Book explores the story of the 1936 Brockport “murder dog” trial
Coauthored by Bill Hullfish, the book was released just before his passing
Events that occurred 85 years ago this summer, in July and August 1936, deeply divided the Brockport community and drew a frenzy of attention from media outlets from across the country.
After playing baseball at Holley Street’s Webaco Field on July 4, 1936, fourteen-year-old Maxwell Breeze went swimming in the Erie Canal near the Smith Street bridge. A dog jumped in the water and climbed on his back. Despite the efforts of his friend to save him, the boy drowned. Witnesses identified the dog as Idaho, who was owned by Victor Fortune. The Fortune family insisted that Idaho had been home all day and couldn’t have been the culprit. Police ordered Victor to keep the dog confined until a hearing could be held to determine whether or not the dog was dangerous. A week later, another swimmer was attacked in the water. Daniel Houghton, 21, filed a complaint also naming Idaho as a dangerous dog. Victor was served with a notice to appear at a hearing and a trial was set for two weeks later to determine if the dog should be put down.
The unusual case captivated the nation as newspapers from coast to coast covered the story of Brockport’s “murder dog” trial. Public opinion on the case was deeply divided with one faction believing Idaho was guilty and should be put down, and the other faction believing he was innocent and should be freed. The judge received letters and telegrams from people on both sides from across the country. Donations poured in for Idaho’s defense at the same time the dog was receiving death threats. Paramount Pictures sent “The Eyes and Ears of the World” news crew to film the events and a media circus descended on the quiet canal village. Interest in the case necessitated the move to a larger venue as an estimated 500 people came out to hear the testimony of more than 30 witnesses. At the time, one journalist referred to Idaho as “the most talked-of dog on earth.”
Details of the tragic case and the bizarre spectacle that followed are presented in the book The Brockport Murder Dog Trial by Bill Hullfish and Laurie Fortune Verbridge, Victor Fortune’s daughter. The book, published by The History Press, was released in April, just one week before Bill’s death.
Bill Hullfish was well-known in the Brockport community and beyond for his musical talents. As a music professor at SUNY Brockport, he started the Golden Eagle String Band in 1978 and travelled all over performing the folk music that he loved. The band’s recordings are in the Smithsonian Folkways Collection in Washington, D.C. As a canal enthusiast and life member of the American Canal Society, he wrote The Erie Canal Sings: A Musical History of New York’s Grand Waterway in 2019. See the article below for information about an upcoming community memorial celebration of his life.
Bill enjoyed reading about local history, and an obscure reference to a Brockport murder dog trial first piqued his interest some 40 years ago. Finding that the case transcripts had been destroyed, he sought out articles from various newspapers attempting to piece together the story. He eventually abandoned his research due to a lack of time. After he retired, and with an even greater interest in local history, Bill renewed his efforts to research the story. The lapse in time was actually fortuitous as it allowed for two key things to happen which made the book possible.
Bill’s son Steve Hullfish said, “We talked often while he was writing [the book] and when he would come to a dead end or hurdle, I tried to help. The first thing I was able to help with was finding the ‘long-lost’ Paramount newsreels of the trial. I am a film editor and have been working on documentaries with my dad since I was in college in the 1980s.” Through his connections, Steve was able to track down the newsreels – which hadn’t been seen in over 80 years – to a fireproof vault in Hollywood. They proved to be an invaluable source of information. “We paid to have them transferred to 4K digital files and licensed them for use in his book and a documentary that we were working on at the time of his death.”
The advent of social media led to the other key piece of the puzzle. Bill was able to connect with Laurie Fortune Verbridge who was also writing a book about the Brockport trial in which her father and his dog had been central figures. Steve said, “Her authentic accounts and documentation made the book so rich and filled in a lot of the story.”
In the book’s preface, Bill wrote, “Laurie and I decided to share our information and become coauthors. We added the information provided by Laurie’s interviews with her father and his documents and family photos. We then combined that with new information from searching hundreds of internet sources, listening to actual participants in the murder trial on the Paramount newsreel and visiting the Brockport museum, libraries and local cemeteries.”
Years worth of interviews and research were compiled in an effort to tell the story as completely and accurately as possible. “This book was a labor of love for my dad. His other books are all musically oriented. This was a story that intrigued him for many years, having lived in Brockport for more than 50 years,” Steve said.
A documentary on the famous trial is still in the works. Steve interviewed his dad and Ms. Verbridge for the project last summer. “We’ve also discovered 8mm footage at SUNY Brockport from the year of the trial and are restoring that soon as well as recording additional expert interviews,” he said.
In closing the book’s preface, Bill wrote, “This story is stranger than fiction. No one could concoct anything this bizarre. However, the Village of Brockport got its fifteen minutes of fame.”
The Brockport Murder Dog Trial is available for purchase at Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport.
Community Memorial Celebration for Bill Hullfish
File photo by Dianne Hickerson
The community is invited to celebrate Bill Hullfish’s life with music and stories on Saturday, July 24, at 4 p.m. outdoors at the Brockport Welcome Center on the Erie Canal, 11 Water Street. In the case of rain, the event will take place on Sunday, July 25, at 4 p.m at the Welcome Center.
The musical memorial gathering will involve Jonathan Allentoff, with the Brockport Symphony Orchestra and vocal soloist Mary Wojciechowski, as well as current, former, and founding members playing with Bill’s Golden Eagle String Band. The group was formed about 40 years ago, in Bill’s SUNY Brockport music class.
Attendees should bring their own seating. Upon arriving at the Welcome Center, there will be opportunities to sign the family’s remembrance book and also sign up on the speaker’s list to share a personal story about Bill, at the microphone, in between musical selections.
This project is made possible with support from the Village of Brockport and funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts.
For additional information, contact Mike Mumford at 775-5753 or visit www.brockportsymphony.org or goldeneaglestringband.com.
Provided information
