Friday, January 8, 1841: This forenoon I mended my horse stable floor and this afternoon I walked over to Mr. Barber’s and other places to try to market beef and to make inquiries concerning some articles we had missing and I went to Squ Sylvester Howard to ask counsel concerning property we had missing and advised me to take out a search warrent. I then returned home. We have hard suspicion of Peter Surdam and wife for we have found some of our property secreted with her things in a large box in my own house. Tonight we kept a trunk peddler from Westfield and he paid 31 cts in goods.
Saturday: This morning Mrs. Caroline Surdam paid me up for her son Dwight’s board up to today, which was three dol and 25 cts and paid 20 cts the lat summer school for her son Dwight. This afternoon I walked up to Squ Leland Sheldon to get a search warrent but could not because I did not take my wife to swear to the lost property out of my house, and I returned home.
Sunday: Today Peter Surdam returned to my house from the east and I informed him that his wife had taken some things and secreted with her things in a large box and we told him that his wife had carried off things at different times when she came to visit her boy and said Peter Surdam agreed that I and my wife might go with him where his things are to Mr. Elisha Waterman’s and search to see if his wife had stolen any of our property. We went but could not find anything of ours. He told us that we had searched all of his things, was for my wife is knowing to their having more property and our stolen property, we believe is concealed with their best things. We then returned home but not satisfied but what Peter’s wife had stolen and carried off and concealed our things.
Tuesday: I walked up to John Dunkings to have his wife tell my fortune, for we wanted to find out where our stolen property was, but Mrs. Dunkin was not to home.
Friday: This afternoon I walked over to John Dunkings and his wife told my fortune. She described Peter Surdam and wife, the ones that had taken my property and I should get a part of it and she told me I should have my wish and many other things. I paid her twenty five cts. On the way home I called to Mr Barber’s to inquire if they knew where all said Surdam things were but they did not know.