USA > Maryland > Allegany County > Cumberland > History of Cumberland, (Maryland) from the time of the Indian town, Caiuctucuc, in 1728, up to the present day : embracing an account of Washington's first campaign, and battle of Fort Necessity, together with a history of Braddock's expedition > Part 25
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1843.
road, and the Baltimore and Ohio Rairoad Company entered into a new agreement with the two old companies by which they were to have an advantage of $2 per passenger over the "Landlords' Line." This created great excitement along the entire route, and it was liberally discussed in the newspapers, until the railroad company took alarm, and advised the old companies to buy out the Landlords. This was done, and the "National" and the "Good Intent" were then left to all the honors and profits, and accumu- lated large sums of money, in the ten years follow- ing.
July 22 .- Abraham Frey, living near Selbysport, was murdered by William S. Chrise, a short distance from the murdered man's house. Chrise was a large, rugged man, and for some time had been on undue terms of intimacy with Mrs. Frey, which led her husband to express his desire that Chrise should not come to his house. Chrise resented this, and threatened to kill Frey, and take his wife for himself; and did on one occasion endeavor to take her off. On the 22d of July, Chrise met Frey near his house, in the the woods, and struck him with a hoe, the blow falling on the back of his head and crushing the skull. The murderer then concealed the body of his victim behind a fallen tree, where it was found some days later. Chrise was then arrested and brought to Cumberland, where he was confined in jail until the 16th of October, when his trial came up. On the 17th a jury was obtained. Hanson B. Pigman and Wm. V. Buskirk were counsel for the prosecution. George A. Pearre, then a young lawyer at the bar,
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EXECUTION OF CHRISE.
1843.]
was counsel for the prisoner, and at his request the Court appointed William Price as additional counsel. The trial was concluded on the fourth day, and in twenty minutes the jury returned a verdict of "guilty of murder in the first degree." On the 20th the Court passed sentence upon the prisoner.
The execution of Chrise took place in November. He was utterly unmoved throughout the trying ordeal, and was apparently the least interested of all the great crowd assembled on the occasion. He walked from the jail to the scaffold, which had been erected on the commons, at a point now lying very near Fayette street where it is crossed by the rail- road. On the route to the scaffold he was guarded by the "Cumberland Guards," commanded by Captain Alexander King, with a drum and fife in advance. The services at the place of execution were quite lengthy and impressive, several hymns being sung, in all of which the prisoner joined. During the intervals Chrise sat calmly chewing tobacco, occa- sionally rising from his seat to spit beyond the fatal trap, as though fearing to soil it. Just before the last moment he sang in a clear, loud and unbroken voice, a hymn of which the following couplet is a part :
"This is the way I long have sought.
And mourned because I found it not."
The Sheriff, Normand Bruce, was deeply affected by the unpleasant duty he was called on to perform, and it was doubtless the most painful act of his life. When the rope was cut, several witnesses of the scene fainted, and much excitement prevailed
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1843-44.
Amongst those who looked on, was a brother of the doomed man, who seemed to be but little affected, but remarked, "It is a pretty hard sight." When life became extinct the body was taken down, and conveyed to the old Court House, where the physi- cians made some experiments with it. It was afterwards dissected, and "old Joe Shumate," an eccentric man, and one regarded as very wicked, secured a portion of the skin and tanned it, the leather proving soft and pliable.
November 6 .- The Maryland and New York Coal and Iron Company asked permission to build a rail- road track through the town, but the Council declined to grant it, unless the sense of the citizens should first be taken upon the question.
May 19, 1844 .- Mayor, Thomas Shriver; Council- men, John Gephart, George Shuck, A. McNeill. Benj. Simkins, A. L. Withers and Samuel Eckles. Clerk, Wm. R. McCulley.
The Presidential campaign of this year was in many respects similar to that of 1840. The Whigs carried out a most enthusiastic campaign, reproducing the big ball, which a large delegation, clad in hunting shirts, took to Baltimore, and rolled through the streets of that city. Under the guidance of Thomas Shriver they erected on Fort Hill, just where the Episcopal Church now stands, a magnificent flag staff, rigged like the mast of a vessel, and at an elevation of 250 feet from the water of the creek floated a flag seventy feet in length.
In October Howard Shriver and Upton R. Lowdermilk were appointed a commission to ascertain
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1845-47.] LOCAL INCIDENTS.
the lines of such streets as were closed, and to require the owners thereof to open them and free them from obstruction. They opened Centre street through to the National Road, at the North end of the town.
May 5, 1845 .-- Mayor, Thomas Shriver; Council- men, John Gephart, George Shuck, A. McNeill, Samuel Eckles, Benj. Simkins, and A. L. Withers. Clerk, George F. Shryer.
May 6, 1846 .- Mayor, Thomas Shriver; Council- men, John Gephart, B. Simkins, Samuel Eckles, A. L. Withers, George Shuck, and A. McNeill. Clerk, George F. Shryer.
November 6 .- Archibald Carey purchased the Civilian, and took charge of it.
December 31 .- "The Mountaineer," a new weekly paper, established by Callan & Cherry.
January 1, 1847 .- Lieutenant W. H. Fowler, of the Artillery which served at Palo Alto, arrived for the purpose of opening an office to enlist recruits to fill up the ranks of the First Artillery. A number of young men enlisted.
The assessed value of the property of the county, at this date, was $4,234,720; levy, $10,586.80.
April 4 .- A general celebration of our army's victories in Mexico was had.
May 7 .- A fire broke out at 4 p. M., in a small stable belonging to Joseph Dilley, corner George and Union streets. The large stable of the National Road Stage Company, near by, caught, and was burned to the ground. Two horses, four stages, and a large lot of grain were destroyed. W. F. Triplett's
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1847-48.
dwelling took fire, and was partially consumed. The loss was about $5,000.
May 11 .- Mayor, Thomas Shriver; Councilmen, John Beall, Peter Gephart, J. M. Maguire, Joseph Hughes, John Humbird and J. W. Jones. Clerk, George F. Shryer.
June 21 .- George W. Clark, a young man living on Bedford street, stuck a pick-ax in the ground and sat down on a shingle, which he had placed on the point of the pick. The shingle split, and the sharp point of the implement penetrated his body, causing injuries from which he died in a few hours.
June 24 .- John Siders fired three shots from a revolver at a dancing master named Martin. The first shot passed through Martin's hat, and the third struck him in the shoulder. Martin lived in Frederick, and Siders alleged that he had caused a separation between him and his wife. Siders was tried and acquitted.
. During the summer of this year the Lena Furnace was built and put in operation. The iron ore was obtained from the Rose Hill estate. The venture proved unprofitable, and was abandoned.
December 1 .- William O. Sprigg, cashier of the Mineral Bank, resigned, and Joseph H. Tucker, of New York, was elected to the office.
Fulton and Polk streets were graded and paved; Frederick street was extended beyond Decatur, and the sidewalks on Decatur street were paved.
April 2, 1848 .- An alarm of fire, about 11 o'clock at night, aroused the inhabitants, and the sky was illumined by a brilliant light, caused by the burning
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1848.]
of a small frame shanty at the base of Shriver's Hill, where Independence street now lies. This building was used for storing powder, as the merchants were allowed to keep only small quantities in their stores. About 1,600 pounds of powder was stored in the house, and in a short while a terrific explosion occurred, which shook every house in the town, and made a report which was heard for a distance of twenty miles. Fortunately no person was injured, though the windows throughout the town were shat- tered. The large and handsome brick residence of Mrs. M. C. Sprigg, in the grove (now occupied by Judge John Coulehan), was much damaged, some of the walls being cracked, and the structure being jarred from the foundations to the roof. The fire was the malicious work of incendiaries, and, although a reward of $250 was offered for their discovery, they were never detected.
The Mineral Bank building (now occupied by the First National Bank) was built and occupied early in 1848.
March 30 .- The Mineral Bank closed its doors, and the officers issued a card, stating that the sus- pension was due to the failure of Joseph S. Lake & Co., of New York, who had a large amount of the bank's notes, drafts and bills in their hands for col- lection.
April 10. - The Mineral Bank opened its doors, and resumed operations, the indebtedness of Lake & Co., having been secured.
May 12 .- Mayor, Thomas Shriver; Councilmen, John Gephart, George M. Reid, James Anderson,
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1848.
Peter Gephart, W. W. McKaig and George Shuck. Clerk, George F. Shryer.
This Council divided the town into two districts, the first comprising all that part lying South of Baltimore street and all West of Will's Creek; the second embracing the remainder of the town. It was ordered that the taxes levied should be expended in the respective districts in which collected.
June 5 .- The Cumberland Savings Bank was organized and went into operation. J. R. Annan, President; Robert Bruce, Cashier.
In 1847 the Belvidere Hall. Association had been organized, the officers being: President, Thomas I. McKaig; Directors, A. Cowton, G. W. Clabaugh and Joseph Shriver; Secretary, William O. Sprigg; Treasurer, E. T. Shriver. They erected Belvidere Hall, and thus furnished the public a very creditable place for public amusements.
July 10th, Belvidere Hall was opened for the first time, by Edmund Peale, of Philadelphia, lesse, with the Virginia Serenaders.
The first telegraph line erected here was com- pleted in August, and extended from Cumberland to Bedford. The builder was Henry O'Reily.
Another line between Cumberland and Baltimore was opened a few weeks later, and the office was located in a frame building, about where Mr. Alpheus Beall's residence now stands.
The principal hotels at this time were the "United States," (now "St. Nicholas") kept by A. Cowton; the "Barnum," kept by Barnum & Stephens; the "Virginia Hotel," kept by Washington Evans; the
1848-49.] LOCAL INCIDENTS. 361
"National" kept by James Searight, and afterwards by James Black.
October 4 .- County Commissioners: John Hoye, Wm. Fear, Robert Ross, Francis Mattingly, Daniel Wineow, Peter Smouse, James Twigg, L. Benton, George Robinette and Isaac Thompson; Sheriff, John Barnard.
November 3 .- At the Presidential election the vote for Cumberland was 713 for Cass, and 517 for Taylor; in the County 1,619 for Cass and 1,579 for Taylor.
The Whig miners at Eckhart had a cannon cast at the foundry of A. B. Tower in Cumberland. It was made of iron from ore mined in Allegany County, fused by Allegany coal, and was named "Allegany." They fired fifteen guns as a salute to "old Zack," one gun for each vote of Frostburg's majority.
In November the Maryland Mining Company was engaged in building its railroad through the Narrows, and across the Creek to the basin, near Washington street.
December 30 .- Under the weight of a heavy fall of snow, the shed of the Good Intent Stage Com- pany fell. Mr. Thomas Reid was caught under it, and had his leg broken.
January 12, 1849 .- The Town Council passed a resolution giving the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad the privilege of using steam power on the line of their road within the limits of the corporation, in per- petuity, on condition that the speed of trains should be limited to six miles per hour, inside the corporate limits.
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1849.
Jauuary 16 .- Miles Alwine, a stage driver, was shot and killed by William G. Mitchell, at a house of ill-repute, on North Centre street.
February 4 .-- Samuel Jenkins, a colored man, died at Lancaster Ohio, aged 115 years. He was born a slave, and was the property of Captain Broadwater, of Fairfax county, Va., and drove a provision train over the mountains, in the Braddock campaign. He was doubtless the last of the men who took part in that disastrous affair.
February 22. -- General Taylor arrived here from the West, and stopped at Barnum's Hotel. In the evening he had an enthusiastic reception, and made a speech from a window, though feeble and suffering from a fall he had at Madison, Indiana.
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March 5 .- On this evening the United States Hotel was the scene of great excitement. The pro- prietor of the hotel was A. Cowton, a highly esteemed gentleman, who had some years before married Mrs. Quantrel, the former wife of Jesse D. E. Quantrel. Quantrel was a finely formed, handsome man, with a soft voice, and polished manners. He was possessed of a naturally fine mind, and had read and studied much. While quite a young man he wooed and won an estimable young lady, of good family, and they lived together in Williamsport, Washington county, Md. For a year after marriage their wedded life was happy. Becoming embarrassed, he made application for the benefit of the bankrupt laws, and was after- wards arrested on a charge of fraudulent insolvency, and was confined in the jail for six months, whither his faithful wife followed him, sharing his confinement.
-
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1849.]
JESSE D. E. QUANTREL.
Upon trial, he was acquitted, and set at liberty, after which he removed to St. Louis. He was there guilty of fraudulent practices, and was thrown into prison, but was released through a compromise effected by his wife, on condition that he would return with her to Maryland. They came as far East as Cincinnati, and then went to New Orleans, where he shamefully neglected his much abused wife, and plunged into dissipation. Her health gave way under the mental suffering she endured, and, stung with temporary remorse, he abandoned his haunts, and they started again for Maryland. While on the river, however, a few days after leaving New Orleans, he committed a forgery on a Cincinnati bank, for which he was arrested, and sent to the Cincinnati jail. After seven months, she secured his release on bail, which he forfeited, and made his way to Hagerstown. True to his evil instincts, he committed another forgery before reaching that place, and was again imprisoned, but soon escaped. Other crimes of a similar nature followed, until finally he was sent to the Pennsylvania penitentiary for forgery, and served a term of three years. His wife, at the solicitation of her friends, finally determined to free herself from so bad a man, and the Maryland Legislature annulled the marriage. This made Quantrel furious, and he threatened to wreak a fearful revenge upon her and her friends. Upon his release from prison, however, he quickly married a Philadelphia woman, and in a few weeks was again arrested for forgery, and sent to the penitentiary for seven years. Mrs. Quantrel then married Mr. A. Cowton, and they took up their
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1849.
residence in Cumberland, where they were highly esteemed. Quantrel's imprisonment came to an end in the summer of 1848; but nothing was heard of him here until on the 5th of March, 1849, he arrived in Cumberland, on the evening train. He at once inquired for Mrs. Cowton, at the hotel, (learning that Mr. Cowton was absent,) and was shown to her room by the unsuspecting servant. Entering the room, where the lady was seated alone, he locked the door, and seized her, with a threat to kill her. The lady cried for help, when Quantrel caught her by the throat, threw her to the floor, placed his knee on her breast, and attempted to shoot her, but for some reason his pistol missed fire. While he was in the act of drawing a knife, a number of gentlemen came to her rescue, and Quantrel was securely bound with a rope and committed to jail. On the 19th of April he was tried, convicted and sentenced to five years imprison- ment in the county jail, and a fine of $500. He soon became a favorite at the prison, and was per- mitted to walk about the grounds, becoming in fact a a sort of assistant jailor.
On the 20th of November, 1851, he was pardoned by the Governor, on condition that he should leave the State and never return.
Quantrel afterwards led a life of criminal romance, a portion of the time under the name of Dr. Hayne, and is said to have married no less than six ladies, some of whom were of high social standing. During the civil war between the States, he became a noto- rious bushwhacker and robber, and finally died about the time of the close of hostilities.
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LOCAL INCIDENTS.
1849.]
The extent of the passenger travel, over the National Road during 1849 was immense, and the report of the agents showed that from the Ist to the 20th of March, the number of persons carried was 2,586.
The Post Office was on this date removed to a one- story frame building, which stood back some forty feet from the curb, on Baltimore street, adjoining the Savings Bank, where Reynold's block now stands. James C. Magraw was the Postmaster.
May 14 .- Mayor, Thos. F. White; Councilmen, A Gonder, Baptist Mattingly, Samuel Soyster, John B. Widener, Gerrard S. Watts, and Francis Madore. Clerk, John T. Hoblitzell.
Liberty street was extended from Baltimore to Harrison.
June 2 .-- Thomas Shriver, who had been for so many years Mayor, and under whose administration so many important improvements had been made, delivered his farewell address to the Council. It is not probable that Cumberland will ever again have a Mayor who will so generously devote his time to the public good or leave so many monuments to his energy, zeal, good judgment and self-sacrifice.
In the summer of 1849 the Council ordered the destruction of the old tavern building near Baltimore street, as it had become a nuisance.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company was engaged at this time in extending its road to the Ohio River. Surveys had been made for a line on the Virginia side of the river, and the citizens fearing that route might be adopted, presented to the Com-
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1849.
pany many reasons why the road should be taken through Cumberland. Eventually the Virginia project was abandoned, and the route through Cumberland determined upon. During this year the construction of the splendid viaduct across the town was commenced.
June 18 .- Hugh Walker, a watchman of the railroad company at the depot, was run over by the cars at the crossing at Baltimore street, and was killed.
June 27 .- A convention of the Presidents and Directors of coal companies, individual proprietors and lessees of lands, engaged in coal mining in the county, was held at the Court House, and resolutions adopted for the organization of a Board of Trade, which should have the power of regulating the rates of mining, and the prices at which coal should be sold at different points.
For several years James C. Magraw had been principal of the Academy, but upon his appointment as Postmaster he resigned, and Allen P. Weld, of Boston, was made principal. He had for his assist- ant W. H. Boardman, and Captain De Hass was engaged as Military Instructor. The new principal declared the Academy building insufficient for the accommodation of the pupils, and the Trustees at once secured from the citizens subscriptions for the erection of a suitable structure. The County Com- missioners appropriated for the purpose the lot occupied by the old Clerk's offices, adjoining the jail. On this site was built the present Academy building, which has a frontage of 45 feet and a depth
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LOCAL INCIDENTS.
1849.]
of 60 feet; it is two stories high, with a Grecian portico, eight feet wide, sustained by Doric columns. The principal room on the second floor, is 42 feet square, and has recitation rooms adjoining. The lower floor has a wide hall and two large school rooms. The new building was occupied June 8, 1850.
At the election in the fall Thomas I. McKaig received 1,682 votes for Congress, and William T. Hamilton 1,720. Hamilton was elected, receiving in the District 7,274 votes, against 7,158 for McKaig.
The Delegates to the Legislature were J. Sands Fell, George B. M. Price, Jacob Reel and George Kildow.
October 10 .- The old engine house at the Balti- more street bridge was removed to the Bedford Road, and the warehouses of Clabaugh and Bruce erected.
October 28 .- A riot occurred on Bedford street, near the Market house, between the Far-Downs and Connaught men, who had been spending the Sabbath in drinking and carousing, and numerous "shilalehs" were freely used, to the great detriment of sundry heads.
November 7 .- Henry Clay arrived from the West, on his way to Washington. He came from Wheeling in one of the coaches of the "Good Intent" line, and while passing through Uniontown it was upset by the carelessness of the driver. Mr. Clay was smoking a cigar at the time of the accident, and preserved such a degree of self-possession that he continued to puff away very cooly, even when going over.
February 18, 1850 .- John J. Hickman, a destitute
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1850.
fellow, hanged himself under the platform of one of the warehouses of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road.
At the January session of the Legislature the following acts were passed: Providing for the pur- chase of land and erection of an Alms House; incor- porating the town of Frostburg; enlarging the powers and authority of the Councilmen of the town of Cumberland ; authorizing the rebuilding of the jail, incorporating the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad.
April 24 .- Joseph Mumma was shot and killed by August Beerman and Joseph Stick, both of whom fired upon him at the same instant. Mumma endeav- ored to enter the house of Mrs. Betzall, on the North end of Mechanic street, when the two men named, who were inside, shot him. They were arrested and sent to jail on a charge of murder.
May 5 .- Mayor, Thomas Shriver; Councilmen, Frederick Shipley, John Beall, John B. Widener, Jesse Korns, George Hughes, and F. B. Tower.
County Commissioners : John T. Edwards, Nor- mand Bruce, Gustavus Beall, George Rizer, and John J. Hoffman.
June 11 .- For years the completion of the Chesa- peake and Ohio Canal had been looked forward to by the people of Maryland with the greatest anxiety and brightest anticipations Cumberland, more than all others, was interested, as her future depended upon it. And now the long looked for hour was near at hand. On this date the western level was declared ready for the current. At 5 o'clock p. m., Charles
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LOCAL INCIDENTS.
1850.]
B. Fisk, the Chief Engineer, opened the wickets in the feed-gates, and the waters of the Potomac rushed gladly into the new channel, which was soon to prove an artery of vital import to the interests of the County. Great crowds of people gathered at the locks to witness the ceremony. When the level was filled, a party went to the boat yard of J. H. Clark, on the Creek, above the bridge, and were furnished with a new canal boat, on which several hundred persons embarked, and floated down to the locks. Here Major Thomas G. Harris was requested to name the boat, which was to be the first to go into the canal. Major Harris promptly responded in a brief speech, concluding by christening the boat the "Cumberland." Amidst great enthusiasm the "Cum- berland" was then passed through the lock into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and floated calmly on the bosom of the great water-way. A more complete account of this important work will be given in future pages.
June 27 .- During the prevalence of a severe thunder storm, the stage stable of the National Road Stage Company was struck by lightning, and burned to the ground, together with James Sprigg's livery stable.
July 4 .- A daily line of stages was established between Cumberland and Bedford. An effort was made to organize a company to build a plank road to Bedford, but proved unsuccessful.
During the summer of this year there was great rivalry between the fire companies, which led to nightly acts of incendiarism, and riots. The Council
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1850.
finally adopted severe measures, whereby the evil was checked.
The small-pox broke out with considerable viru- lence, and was not eradicated for several months.
A plank road was built from Cumberland to West Newton, Pa., at the head of steamboat navigation on the Youghiogany, The officers were Thomas Shriver, of Cumberland, President; James C. Atchi- son, William H. Steele, Alpheus Beall, A. M. Shoemaker and John A. Woart, managers; and Dr. Howard Kennedy, Treasurer.
In September, Thomas Mclaughlin, an Irishman, employed on the works of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, near Oldtown, killed his wife, and buried her body under the earth at a point that was being filled up to grade, expecting the carts to be dumped there in the morning, whereby she would be entirely hidden. The body was discovered, however, and the murderer was arrested, tried and convicted. Judge Weisel sat in the case, and John M. Brewer was the Prosecuting Attorney, assisted by Henry W. Hoff- man, then a young and rising lawyer. On the 7th of March, 1851, Mclaughlin was hanged, in a hollow on the old pike, a short distance beyond the termina- tion of Green street. The weather was cool, and a slight snow fell. There was a great crowd of people at the scene of execution, embracing men, women and children, many of whom came from adjoining States.
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