History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 20

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862

USA > New York > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 20

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reverend seigneurs" (?), where conviction was certain and prompt, and the penalty "a quarter," imposed for the bene- fit of the court and its supporters. Among other charges, one was preferred against Esq. H., of Rutland, a man of very sober and candid character, who was charged with stealing. Conscious of innocence, he offered to be searched, when a quantity of dough was found in both pockets of his coat. Thus implicated by circumstances he could not ex- plain, he was fined. Another was acensed of falling asleep, and fined a shilling for contempt, and to pay for his lodging ; another was fined a like sumn for smoking in the court-room, and thus lowering the dignity of the proceedings. After paying the penalty, he resumed his pipe, and was again arraigned, but he pleaded a new statute of limitations, that the fine previously assessed was for a pipe-full, which he had not finished, and beside that, his comfort could not twice be put in jeopardy by the same tribunal. These pleas afforded a subject for discussion that elicited the re- search and ability of the lawyers present. As the avowed intention was to make business for all of the new officers, one person was stripped and laid out on a board, loosely covered with cloth, and the coroner sent for, who at once proeecded to " sit upon" the subject, when the board tipped

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

up, and the corpus disappeared, in naturalibus, instanter. The sheriff found business by dragging from his conceal- ment one who had fled to a garret to escape the rigorous penalties of the mock eourt. He was taken before the tribunal, who decided upon the evidence addueed that his failing was a disease rather than a crime, and required for its eradieation an encma. This carnival was continued the second day, and although the officers of the court affected to abstain from the frolie, yet judicial dignity offered no cx- emption, and all parties were compelled to join. Companies distinguished by personal peculiarities were paraded under . officers selected for the prominence of these traits, as "long noses," etc., while the little, short men were organized into a party, and charged with the duty of " keeping the cats off."*

This tradition is verified by the fact that the board of supervisors allowed at their meeting in October, 1807, two bills for damages done to the house of Samuel Whittlesey, in process of building, at the time of the first court.

The first term of the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery was held in the county on June 17, 1807, at the same school-house near Cowan's mills, in Watertown, with the following presence: Hon. Smith Thompson, justice ; Augustus Sacket, Joshua Bealls, and Perley Keyes, judges; Lyman Ellis, associate justice ; Egbert Ten Eyck, clerk ; Nathan Williams, district attor- ney. The first case tried was one of the people against a prominent eitizen of the county, indicted for rape; but a jury composed of Moses Miller, Jonathan Treadway, Wil- liam Hadsell, Oliver Seott, Nathaniel Johnson, Caleb Ellis, Alanson Dresser, Alpheus Coleman, Abiah Jenkins, P. Redway, Levi Butterfield, and John Hathaway, said their neighbor was not guilty, after hearing seven witnesses for the prosecution (three of them ladies) and twelve for the defense testify. The second trial was on an indietment for an assault and battery, the defendant being convicted of the assault only, and fined ten dollars. The third trial was that of Patrick McGinnis, on a charge of lareeny, of which he was acquitted by twelve of his peers. The next term was held June 20, 1808, Chief-Justice Kent presiding, with Judges Clark, Saeket, and White, and Associate Justiee Corlis Hinds. Besides other business transacted, seven constables were fined five dollars each,-for what cause the record does not show. The next term of the court, begun June 9, 1809, was held at the court-house, Hon. Joseph C. Yates, justiee, and Judges Clark, Bealls, and White, pres- ent, and Samuel Whittlesey, district attorney. Stephen Rawson was tried for, and convicted of, passing counterfeit money, Oliver Taylor was tried for the same offense and acquitted, and James Goff, indicted for grand larceny, pleaded guilty. The court sentenced Rawson to the State's prison for fourteen years, and Goff for three and a half years, and fined Gershom Tuttle and Jabez Foster eight dollars each for non-appearance as grand jurors. At the June term (1810) of the court there were four persons tried for making and passing counterfeit money, con- victed and sentenced to State's prison as follows : one, for counterfeiting gold coin, for life; two, for counterfeiting

bank-notes, twelve years; and one, for passing counterfeit bank-notes, for ten years. One man was convicted of grand larceny and received three years, and another received like sentence for attempting to break jail. At the June term (1812) Wm. W. Van Ness, justice of the Supreme Court, presiding, John Johnson Mann was convicted of forgery, and sentenced to the State's prison for life. At the June term (1814) the grand jury found eight indietments for lareeny, one for murder, one for rape, two for forgery, and two for assault and battery. The rapist was sentenced to State's prison for life, the stealers went to the same safe- keeping and the county jail for different pericds of time. June 16, 1828, Henry Evans was convicted of murder, and ·sentenced to be hanged August 20.

The first Circuit Court was held June 20, 1808, Chief- Justice Kent presiding, and also present Judges Sacket, Clark, and White, and Corlis Hinds, associate justice. The first civil suit tried was that of Aaron Davis against Robert Stewart, impleaded with Barzillai Willey, and a jury gave a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, and assessed his damages at $130.81. The next court was held June 19, 1809, at which there were had five jury trials, resulting in awards of damages amounting to $1061, and one non-suit. At the June term, 1811, there were eleven jury trials, resulting in the award of damages aggregating $4650. At the June term, 1812, Gerrit Smith was a plaintiff with the Tall- madges, and one David Wadhams and David Thompson, against Jonathan and Aaron Davis, defendants, wherein the plaintiffs recovered $302.81 in damages.

At the first terin of the Circuit Court the following attorneys appear of record before the court, viz., I. Bost- wick, S. C. Kennedy, B. Skinner, S. Whittlesey, Lyman Munson, Thomas Skinner, Ela Collins, and Micah Sterling. At the third term Egbert Ten Eyck, Amos Benedict, S. S. Brcese (afterwards Judge of the Supreme Court of Illinois for many years), H. R. Storrs, and B. Skinner appeared.

A special term of the Supreme Court was held in Watertown on the third Monday of December, 1847, Hon. William F. Allen, justice, presiding ; and a general term of the same court was held July 4, 1848, Justices Gridley, Pratt, and Allen being present. At this term John T. Newcomb and De Witt C. Priest were admitted to the bar.

THE SURROGATE'S COURT.

Owing to the loss of the records and files of this court by fire previous to 1830, the actual date of the first session of the same cannot be obtained, nor an abstract of its early business. The records of the court were kept at the private offiees of the surrogates who from time to time presided over the court, and in one of the destructive conflagrations which have laid waste the business portions of the city, the valuable documents intrusted to that tribunal previous to the year before named are irrecoverably lost. The seal of the surrogate consists of the words "Jefferson County Surrogate Seal" in a circle around the words " The End" in the centre.

THE JUDGES

who have held the foregoing-named eourts of Jefferson County are as follows :

# Hough.

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

The courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions- first judges : Augustus Sacket, February 26, 1807; Moss Kent, February 26, 1810; Abel Cole, February 26, 1818; Egbert Ten Eyek, November 14, 1820; Calvin MeKnight, January 29, 1829; Thomas C. Chittenden, February 28, 1840 ; Calvin Skinner, January 25, 1845.

Judges under the first and second constitutions, with the year of their first appointment: 1805, Joshua Bealls, Perley Keyes; 1806, Isaae Conklin, Augustus Saeket; 1809, Joseph Clark, Lyman Ellis, Thomas White; 1811, John Durkee ; 1812, Eliphalet Edmonds ; 1813, Ethel Bronson, John Brown, Joel Doolittle, Noadiah Hubbard, Jabez Foster, Clark Allen; 1814, Jesse Hopkins; 1815, Abel Cole ; 1818, William Robinson, Amasa Trowbridge, Elijah Fields, Jr., Aaron Palmer, Calvin McKnight; 1820, Hart Massey, Samuel C. Kennedy ; 1821, Hiram Steel, Richard Goodale, Joseph Hawkins; 1823, Egbert Ten Eyck, Zeno Allen, Alpheus S. Greene, Eliphalet Edmonds, Joseph Hawkins; 1824, Daniel Wardwell; 1829, Benjamin Wright, Zeno Allen, John Macomber, George Brown ; 1834, the same were appointed ; 1840, Hiram Carpenter, E. Ten Eyck, M. K. Stowe, E. G. Merrick ; 1841, John Thurman, Hiram Dewey ; 1843, G. C. Sherman ; 1845, Jason Clark ; 1846, Thomas Wait, Joseph Boyer.

Assistant justiees (under the first constitution), 1805 : Thomas White, Willian Hunter, Lyman Ellis, Ethni Evans; 1807, Asa Brayton, Corlis Hinds; 1811, Abel Cole, William Huntingdon, James Henderson, Jr. ; 1813, Jesse Hopkins, Jonathan Davis, Woleott Hubbell, George White; 1814, William Baker ; 1815, Converse Johnson, James Shurtliff, Setli Peck, Asa Smith, Elijah Fields, Jr., Amasa Trowbridge, Melvin Moffatt, Daniel Sterling; 1818, Henry H. Sherwood, John S. Porter, John Macomber, Thomas Brayton.

The Circuit Judges, under the constitution of 1821 (appointed by the governor and senate), were Nathan Wil- liams, April 21, 1823; Hiram Denio, May 6, 1834; Philo Gridley, July 16, 1838; S. Beardsley was appointed in 1834, and J. H. Bronson in 1838, but neither served.

Under the present constitution the county judges were elected at first for four years, but, under the amendments of 1869, their terms are for six years. They hold the county eourts. The first county judge was elected in June, 1847, the same being Robert Lansing. He was sueeeeded by William C. Thompson, in November, 1851. The succession has been as follows since Judge Thompson, who held the position until 1860: Charles D. Wright, 1860-68; Azarialı H. Sawyer, 1869-77, and the present ineumbent.

Justices of Sessions were provided also by the present constitution, who are also elcetive officers, being designated from among the justiees of the peaee, and have been as fol- lows: 1847, Samuel Boyden; 1849-50, George Brown ; 1850, Dexter Wilder, A. S. Babeoek ; 1851, Dexter Wil- der, Medad Cook, Henry Lord; 1853, George A. Gates, Eleazer W. Lewis; 1854, William D. Lewis, Hosea B. Hayes ; 1855, Albert II. Davis and De Witt C. Priest; 1856, Jonathan Munsell and John Fassett; 1857, Jolin F. Latimer, Hosea B. Hayes ; 1858, Bradford K. Hawes, Geo. K. Cornwell; 1859, Almond Buell and Cornwell ;

1860, Isaae S. Main, HIosea B. Hayes; 1861, Henry Hiteheoek and IIayes; 1862-65, Reuben H. Potter and Hayes ; 1865, Potter and Geo. F. Bartlett ; 1866, Bartlett and J. Snell ; 1867, Allen Nims, Horaee M. Wilds; 1868- 69, Carlton C. Moore and Wilds; 1870-71, Geo. F. Bart- lett and John Parker; 1872, Bartlett and Erwin F. Rams- dell; 1873, Ramsdell and Lysander HI. Brown; 1874, Brown and Ezra D. Hilts ; 1875, Hilts and George E. Tucker; 1876, Brown and Hilts; 1877, Brown and John F. Cook.

Surrogates (appointed previous to 1847, and eleeted sinee then) have been as follows : Benjamin Skinner, April 13, 1805 ; John M. Canfield, March 15, 1811; Elisha Camp, February 28, 1813; David Perry, June 27, 1815 ; Lyman Munson, April 2, 1816; Benjamin Wright, Feb- ruary 26, 1820 ; L. Munson, February 13, 1821 ; B. Wright, Mareh 27, 1827 ; John Clarke, February 28, 1840; Na- thaniel B. Wardwell, February 28, 1844, who held the ap- pointment till his death, February 15, 1847, when John Clarke was re-appointed. The first surrogate elected was Levi H. Brown, in June, 1847. The sueeession sinee then has been : James R. A. Perkins, November, 1851-59 ; Milton H. Merwin, 1860-63; D. M. Bennett, 1864-67 ; William W. Taggart, 1868-77, and the present incum- bent.

Loeal offieer to discharge the duties of surrogate, called Special Surrogate .- Geo. W. Hungerford, 1849; Isaae Van Vleck, 1851-54; Milton H. Merwin, 1855-57; Lafayette J. Bigelow, 1858-60; Samuel D. Barr, 1861- 63; A. II. Sawyer, 1864-65; W. W. Taggart, 1866-67 ; Ross C. Scott, 1868-77, and present incumbent.

Special County Judges .- Thomas P. Saunders, 1849- 55 ; David J. Wager, 1856-61; A. J. Brown, 1862-65 ; J. B. Emmes, 1866-77, and present ineumbent.

The courts of justice which exercise jurisdiction over the people of Jefferson County, within the bounds of the Fed- eral and State constitutions, at the present time, are as follows :

THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES .- Morrison R. Waite, Ohio, chief justice, appointed 1874; Nathan Clifford, Portland, Maine, associate justice, 1858; Ward Ilunt, Utica, N. Y., associate justice, 1873; Wm. Strong, Philadelphia, Penn., associate justice, 1870; Joseph P. Bradley, Newark, N. J., associate justice, 1870 ; Noah HI. Swayne, Columbus, Ohio, associate justice, 1862 ; David Davis, Bloomington, Ill., associate justice, 1862; Samuel F. Miller, Keokuk, Iowa, associate justice, 1862; Stephen J. Field, San Francisco, Cal., associate justice, 1863; D. Wesley Middleton, of Washington, clerk ; William T. Otto, of Indiana, reporter; John G. Nicolay, of Illinois, marshal. The court holds one general term at Washing- ton, D. C., commencing on the second Monday in Oc- tober.

THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, for the second eireuit (including New York, Vermont, and Con- nectieut) .- Judges : Ward Hunt, associate justice ; Alex- ander S. Johnson, cireuit judge; and the district judge. Terms of this court are held for the Northern District of New York at Albany, 2d Tuesday in October ; Canandai- gua, 3d Tuesday in June; also adjourned term, for civil

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

business only, at Albany 3d Tuesday in January, and at Utica 3d Tuesday in March. Charles Mason, clerk Northern Division, office at Utica.

THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, for the Northern District of New York .- William J. Wallace, district judge, Syracuse ; Richard Crowley, district attorney, Lockport ; Winfield Robbins, clerk, Buffalo; Isaac F. Quimby, marshal, Rochester. The terms of the court are held as follows : Albany, 3d Tuesday in January ; Utica, 3d Tuesday in March ; Rochester, 2d Tuesday in May ; Buffalo, 3d Tuesday in August; Auburn, 3d Tuesday in November. Special terms are held by appointment at Oswego, Plattsburgh, or Watertown ; and a special session in Admiralty at Buffalo on Tuesday of each week.

THE COURT OF APPEALS OF NEW YORK. - Sanford E. Church, Albion, chief judge, term expires Dec. 31, 1884. Associate Judges, William F. Allen, Oswego, term expires Dec. 31, 1878 ; Charles A. Rapallo, New York city, term expires Dec. 31, 1884; Charles Andrews, Syracuse, term expires Dec. 31, 1884; Charles J. Folger, Geneva, term expires Dcc. 31, 1884; Theodore Miller, Hudson, term ex- pires Dec. 31, 1886 ; Robert Earl, Herkimer, term expires Dec. 31, 1890. Edwin O. Perrin, clerk, Jamaica; F. Stanton Perrin, deputy clerk, Albany ; Hiram E. Sickels, reporter, Albany ; Amos Dodge, crier, Albany ; Andrew J. Chester, attendant, Albany ; Jeremiah Cooper, attendant, Lenox.

THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK .- The general terms of the Fourth Judicial department, holden by Joseph Mullin, presiding justice, Watertown; John L. Talcott and James C. Smith, associate justices.

THE CIRCUIT COURTS AND COURTS OF OYER AND TERMINER, and SPECIAL TERMS, held in Jefferson County, in the Fifth Judicial district, on the 1st Monday of April, and 2d Mondays in June and November, by justices of the Supreme Court, as assigned by the term justices. The judges of the Fifth Judicial district are as follows: Joseph Mullin, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1881; George A. Hardin, Little Falls, term expires Dec. 31, 1885 ; Mil- ton H. Merwin, Utica, term expires Dec. 31, 1888; James Noxon, Syracuse, term expires Dec. 31, 1888; Watson M. Rogers, district attorney, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1877 ; George Cole, clerk, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1879 ; Abner W. Peck, sheriff, Watertown, term ex- pires Dec. 31, 1878; Justin W. Weeks, crier, Watertown, from 1860 to 1877.

THE COUNTY COURT. - Judge, Azariah H. Sawyer, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1877 ; Clerk, George W. Cole, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1879 ; Sheriff, Abner W. Peck, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1878; Special Judge, John B. Emmes, Carthage, term expires Dec. 31, 1877.

THE COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS .- Judge, Azariah H. Sawyer, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1877 ; Jus- tices of the Sessions, Lysander H. Brown and John F. Cook, terms expire Dec. 31, 1877.

THE SURROGATE COURT .- Surrogate, William W. Tag- gart, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1877; Special Surrogate, Ross C. Scott, Watertown, term expires Dec. 31, 1877.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

The board of supervisors, as the fiscal manager of the county, has come down from the " good old colony times, when we lived under the king," and dates its beginning in an act of the colonial assembly of New York, passed in April, 1691 .* By this act it was provided that the freeholders of the colony should elect two assessors and one supervisor in their respective towns; the former to assess and establish the rates on each freeholder and inhabitant, and deliver the list to the supervisor, who took it up to a general meeting of the supervisors of the county, who ordered the same col- lected by the constables or collectors of the several towns. The supervisors as a board also elected a county treasurer, who received and disbursed the funds for county charges. This act was repealed October 18, 1701, and courts of gen- eral or special sessions, held by the justices of the peace of the county, or any five of them, were created, to make the necessary levics of taxes and audit claims, and certify the same to two assessors and a collector in each town for col- lection pro rata. This court also appointed the county treasurer. On June 19, 1703, the supervisors were re- stored again and put in charge of the strong box of the treasury, and the courts of sessions relieved of the care of the financial interests of the county, and the supervisors required to meet as a board at the county town, annually, on the first Tuesday in October, and at such other times as they might decm proper for the transaction of their busi- ness. The board received back again, also, the power of appointment of county treasurer, who was allowed a six- pence on the pound for his fees, the collectors getting nine- pence for their fees of collection. The system of the supervisors has been continued under the several constitu- tions of the State to the present time.

The first meeting of the board of supervisors of Jefferson County convened October 1, 1805, in the school-house in Watertown, near Jonathan Cowan's mills, and was com- posed of the following supervisors : Noadiah Hubbard, of Champion ; Clift French, of Rutland; Corlis Hinds, of Watertown ; John W. Collins, of Brownville ; Nicholas Salisbury, of Adams; Thomas White, of Harrison (now Rodman) ; Lyman Ellis, of Ellisburg ; and Asa Brown, of Malta (now Lorraine). They " resolved" Mr. Hubbard into the presidency of the board, and adjourned the meet- ing until three o'clock P.M., at the house of Abijah Put- nam, and met accordingly at the time and place appointed. They then proceeded to elect by ballot a clerk, Zelotes Harvey, and a county treasurer, Benjamin Skinner, and required the latter official to furnish security in $5000 for the faithful discharge of his duties, which he subsequently did, Jacob Brown (afterwards major-general of the United States army in the war of 1812) becoming his pledge and bondsman. They ordered the clerk to get stationery for their use, and adjourned till the next morning. On the second day they appointed Messrs. Hinds and Ellis as a committee to examine the assessment rolls of the several towns, and told themselves off in couples to audit the various charges against the towns. Messrs. French, White, and Hinds were appointed to procure a conveyance of the court-

Bradford's Ed. Colonial Laws.

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

house site, which they subsequently did from Henry and Amos Coffeen, S. C. Kennedy being allowed $2 for drafting the document.

David Parker was allowed $44.43 for conveying a pris- oner to Whitestown (Oneida county) jail. Harrison Mosely's bill for apprehending a prisoner and conveying him to the same place of confinement, amounting to $40.97, was re- duced to $33.50, and allowed at those figures. Robinson Pacey, a witness in the case last named, was allowed $10.62 for his attendance at Whitestown. Hart Massey was ap- pointed sealer of weights and measures, and $45 appropri- ated and placed in his hands to procure standards with which to perform his acts. He expended $30 more than the appropriation, and the next board allowed him the ex- cess. Henry Coffeen, county clerk, was allowed $5.80 for ser- vices as such officer, and 829 for stationery and blank books. Six dollars also were allowed justices for criminal services. The bills of the commissioners to locate the site of the court-house and jail, $202, were allowed, and the clerk of the board was granted $17 for eight days' service and a bill of stationery. $35 were appropriated for fitting up the school-house suitably for holding courts therein, and the county clerk given in charge of the work. The treas- urer was allowed $5 and the clerk $12 to procure suitable records for the needs of their respective offices, the entire appropriations of the session amounting to $723.44.

Henry Coffeen presented a bill of $85.88, and Jacob Brown one of $100 for services at the session of the legis- lature in the division of Oneida county, both of which were rejected. The latter had been appointed by a meeting of citizens of the county, held at Denmark (in Lewis county), to attend the legislature for lobbying purposes. Another similar bill at a subsequent session of the board was rejected. Dr. Ozias H. Rawson's bill for medical attendance on a poor family in the county was rejected. A bounty of $10 on wolves' and panthers' scalps was laid in addition to the town bounty offered for the destruction of these animals. The commissioners of high ways of the towns of Ellisburg, Brownville, and Harrison ( Rodman), petitioned for the sumn of $250 to be laid on cach of their respective towns, for road and bridge purposes ; which was done. The record of the meeting, which lasted seven days, is elosed by the following entry : " Resolved, that the meeting be desolved."

The assessment and amount of taxes, population, and the collectors of 1805-6 were as follows :

Val. Town Tax. Co. Tax. Total. Popla'n.

Collectors.

Ellisburg,

$80,109.00

$432.76

$80.01

$512.87

182 Grant Hoisington.

Watertown,

64,986.50

271.59

64.99

336.58

258

Jolın Blevin.

Adams,

33,606.00

134.43

33,60

168.03

136 Oliver Willson.

Brownville,

447,240.00

487.31

447.24

934.55

200

Nuadiah Burr.

Harrison,

43,395,00

267.11

43.39

410.50

150

Peter Yaudes.

Malta,

49,248.00

98.35

49.25

147.60

O. Butler.

Rutland,

44,829.00

116.56

44.82

161.38

230

Benj. Eddy.

Champion,

42,578.50

126.78

42.58

169.36

190

Ben. Saunders.

$805,992.00 $2031.89

$805.98 $2840.87 1438

Of the county tax of $805.98, the collectors' fees amounted to $40.30 and the treasurer's to $8.06, leaving the net tax $757.62. A balance of $34.18 was unappro- priated, but $539.92 of the aggregate taxes of the county were rejected by the comptroller on their return to him, and $326.88 were delinquent, to be paid in at the Comp- troller's office and by him to be returned to the county treas- urer, so that the settlement at the end of the year 1806 with

the treasurer reveals a balance of eash on hand of $3.34 only, and the orders outstanding amounted to $436.08. The prospective assets amounted to $655.49, the realization and convertibility of which were more or less indefinite and distant.

A special meeting of the board was convened June 13, 1806, at which appeared Jacob Brown, Perley Keyes, Jona- than Davis, Augustus Sacket, Ethni Evans, and Jesse Hopkins as new members. This meeting appointed Jacob Brown and Augustus Sacket a committee with full powers to effect a settlement with Oneida and Lewis counties, on a division of the funds on hand in the treasury of Oneida county when that sovereignty was divided. The committee was also empowered to receive the money and pay the bill of the jailer of Oneida against Jefferson according to their discretion. At the October meeting the same year the comunittce reported $2292.88 on hand at the time of the division of the county, which the committees of the several counties had divided according to the assessment-roll of Oneida county, last previous to the division, by which arrangement Jefferson was entitled to $328.61, Lewis $293.54, and Oneida $1670.73. The supervisors of Oneida directed their treasurer to honor the drafts of the treasurers of Jefferson and Lewis for their respective allotments, and the supervisors of Jefferson directed the treasurer of this county to draw at once for the amount due this county. At the annual meeting of the board, the towns of Henderson and Hounsfield were represented by Jesse Hopkins and Augustus Sacket respectively, and the assessment rolls of Ellisburg. Henderson, Harrison, and Malta were found incorrect and returned to the assessors for correction. The following order was passed : " Ordered, that hereafter every justice of the peace who shall give a certificate certifying the killing of a wolfe or panther shall, on receiving the pate thereof, sufficiently crop the ears of the same, and insert the said ears to be so croped in each certificate to be so given." The sessions of October 7 and 8 were held at the school-house, but on the latter date an adjournment was had to November 3 to the house of Joseph Clark. Le Ray was represented at the adjourned meeting by Ethni Evans. The committee to settle with the sheriff of Jefferson County and the jailer of Oneida, allowed bills to the amount of $467.76, and in their report mnade a showing which argued strongly for the economy of a jail of their own. A tax of $1000 was levied for roads and bridges, and distributed pro rata over the towns accord- ing to the value of their taxable property. Drs. Bealls and Green presented bills for medical attendanec and supplies for Noah Emmons and family, which were rejected ; but sundry bills, amounting to $48.64, incurred in the removal of the same family from town to town, and finally out of the county, were allowed nem. con.

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History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 20

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 862

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862