USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Candia > History of the town of Candia, Rockingham County, N.H., from its first settlement to the present time > Part 25
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The barbarous laws by which poor debtors were con- fined in jail like felons was a disgrace to civilization. While the law was in force a considerable number of insol- vent debtors of Candia were arrested by sheriffs and im- prisoned in the county jail at Exeter. Rufus Wilson of Chester, who was a deputy sheriff a number of years previous to 1824 became famous, or rather infamous, by the zeal he displayed in arresting debtors and hurrying them off to jail. He often officiated in this way in Candia. It is said that he was in the habit of buying up claims against debtors at a great discount. If the claims were settled promptly, well and good; but in case the unfortu- nate debtors were unable to settle they were carted off to jail without mercy.
About the year 1822, Gen. Benjamin Pierce of Hills- borough, the father of President Franklin Pierce, was sheriff of Hillsborough county and, as an officer, often visited the county jail at Amherst. At that time there were many insolvent debtors in the jail, some of whom had been imprisoned several years and were totally unable to extri- cate themselves from their miserable condition. Gen. Pierce, who was afterwards Governor of the state, became so touched with pity for those unfortunate men that he paid all the claims against them out of his own pocket and they were released.
The following is an extract from a portion of the message
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of Gov. Mathew Harvey to the New Hampshire legisla- ture in 1830 in which he urged the repeal of the law provid- ing for the imprisonment of insolvent debtors:
"The entire control over the personal liberty of debtors was formerly given to creditors to compel payment either by the terrors of the jail before committment or the misery of confinement afterwards. This power in the hands of an unfeeling creditor was often exercised with severity and fell indiscriminately upon the honest and dishonest; and, whether the debtor had been deprived of the means of pay- ment by exercise of bad judgement or by inevitable mis- fortune, or had fraudulently placed his effects beyond the reach of his creditors, when once committed to prison was confined for life without the possibility of a discharge ex- cept by the mercy of the creditor, or by payment of the debt, however embarrassing this might have been to friends who, moved by sympathy would sometimes do it, or, how- ever oppressive to an already miserable and destitute fam- ily."
In accordance with the terms of an old law, creditors could attach the dead body of a debtor and prevent its burial until his claims were satisfied. It is said that the remains of deceased debtors were sometimes attached while on the way to the cemetery. To frustrate the designs of selfish and unfeeling creditors, the remains were often buried secretly at night.
It is understood that Gen. Sullivan, who was governor of · the state several terms died heavily in debt and that some of his creditors threatened to seize his body unless the claims were paid.
SOMNAMBULISM.
During the night of April 14, 1873, a most extraordinary event took place in the town at the residence of Charles R. Rowe on the North road. About midnight a young man, sixteen or seventeen years of age, named John Emerson, who was temporarily stopping with Mr. Rowe, was found in his bed up stairs with his face and hands terribly muti- lated. Upon his face there were several deep gashes that
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A
appeared to have been made with an ax. Some of his fingers were cut off and others were badly lacerated. It soon appeared that the assault was probably committed by a young man about seventeen years of age named Wilfred Fitts, who was visiting his uncle Jesse R. Fitts, then living on the North Road about a mile west of the residence of Mr Rowe.
The people of the town were greatly excited, as it was at first believed that there had been a deliberate attempt to commit murder. The young man, Fitts, was arrested and taken to the county jail at Exeter to await an investigation of the case. John Emerson, or "Johnny," as he was fa- miliarly called, in a few days, began to show signs that his wounds would not prove fatal. He was born in Richmond, Va., and is the son of Richard Emerson, a native of Candia and the grandson of John Emerson who, for many years lived on High Street near the residence of Frank Hall. Wilfred Fitts, the assailant, was a son of Isaac N. Fitts, a native of Candia, but for many years a citizen of Lowell, where he died in 1890.
In the course of a few days the investigation took place at the vestry of the Congregational church before George F. Hodgdon of Portsmouth; J. S. H. Frink, the county so- licitor, appeared for the state and David Cross of Manches- ter appeared for the respondent. A very large audience was present and a considerable number of the newspapers in the state were represented.
· The dwelling houses of Mr. Rowe and Mr. Fitts were first examined. Jessse R. Fitts, the uncle of Wilfred, testi- fied that he was sent to his house by his father in the hope that he might be restored to health and cured of a propensi- ty to walk in his sleep. He said that about a month before the assault upon Emerson, Wilfred was found apparently asleep in an unfinished garret in the house of Mr. Robbins, a neighbor. He was dressed, but his pants were inside out. In his hands there was a broad ax that was taken from the shop of the witness. He was holding the ax by the blade. He had taken off his rubber boots and entered the garret by a ladder. The witness said that John Emerson had lived with him for some time and that he went away a day or
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two before the assault to take care of Mr. Rowe's cattle during the absence of the latter as a juror at Portsmouth. Wilfred slept with John and they were on the best of terms. After the scene at Robbins' garret, he locked Wilfred in the room when he slept.
Isaac N. Fitts, the father of Wilfred, testified in regard to many feats he performed when in a state of somnambu- lism, some of which seemed incredible and highly danger- ous, and which could not have been performed in a state of wakefulnes.
From this testimony there seemed to be no doubt that Wilfred escaped from Mr Fitts' house in some way that will never be known, went to an old shed, clambered up a lad- der, got an old chair, then took an ax from the shop, not previously knowing that the chair or ax were there, carried them nearly a mile over a muddy road, raised the parlor window in Mr. Rowe's house, a window that Mr. Rowe testified he had never been able to raise except with a pry, entered the window, went across the parlor into a hall, then up the front stairs and through a winding alley and into the Emerson boy's room where he committed the as- sault, and then returned as mysteriously as he went. He had never been in Mr. Rowe's house before and knew nothing of the room that Johnny occupied.
The keeper of the jail at Exeter testified that Wilfred was confined there in a large room in the second story with two young men from Newcastle who were charged with steal- ing a $1,000 bond. One night when the two young men were sound asleep in bed one of them was awakened by being severely cut with an instrument across the lips and the other was seized by the hair of his head and an attempt was made to cut his throat with a razor. When the two young men were fairly roused they found Wilfred up and dressed with an open razor in his hand.
Wilfred Fitts, the respondent testified that he never was in Mr. Rowe's house to his knowledge and had no recol- lection of his night walking. Various parties from Lowell testified as to Wilfred's good character. They represented him as a singularly amiable, and truthful boy, a zealous
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member of the Methodist church, a fine scholar and a member of the high school.
David Cross, the counsel for Wilfred, stated that, probab- ly, history furnished no parallel to the case, and that neither the common or the state laws made any provisions for it. There was no doubt that the boy committed the deed unwittingly and was, therefore, irresponsible. He further said that the magistrate had no discretion in the case except to bind him over.
The county solicitor took the same view of the case and said that if Wilfred's father would put him in a place of se- curity, the legal proceedings would go no further.
The respondent was accordingly put under bonds of $500 and returned to Lowell. He remained at his home a short time but made no progress in the way of regaining his health. He was finally taken to the insane asylum at Taunton, Mass., and died in the course of a few months.
John Emerson became a teacher and taught a high school in Candia and various other places. He is now the princi- pal of a grammar school in Massachusetts, near Boston. He will always bear the marks of the ugly wounds he re- ceived on that terrible April night.
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY OF CANDIA.
The following are the names of the men who were raised in Candia, and were graduates of Dartmouth College:
1827-David Pillsbury, son of Benjamin Pillsbury was born in Raymond, Feb. 27, 1802. He read law with Hen- ry. Hubbard of Charlestown and Samuel D. Bell of Chester. He began to practice at Chester in 1830 and resided there many years and then removed to Concord. He held the office of judge of the police court in that city several years, and died in 1862.
1828-Frederick Parker, son of Thomas Parker, was born at Bedford, Oct. 3, 1799. He was a lawyer and practiced in Bangor, Me. He died in that city May 19, 1834, aged 34 years.
1829-Jacob H. Quimby, son of Jacob H. Quimby was born in Candia, June 6, 1806. He was professor of Latin
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and Greek at St. Mary's College, Md. He died Feb. 6, 1838.
1830-William Henry Duncan, son of William, Duncan the trader was born in Candia, Sept. 26, 1807. He studied law and opened an office at Hanover. He married a daugh- ter of Mills Olcott of Hanover and was a brother-in-law to the celebrated lawyers, Rufus Choate and Joseph Bell of Boston. He died in 1883.
1831-Moses Hall Fitts, son of Master Moses Fitts, was born in Candia, Jan., 1808. He was principal of the Acade- 6, my at Lewiston and Palymyra, N. Y. He was also county commissioner of schools in western New York. About the year 1876 he removed to Santa Rosa, Cal., and died there in 1889.
1831-Ephraim Eaton, son of Henry Eaton, was born in Candia, Sept. 13, 1808. He practiced law at Concord, and was afterwards agent of a manufacturing company at Troy, N. Y., where he died March 3, 1863.
1833-Jesse Eaton Pillsbury, son of Benjamin Pillsbury, was born in Candia, Dec. 10, 1807. He taught school at Buffalo, N. Y., and was principal of an academy at Kings- ton. He died in 1886. in western New York.
1841-Richard Emerson Lane, son of John Lane, Esq., was born in Candia, June 2, 1813. He taught school and read law at Lewiston, N. Y., and died there very suddenly in 1842.
1843- Lorenzo Clay, son of Walter Clay, was born in „Candia, Nov. 5, 1817. He went to Augusta, Me., and studied law and practiced many years at Gardiner, Me. He died in that town in 1890.
1850-Moses Patten, son of Moses Patten, senior, was born in Candia, July 4, 1824. He graduated at Andover Theological Seminary in 1855 and was settled first at Plympton, Mass. He was afterwards pastor of churches in Dracut and Townsend, Mass., and in several towns in Vermont.
1853-John Dolber Emerson, son of Abraham Emer- son, was born in Candia, May 29 1828. He graduated at Andover Theological Seminary in 1858 and was the pastor of a church at Haverhill, N. H., nine years. He was then
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settled at Biddeford, Me., several years. He then became the pastor of a church at Jericho, Vt., and remained there a few years. His next pastorate was at Kennebunk, Me. He remained there several years when he resigned. He is now a resident of Biddeford.
1853-Jonathah C. Brown, son of Jonathan Brown was born in Candia, Jan. 19, 1827. He was a teacher for some time when he became connected with a broker's office in New York city. In this position his health failed and he became insane. He was an inmate of the New Hampshire Insane Asylum at Concord many years, and died there Aug. 18, 1881, aged 54 years and 7 months.
1855-Daniel Dana Patten, son of Moses Patten, senior, was born at Candia, April 25, 1829. He read law in Boston, and practiced a short time. He then became a teacher and taught schools in Stoneham, Mass., Portland, Me., and other places.
1858-Samuel Collins Beane, son of Joseph Beane, of the Island, was born at Candia, Dec. 29, 1835. He graduated at the Divinity school connected with Harvard University and was afterwards settled over a Unitarian church at Chichope, Mass. He resigned and was afterwards pastor of churches at Salem, Mass., and Concord, N. H. He is now the pastor of the Unitarian church at Newburyport, Mass.
1858-Albert Palmer, son of Joseph Palmer, was born at Candia, Jan. 17, 1831. He became a teacher in the Boston Latin school and held the position several years. He then became engaged in the ice business. He was a member of both branches of the Massachusetts legislature and held the office of mayor of Boston in 1883. He died May 21, 1887.
1860-Samuel Franklin French, son of Coffin M. French was born at Candia, Dec. 22, 1835. He studied divinity at Andover Theological Seminary and was first settled as a minister at Hamilton, Mass. He was afterwards settled at Tewksbury, Mass., and Wallingford, Vt. He is still pastor of the Congregational church in the latter place.
1860-Wilson Palmer, son of Joseph Palmer, was born in Candia, March 1, 1833. He studied law with Judge
AARON G. WHITTIER.
Sketch, page 514.
HISTORY OF CANDIA. 321
David Cross of Manchester and graduated at the Albany Law School and practiced law a short time and then went to the West and became superintendent of schools at Inde- pendence, Iowa, Sycamore, Ill., and Ottumwa, Iowa. A few years ago he became the editor and proprietor of the Oyster Bay Pilot, in Oyster Bay, N. Y.
1860-Alanson Palmer, also a son of Joseph Palmer, was born in Candia, May 12, 1835. He graduated in 1860 and has been connected with the public schools of New York city for a number of years.
1861-Wm. Robie Patten, son of Dea. Francis Patten, was born in Candia, Aug. 30, 1837. He studied law and practiced in Manchester several years, and died in May, 1886.
1862-Luther Wilson Emerson, son of Abraham Emer- son and a brother of John D. Emerson, was born Oct. 14, 1838. He read law in the office of Lewis & Cox, of New York, and opened an office in that city. He is still a resi- dent of New York and has a lucrative practice.
1863-George Henry French, son of Coffin M. French, was born in Candia, July 27, 1838. He graduated at Andover Theological Seminary in 1868. He has been pas- tor of Congregational churches in Johnson and Ludlow, Vt., and at Charlestown and Meriden, N. H. He is still pastor of the church at the latter place.
1865-Charles Henry Hubbard, son of J. Pike Hubbard, was born at Candia, July 4, 1839. He graduated at Andover Theclogical Seminary and was first settled over the Congregational church at Merrimack, N. H. A few years ago he removed to Boxford, Mass., and became pastor of a church at that place.
1885-Henry A. Hubbard, son of Henry A. Hubbard, senior, and a grandson of Benjamin Hubbard. After grad- uating at Hanover he taught high schools in Candia and Kingston and at Fort Payne, Alabama. He is now residing in Candia.
1885-John D. Philbrick, son of J. Harvey Philbrick, was born Aug. 24, 1849. After graduating he became a teacher in the Thomas N. Hart grammar school in South Boston,
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and principal of the Bigelow Evening School in that city.
1892-William R. Emerson, son of Moses F. Emerson, is a member of the senior class of Dartmouth College, and will graduate in 1892.
The following are the names of natives of Candia who were graduates of other colleges and institutions of learn- ing.
James P. Lane, son of Dr. Isaiah Lane, was born in Candia, Sept 8, 1832. He fitted for college at Meriden Academy and graduated at Amherst College and Andover Theological Seminary. He was then settled over a church at East Weymouth, Mass., several years. He afterwards became pastor of the Free Church at Andover, Mass., a church at Bristol, R. I., and a church at Norton, Mass. After leaving Norton he retired from the ministry and died at his residence at Hyde Park, Mass., in 1891.
Alvah A. Smith, son of Charles Smith, and a broth- er of Edmund Smith, was fitted for College at Phillips Acade- my at Andover, Mass., and graduated at Michigan Uni- versity. He taught schools in Alabama and Lousiana, and elsewhere. Since then he has been a resident of Boston and is engaged in the real estate business.
Henry Robie Morrill, son of Samuel Morrill, was born in 1840. . He fitted for college at the academy at Wilbraham, Mass., and graduated at the Wesleyan University at Middleton, Conn. He then studied law with Judge Henry B. Graves at Litchfield, Conn. He was admitted to the bar at Wolcottville in that state, and after practicing law in that place a short time he was appointed judge of probate of Litchfield county. He held that office several years, then removed to Waterbury Conn., and was soon appoint- ed judge of the city court at that place. He died at Water- bury in 1873, aged 43.
Moses Palmer, the oldest child of Joseph Palmer, was born in December, 1784. He became a Methodist local preacher. For a number of years he was located at Unity. He died at Goshen, March 22, 1827; aged 43.
Jacob Reed, son of Abel Reed, was a pupil in the public school in Dist. No. 2, and when a young man he studied law and was admitted to the bar in Essex county, Mass.
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Rev. James H. Fitts, son of John Fitts, and grandson of Reuben Fitts, graduated at the theological seminary in Bangor, Me., after which he was settled over a Congre- gational church in West Boylston, Mass. He remained there a few years and then was setled over a church in Topsfield, Mass. During the last few years he has been settled over the Congregational church in South New- market.
Franklin Fitts, son of Master Moses Fitts. was born in Candia and was a graduate of the medical school connect- ed with Dartmouth College. In 1834 he went to Buffalo, N. Y., and practiced medicine a short time in that city. He died there in 1835.
Dr. Thomas Wheat, son of Dr. Nathaniel Wheat, was born in Candia, in January, 1821. He was a graduate of Jefferson Medical College in 1847, and soon afterwards be- came a practitioner at Manchester. He is still in active prac- tice in that city.
John T. Moore, son of John Moore, Esq., was a pupil in the public schools in Candia and, in 1856, he commenced the study of law with Judge Chandler E. Potter at Manches- ter. He soon afterwards opened an office in that city and has practiced law there until the present time.
Dr. J. Wilson Robie, son of John Robie, studied medicine and graduated at the New York Medical College, after which he commenced practice in New York. He still resides there.
James H. Eaton, son of Capt. Jesse Eaton, was born in Candia, studied law at Lawrence, Mass., and was princi- pal of the high school in that city several years. He was also for several years the cashier of a bank in that place.
Dr. John Franklin Fitts, son of Joseph Fitts, was born in Candia, Aug 24, 1839, studied medecine with Dr. Page, and was graduated at the medical school connected with Dart- mouth College. He was a very successful practitioner at Francestown and died there, Oct. 19, 1873.
Dr. George H. French, son of Charles H. French, gradu- ated at the medical school at Hanover about four years ago, and is now settled as a physician at Walpole, Mass.
Francis P. Emerson, son of Moses F. Emerson, studied
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medicine with Dr. C. M. Dodge of Manchester and gradu- ated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York city about 1888. He is now settled as a physician at Chester, Vt.
Mary J. Dudley and Sara Judith Dudley, daughters of Woodbury J. Dudley, were graduated at Wellesly College at Wellesly, Mass.
Carrie L. Emerson, daughter, of Daniel F. Emerson, also graduated at Wellesly College.
YANKEE DIALECT.
For many years after the settlement of New England, the majority of the people who were not well educated were in. the habit of pronouncing many of the common words in use in a very peculiar manner, and words which cannot be found in an English dictionary were frequently introduced. The typical Yankee or country Jonathan always talked in this dialect. As schools have been multiplied this form of speech is now seldom heard. The following are specimens of the words and their pronounciation referred to, the words as they were improperly pronounced begin with capital letters and the proper pronounciation is given in small letters:
Airnest for earnest; Actilly, actually; Ax, ask; Arter, after; Airly, early; Aint, is not; Bellowses, bellows; Beller, bellow; Bin, been; Bile, boil; Bimeby, by and by; Blurt · out, to speak bluntly; Bust, burst; Caird, carried; Chunk, a piece; Cuss, curse, a mean fellow; Close, clothes; Darsn't, dare not; Darned, a polite way of saying damned; Desput, desperate; Du, do; Dunno, don't know; Dror, draw; Eend, end; Tarnal, eternel; Etarnity, eternity; Ef, if; Emptins, yeast; Es, as; Fur, far; Forrard, forehead, or forward; Ferfle, fearful; Ferrel, ferrule; Feller, fellow; Fust, first; Foller, follow; Furrer, furrow; Git, get; Gret, great; Gal, girl; Grouty, sulky; Gut, got; Gump, a foolish or dull fel- low; Gum, to impose upon; Hed, had; Housen, houses; Het, heated; Hull, whole; Hum, home; Hev, have; Ideno, I don't know; Inimy, enemy; Idees, ideas; Insine, ensign; Inter, into; Jegde, judge; Jest, just; Jine, join; Jint, joint;
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Keer, care; Ketch, catch; Kinder, similar; Kittle, kettle; Let daylight into him, to shoot or destroy him; Lick, to beat or whip; Lights, lungs; Mash, a marsh; Mean, stingy; Offen; often; Ole, old; Peek, to peep; Pint, a point; Popler, popular; Popple, poplar; Put out, troubled, or vexed; Riled, angry; Riz, rose or risen; Sass, sauce; Sassy, impertinent; Sartin, certain; Set by or Sot by, admired; Sich, such; Slarter, slaughter; No great shakes, not of much account; Meetin' heouse, meeting house; Nower's, Nowhere; Pooty, pretty; Pizen, poison; Scaly, mean; Scrouging, hard labor; Sot, sat; Picter, picture; Snaked out, pulled out; Streaked, mean; Scoot, to run away; Sogerin, shirking; Somers, somewhere; Suthin, something; Take on, to mourn; Taters, potatoes; Tetch, touch; Sost, so as to; Darter, daughter; Wal, well; Wuz, was; Puddn, pudding; Winder, window; Hins, hens; Ter rites, presently; Harrer, harrow; Harrer up yer feelins, to excite your feelings, Put out, offended; Straddle over, step over; Grouty, cross or angry; Terbarker or Barker, tobacco; Pester, annoy; Sharder, shadow; Pesky, offensive; Larnin, learning; Turkle, turtle; Tootin, blowing on an instrument; Sho, an exclamation of surprise; Duds, clothes; Nuther, neither; Natur, nature; Yaller, yellow; I swow, or I swan, another way of saying I swear; Edicated, educated; This ere, This here; That are, that there; Seed, saw; Hist, hoist; T'other, the other.
Words ending with the sylable ing, were pronounced as though the final consonant, g, was silent.
THE DEERFIELD EXPLOSIONS.
During the summer and fall of 1845, the people of Deer- field and vicinity were startled by loud subteraneous noises which seemed to proceed from a section of territory lying in the southeastern part of the town, near the Nottingham line and in the immediate vicinity of the southwestern side of the Pawtuckaway mountains. At some of the explosions the houses were shaken, stoves and other kitchen furniture were rattled, clocks were stopped, and crockery was thrown down and broken. The noises were often as loud as the report of a twelve pounder cannon when heard
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at a distance of half a mile, but there were no echoes or reverberations in the atmosphere like those which follow thunder or explosions of any sort above ground;, neither were there any long wave motions in the earth or noises which gradually become fainter and fainter like those which accompany ordinary earthquakes. The most intelli- gent of the people who heard the strange sounds were agreed that they were occasioned by some local dis- turbance in the earth at a moderate distance below the sur- face. Many of the inhabitants were much alarmed and feared that a great volcano was about to break out and cause great destruction of life and property. At length, on the invitation of the late Judge Butler, and other citizens of Deerfield, Prof. Merriam, a meteriologist of Brooklyn, N. Y., visited the locality in the vicinity of the Pawtuck- away mountains and made a partial investigation of the case; but in consequence of a violent storm his labors were suspended and were never resumed.
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