Born at 'Orwell Hill'.
Son of William 'Pitt' Payson and Achsah Amanda Webster.

Killed by a shotgun blast while farming.

SOURCE: 13 May 1886, The Owego Gazette

THE NICHOLS TRAGEDY

Homicide, Suicide, and Suicide -
At Lounsbury Railroad Station of D.L.&W Below Owego
Three People Dead

The full particulars of the crime, as gathered at the scene of the tragedy by a representative of the GAZETTE, are as follows:
Norman Lounsbury was born May 7, 1815, in Nichols. He went to school until he was eighteen years of age. He resided on the farm with his father Benj. Lounsbury, and was engaged in the lumbering business until he was twenty-one years of age. Sept. 9, 1836, he was united in marriage with Louisa Olmsted, daughter of Joshua Olmsted, of Nichols, and commenced keeping house on a farm in the town of Nichols, two miles south of Tioga Centre, owned by his father, where he stayed about three years. He then bought the Ezra Canfield farm, now owned by Samuel Smith, lived thereon thirteen years, and then sold it. He removed on the farm now occupied by Wm. Lounsbury, Jr., which he had leased, and he stayed there one year. In 1846, he bought and moved upon the farm now owned by James Lounsbury's heirs. He erected buildings and improved his farm, residing thereon several years. He was a well-to-do farmer with ample means, and ranked with the leading citizens of the town. He was a Republican in politics, and during his life held the offices of Justice of the Peace and Town Clerk for several years. He also represented his town as a Supervisor, 1856 and 1857. He separated from his wife, in 1865, and sold his farm. For several years he wandered about the country, staying but a short time at any one place. He finally expended all the money received from the sale of his farm. He lived with his brothers, in the town of Nichols, for several years and worked by the day and month. Louisa Lounsbury, his wife, died in Nichols, Nov. 2, 1885. His family consisted of five children, three sons and two daughters, who are well educated, respected, and honorable citizens. One son, Jay Lounsbury, is a wealthy resident of Menomonie, Mich. Libbie Lounsbury, a daughter, resides in New York. Allen Lounsbury resides in South Waverly. Norman Lounsbury, Jr., is dead. Louisa Lounsbury, another daughter, married Prof. L. J. Boeck, formerly Principal of the Owego Academy. They now reside in Philadelphia. Norman Lounsbury was married in Elmira, Jan. 6, 1886, to Julia A. Presher, daughter of Benj. Presher, of Nichols. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Wm. T. Henry, pastor of the First Baptist Church of that city. She was born Oct. 9, 1868. His union with her was a surprise to everybody, as she was a woman of questionable reputation, and of a low family. She was not recognized by the Lounsbury family, which is one of the most respectable in the town. When Lounsbury commenced keeping house he was depending upon his brother for support. He leased a small house owned by his brother, Horace Lounsbury, situated in a field, a few rods back of the latter's residence. In this house the tragedy occurred. He lived retired, and in many instances deprived of the comforts of life. He was engaged at work by the day on the farm for his brother, Horace, as a common day laborer. For several weeks previous to the tragedy he had not lived agreeably with his wife. His poverty, his surroundings, and everything else were cause enough for discontent, but to these was added jealousy of his wife. She had expressed dissatisfaction with her husband. To Mrs. Abner Hills, a neighbor, she said that she was going to separate from her husband. She said he acted queer and treated her with scorn and indifference. Mrs. Hills advised her not to leave her husband, but to return and live with him. She finally said she would stay with him until next fall, but would then leave him.

Some time ago, Lounsbury had borrowed a double-barrelled shot gun of Geo. Lounsbury, a nephew. He bought a supply of ammunition, and loaded the gun with No. 3 shot and placed it in the corner of the room.

Mrs. Lounsbury informed Mrs. Hills of her husband having borrowed the gun, and of his having left it loaded in the corner of the room. She said her husband had told her he would shoot the first man who came around there.

Lounsbury had shown evidence of mental derangement for some time previous to the shooting, and it is said that he had been in the habit of taking morphine. After his death a morphine bottle nearly empty, was found in his vest pocket. He had a revolver in his possession for several years, and during the past few weeks at times, he carried it in his pocket.

A GAZETTE representative called at the residence of William Lounsbury, his brother, who resides opposite Tioga Centre, in Nichols. In an interview Mr. Lounsbury said that Norman came to him last Sunday morning for a horse and carriage to take his wife to Halsey Valley to visit a friend. He consented to let him have them. He took the horse and carriage and drove to the house of his father-in-law, Benj. Presher, and got his wife and her sister, Dell Presher, and started on their journey. He did not go with the women, however, farther than the Tioga Centre ferry, when he left them and returned to his brother's, Wm. Lounsbury's. His wife and her sister went to Halsey Valley, and returned in the evening. William first saw Norman on his return, sitting on the horse block in front of his residence. He was apparently restless and very indifferent. He invited him into the house and gave him a chair in his sitting room. Mr. Lounsbury's family noticed that something was not right with Norman and they left the house and went to church. Mr. Lounsbury remained to keep Norman company during the day. Norman talked over his troubles, lamented the loss of his property, expressed regret for his course, and cried. He talked and acted so strangely that his brother, William, became somewhat alarmed, but Norman finally went home with his wife. On their way home they quarreled and at times it was feared that he would strike her.

Previous to borrowing William Lounsbury's horse, Norman had applied to his brother, Horace, for a horse and carriage, but the latter refused to let him have them and locked them in his barn. Norman was very angry and made various threats.

Sunday evening is supposed to have been spent in bickering and contention. Some think that Mr. and Mrs. Lounsbury retired late in the evening, while others think that Lounsbury did not retire at all. Mrs. Lounsbury evidently retired and fell asleep. She was lying on her right side, facing the wall, on the back side of her bed. It is supposed that during the night Lounsbury approached his wife's room on his knees with his gun in hand. When he reached the bed he raised himself partially, leveled his gun at her head, and fired. The charge entered a little below her left ear and passed through her head, mangling and fracturing her skull. She was found in the morning lying in a pool of blood, cold and stiff. The bed sheet had caught fire and a round hole three feet in diameter was burned out.

Lounsbury left his house early in the morning and went to the barn to milk and do other chores, as he usually did before breakfast. He took his breakfast at his brother Horace's, for whom he was engaged to work, as usual. He ate in silence, and appeared moody and downcast. He arose from the table and left the house, but in what direction he went, was not noticed. It is supposed, however, he returned to his home.

Frances Payson, a sister of Horace E. Payson, who is living with the family of Horace Lounsbury, says that when she was engaged doing her morning work, she went out into the front yard to the pump to draw some water. The horse barn and the place where her brother was killed are situated across the road from the house. She saw Norman Lounsbury crossing the road in the direction of the horse barn, with his gun in his hand. He entered the shed attached to the horse barn, through a small side door that was fastened by a hook. After he had passed through and closed the door she heard the report of his gun. She looked and saw a drove of pigeons arise and fly off from the barn, and supposed he was shooting pigeons. She returned into the house with the water. She afterward saw the horses attached to the plow coming out of the barn yard without a driver. She suspected that something was wrong, and gave the alarm to Mrs. Lounsbury, her aunt. The latter said: "May be he has shot Horace." They went at once to the shed.

Payson had been engaged at work plowing in the barn yard. The yard is in the rear of the barn, overlooking a field, with a barn on each side and a shed opposite the field. The barns and shed faced the road lengthwise, and the barn yard was entered by a side door, leading under the shed. Payson was back-furrowing the yard in the centre, and on making his turn on one end passed into the shed and around a post at the outer edge. After he had made his turn around the post and was going out from under the shed into the yard, Lounsbury, who was standing in the shed with his gun concealed behind him, advanced on Payson from behind, pointed the gun at his head, and fired. The charge entered the back part of his head and passed into the skull. He fell at the side of the post, without moving from his tracks, and died instantly.

In an interview with Horace Lounsbury, 2d, Horace Lounsbury's nephew, the GAZETTE reporter was informed that the gun might have been taken to the barn early in the morning by Norman Lounsbury and concealed by the side of the shed at the side door in readiness for use. Others, however, credit Frances Payson's story, as already related.

After the shooting, Lounsbury passed out from under the shed through the side door and went across the road in the direction of his own house, which was about twenty rods distant. As he went along he looked occasionally around him, as if to see whether he was observed or not. He was seen to go into the front door of his house, which he locked behind him, after which he put down the window curtains. He took off all his clothes except his pantaloons and shirt. His cloths and boots were placed in a heap at one side of the room. He was in the centre of the sitting room when he shot himself and was in either a standing or kneeling position. It is supposed that he rested the stock of the gun on the floor, with the muzzle pointed against his head, and discharged it with his foot. The charge blew away the whole upper part of the skull, spattering the ceiling with his brains. The charge of shot lodged in the ceiling at one side of the room close to the wall. Lounsbury was found lying on his side and the gun was on the floor lying lengthwise with his body.

When it became known that Lounsbury had killed Payson, the neighbors rushed to the spot in large numbers. Elijah C. Spencer, of Tioga Centre, and Chas. Dunham, of Nichols, constables, were sent for. They arrived at about 9 o'clock. They found Lounsbury's house locked and the window curtains down. Not knowing that Lounsbury had killed himself, and supposing he was alive in the house, prepared to resist arrest, they placed a guard around the house. Mr. Spencer broke through the front door, while Mr. Dunham stood by his side with a cocked revolver. The constables went inside, when they found Lounsbury and his wife both lying dead. Twenty-one pieces of the bones of Lounsbury's skill were picked up on the floor. It was difficult to tell whether he had discharged both barrels of his gun at once, or whether he had blown his own head off with one barrel. The hammer of one barrel was broken off, leading to the supposition that the gun was overcharged and had blown it off. In one of his pantaloons pockets was found a revolver, every chamber of which was loaded. In his vest pocket was also found a bottle, which was supposed to contain morphine, and its contents had been nearly all used. On the table was found a note, written on a half sheet of note paper, with the following words:

"To Waverly you will send for Allen O. Lounsbury to come and take care of me. I am crazy. May God have mercy on my soul. I have a hope beyond this world. I have prayed to Him to have mercy on my soul. N. Lounsbury"

Mrs. Lounsbury was lying on the bed in the bed room adjoining. The bed clothes were covered with blood, in a pool of which she was lying. She was lying on her right side with her face toward the wall. She had evidently been shot while asleep.

Dr. George P. Cady, Coroner at Nichols, was summoned at about 10 o'clock in the forenoon. He empaneled a jury of six men, consisting of W. A. Smith, foreman, C. Henry Horton, Harvey Smith, Isaac LaRue, George Lane, and David Sears. The jury held two examinations, the first at Horace Lounsbury's on Payson, and the second at Norman Lounsbury's. Their verdict was to the effect that Norman Lounsbury shot and killed his wife, Julia A. Lounsbury, and Horace E. Payson with a shot gun, and committed suicide by shooting himself with the same weapon.

Horace E. Payson was born August 23, 1851, at Orwell Hill, Bradford Co., Pa. W. P. Payson, his father, was an old resident of that place and lived there until about a year ago when he removed to Towanda, where he now resides. Mr. Payson has a large family of children. At the age of 23 years Horace went to live with his aunt, Mrs. Horace Lounsbury, where he has resided for twelve years, during which time he has had charge of the work and farm hands on the farm. Mr. Lounsbury placed great confidence in him and gave him entire charge of the farm and the employees and entrusted him with the business. Norman did not like this, as he considered himself Payson's superior in knowledge of farming. For some time there had been no good feeling between them.
W. P. Payson and family arrived at Horace Lounsbury's Monday evening, to take charge of their son's remains. The funeral took place at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Rev. James Wilson officiating, and his remains were interred in Riverside cemetery.
Norman Lounsbury's funeral was held at the residence of his brother, Horace Lounsbury, on Tuesday afternoon, and his remains were buried by the side of those of his first wife.

Mrs. Lounsbury's funeral was held at the River Valley church at 4 o'clock the same afternoon, Rev. N. W. Barnes officiating.
Norman Lounsbury carried a life insurance policy in the Owego Mutual Benefit Association, in the second division, for $5,000, payable to his wife in the event of his death. As the class is not full, the association will pay only about $1,500. It is said that his insuring his life in her favor was the condition on which his wife married him. It is a question whether the company is obliged to pay the amount of the policy to her heirs, the insured having come to his death by his own hands.

Horace E. Payson was a member of the Knights and Ladies of Honor at Tioga Centre, in which his life was insured April 13th, 1886, for $1,000. He had been carrying an insurance in the second division of the Owego Mutual Benefit Association for $5,000 until about two months ago, when he surrendered his policy. The latter company has a membership in the first division of 3,174 members and in the second division about 1,500.