, the body of Dennis Griffin, a workman on the Midland Railroad, was found in a pit on Section 26, about two and a half miles east of DeRuyter village. When found the body lay on its face, about three and a half feet from the side of the pit, which is twelve and a half feet deep, the head towards the south side of the pit.

   The back part of the skull, in a line even with the upper portion, or ear, was completely crushed in, evidently by a heavy blow, and there was a slight contusion on the face, near the eye. A.V. Bentley, Esq., acting as Coroner, summoned a jury. Drs. Spencer and Mudge testified as to the injuries. It was proven that the deceased passed Scott's Hotel about 9 o'clock the evening previous, and a few moments later another man passed in the same direction, walking faster than Griffin.

   This was the last seen of the deceased. It was known that Griffin had some fifty or sixty dollars in his possession. Four cents only were found on the body. The verdict of the jury was that deceased came to his death from causes to them unknown. The pit where the body was found was about one half mile from the highway, and was not in the usual path to Griffin's boarding place. Griffin had spent the day in the village endeavoring to collect a debt.

   He was an intemperate man. The position of the body, the blow on the back of the head, the fact of his money being gone, all prove conclusively that he met his death by foul means. A good deal of excitement exists over the matter in DeRuyter, especially in the immediate neighborhood, and the opinion is universal that he was murdered.