Susan Elizabeth Linn Sage (1819–1885) was the wife of Henry W. Sage. Her genealogy and a few biographical facts have has been laid out in a previous post about the Linn family. She was first cousin to Frances Peters, wife of James Richard Speed of Slaterville, who was the son of Dr. Joseph Speed, an early settler of the town.
If anyone can identify "Dodge's Mill", please let me know in the comments.
Fatal Runaway Accident
Mrs. Henry W. Sage Killed and Her Sister Severely Injured.
The Ithaca Democrat, July 16, 1885, p. 5
On Saturday evening last the startling intelligence was received in this village that Mrs. Susan L. Sage, wife of our townsman, Hon. Henry W. Sage, had been killed in a runaway accident on the Slaterville road, about four miles east of the village. The news of the casualty was soon after confirmed, and the details found to be as follows:
Early in the afternoon Mr. H. W. Sage accompanied by Mrs. Sage, and her sister, Miss Linn, and Miss Uhlhorn, of New York city, left Ithaca for a drive to Slaterville Springs. The party occupied a light canopy top carriage which was drawn by M. Sage’s large bay team. They left Slaterville on the return trip shortly after six o’clock and had reached a point about midway between Slaterville and this place when one of the horses stumbled and broke one of the cross lines.The additional strain thus brought upon the other horse caused the animals to crowd closely together and turn about in the road. Mr. Sage then jumped from the carriage for the purpose of grasping the horses at their heads, but as he did so he stumbled and fell. As Mr. Sage leaped from the vehicle he was followed by Miss Uhlhorn and Miss Linn, but Mrs. Sage, who occupied a rear seat, was unable to leave the carriage before the frightened horses, whom Mr. Sage had been unable to stop, dashed away, dragging Miss Linn, whose dress had caught in the wheel, for a short distance, inflicting many severe bruises upon her body and fracturing the knee cap. The horses continued their mad flight along the rough road in the direction of Slaterville, until reaching a point nearly opposite the intersection of the Dodge’s Mill road where the carriage struck a hollow in the road bed and Mrs. Sage, who had partially risen from her seat, was thrown violently to the ground, striking head foremost and dislocating her neck, causing death almost instantaneously. The team ran on up the road for over half a mile further, where one of them fell and was badly injured. The carriage was not damaged.
Mr. Sage, together with others whose attention had been attracted by the flying horses, hastened to the spot where the inanimate form of Mrs. Sage, lay, but it was at once evident the then accident had resulted fatally.
Dr. Tisdale, of Brookton, was summoned and after making an examination pronounced life extinct, after which he attended to the injuries of Miss Linn, who was suffering intense pain. Word was also telegraphed to this place summoning the relatives of the family and Dr. E. J. Morgan, Jr. The remains of Mrs. Sage were brought to the family residence on East Hill at about half past eight o’clock in the evening.
Dr. Pease, of Syracuse, and Dr. E. J. Morgan, Sr., who was at Kidder’s Ferry, were telegraphed for to attend to Miss Linn’s injuries which were found to be of a very serious nature. It is now thought, however, that she will fully recover.
Mrs. Sage was born in 1819 and her death occurred upon the 66th anniversary of her birth. She was a daughter of William Linn and a niece of the wife of Gen. Simeon DeWitt, the founder of the village of Ithaca. She was a lady who did many deeds of charity unknown to the world and her tragic death will be mourned outside of her immediate family by a large circle of friends. Mrs Sage had two children, Mr. Dean Sage, of Brooklyn, and William H. Sage, of this place.
The funeral services were held at the family residence of Tuesday afternoon at 4 o’clock and were attended by very many of our citizens who were anxious to express their sympathy in this terrible affliction. Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Mrs. Sage’s former pastor, was present and conducted the services. The closing hymn was rendered in an expressive manner by the Ithaca Quartette.
The remains of the deceased were placed in the Turner vault in the cemetery, there to remain until consigned to the earth in Mr. Sage’s plot. The following gentlemen acted as pall bearers; ex-President White, Judge Lyon, ex-Governor Cornell, Hon. E. S. Esty, Judge Finch, Rev. Mosca Cold Tyler, Judge Boardman, and Professors Fuertes, Morris and Babcock.
It is no exaggeration to say that the terrible accident which resulted in the death of Mrs. Henry W. Sage last Saturday and the serious injury of her sister, Miss Linn, has cast a gloom over our entire community. The bereaved family has the sympathy of all our people.
A Shocking Fatality
Mrs. Henry W. Sage instantly killed.
Sad Ending of a Pleasure Ride
Ithaca daily journal. (Ithaca, N.Y.) 1872-1913, July 13, 1885, p. 3
A terrible accident, caused by a runaway, resulting in the almost instant death of Mrs. Susan L. Sage, wife of our townsman, Hon. Henry W. Sage, occurred on the Slaterville road four miles east of this village at about 6:30 o’clock in Saturday evening.
The facts, as nearly as could be ascertained by a Journal representative, who visited the scene of the fatal accident soon after it happened, and who interviewed all those having personal knowledge of the matter, as as follows:
At about three o’clock on Saturday afternoon, Hon. H. W. Sage accompanied by Mrs. Sage, Miss Linn, sister of Mrs. Sage and Miss Uhlhorn, their guest, of New York city, started upon a pleasure ride to Slaterville in a light canopy-top carriage drawn by Mr. Sage’s stalwart bays. The party left Slaterville on the return trip to Ithaca a few minutes after six o’clock. Nothing whatever occurred to mar the enjoyment of the drive until a point about twenty-five or thirty rods east of the intersection of the main road by the road leading to Dodge’s Mill, and about midway between this place and Slaterville. Here, one of the horses stumbled causing one of the cross lines to break. The additional strain upon the other line caused the team to turn about in the read. Mr. Sage, who was driving, at once saw the danger he and his party were in and knowing that it was impossible to longer control the animals with the lines, leaped out, as they were wheeling around, for the purpose of grasping the horses by their heads. As Mr. Sage leaped to the ground Miss Uhlhorn followed, by Miss Linn, sprang out leaving Mrs. Sage in the rear seat as the sole occupant of the carriage. Mr. Sage failed to seize the horses by the bits and they dashed away dragging Miss Linn, whose dress caught in the rear wheel, along the ground for several feet and severely bruising her and fracturing the left knee-cap. The now thoroughly frightened team dashed along the road in the direction of Slaterville at a terrific rate of speed, the frail carriage with its single occupant bounding and swaying about over the rough road. Just before reaching the intersection of the Dodge’s Mill road, Mrs. Sage, who was wild with terror, had partially risen from her seat as if to leap from the carriage. At a point nearly opposite the cross road above mentioned the flying carriage struck a slight depression in the road, and the sudden jolt threw Mrs. Sage violently head foremost from the vehicle to the centre of the hard road bed, dislocating her neck, and producing almost instant death. Mr. Charles H. Palmer, a farmer living a few rods east of where the accident occurred, whose attention was first called to the casualty by the mad flight of the runaway team as they dashed by his house, ran out to the road and seeing the prostrate form of Mrs. Sage lying in the road, hastened to her assistance, and arrived at about the same time as did Mr. Sage. Mr. Sage at once raised the inanimate form of his wife and sustained her in his arms. It was too evident from the first that the cruel fall had terminated fatally. Dr. Tisdel of Brookton was immediately summoned and the injured lady conveyed to Mr. Palmer’s house, as was also Miss Linn who was suffering intense pain from the injuries she had received. Neither Mr. Sage nor Miss Uhlhorn were injured to any serious extent. Dr. Tisdel arrived in a short time and after a brief examination of Mrs. Sage pronounced her dead. In the meantime word had been telegraphed to Ithaca and Dr. E. J. Morgan Jr., and the relatives of the deceased lady were summoned.
The horses continued their course up the road for about half a mile when the “nigh” horse stumbled and fell injuring it badly, and both horses broke loose from the carriage, the uninjured animal running a short distance beyond. The vehicle was uninjured with the exception of a broken whiffletree and neck yoke.
At about half past eight Mrs. Sage’s remains were tenderly conveyed, accompanied by her grief-stricken relatives, to the beautiful residence from which she had departed but a few short hours before, so full of life and hope and happiness.
To those who are superstitious or the believe in signs and omens it may be of interest to mention the fact that Mrs. Sage, a few nights before her death had a dream in which she saw three coffins, in one of which she recognized her own lifeless body. The vision so affected her at the time that it was long before she overcame the terror occasioned by it and she related it to several members of her family. To this we might further add the fact that Mr. Sage was engaged for some time and nearly up to the hour of his leaving upon the fatal journey, in draughting an inscription for a family monument. This last fact taken in connection with the fact that Mrs. Sage’s death occurred on her 66th birthday anniversary and is the first one which ever occurred in the family forms a strange coincidence. Still another incident may be mentioned and one regarded with peculiar awe by many, which is the fact that a small hand mirror in Mr. Sage’s office was recently discovered to be broken into fragments, and the cause of the breaking, after careful inquiry, remains a mystery.
Dr. Pease of Syracuse, and Dr. Morgan, who was at Kidders, were telegraphed for and, with Dr. Morgan, Jr., held a consolation regarding Miss Linn’s injuries. They pronounce them serious, but entertain strong hopes of a prefect recovery.
Mr. Dean Sage, of Brooklyn, oldest son of the deceased, accompanied by his wife, arrived here yesterday afternoon by special train to Cayuga, and thence by chartered steamer, arriving at about 3 o’clock.
The funeral services will occur at the family residence to-morrow at 4 P. M. and will be conducted by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Mrs. Sage’s former paster, The sorrowing family are constantly receiving messages of sympathy from all parts of the country. Mr. Sage, although much prostrated by his wife’s death bears up bravely under his dreadful affliction.
The deceased was born in 1819, being the daughter of William Linn, and granddaughter of the Rev. Dr. Linn, an eminent New York divine of Washington’s time. Her aunt, Susan Linn, after whom Mrs. Sage was christened, was the wife of Gen. Simeon De Witt, the founder of the village of Ithaca, in 1794.
The death of Mrs. Sage leaves a whole community in bereavement. Nothing can be said about her that will fulfill the function of an obituary—perhaps nothing should be said—but to allow the sweet perfume of her noble charities to rest upon this village, as a sacred memory of her noble and unselfish life. Mrs. Sage’s days were filled with active duties; and while her social friends might think that her wealth and the comforts she enjoyed, left her much leisure, she was nevertheless always busy—and never busy with herself. Her hands were always ready to give, her heart always open to receive love, and her sympathies were as broad and varied as the demands upon her thoughts for others. The last deed of her life was a mission of charity and love, cut short by the hand of death, while carrying comforts and cheering to suffering friends.
The noblest of her deeds will never be known, for there never lived a more unostentatious giver. She was one of the founders of a noble charity in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Maternity, a school for training nurses, and many of the most active co-operators with her never knew how difficulties were overcome and needed funds supplied. Mrs. Sage considered her wealth a trust for others, her theory being that “the neediest would never beg,”. While she did not neglect the ordinary and improvident poor, she would discover who were the proud in trouble and send to them comforts—genuine “God sends,” accepted as such from her hidden hand. But she was not only a benevolent woman; those well acquainted with her family know how great was her influence upon it, and how often her quick perceptions in worldly affairs would cast a deciding vote in questions of great moment.
Great as her husband’s influence was in shaping her life, even much greater was hers in supplying advice, rest and strength to the strong man who led and followed her through 45 years of a married life crowded with critical experiences. Her life ended in a tragical and sudden manner but a few hours before the 66th anniversary of her birth. There are no words that can fittingly express the feelings of her friends, nor their sympathy with the stricken household.
May the sweet memory of her simple life and the imperishable mark of kindness that must forever dwell with her kindred, comfort them, and sustain them with the faith, courage a patience, needs till the day of eternal joy.