WEBVTT 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:16.399 Hey everyone, welcome to Seneca Lake Mysteries, 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.579 the podcast where we explore the unusual, strange, 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:23.539 and unexplained on New York's largest finger 00:00:23.539 --> 00:00:26.120 lake. I'm glad you're here. Thanks for listening 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:28.600 and thanks for all the support. If you haven't 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:32.439 done it yet, please be sure to subscribe wherever 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:35.140 you get your podcasts and follow Seneca Lake 00:00:35.140 --> 00:00:39.079 Mysteries on YouTube. Instagram, Facebook, and 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:41.539 Twitter. And also get over to SenecaLakeMysteries 00:00:41.539 --> 00:00:45.439 .com and subscribe to the website. And of course, 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:48.259 if you enjoy the show and you know someone else 00:00:48.259 --> 00:00:50.920 who might enjoy it, please share it with them 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:53.859 and let's keep this thing going. And you can 00:00:53.859 --> 00:00:57.399 always reach me by messaging me on social media, 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:00.979 emailing podcast at SenecaLakeMysteries .com 00:01:00.979 --> 00:01:11.219 or leaving a voicemail at 607 - 307 -1167. So 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:13.780 this time around, I've got a couple of cool Seneca 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:16.920 Lake monster stories from back in the day. One 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:18.540 that you may have heard before if you've done 00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:21.239 any digging into the legend, as well as another 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:24.819 story that you probably haven't heard about a 00:01:24.819 --> 00:01:28.599 prominent and highly esteemed Seneca Lake area 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:33.040 citizen's connection to the Seneca Lake serpent 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:36.239 story. Also for this episode, I'll be covering 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:39.040 a very different sort of topic compared to what 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:41.980 I've been talking about in the first 11 episodes. 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:45.260 Now, back in episode one, I talked about how 00:01:45.260 --> 00:01:48.040 the name of the podcast, Seneca Lake Mysteries, 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:51.019 might confuse some people into thinking it's 00:01:51.019 --> 00:01:55.359 a true crime podcast, a genre that's hugely popular 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:58.319 right now on podcasts, TV shows, documentaries. 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:02.200 So over the years, I've definitely come across 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:06.700 some crazy true crime stories, unsolved murders, 00:02:06.939 --> 00:02:10.099 mysterious deaths, things of that nature. But 00:02:10.099 --> 00:02:12.479 you won't hear those stories on this podcast 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.979 because I really don't think they fit into the 00:02:15.979 --> 00:02:19.580 whole vibe of Seneca Lake Mysteries. I just don't 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:23.219 feel like stories of violent deaths or murders 00:02:23.219 --> 00:02:25.780 or whatever are the kind of thing I'm going for. 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:29.319 However... I did come across a couple of stories 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:32.500 from the history of Seneca Lake that are maybe 00:02:32.500 --> 00:02:35.199 technically true crime stories, but the victims 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:39.400 of these crimes weren't killed or maimed, and 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:44.639 the stories aren't that dark or tragic. But I 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:47.280 do think these stories are just plain weird, 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.520 and I think some of you might find them as interesting 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:52.919 as I do. So for this episode, I'll be diving 00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:55.759 into two different stories of people who fake 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.900 their own deaths. on Seneca Lake back in the 00:02:58.900 --> 00:03:02.099 mid -20th century. And even though they happened 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:05.060 many years ago, there are still lingering questions 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:09.099 about each case, which I still find pretty fascinating. 00:03:09.340 --> 00:03:12.439 But before we get to those stories, I'm going 00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:15.460 to start right here in 2025 with a couple of 00:03:15.460 --> 00:03:19.319 strange reports in Watkins Glen and Burdette 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:23.039 that took place just a few weeks ago. A pair 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:27.539 of UFO sightings happened. during the last week 00:03:27.539 --> 00:03:31.919 of July 2025 near Seneca Lake. The first sighting 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:36.060 was of an orb that changed shape and color. It 00:03:36.060 --> 00:03:38.520 was recorded on video by a witness in Burdette 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:42.900 on Friday the 25th at 10 .14 p .m., while the 00:03:42.900 --> 00:03:45.800 second sighting prompted a call to the Schuyler 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:48.860 County Sheriff's Department, who reportedly followed 00:03:48.860 --> 00:03:54.180 the unidentified aerial object or objects starting 00:03:54.180 --> 00:03:57.219 in Watkins Glen. towards the direction of Reading 00:03:57.219 --> 00:04:02.280 on Tuesday, the 29th of July, around 4 a .m. 00:04:02.780 --> 00:04:05.979 So the first July sighting in Burdette on the 00:04:05.979 --> 00:04:09.979 25th was reported by an anonymous witness to 00:04:09.979 --> 00:04:13.620 Enigma Labs. That's an app and also a website 00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:17.060 where UFO witnesses can submit reports and stories 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:21.600 and users can receive real -time alerts when 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:23.699 there are new reports. I'll put a link in the 00:04:23.699 --> 00:04:28.600 description. to the site and this specific report. 00:04:29.139 --> 00:04:31.980 And you can also find the app for Android or 00:04:31.980 --> 00:04:36.579 Apple by searching Enigma UFO Sightings and Reports. 00:04:37.220 --> 00:04:41.339 So the witness left the following brief description 00:04:41.339 --> 00:04:46.160 on the app along with a video. Quote, just got 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:48.800 home in our driveway. We saw a light moving in 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:52.470 the sky. I grabbed my phone to video. I didn't 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:55.290 realize until I was reviewing the video, it looked 00:04:55.290 --> 00:04:58.089 like it was rotating, changing shape and colors. 00:04:58.449 --> 00:05:02.949 My wife was also present, end quote. So in the 00:05:02.949 --> 00:05:06.790 23 second video, the object, which is moving 00:05:06.790 --> 00:05:11.370 steadily across the sky, first appears whitish 00:05:11.370 --> 00:05:16.569 blue. The object then appears to change shape, 00:05:16.610 --> 00:05:19.709 becoming larger while looking like it's rotating. 00:05:21.850 --> 00:05:26.750 and changing color. The light seems to grow smaller 00:05:26.750 --> 00:05:29.430 at some point while continuing to change color 00:05:29.430 --> 00:05:33.110 with shades of blue and purple and pink before 00:05:33.110 --> 00:05:37.689 it disappears behind the rooftop of a nearby 00:05:37.689 --> 00:05:40.990 house. It does not look anything like a plane, 00:05:41.170 --> 00:05:45.850 drone, or Chinese lantern to me. And you can 00:05:45.850 --> 00:05:47.810 also go to the Seneca Lake Mysteries YouTube 00:05:47.810 --> 00:05:51.540 page. to see the video along with a zoomed -in 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:56.199 version of the video that I made. And, of course, 00:05:56.339 --> 00:06:00.439 orbs have been seen in the skies over and around 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:05.139 Seneca Lake for the last 70 years or so. So another 00:06:05.139 --> 00:06:09.800 sighting in 2025, while rare, certainly isn't 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:14.319 unusual for this region. Now, the next sighting 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:20.079 took place on July 29th. On July 30th, a Facebook 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:23.000 user posted the following in a local Facebook 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:27.060 group. Anyone have any info on a possible UFO 00:06:27.060 --> 00:06:30.240 sighting at 4 a .m. on Ellison Road outside of 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:35.000 Watkins Glen in early morning 7 -29 -25? Sheriff 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:39.560 was dispatched to check it out. Then another 00:06:39.560 --> 00:06:43.259 person asked for more information and this Facebook 00:06:43.259 --> 00:06:47.060 user provided the... following clarification. 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:50.839 I was told by somebody that they heard it on 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:53.519 the scanner as deputies were dispatched to check 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:56.740 it out. Apparently they followed a light or lights 00:06:56.740 --> 00:07:00.019 north towards Redding. I was hoping to hear more 00:07:00.019 --> 00:07:03.379 info. That's why I put it out there. I'd like 00:07:03.379 --> 00:07:06.339 to hear from whoever called it in at 4 a .m. 00:07:07.060 --> 00:07:10.279 Then several commenters replied and confirmed 00:07:10.279 --> 00:07:13.579 that they had heard the same report on the scanner 00:07:13.579 --> 00:07:16.649 with one person stating that the responding deputy 00:07:16.649 --> 00:07:20.949 had to ask dispatch to repeat the message. Another 00:07:20.949 --> 00:07:25.850 user from Watkins Glen stated, I've seen many 00:07:25.850 --> 00:07:31.730 since December 2024. So although there's no other 00:07:31.730 --> 00:07:35.269 information on this report, and it quite possibly 00:07:35.269 --> 00:07:41.850 could have a prosaic explanation like a drone 00:07:41.850 --> 00:07:45.350 or a meteor. It's worth noting that this specific 00:07:45.350 --> 00:07:48.009 area along the southwest side of Seneca Lake 00:07:48.009 --> 00:07:52.230 has seen many UFO reports over the years, particularly 00:07:52.230 --> 00:07:56.949 during the 1968 UFO flap that I covered in Episode 00:07:56.949 --> 00:08:00.610 2 of the podcast. And one of those sightings 00:08:00.610 --> 00:08:04.089 in December of 1968 took place very close to 00:08:04.089 --> 00:08:08.470 Ellison Road near Mud Lake Road, the site of 00:08:08.470 --> 00:08:12.750 this. that was reported on Facebook a few weeks 00:08:12.750 --> 00:08:16.069 ago. So if anyone has any information about these 00:08:16.069 --> 00:08:18.810 recent sightings or if you've seen any unusual 00:08:18.810 --> 00:08:22.149 or unexplained objects in the sky near Seneca 00:08:22.149 --> 00:08:26.670 Lake, I'd love to hear from you. Call 607 -307 00:08:26.670 --> 00:08:30.350 -1167 to leave a voicemail or you can send me 00:08:30.350 --> 00:08:36.350 an email to podcast at SenecaLakeMysteries .com. 00:08:36.970 --> 00:08:39.509 So thanks again for listening and let's get to 00:08:39.509 --> 00:08:51.370 it. So we live in a time in history when the 00:08:51.370 --> 00:08:54.409 idea of faking your own death and building a 00:08:54.409 --> 00:08:58.169 new life somewhere else sounds virtually impossible. 00:08:58.629 --> 00:09:03.049 From cell phone data to camera surveillance everywhere 00:09:03.049 --> 00:09:07.809 to GPS tracking to high -tech ID cards were all 00:09:07.809 --> 00:09:11.490 in the system. And it's incredibly difficult 00:09:11.490 --> 00:09:15.730 to completely avoid detection. And this is why 00:09:15.730 --> 00:09:18.830 I find stories of people who fake their own deaths 00:09:18.830 --> 00:09:23.070 pretty interesting. Even 40 or 50 years ago, 00:09:23.129 --> 00:09:27.309 making the decision to disappear was actually 00:09:27.309 --> 00:09:30.350 doable. And if you go back a few decades earlier, 00:09:30.490 --> 00:09:35.830 it was even more possible. Now, Seneca Lake means 00:09:35.830 --> 00:09:39.009 many things to people. One person might look 00:09:39.009 --> 00:09:41.690 at Seneca Lake and think, that would be a great 00:09:41.690 --> 00:09:44.809 place to go boating. Another person might think, 00:09:44.909 --> 00:09:48.950 this is a beautiful example of natural beauty 00:09:48.950 --> 00:09:52.389 and an extraordinary ecosystem. Someone else 00:09:52.389 --> 00:09:54.669 might think, that's a perfect spot to do some 00:09:54.669 --> 00:09:58.169 fishing. But it also turns out that there have 00:09:58.169 --> 00:10:01.210 been people who've seen Seneca Lake and said, 00:10:01.389 --> 00:10:04.470 this would be an ideal location to fake my own 00:10:04.470 --> 00:10:07.090 death and leave my life and my problems behind. 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:11.200 So here are a couple of stories about men who 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:14.620 did just that. They faked their own deaths by 00:10:14.620 --> 00:10:19.220 supposedly drowning in Seneca Lake with mixed 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:25.899 results. So we'll start back in June of 1940. 00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:30.440 36 -year -old Frederick Campbell had his hands 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:33.940 full. Several months earlier, he had moved to 00:10:33.940 --> 00:10:37.809 Geneva, New York. moved from Geneva, New York 00:10:37.809 --> 00:10:41.409 to Waterloo, New York with his wife and six children 00:10:41.409 --> 00:10:45.929 who ranged from ages 6 to 14 years. Now prior 00:10:45.929 --> 00:10:48.210 to living in Geneva, Frederick and his family 00:10:48.210 --> 00:10:52.750 had lived in the Boston area. He worked as a 00:10:52.750 --> 00:10:56.309 claim adjuster for a company called Consolidated 00:10:56.309 --> 00:11:01.210 Motor Lines in Border City. Then he got the news 00:11:01.210 --> 00:11:03.409 that due to a change in management or ownership 00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:06.669 at the company, He was going to be transferred 00:11:06.669 --> 00:11:09.610 to the company's location in New Haven, Connecticut, 00:11:09.950 --> 00:11:14.330 forcing him to move his large family a long distance 00:11:14.330 --> 00:11:19.250 once again. Frederick then took a week -long 00:11:19.250 --> 00:11:22.090 leave of absence before his move to New Haven, 00:11:22.210 --> 00:11:26.129 during which he would take a planned fishing 00:11:26.129 --> 00:11:30.970 trip to Seneca Lake. But Frederick Campbell actually 00:11:30.970 --> 00:11:34.299 wasn't just planning to go fishing. Whether he 00:11:34.299 --> 00:11:37.340 was overwhelmed with his job or his household 00:11:37.340 --> 00:11:40.820 full of six kids or something else, Frederick 00:11:40.820 --> 00:11:46.019 wanted out, so he came up with a plan. On Wednesday, 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:50.980 June 12, 1940, Frederick left his home on Swift 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:54.879 Street in Waterloo and headed for Pontius Point 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:59.019 on Seneca Lake in Romulus. He stopped at a nearby 00:11:59.019 --> 00:12:02.879 livery and rented a rowboat for the next morning. 00:12:03.659 --> 00:12:08.940 At 6 a .m. on Thursday, June 13th, Campbell took 00:12:08.940 --> 00:12:12.240 the boat out onto Seneca Lake. He apparently 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:14.879 spent a long time on the lake because he was 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:19.200 seen fishing from the rowboat by a nearby resident 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:24.059 who lived on the shore there at around 10 p .m. 00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:27.620 on Thursday night. Then the next morning, Friday, 00:12:27.820 --> 00:12:31.519 June 14th, the empty rowboat was found washed 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.190 ashore. There was no trace of Frederick Campbell 00:12:34.190 --> 00:12:37.610 in the boat except for his fishing license button 00:12:37.610 --> 00:12:42.210 and a tackle box. One oar was in the boat, but 00:12:42.210 --> 00:12:45.629 the other was eventually found about a quarter 00:12:45.629 --> 00:12:49.809 of a mile away. Nearby, Frederick Campbell's 00:12:49.809 --> 00:12:53.750 car, his locked car, was found. It was opened 00:12:53.750 --> 00:12:56.870 by a state police sergeant, and inside they found 00:12:56.870 --> 00:13:00.669 Frederick's hat and his briefcase. So a search 00:13:00.669 --> 00:13:04.399 team was assembled. That same day, and they began 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:07.679 working to locate the apparent drowning victim. 00:13:08.500 --> 00:13:11.559 State police, the Sheriff's Department, Seneca 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:14.759 County Game Protectors, and residents along the 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:17.879 east shore of Seneca Lake used powerboats to 00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:21.299 drag the area around where the rowboat was found. 00:13:21.500 --> 00:13:24.679 On the second day, Saturday, the weather took 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:28.320 a turn and rough waters on the lake hampered 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:32.059 the search, which was temporarily halted. But 00:13:32.059 --> 00:13:35.720 then the search continued all day on Sunday until 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:39.679 after dark, but there was still no sign of Frederick 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:43.639 Campbell. However, many of the longtime residents 00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:47.539 of Seneca Lake believed that Campbell's body 00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:51.519 wasn't in the lake. And rumors started spreading. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:55.179 Speculation was rampant that Campbell hadn't 00:13:55.179 --> 00:13:59.360 actually drowned. So the search of the lake was 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:02.190 ended after three days. and local news reports 00:14:02.190 --> 00:14:05.870 said he was presumed dead. But the authorities 00:14:05.870 --> 00:14:09.330 didn't stop looking into Frederick Campbell's 00:14:09.330 --> 00:14:13.429 life. They suspected that Campbell had faked 00:14:13.429 --> 00:14:18.750 his own suicide, and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation 00:14:18.750 --> 00:14:22.649 continued working on the theory that Campbell 00:14:22.649 --> 00:14:26.429 was still alive. And about four months later, 00:14:26.610 --> 00:14:30.309 Frederick Campbell was found. He was arrested 00:14:30.309 --> 00:14:33.169 by the Youngstown Police Department on October 00:14:33.169 --> 00:14:38.830 9th, 1940, in Youngstown, Ohio. It's not clear 00:14:38.830 --> 00:14:42.070 how he was found or why he was in Youngstown, 00:14:42.149 --> 00:14:48.029 but it's likely that Campbell had ties to the 00:14:48.029 --> 00:14:50.830 Youngstown area and authorities in New York State 00:14:50.830 --> 00:14:54.330 had notified the police in Ohio. In any case, 00:14:54.470 --> 00:14:57.649 Frederick Campbell was apprehended and held on... 00:14:57.950 --> 00:15:04.409 $2 ,500 bail pending a hearing on October 22nd 00:15:04.409 --> 00:15:09.009 in Youngstown when he was expected to be extradited 00:15:09.009 --> 00:15:13.129 to New York State if he refused to go back on 00:15:13.129 --> 00:15:16.789 his own volition. However, Frederick Campbell 00:15:16.789 --> 00:15:20.029 volunteered to return to New York State and face 00:15:20.029 --> 00:15:23.710 the music, so he was taken from Youngstown and 00:15:23.710 --> 00:15:27.200 delivered to Waterloo and arrived on October 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:31.580 22nd, where he was promptly arrested and jailed 00:15:31.580 --> 00:15:36.500 on the charge of abandonment. Campbell stayed 00:15:36.500 --> 00:15:40.899 in the Waterloo Jail for almost four months until 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:44.259 his arraignment before the judge on February 00:15:44.259 --> 00:15:49.899 18th, 1941. When he showed up in court, Frederick 00:15:49.899 --> 00:15:53.600 Campbell pled guilty to abandonment and the judge 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:57.080 sentenced him to probation. although it's unclear 00:15:57.080 --> 00:16:00.899 how long the probation lasted. One of the provisions 00:16:00.899 --> 00:16:04.100 of the probation was that Campbell could not 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:07.460 leave New York State. The judge also ordered 00:16:07.460 --> 00:16:11.440 Campbell to provide for his children and admonished 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:15.720 him for abandoning his family. And if Campbell 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:19.320 violated any provisions of his probation, he 00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:21.779 would be immediately returned to the court to 00:16:21.779 --> 00:16:26.389 be sentenced on the charge of abandonment. So 00:16:26.389 --> 00:16:29.710 I was unable to find any further information 00:16:29.710 --> 00:16:32.289 about Frederick Campbell and his family from 00:16:32.289 --> 00:16:35.570 that point forward. So I'd assume that he completed 00:16:35.570 --> 00:16:40.149 his probation successfully. And it can probably 00:16:40.149 --> 00:16:43.669 be assumed that he was just overwhelmed with 00:16:43.669 --> 00:16:46.629 his career and family and moving all the time 00:16:46.629 --> 00:16:50.070 and just kind of wanted to hit the reset button 00:16:50.070 --> 00:16:53.649 on his life. But there are still questions about... 00:16:53.899 --> 00:16:56.340 How he did it on the night he disappeared and 00:16:56.340 --> 00:16:59.980 abandoned his robo and his car. Where did he 00:16:59.980 --> 00:17:03.059 go? How did he leave the area? Was he on foot? 00:17:03.379 --> 00:17:07.220 How did he get all the way to Youngstown? And 00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:12.180 did he have any help? So, although Frederick 00:17:12.180 --> 00:17:14.519 Campbell didn't get away with faking his own 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:18.200 death, there would be another man who appeared 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:21.960 to have fooled everyone, at least for a while. 00:17:23.690 --> 00:17:27.690 So back in the summer of 1957, 30 -year -old 00:17:27.690 --> 00:17:31.789 Harry Brubaker was a restaurant owner in Endicott, 00:17:31.970 --> 00:17:34.849 New York, which is outside of Binghamton and 00:17:34.849 --> 00:17:39.869 about a 70 -mile drive to Seneca Lake. Originally 00:17:39.869 --> 00:17:43.109 from the Pittsburgh area, Harry had a wife, Eleanor, 00:17:43.269 --> 00:17:47.109 and an 11 -year -old son, and they lived on a 00:17:47.109 --> 00:17:50.589 farm they owned. Although Harry's business, the 00:17:50.589 --> 00:17:54.180 Blue Star Restaurant, was successful, something 00:17:54.180 --> 00:17:57.539 was wrong. Harry Brubaker was dealing with some 00:17:57.539 --> 00:18:00.839 type of stress, and apparently the stress was 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:04.240 so overwhelming that he came up with a plan, 00:18:04.299 --> 00:18:09.400 a way out of his situation. It's unknown if Harry's 00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:12.119 wife Eleanor or anyone else was aware of his 00:18:12.119 --> 00:18:16.420 plan because the details in old newspapers are 00:18:16.420 --> 00:18:20.059 scant, but let's start with what we know. On 00:18:20.059 --> 00:18:26.920 Friday, August 9th, 1957, Harry Brubaker walked 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:30.559 into McLary General Insurance Company in Endicott 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:35.339 and met with insurance agent Harry Stabler. Brubaker 00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:41.079 purchased a 17 -day, $15 ,000 insurance policy 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:47.299 for $10 .75. Mr. Stabler, the insurance agent, 00:18:47.380 --> 00:18:49.859 would later say that it wasn't uncommon for people 00:18:49.859 --> 00:18:53.279 to purchase short -term insurance policies when 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:56.339 they were going on fishing trips, which was the 00:18:56.339 --> 00:18:58.980 apparent reason for Mr. Brubaker's purchase. 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.740 However, Mr. Stabler said that normally people 00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:06.279 buying a short -term policy for a fishing trip 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:09.940 would only get $5 ,000 worth of coverage, but 00:19:09.940 --> 00:19:14.380 Brubaker's policy was for $15 ,000, which would 00:19:14.380 --> 00:19:19.180 be the equivalent of roughly $172 ,000 today. 00:19:20.589 --> 00:19:23.589 Eight days later, on the evening of Saturday, 00:19:23.769 --> 00:19:28.569 August 17th, Harry Brubaker left on that fishing 00:19:28.569 --> 00:19:31.430 trip with his friend from Endicott, a man named 00:19:31.430 --> 00:19:36.089 Glenwood Colley. The two men planned to get to 00:19:36.089 --> 00:19:39.529 Seneca Lake, about 70 miles, like I said, from 00:19:39.529 --> 00:19:43.309 Endicott, where they would sleep in Harry Brubaker's 00:19:43.309 --> 00:19:46.890 car and then wake up early Sunday morning to 00:19:46.890 --> 00:19:50.250 fish off of a pier. on the east shore of Seneca 00:19:50.250 --> 00:19:53.589 Lake, about five miles north of Watkins Glen. 00:19:55.410 --> 00:19:59.549 And while Harry and Glenwood went on their fishing 00:19:59.549 --> 00:20:03.250 trip, Harry's wife Eleanor and their 11 -year 00:20:03.250 --> 00:20:06.650 -old son took a trip to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 00:20:06.650 --> 00:20:12.450 area to visit family. Around 2 .30 a .m. on the 00:20:12.450 --> 00:20:16.269 morning of August 18th, Glenwood was woken up 00:20:16.269 --> 00:20:18.569 by Harry. while they were sleeping in the car. 00:20:18.750 --> 00:20:21.009 Harry said that he was restless and couldn't 00:20:21.009 --> 00:20:24.470 sleep and was going to go try out his spinning 00:20:24.470 --> 00:20:27.589 rod and do some fishing off the pier. So Harry 00:20:27.589 --> 00:20:31.150 left the car into the darkness and Glenwood went 00:20:31.150 --> 00:20:34.210 back to sleep. A couple hours later, when the 00:20:34.210 --> 00:20:38.170 sun came up, Glenwood went over to the pier to 00:20:38.170 --> 00:20:41.369 look for Harry, but Harry was gone. All that 00:20:41.369 --> 00:20:44.730 Glenwood found on the pier were Harry's flashlight, 00:20:45.470 --> 00:20:48.490 and his fishing rod submerged in the water at 00:20:48.490 --> 00:20:52.369 the end of the pier. Harry's shoes were also 00:20:52.369 --> 00:20:58.089 found nearby, but Harry was gone. Glenwood contacted 00:20:58.089 --> 00:21:02.509 the police, and a massive search was underway. 00:21:02.730 --> 00:21:06.089 It was believed that Harry had fallen into the 00:21:06.089 --> 00:21:09.910 water, had been unable to make it back to the 00:21:09.910 --> 00:21:13.589 pier or to land, and drowned. The fact that the 00:21:13.589 --> 00:21:16.880 pier was located near one of the deepest points 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:20.319 in the lake, made the search even more difficult 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:25.440 and urgent. So over 200 people joined the search 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:28.420 party, including Seneca County Fire and Police 00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:32.180 agencies, civil defense workers, conservation 00:21:32.180 --> 00:21:36.359 department employees, and volunteers who dragged 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:40.039 to the lake, dove into the waters, while also 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:44.680 conducting searches in nearby wooded areas. around 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:48.579 the pier. Harry's wife and father found out they 00:21:48.579 --> 00:21:51.519 left Pittsburgh and ended up joining the search 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:55.720 team at Seneca Lake. But after three days of 00:21:55.720 --> 00:21:59.319 searching, no sign of Harry was found. The search 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:03.819 was called off and Harry Brubaker was presumed 00:22:03.819 --> 00:22:09.539 dead. But Harry was not dead. And six weeks later, 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:12.940 he was at his father's house near Pittsburgh. 00:22:14.029 --> 00:22:18.650 Harry had hired an attorney, Joel Skelsey from 00:22:18.650 --> 00:22:22.309 Endicott, and his attorney had notified authorities 00:22:22.309 --> 00:22:26.829 and the media of Harry's location. Harry had 00:22:26.829 --> 00:22:29.950 shown up to his father's house three weeks earlier. 00:22:30.549 --> 00:22:34.210 Harry's brother, Dale, was told by reporters 00:22:34.210 --> 00:22:39.089 of his brother's reappearance, and after visiting 00:22:39.089 --> 00:22:43.869 Harry at their father's house, Dale said, quote, 00:22:44.009 --> 00:22:46.410 it is the first time I knew he was alive and 00:22:46.410 --> 00:22:48.869 I don't know where he has been since he disappeared. 00:22:49.029 --> 00:22:52.130 He appears in good health, but he isn't talking 00:22:52.130 --> 00:22:55.109 and I know of no future plans he has in mind, 00:22:55.210 --> 00:22:59.289 end quote. So it turns out that Harry's lawyer 00:22:59.289 --> 00:23:03.210 had known that Harry was alive for a while, but 00:23:03.210 --> 00:23:06.990 delayed telling anyone to protect his clients. 00:23:07.190 --> 00:23:09.569 He said he wanted to give Harry's wife a chance. 00:23:10.009 --> 00:23:12.730 to leave Endicott and come to Pittsburgh to reunite 00:23:12.730 --> 00:23:16.170 with her husband. The attorney, Skelsey, said, 00:23:16.730 --> 00:23:18.769 quote, it would have been a different situation 00:23:18.769 --> 00:23:21.769 had Mr. Brubaker come to me the day after he 00:23:21.769 --> 00:23:24.089 was supposed to have drowned. Then I wouldn't 00:23:24.089 --> 00:23:26.410 have hesitated notifying the proper authorities. 00:23:26.750 --> 00:23:29.549 As it was, he came to me a month after the lake 00:23:29.549 --> 00:23:33.410 search had been abandoned. It was my job to protect 00:23:33.410 --> 00:23:40.029 my client, end quote. Mrs. Brubaker. actually 00:23:40.029 --> 00:23:44.349 arrived in Pittsburgh just a day before Harry's 00:23:44.349 --> 00:23:48.529 reappearance was announced. Now, shockingly, 00:23:48.529 --> 00:23:52.309 Harry had actually gone back to Endicott on September 00:23:52.309 --> 00:23:57.690 17th to give his lawyer, Mr. Skelsey, power of 00:23:57.690 --> 00:24:01.349 attorney, to wind up Harry's affairs in Endicott. 00:24:01.990 --> 00:24:05.049 This indicates that Harry's wife, Eleanor, and 00:24:05.049 --> 00:24:08.900 his attorney knew he was alive. at least two 00:24:08.900 --> 00:24:12.079 weeks before the rest of the world knew. The 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:14.460 attorney stated that he wanted to spare Mrs. 00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:18.200 Brubaker, quote, additional grief and misfortune, 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.539 end quote, as she prepared to leave Endicott 00:24:21.539 --> 00:24:24.920 for good. When the lawyer was asked why Harry 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:28.440 disappeared, he just said it was due to some 00:24:28.440 --> 00:24:32.160 kind of mental strain. So after reuniting in 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:36.740 Pittsburgh, Harry, Eleanor, and their son, never 00:24:36.740 --> 00:24:39.740 went back to Endicott. Their attorney took care 00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:44.059 of the sale of their farm and restaurant. Meanwhile, 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:47.680 Deputy Stanley Jarrett of the Seneca County Sheriff's 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:51.440 Department was not pleased to have been the victim 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:55.359 of an apparent hoax and stated that they would 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:58.420 do some investigating into the reasons behind 00:24:58.420 --> 00:25:02.759 the disappearance. Deputy Jarrett said, quote, 00:25:16.819 --> 00:25:21.920 End quote. However, it seemed that nobody in 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:25.160 New York State wanted to go to the trouble and 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:30.099 expense of bringing Harry Brubaker back to New 00:25:30.099 --> 00:25:32.759 York State. to account for his disappearance. 00:25:33.460 --> 00:25:36.079 So he never came back and was never charged with 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:40.000 anything. And as far as the insurance policy 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:43.299 goes, it turns out that the agency had already 00:25:43.299 --> 00:25:46.940 filed for a settlement of the claim shortly after 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:50.920 Harry Brubaker was assumed dead, although it 00:25:50.920 --> 00:25:53.240 would have taken a full year before the policy 00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:56.400 would pay out to his wife. When they found out 00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:58.940 he was still alive, they immediately canceled 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:03.380 that application. So it seems that Harry and 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:06.359 his wife ended up living their lives in Pennsylvania 00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:09.000 from that point forward. There are no records 00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:12.900 that I've found that show he faced any legal 00:26:12.900 --> 00:26:15.799 consequences whatsoever for faking his own death. 00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:20.720 And in one of the last news reports on the case, 00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:23.980 Harry's attorney said, quote, Why don't they 00:26:23.980 --> 00:26:26.779 leave the poor guy alone? A lot of people tell 00:26:26.779 --> 00:26:30.700 me that they feel the same way, end quote. He's 00:26:30.700 --> 00:26:34.339 a pretty good lawyer right there. There are still, 00:26:34.380 --> 00:26:39.079 though, many unanswered questions from this story. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:42.700 How did Harry get from the shore of Seneca Lake 00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:47.119 with no car all the way to Pittsburgh? Did someone 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:50.619 help him? Did he leave on foot? Did he have another 00:26:50.619 --> 00:26:53.059 pair of shoes? Because they found his shoes there 00:26:53.059 --> 00:26:58.410 at the site. Was he planning to... disappear 00:26:58.410 --> 00:27:01.430 and rebuild his life elsewhere without his wife 00:27:01.430 --> 00:27:03.789 and son while leaving them with an insurance 00:27:03.789 --> 00:27:07.990 payout? Was he planning to disappear, then they 00:27:07.990 --> 00:27:09.670 would get the insurance payout and then meet 00:27:09.670 --> 00:27:15.250 up later? Did he plan to fake his death and relocate 00:27:15.250 --> 00:27:17.910 with his wife and son? Did his wife know about 00:27:17.910 --> 00:27:20.349 the plan? Did his father know about the plan? 00:27:21.009 --> 00:27:24.390 Did anyone help him? Why did he resurface weeks 00:27:24.390 --> 00:27:26.309 later when it looked like he was going to get 00:27:26.309 --> 00:27:29.930 away with? faking his own death? Did he feel 00:27:29.930 --> 00:27:33.930 remorse or did he have second thoughts about 00:27:33.930 --> 00:27:39.430 his whole caper? I'm not sure and it seems like 00:27:39.430 --> 00:27:47.630 these questions will never be answered. Dr. Edward 00:27:47.630 --> 00:27:51.950 Cutbush was one of the most influential and notable 00:27:51.950 --> 00:27:56.859 Americans of the mid -19th century. Dr. Cutbush 00:27:56.859 --> 00:28:00.660 also lived on Main Street in Geneva, overlooking 00:28:00.660 --> 00:28:03.799 the northern shore of Seneca Lake from around 00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:10.400 1830 until his death in 1843 at the age of 71. 00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:17.079 When he was only 18, Edward became resident physician 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:22.589 of the Pennsylvania Hospital. By 22, He had received 00:28:22.589 --> 00:28:25.130 his M .D. from the University of Pennsylvania 00:28:25.130 --> 00:28:28.970 and became the Surgeon General of the Pennsylvania 00:28:28.970 --> 00:28:33.490 Militia during the Whiskey Rebellion. In 1799, 00:28:33.970 --> 00:28:37.650 Dr. Cutbush joined the United States Navy, serving 00:28:37.650 --> 00:28:41.069 as the Navy's first ever commissioned medical 00:28:41.069 --> 00:28:47.750 officer for almost 30 years. Then in 1816, he 00:28:47.750 --> 00:28:51.240 co -founded the Columbian Institute for the Promotion 00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:55.400 of Arts and Sciences, which is a forerunner to 00:28:55.400 --> 00:28:59.740 the Smithsonian Institution. Then in 1830, he 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:03.220 moved to Geneva after accepting an offer to become 00:29:03.220 --> 00:29:06.839 professor of chemistry at Geneva College, which 00:29:06.839 --> 00:29:09.759 is now Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:13.819 he realized that the area had a desperate need 00:29:13.819 --> 00:29:17.900 for a local medical facility. He convinced the 00:29:17.900 --> 00:29:21.160 college's board of trustees, to establish the 00:29:21.160 --> 00:29:26.039 Geneva Medical College in 1834 and was named 00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:30.200 as the Geneva Medical College's first dean. It 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:33.440 was the first medical facility and medical school 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:39.259 in the history of central New York. When Dr. 00:29:39.539 --> 00:29:43.140 Cutbush lived on Main Street in Geneva, he was 00:29:43.140 --> 00:29:45.680 known in the neighborhood for his mulberry orchard. 00:29:46.029 --> 00:29:49.349 that overlooked Seneca Lake, he harvested mulberry 00:29:49.349 --> 00:29:52.789 leaves and then fed them to his collection of 00:29:52.789 --> 00:29:58.289 silkworms who would spin cocoons of durable and 00:29:58.289 --> 00:30:04.009 soft and very expensive mulberry silk. So he 00:30:04.009 --> 00:30:07.130 was quite an interesting guy. But there's one 00:30:07.130 --> 00:30:11.670 other interesting thing about Dr. Edward Cutbush. 00:30:11.829 --> 00:30:16.259 He believed in the Seneca Lake monster. He claimed 00:30:16.259 --> 00:30:19.619 to have seen the serpent and that the creature 00:30:19.619 --> 00:30:23.859 had, quote, a body as thick as my leg, end quote. 00:30:24.059 --> 00:30:28.380 As one of the most accomplished and renowned 00:30:28.380 --> 00:30:33.140 Americans of his time, Dr. Cutbush had to be 00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:36.640 considered a highly credible witness and his 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:42.319 belief in the legendary beast, to me, is one 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:46.420 of the most interesting. Examples of forgotten 00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:50.160 lore in the history of the Seneca Lake Monster. 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:56.119 Now, the next story takes place in August of 00:30:56.119 --> 00:31:02.000 1914 when a man named Edric McConnell from Watkins 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:06.480 Glen and an unnamed young woman were in a rowboat 00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:11.019 off the western shore near Corbett's Point in 00:31:11.019 --> 00:31:16.289 Redding. Pair were startled when a large animal 00:31:16.289 --> 00:31:20.069 suddenly emerged from the water and rushed along 00:31:20.069 --> 00:31:23.930 the surface towards deeper water. The young woman 00:31:23.930 --> 00:31:27.670 was so shaken she apparently needed to be taken 00:31:27.670 --> 00:31:32.849 to the safety of a nearby cottage. Edrick took 00:31:32.849 --> 00:31:36.670 this opportunity to find his friend and acquaintance, 00:31:36.670 --> 00:31:41.750 John Rowe, and a couple of .38 caliber revolvers. 00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:46.480 So Edric and John climbed into the boat and returned 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:50.359 to the location where the strange animal had 00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:54.880 been seen, and they waited. It was only about 00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:59.460 a half hour before the creature abruptly resurfaced, 00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:02.779 raising its head out of the water. Edric and 00:32:02.779 --> 00:32:06.440 John got a good up -close view of the Seneca 00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:08.960 Lake monster. They said it was shaped like a 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:13.279 snake, black in color. about 10 feet long and 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:18.480 7 to 8 inches around. They said it had a head 00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:22.819 about the size of a man's with hair that stuck 00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:28.660 straight up. The two men fired two shots, but 00:32:28.660 --> 00:32:32.599 neither struck the serpent, who plunged back 00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:37.039 into the depths of Seneca Lake and did not return. 00:32:39.210 --> 00:32:41.450 Well, that's it for this time around. I hope 00:32:41.450 --> 00:32:43.069 you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for listening. 00:32:43.170 --> 00:32:45.930 And if you have any thoughts on any of the topics 00:32:45.930 --> 00:32:48.529 in this episode, please let me know. And remember 00:32:48.529 --> 00:32:50.809 to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts 00:32:50.809 --> 00:32:53.170 and get over to SenecaLakeMysteries .com and 00:32:53.170 --> 00:32:55.369 subscribe to the email list so you don't miss 00:32:55.369 --> 00:32:58.569 anything. The new podcast comes out every month 00:32:58.569 --> 00:33:00.470 on the sevens. I'll talk to you then.