Murder in Gilboa
By Karen Cuccinello
Clara Rose (Harris) Maycock was murdered in Gilboa at the young age of 22 on August 10, 1925 by her husband George Edward Maycock (sometimes spelled Maycox). Newspapers along the I-88 corridor from Albany to Binghamton ran the story and the articles listed her age as anywhere from 21 to 30. Most articles said they were married some said not.
Clara was born October 17, 1902 in Gilboa to Wilsey/Wiltsie and Jennie (Collins) Harris. Her siblings were Susie (Mrs. Earl Hayner), Steven/Stephen, Neta (Mrs. John Barthelmes), Myrtle, Gladys (Mrs. John Dundam), Roscoe and Minnie (Mrs. Arthur Gladstone). I believe her family moved to the Judson Homestead in Stamford the same year of her first marriage to LeRoy VanDyke Mackey, of Grand Gorge, on November 3, 1919. The marriage certificate listed his age as 22 and her's as 18 but I suspect she was really 17. They were allegedly divorced by the time Clara married George supposedly in 1922, perhaps in his home town of New Haven, CT.
According to George's 1917-18 WWI registration card he was born August 14, 1894 in New Haven, worked in Hartford, CT, and was tall, of medium build, with blue eyes and light hair. He was with his parents William A.(a blacksmith) and Abbie T. (Meagher) Maycock, both age 60, and three siblings in the 1920 Hartford, CT census. George would have met Clara during the time he was working on the Gilboa Dam in the 1920's. After their marriage they supposedly moved around. They lived in Oneonta, in 1923 and skipped out on paying the room bill so the state police had a warrant out for his arrest. In 1925 they were living at 137 Hamilton St., Albany, where Maycock worked at the Union News company, right before Clara's death.
August 12, 1925 Stamford Mirror-Recorder (modified)- Stamford and vicinity experienced a distressing tragedy August 10th in the murder and attempted suicide near Gilboa at the Will Snyder or also referred to as the Cronk Farm. Mrs. Clara Maycock, 22, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilsey Harris, of Stamford Village is dead and George Maycock, 29, of Hartford, Conn. alleged slayer of the young woman, is in the Stamford hospital (other newspapers had him in the Oneonta Hospital), hovering between life and death from a self inflicted bullet wound and guarded constantly by a Board of Water Supply policeman from Gilboa and Undersheriff Miles Hazelton of Schoharie County where the crime was committed. It was stated this morning that Maycock's chances for recovery are fair (other papers had him near death) and two days or more will tell the story whether or not the man is destined to face a charge of first degree murder or to pass into oblivion after being remembered for a few years as a principal in a most shocking crime.
The events leading up to the tragedy go back several years. The couple left Gilboa where Maycock was employed at the Intake, about two years ago and made their home in various places. Their family life became tempestuous and domestic trouble seemed always just under the surface, and Maycock began drinking. Three weeks ago he is alleged to have threatened his wife with a razor, but she escaped. A few days later he gave her a severe beating leaving her badly bruised. Two weeks ago she left her husband while in Albany and came to the home of her parents in Stamford. Clara then went to the home of her sister, Mrs. John Barthelmes who together with her husband and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Harris the former brother, live on the place known as the Jason Cronk farm about two miles from Gilboa on the Stamford-South Gilboa Road.
Maycock, who came from a good family and was said to have a college education, arrived in Stamford August 7th on Alle's bus. He was without funds so went to the home of Roscoe Harris, on South Street, to spend the night. The following night, during the Fireman's celebration, his wife came over from South Gilboa and is said to have unexpectedly met Maycock who declared he would shoot her then and there if he had a gun. Clara immediately returned to the home of her sister. About three o'clock the next morning, Maycock who had been drinking heavily, obtained some poison which he swallowed. He became violently ill so Dr. G.L. Hubbell was summoned and he pumped his stomach. The next day Maycock continued drinking all day then left early on the morning of the 10th for Gilboa in order to supposedly bring Clara back to Albany with him (some newspapers said he wanted her to elope with him and she refused but they were allegedly already married).
Maycock appeared at the Barthelmes farm while Clara was sitting on the porch with her sister peeling potatoes. Maycock called out Clara and they walked towards the barn where her brother Stephen Harris was. The relatives heard two shots then a third and ran towards the sound of gun fire finding Clara on the ground dead with two bullet holes in her forehead and Maycock writhing on the ground with one bullet hole in his forehead. He suddenly got up ran towards the lane then came back to the scene sat down and wiped blood from his face. He had used a 32-calibre revolver of the bull-dog type.
The first officer on the scene was Patrolman Reisner of the NY Water Supply police who took Maycock in the house and summoned Dr. Duncan Campbell. He was then taken, under guard, to Stamford Hospital in a large touring car. Maycock walked upstairs to the operating room and doctors removed a small piece of bone from the injury but were not sure if the bullet was still lodged in his head. Maycock's sole comment about the incident was "I didn't like her actions."
Clara was taken to Tooley & McAlpine undertakers, in Stamford, for an autopsy then was buried in Stamford Cemetery on August 19th. I could not find a gravestone for Clara (thank you Sandy Ferris for helping me to try and find one) but her parents and a few siblings are buried there. (posted on findagrave.com)
Maycock was charged with first degree murder and taken to the Schoharie County jail. One month later George Maycock was examined by doctors, found to be insane and committed to the Matteawan Institution for the Criminal Insane. He died January 16, 1926 in Beacon.
Sorry no pics available of Clara or the Harris family but the pic of the house Harris' lived in is from the Stamford Village Library history room photo collection.
By Karen Cuccinello
Clara Rose (Harris) Maycock was murdered in Gilboa at the young age of 22 on August 10, 1925 by her husband George Edward Maycock (sometimes spelled Maycox). Newspapers along the I-88 corridor from Albany to Binghamton ran the story and the articles listed her age as anywhere from 21 to 30. Most articles said they were married some said not.
Clara was born October 17, 1902 in Gilboa to Wilsey/Wiltsie and Jennie (Collins) Harris. Her siblings were Susie (Mrs. Earl Hayner), Steven/Stephen, Neta (Mrs. John Barthelmes), Myrtle, Gladys (Mrs. John Dundam), Roscoe and Minnie (Mrs. Arthur Gladstone). I believe her family moved to the Judson Homestead in Stamford the same year of her first marriage to LeRoy VanDyke Mackey, of Grand Gorge, on November 3, 1919. The marriage certificate listed his age as 22 and her's as 18 but I suspect she was really 17. They were allegedly divorced by the time Clara married George supposedly in 1922, perhaps in his home town of New Haven, CT.
According to George's 1917-18 WWI registration card he was born August 14, 1894 in New Haven, worked in Hartford, CT, and was tall, of medium build, with blue eyes and light hair. He was with his parents William A.(a blacksmith) and Abbie T. (Meagher) Maycock, both age 60, and three siblings in the 1920 Hartford, CT census. George would have met Clara during the time he was working on the Gilboa Dam in the 1920's. After their marriage they supposedly moved around. They lived in Oneonta, in 1923 and skipped out on paying the room bill so the state police had a warrant out for his arrest. In 1925 they were living at 137 Hamilton St., Albany, where Maycock worked at the Union News company, right before Clara's death.
August 12, 1925 Stamford Mirror-Recorder (modified)- Stamford and vicinity experienced a distressing tragedy August 10th in the murder and attempted suicide near Gilboa at the Will Snyder or also referred to as the Cronk Farm. Mrs. Clara Maycock, 22, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilsey Harris, of Stamford Village is dead and George Maycock, 29, of Hartford, Conn. alleged slayer of the young woman, is in the Stamford hospital (other newspapers had him in the Oneonta Hospital), hovering between life and death from a self inflicted bullet wound and guarded constantly by a Board of Water Supply policeman from Gilboa and Undersheriff Miles Hazelton of Schoharie County where the crime was committed. It was stated this morning that Maycock's chances for recovery are fair (other papers had him near death) and two days or more will tell the story whether or not the man is destined to face a charge of first degree murder or to pass into oblivion after being remembered for a few years as a principal in a most shocking crime.
The events leading up to the tragedy go back several years. The couple left Gilboa where Maycock was employed at the Intake, about two years ago and made their home in various places. Their family life became tempestuous and domestic trouble seemed always just under the surface, and Maycock began drinking. Three weeks ago he is alleged to have threatened his wife with a razor, but she escaped. A few days later he gave her a severe beating leaving her badly bruised. Two weeks ago she left her husband while in Albany and came to the home of her parents in Stamford. Clara then went to the home of her sister, Mrs. John Barthelmes who together with her husband and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Harris the former brother, live on the place known as the Jason Cronk farm about two miles from Gilboa on the Stamford-South Gilboa Road.
Maycock, who came from a good family and was said to have a college education, arrived in Stamford August 7th on Alle's bus. He was without funds so went to the home of Roscoe Harris, on South Street, to spend the night. The following night, during the Fireman's celebration, his wife came over from South Gilboa and is said to have unexpectedly met Maycock who declared he would shoot her then and there if he had a gun. Clara immediately returned to the home of her sister. About three o'clock the next morning, Maycock who had been drinking heavily, obtained some poison which he swallowed. He became violently ill so Dr. G.L. Hubbell was summoned and he pumped his stomach. The next day Maycock continued drinking all day then left early on the morning of the 10th for Gilboa in order to supposedly bring Clara back to Albany with him (some newspapers said he wanted her to elope with him and she refused but they were allegedly already married).
Maycock appeared at the Barthelmes farm while Clara was sitting on the porch with her sister peeling potatoes. Maycock called out Clara and they walked towards the barn where her brother Stephen Harris was. The relatives heard two shots then a third and ran towards the sound of gun fire finding Clara on the ground dead with two bullet holes in her forehead and Maycock writhing on the ground with one bullet hole in his forehead. He suddenly got up ran towards the lane then came back to the scene sat down and wiped blood from his face. He had used a 32-calibre revolver of the bull-dog type.
The first officer on the scene was Patrolman Reisner of the NY Water Supply police who took Maycock in the house and summoned Dr. Duncan Campbell. He was then taken, under guard, to Stamford Hospital in a large touring car. Maycock walked upstairs to the operating room and doctors removed a small piece of bone from the injury but were not sure if the bullet was still lodged in his head. Maycock's sole comment about the incident was "I didn't like her actions."
Clara was taken to Tooley & McAlpine undertakers, in Stamford, for an autopsy then was buried in Stamford Cemetery on August 19th. I could not find a gravestone for Clara (thank you Sandy Ferris for helping me to try and find one) but her parents and a few siblings are buried there. (posted on findagrave.com)
Maycock was charged with first degree murder and taken to the Schoharie County jail. One month later George Maycock was examined by doctors, found to be insane and committed to the Matteawan Institution for the Criminal Insane. He died January 16, 1926 in Beacon.
Sorry no pics available of Clara or the Harris family but the pic of the house Harris' lived in is from the Stamford Village Library history room photo collection.
Murder in Gilboa
By Karen Cuccinello
Clara Rose (Harris) Maycock was murdered in Gilboa at the young age of 22 on August 10, 1925 by her husband George Edward Maycock (sometimes spelled Maycox). Newspapers along the I-88 corridor from Albany to Binghamton ran the story and the articles listed her age as anywhere from 21 to 30. Most articles said they were married some said not.
Clara was born October 17, 1902 in Gilboa to Wilsey/Wiltsie and Jennie (Collins) Harris. Her siblings were Susie (Mrs. Earl Hayner), Steven/Stephen, Neta (Mrs. John Barthelmes), Myrtle, Gladys (Mrs. John Dundam), Roscoe and Minnie (Mrs. Arthur Gladstone). I believe her family moved to the Judson Homestead in Stamford the same year of her first marriage to LeRoy VanDyke Mackey, of Grand Gorge, on November 3, 1919. The marriage certificate listed his age as 22 and her's as 18 but I suspect she was really 17. They were allegedly divorced by the time Clara married George supposedly in 1922, perhaps in his home town of New Haven, CT.
According to George's 1917-18 WWI registration card he was born August 14, 1894 in New Haven, worked in Hartford, CT, and was tall, of medium build, with blue eyes and light hair. He was with his parents William A.(a blacksmith) and Abbie T. (Meagher) Maycock, both age 60, and three siblings in the 1920 Hartford, CT census. George would have met Clara during the time he was working on the Gilboa Dam in the 1920's. After their marriage they supposedly moved around. They lived in Oneonta, in 1923 and skipped out on paying the room bill so the state police had a warrant out for his arrest. In 1925 they were living at 137 Hamilton St., Albany, where Maycock worked at the Union News company, right before Clara's death.
August 12, 1925 Stamford Mirror-Recorder (modified)- Stamford and vicinity experienced a distressing tragedy August 10th in the murder and attempted suicide near Gilboa at the Will Snyder or also referred to as the Cronk Farm. Mrs. Clara Maycock, 22, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilsey Harris, of Stamford Village is dead and George Maycock, 29, of Hartford, Conn. alleged slayer of the young woman, is in the Stamford hospital (other newspapers had him in the Oneonta Hospital), hovering between life and death from a self inflicted bullet wound and guarded constantly by a Board of Water Supply policeman from Gilboa and Undersheriff Miles Hazelton of Schoharie County where the crime was committed. It was stated this morning that Maycock's chances for recovery are fair (other papers had him near death) and two days or more will tell the story whether or not the man is destined to face a charge of first degree murder or to pass into oblivion after being remembered for a few years as a principal in a most shocking crime.
The events leading up to the tragedy go back several years. The couple left Gilboa where Maycock was employed at the Intake, about two years ago and made their home in various places. Their family life became tempestuous and domestic trouble seemed always just under the surface, and Maycock began drinking. Three weeks ago he is alleged to have threatened his wife with a razor, but she escaped. A few days later he gave her a severe beating leaving her badly bruised. Two weeks ago she left her husband while in Albany and came to the home of her parents in Stamford. Clara then went to the home of her sister, Mrs. John Barthelmes who together with her husband and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Harris the former brother, live on the place known as the Jason Cronk farm about two miles from Gilboa on the Stamford-South Gilboa Road.
Maycock, who came from a good family and was said to have a college education, arrived in Stamford August 7th on Alle's bus. He was without funds so went to the home of Roscoe Harris, on South Street, to spend the night. The following night, during the Fireman's celebration, his wife came over from South Gilboa and is said to have unexpectedly met Maycock who declared he would shoot her then and there if he had a gun. Clara immediately returned to the home of her sister. About three o'clock the next morning, Maycock who had been drinking heavily, obtained some poison which he swallowed. He became violently ill so Dr. G.L. Hubbell was summoned and he pumped his stomach. The next day Maycock continued drinking all day then left early on the morning of the 10th for Gilboa in order to supposedly bring Clara back to Albany with him (some newspapers said he wanted her to elope with him and she refused but they were allegedly already married).
Maycock appeared at the Barthelmes farm while Clara was sitting on the porch with her sister peeling potatoes. Maycock called out Clara and they walked towards the barn where her brother Stephen Harris was. The relatives heard two shots then a third and ran towards the sound of gun fire finding Clara on the ground dead with two bullet holes in her forehead and Maycock writhing on the ground with one bullet hole in his forehead. He suddenly got up ran towards the lane then came back to the scene sat down and wiped blood from his face. He had used a 32-calibre revolver of the bull-dog type.
The first officer on the scene was Patrolman Reisner of the NY Water Supply police who took Maycock in the house and summoned Dr. Duncan Campbell. He was then taken, under guard, to Stamford Hospital in a large touring car. Maycock walked upstairs to the operating room and doctors removed a small piece of bone from the injury but were not sure if the bullet was still lodged in his head. Maycock's sole comment about the incident was "I didn't like her actions."
Clara was taken to Tooley & McAlpine undertakers, in Stamford, for an autopsy then was buried in Stamford Cemetery on August 19th. I could not find a gravestone for Clara (thank you Sandy Ferris for helping me to try and find one) but her parents and a few siblings are buried there. (posted on findagrave.com)
Maycock was charged with first degree murder and taken to the Schoharie County jail. One month later George Maycock was examined by doctors, found to be insane and committed to the Matteawan Institution for the Criminal Insane. He died January 16, 1926 in Beacon.
Sorry no pics available of Clara or the Harris family but the pic of the house Harris' lived in is from the Stamford Village Library history room photo collection.
By Karen Cuccinello
Clara Rose (Harris) Maycock was murdered in Gilboa at the young age of 22 on August 10, 1925 by her husband George Edward Maycock (sometimes spelled Maycox). Newspapers along the I-88 corridor from Albany to Binghamton ran the story and the articles listed her age as anywhere from 21 to 30. Most articles said they were married some said not.
Clara was born October 17, 1902 in Gilboa to Wilsey/Wiltsie and Jennie (Collins) Harris. Her siblings were Susie (Mrs. Earl Hayner), Steven/Stephen, Neta (Mrs. John Barthelmes), Myrtle, Gladys (Mrs. John Dundam), Roscoe and Minnie (Mrs. Arthur Gladstone). I believe her family moved to the Judson Homestead in Stamford the same year of her first marriage to LeRoy VanDyke Mackey, of Grand Gorge, on November 3, 1919. The marriage certificate listed his age as 22 and her's as 18 but I suspect she was really 17. They were allegedly divorced by the time Clara married George supposedly in 1922, perhaps in his home town of New Haven, CT.
According to George's 1917-18 WWI registration card he was born August 14, 1894 in New Haven, worked in Hartford, CT, and was tall, of medium build, with blue eyes and light hair. He was with his parents William A.(a blacksmith) and Abbie T. (Meagher) Maycock, both age 60, and three siblings in the 1920 Hartford, CT census. George would have met Clara during the time he was working on the Gilboa Dam in the 1920's. After their marriage they supposedly moved around. They lived in Oneonta, in 1923 and skipped out on paying the room bill so the state police had a warrant out for his arrest. In 1925 they were living at 137 Hamilton St., Albany, where Maycock worked at the Union News company, right before Clara's death.
August 12, 1925 Stamford Mirror-Recorder (modified)- Stamford and vicinity experienced a distressing tragedy August 10th in the murder and attempted suicide near Gilboa at the Will Snyder or also referred to as the Cronk Farm. Mrs. Clara Maycock, 22, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilsey Harris, of Stamford Village is dead and George Maycock, 29, of Hartford, Conn. alleged slayer of the young woman, is in the Stamford hospital (other newspapers had him in the Oneonta Hospital), hovering between life and death from a self inflicted bullet wound and guarded constantly by a Board of Water Supply policeman from Gilboa and Undersheriff Miles Hazelton of Schoharie County where the crime was committed. It was stated this morning that Maycock's chances for recovery are fair (other papers had him near death) and two days or more will tell the story whether or not the man is destined to face a charge of first degree murder or to pass into oblivion after being remembered for a few years as a principal in a most shocking crime.
The events leading up to the tragedy go back several years. The couple left Gilboa where Maycock was employed at the Intake, about two years ago and made their home in various places. Their family life became tempestuous and domestic trouble seemed always just under the surface, and Maycock began drinking. Three weeks ago he is alleged to have threatened his wife with a razor, but she escaped. A few days later he gave her a severe beating leaving her badly bruised. Two weeks ago she left her husband while in Albany and came to the home of her parents in Stamford. Clara then went to the home of her sister, Mrs. John Barthelmes who together with her husband and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Harris the former brother, live on the place known as the Jason Cronk farm about two miles from Gilboa on the Stamford-South Gilboa Road.
Maycock, who came from a good family and was said to have a college education, arrived in Stamford August 7th on Alle's bus. He was without funds so went to the home of Roscoe Harris, on South Street, to spend the night. The following night, during the Fireman's celebration, his wife came over from South Gilboa and is said to have unexpectedly met Maycock who declared he would shoot her then and there if he had a gun. Clara immediately returned to the home of her sister. About three o'clock the next morning, Maycock who had been drinking heavily, obtained some poison which he swallowed. He became violently ill so Dr. G.L. Hubbell was summoned and he pumped his stomach. The next day Maycock continued drinking all day then left early on the morning of the 10th for Gilboa in order to supposedly bring Clara back to Albany with him (some newspapers said he wanted her to elope with him and she refused but they were allegedly already married).
Maycock appeared at the Barthelmes farm while Clara was sitting on the porch with her sister peeling potatoes. Maycock called out Clara and they walked towards the barn where her brother Stephen Harris was. The relatives heard two shots then a third and ran towards the sound of gun fire finding Clara on the ground dead with two bullet holes in her forehead and Maycock writhing on the ground with one bullet hole in his forehead. He suddenly got up ran towards the lane then came back to the scene sat down and wiped blood from his face. He had used a 32-calibre revolver of the bull-dog type.
The first officer on the scene was Patrolman Reisner of the NY Water Supply police who took Maycock in the house and summoned Dr. Duncan Campbell. He was then taken, under guard, to Stamford Hospital in a large touring car. Maycock walked upstairs to the operating room and doctors removed a small piece of bone from the injury but were not sure if the bullet was still lodged in his head. Maycock's sole comment about the incident was "I didn't like her actions."
Clara was taken to Tooley & McAlpine undertakers, in Stamford, for an autopsy then was buried in Stamford Cemetery on August 19th. I could not find a gravestone for Clara (thank you Sandy Ferris for helping me to try and find one) but her parents and a few siblings are buried there. (posted on findagrave.com)
Maycock was charged with first degree murder and taken to the Schoharie County jail. One month later George Maycock was examined by doctors, found to be insane and committed to the Matteawan Institution for the Criminal Insane. He died January 16, 1926 in Beacon.
Sorry no pics available of Clara or the Harris family but the pic of the house Harris' lived in is from the Stamford Village Library history room photo collection.
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