The bodies of Douglas Harvey, aged 54, his wife, Beatrice, aged 50, and the latter's 14-year-old greatnephew, Timothy R. Osterhoudt, were found late Friday morning in the Harvey home two miles west of Cooperstown on the outskirts of Fly Creek— victims of what Otsego County Coroner Wendell L. Bryce of Richfield Springs termed a double murder and suicide. Otsego County Sheriff W. Mills Miller, whose department investigated, said that Mr. Harvey had shot and killed his wife and her great-nephew with a 20-guage shotgun, and then had turned the gun on himself. The triple-tragedy was discovered about 10 o'clock Friday morning after a close friend, Mrs. Lee H. Olmstead of Cooperstown, had been unable to reach the family by phone. Mrs. Harvey had not reported for work at the Cooperstown High School cafeteria where she had been employed for the past two years. Mrs. Olmstead called the Sheriff's Department, and Chief Deputy Jack R. Nevil accompanied her to the Harvey home to investigate. He forced an entuance through a locked door, and found Mr. Harvey's body on the kitchen floor with a gun shot wound in the chest Mrs. Harvey's pajama-clad body, with a gunshot wound in the back, was found on the bathroom floor. The Osterhoudt boy's body, also with a gunshot wound in the back, was found in his bed. He apparently had been asleep when shot Dr. Bryce said that the shootings took place sometime just before midnight Thursday night Mr. Harvey, a carpenter by trade, was discharged two months ago from the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown where he had been under treatment for, a nervous disorder. He had not been working recently. The Osterhoudt boy, who was a freshman at Cooperstown Central School, had made his home with his great-uncle and aunt for the past four years. ' Mr. Nevil said that Mrs. Olmstead had told him that she tried two or three times to call Mrs. Harvey on the telephone, but got no answer. She then asked the Deputy if he would go over to the Harvey home with her, saying that she was afraid to go alone. Mr. Nevil said that Mrs. Olmstead had been told by Mrs. Harvey that her husband had been "flashing knives and guns around their home" the previous day. When Mr. Nevil and Mrs. Olmstead reached the Harvey home, the Deputy glanced into a kitchen window and saw Mr. Harvey lying on the floor in a large pool of blood, with the shotgun nearby. He went to the home of Fred A. Gay next door and telephoned Sheriff Miller in Cooperstown, and was told to search for Mrs. Harvey and Timothy. He returned to the Harvey home and forced an entrance through a side door, and found the other two occupants dead. Both had been shot at close range with deer slug shells from the shotgun. Dr. 'Bryce said that it was difficult to say which of the two victims had been first to die. Neighbors told authorities that they had heard no shots during the night. Sheriff Miller said that Mr. Harvey had built the house along with an adjoining garage by himself during the past five years, and had recently tried to sell it. A potential sale apparently fell through a short time ago, he said. Mr. Harvey had reportcdy gone to the hospital in Cooperstown last September 26, and stayed until October 4, for treatment of a nervous disorder. Timothy was born in Cooperstdwn June 11, 1942 the son of Lincoln C and Constance (Ross) Osterhoudt. His father was killed on September 28, 1944 while in action with the U. S. Army's 515th Parachute Infantry in Holland. Surviving are his mother, whose address is unknown and a brother, Charles, who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Peter Martin, only a short distance from the Harvey home. Other survivors are his maternal grandfather, Cooperstown Police Chief William E. Ross, his maternal Gandmother, Mrs. Doris Scott of California, his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice M. Ousterhoudt of West Onconta and Kissimmce, Fla., and his maternal great grandfather, Fred Armstrong of Cooperstown. In addition to attending Cooperstown Central School, Timothy was a member of the Boy Scout Troop at Fly Creek and the Fly Creek Sunday l School Class. Funeral services were conducted at 12 p.m., Monday at the Ingalls Funeral Home in Cooperstown, with the Rev. Robert H. Shechan, pastor of the Cooperstown and Fly Creek Methodist Churches officiating. The body was placed in the Ingalls vault for burial next spring. Mrs. Harvey was born in Cooperstown May 31, 1906, a daughter of Dawson and Bertha (Race) Carey. She was married to Mr. Harvey in 1945. She was his second wife. She was a graduate of Cooperstown High School and Albany Busffies College ....two aunts, Mrs. Raymond Spohn of Herkimer, and Mrs, Thcron Saxton of Schenectady, and an uncle, Walter Race of Cooperstown. A native of Cooperstown, Mr. Harvey was born October 21, 1901, a son of Ellsworth and Harriet (Webster) Harvey. He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Charles Gorence of Massena, three brothers, Herbert Harvey, Cooperstown ,Louis Harvey, Hartwick RD, and Harry Harvey, Oneonta, and a sister, Mrs. Edward Stillman of Manchester, N. H. Double funeral services for Mr. and Mrs. Harvey were held Monday afternoon ....
published in The Otsego Farmer, Cooperstown, N.Y., Thursday December 6, 1956 page 1.