USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > History of Lancaster and York Counties > Part 47
USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of Lancaster and York Counties > Part 47
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On the following morning, Dady went to Chamberlain's,
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
and had a private conversation between Williams and Hall before breakfast. After Dady had left them, Williams asked Chamberlain whether the place was not haunted .-- Being answered in the negative, he said that it was haunted -that he had been born with a veil over his face-could see spirits, and had been conducted thither, sixty miles, by a spirit. Hall assented to the truth of this. In the evening of the same day, they had another interview with Dady .- Williams then told Chamberlain, that if he would permit him to tarry over night, he would show him a spirit. This. being agreed to, they went into a field in the evening, and Williams drew'a circle on the ground, around which he di- rected Hall and Chamberlain to walk in silence. A terrible screech was soon heard proceeding from a black ghost ( !!! ) in the woods, at a little distance from the parties, in a direc- tion opposite to the place where Williams stood. In a few minutes a white ghost appeared, which Williams addressed in a language which those who heard him could not under- stand-the ghost replied in the same language! After his ghostship had gone away, Williams said that the spirit knew of a treasure which it was permitted to discover to eleven men-they must be honest, religious and sensible, and nei- ther horse jockeys nor Irishınen.
The intercourse between Williams and Dady now ceased to be apparent ; but it was continued in private. Chamber- lain, convinced of the existence of a ghost and a treasure, was easily induced to form a company, which was soon ef- fected.
Each candidate was initiated by the receipt of a small sealed paper, containing a little yellow sand, which was called "the power." This " power" the candidate was to bury under the earth to the depth of one inch, for three days and three nights-performing several absurd ceremonies, too obscene to be described here.
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
A circle, two inches in diameter, was formed in the field, in the centre of which there was a hole six inches wide and as many deep. A captain, a lieutenant and three committee men were elected. Hall had the honor of the captaincy. The exercise was to pace around the circle, &c. This, it was said, propitiated and strengthened the white ghost, who was opposed by an unfriendly black ghost who rejoiced in the ap- pellation of Pompey. In the course of their nocturnal exercises they often saw the white ghost-they saw Mr. Pompey too, but he appeared to have "his back up," bellowed loud- ly, and threw stones at them.
On the night of the 18th of August, 1797, Williams un- dertook to get instructions from the white ghost. It was done in the following manner: He took a sheet of clean white paper, and folded it in the form of a letter, when each member breathed into it three times, and the paper laid over the hole in the centre of the circle, the instructions of the ghost were obtained. The following is a short extract from. the epistle, written by the ghost :
"Go on, and do right, and prosper, and the treasure shall be yours. I am permitted to write this in the same hand I wrote in the flesh for your direction-0 -~ { Take care of your powers in the name and fear of God our pro- tector-if not, leave the work. There is a great treasure, 4000 pounds a-piece for you. Don't trust the black one .-- Obey orders. Break the enchantment, which you will not do until you get an ounce of mineral dulcimer eliximer ; some German doctor has it. It is near, and dear, and scarce. Let the committee get it-but don't let the Doctor know what you are about-he is wicked."
The above is but a small part of this precious communi- cation. In consequence of these ghostly directions, a young: man named Abraham Kephart waited, by order of the com- mittee, on Dr. Dady. The Dr. preserved his eliximer in a
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
bottle sealed with a large red seal, and buried in a heap of oats, and demanded fifteen dollars for anounce of it. Young Kephart could not afford to give so much, but gave him thirty-six dollars and three bushels of oats for three ounces of it. Yost Liner, another of these wise committee men, gave the Doctor 121 dollars for eleven ounces of the stuff.
The company was soon increased to 30 persons, many of whom were wealthy. Among those who were most miser- ably duped, may be mentioned Clayton Chamberlin, Yost Liner, Thomas Bigham, William Bigham, Samuel Tagert, John M'Kinney, James Agnew the elder, James M'Cleary, Robert Thompson, David Kissinger, George Sheckley, Pe- ter Wikeart, and John Philips. All these, and many other men were, in the words of the indictment, "cheated and de- frauded by means of certain false tokens and pretences, to wit : by means of pretended spirits, certain circles, certain brown powder, and certain compositions called mineral dul- cimer elixer, and Deterick's mineral elixer."
But the wiles of these impostors were soon exerted in other parts. The following is an account of their proceed- ings in and about Shrewsbury township, in York county. Williams intimated he had received a call from a ghost, res- ident in those parts, at the distance of forty miles from Da- dy's. Jacob Wister, one of the conspirators, was the agent of Williams on this occasion. He instituted a company of twenty-one persons, all of whom were, of course, most ig- norant people. The same and even more absurd ceremonies were performed by these people, and the communications of the ghost were obtained in a still more ridiculous manner than before. The communications mentioned Dr. Dady as the person from whom they should obtain the dulcimer elix- er, as likewise a kind of sand which the ghost called the " Asiatic sand," and which was necessary in order to give efficacy to the " powers." Ulrich Neaff, a committee man 11
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
of this company, paid to Dr. Dady ninety dollars for seven and a half ounces of the elixer. The elixer was put into vials, and each person who had one of them, held it in his hand and shook it, as he pranced round the circle; on cer- tain occasions he annointed his head with it, and afterwards, by order of the spirit, the phial was buried in the ground.
Paul Baliter, another of the committee men, took with him to Dr. Dady's, a hundred dollars, to purchase "Asiatic sand," at three dollars per ounce. Dady being absent, Wil- liams procured from the Doctor's shop as much sand as the money would purchase. In this instance, Williams cheated the Doctor, for he kept the spoil to himself, and thence arose an overthrow of the good fraternity.
Each of them now set up for himself. Williams procured directions from his ghost, that each of the companies should despatch a committee to Lancaster to buy " Deterick's mi- neral elixer," of a physician in that place. In the meantime Williams and his wife went to Lancaster, where they pre- pared the elixer, which was nothing but a composition of copperas and cayenne pepper. Mrs. Williams, as the wife of John Huber, a German Doctor, went to Dr. Rose, with a letter dated " 13 miles from Newcastle, Delaware," which directed him how to sell the article, &c. The enormity of the price aroused the suspicion of Dr. Rose. In a few days, the delegates from the committee arrived, and purchased el- ixer to the amount of $740,33. When the lady came for the money, she was arrested, and the secret became known. Her husband, Williams, escaped.
The Lancaster expedition having led to a discovery of the tricks of the impostors, a few days after the disclosures made by Mrs. Williams, an indictment was presented in the crim- inal court of York county, against Dr. John Dady, Rice Williams, Jesse Miller, Jacob Wister, the elder, and Jacob Wister, the younger, for a conspiracy to cheat and defraud.
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY ...
The trial took place in June following, and resulted in the conviction of Wister, the elder, and Dr. Dady-the former of whom was fined ten dollars, and imprisoned one month in the county jail, the latter fined ninety dollars, and sentenced to two years confinement in the penitentiary at Philadelphia.
Dady had just been convicted of participating in the con- spiracy in Shrewsbury, when he and Hall were found guilty of a like crime in Adams county-whereupon Hall was fined one hundred dollars and sent to the penitentiary for two years, and Dady was fined one hundred and sixty dol- lars, and sentenced to undergo an additional servitude of two years in the penitentiary, to commence in June, 1800, when his first term would expire.
Thus ended the history of Doctor Dady, who certainly was not devoid of talent, who possessed a most winning ad- dress, and was a thorough master in quick and correct dis- cernment of character. He reigned, for a season, with un- disputed sway, in what was then the western part of York county. His cunning, for a long time, lulled suspicion to sleep. The history of his exorcisms should teach the cred- ulous that the ghosts which appear now-a-days, are as ma- terial as our own flesh .*
* Glosbrenner's His. York co.
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
CHAPTER IX.
York county reduced in its limits-Warm controversies-Negro con- spiracy-Poorhouse, and house of employment erected-Late war ; companies from York go to Baltimore-Codorus floods-Flood of 1817 ; much property destroyed and many lives lost-Flood of 1822 Drought of 1822-Storm of 1830.
Some time previous to 1800, a controversy arose between the inhabitants of eastern or lower, and western or upper parts of York county, touching the division of it. The con- troversy was conducted with no ordinary share of zeal- long and warm debates ensued-essays for, and against the division, were written and published. Meetings called- petitions for, and remonstrances against the forming of a new county, were presented. After much debating, disputes were settled-parties so far satisfied, that an act was passed by the Legislature, January 22, 1800, for dividing Adams county from the western part of York county. Three com- missioners were appointed by the Governor, Thomas Mc- Kean, to run and mark the dividing line between Adams and York counties. The commissioners were Jacob Span- gler, deputy surveyor of York county, Samuel Sloan, depu- ty surveyor of Adams county, and Mr. William Waugh. At the present, York county is bounded north by Cumberland; east by the Susquehanna river, separating it from Dauphin and Lancaster; south by the State of Maryland, and west by Adams county ; length, thirty-one miles; breadth, twen- ty-nine; area, 900 square miles. Population in 1790, 37,747; in 1800, 25,643; in 1810, 31,938; 1820, 38,759;
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
1830, 42,859; 1840, 47,010; 1844, about 50,000, or up- wards .*
The year 1803, is remarkable in the annals of this coun- try, for a negro conspiracy :-
"On the 23d of February, 1803, a negro woman, named Margaret Bradley, was convicted for a misdemeanor in at- tempting to poison Sophia Bentz, and Matilda Bentz, both of York; and in consequence thereof, was sentenced to un- dergo an imprisonment of four years in the penitentiary, at Philadelphia. The negroes of the place, being dissatisfied with the above conviction and sentence, determined to have revenge on the whites, and sought it in the destruction of their property. They conspired together to burn the town of York, and almost succeeded in their nefarious purpose. So secret and artful was the conspiracy, that though the fires were known to be the work of incendiaries, yet no sus- picion was for a long time attached to the blacks of the place. On nearly every successive day, or night, for about three weeks, they set fire to some part of the town; but through the incessant vigilance and unwearied exertions of the citizens, their dark designs were frustrated. Numerous patrols were established ; strong guards were kept on foot by the citizens; and the governor ordered out a detachment of the militia, which was constantly on duty. Indeed so great was the danger, and so high had the public fear risen, that the Governor of the State, Thomas M'Kean, offered by proclamation, on the 17th of March, the sum of three hun- dred dollars, to any person who should discover those who were engaged in the conspiracy for burning the Borough. But happily for the town, suspicion had already been at- tached, and arrests made, which were followed by confes- sions. A negro girl, who had received instructions to set fire to Mr. Zinn's barn, at twelve o'clock, mistaking mid-day
* For the division of the county into townships, see Appendix.
12*
1
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
for midnight, perpetrated the deed at noon; in consequence of the concealed crime (for she openly carried a pan of coals into the barn and scattered them on the hay,) she was ar- rested, and confessed herself guilty ; thereby lending a key to the conspiracy .- Several other negroes were immediately arrested on suspicion; and during the following week a num- ber more were cast into prison, some of whom confessed. Fires now ceased to be kindled, and peace and safety were again restored to the town .- The persons apprehended lay in jail until May, when their trial came on in the court of Oyer and Terminer. One indictment was presented against twenty-one negroes and mulattoes, for the crime of arson- that is, house-burning-a part of whom were convicted and sent to the penitentiary for a goodly length of years. Thus ended this dark conspiracy, which for a long time baffled discovery.
"Among the principal fires in York, (for they burnt some buildings out of the borough) may be mentioned the follow- ing :
"On the night of Sunday, the 20th of February, the sta- ble of Richard Koch was set on fire and burnt to the ground. This building was well selected, for it was joined to the kitchen by one and the same roof, and stood within a few feet of the stable on an adjoining lot in which there was a quantity of hay. The roof of the kitchen being torn down, the fire was, by means of the engines, confined to the stable: but had it not been discovered until a little later, it would have destroyed all the neighboring buildings.
" On the night of Monday, the 7th of March, they set fire to the stable of Mr. Edie, then in the tenure of Doctor Spangler. The flames were communicated with uncontrol- able rapidity to the stable of Dr. Jameson on the west, and to that of the widow Updegraff on the east. Those three buildings were all on fire at the same time, and sunk down
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
in one common ruin: by uniting their flames, they formed a tremendous fire, which seemed to threaten the destruction of a great part of the town.
" On the 8th of March, the Academy* was on fire, but the flames were quickly and fortunately extinguished. This was the fifth fire in the town within the period of nine days.
"On the 14th of March, they set fire to the barn of Mr. Zinn, whence the flames were communicated to the barn of Rudolph Spangler, Jacob Spangler, G. L. Loeffler, and Phi- lip Gossler. These five barns, built of wood, filled with hay and straw, and standing near one another, formed but one fire. Through great exertions, and a fortunate change of the wind, the houses and other buildings in the neighbor- hood were saved. This was the fire which led to the im- mediate discovery of the conspiracy.
"After the fires had ceased, and most of those who had been engaged in the conspiracy were confined in prison, the justices of the peace and burgesses of the borough published a notice (on the 21st of March,) "to the inhabitants of York and vicinity, to the distance of ten miles," requiring such as had negroes "to keep them at home under strict discipline and watch, and not to let them come to town on any pre- tence whatsoever, without a written pass:" and when they came, they were to leave town one hour at least before sun- down, "on pain of being imprisoned, or at the risk of their lives." Free negroes were "to get a pass from a justice of
* This fire is believed not to have been caused by the blacks, but is supposed to have originated in the carelessness of one of the teach -. ers, who either directed or permitted hot ashes to be poured on the floor of an unoccupied room, containing some dry wood and chips. which were in consequence ignited, and communicated the fire to the floor and wood-work of the room.
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
the peace, in order that they might not be restrained from their daily labor."
A few years after the division of the county, the people of York made efforts to dispense with having the poor, to use a common expression, " on the township." The legis- lature passed an act Feb. 6, 1803, authorizing the erection of a house for the employment and support of the poor in this county.
" The persons originally appointed to determine upon, and fix the place for the erection of the Poor House, were Martin Gardner, Samuel Collins, Abraham Grofius, Christ- ian Hetrich, Peter Small, Peter Storm, John Heneisen, Hen- ry Grieger, and Daniel Spangler.
"After a number of meetings, they made their report on the 30th of June, 1804. They fixed on the spot of ground within the bounds of the borough of York, called the town common, being the south-west part, next adjoining Codorus creek and Water street, containing about twenty-five acres." But in consequence of different claims having been made to the site they fixed upon, it was thought improper to erect the necessary building. This was represented to the legis- lature: and that body on the 1st of April, 1805, empower- ed the then directors to determine upon such a site as to them might appear eligible, and likewise to cause the necessary necessary buildings to be erected thereon. The directors immediately proceeded on the business committed to their charge, and on the 16th of the same month, made report of their proceedings. From their written account of what they had done, it appears that they "made purchase of a certain plantation, and tract of land, of and from Andrew Robin- son, Esq., called Elm-spring farm* within one mile of the
* The history of this farm is as follows : On the 17th Oct. 1776, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn granted a patent to John Hahn and
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
borough of York, as also one piece of timber land* contain- ing nearly one hundred acres, within two miles of the afore- said plantation." Shortly after this, in 1805, the old buil- dings were erectedt and the poor were removed thither from all parts of the county, in April 1806. The office of overseers of the poor ceased now to exist, and their duties devolved, in part, upon the directors.
" The first election of directors of the poor was held on the 9th October, 1804. The three persons elected met at the Court house on the 5th November following, and divi- ded theinselves into three classes. The place of the firs: class was to be vacated at the expiration of the first year ; that of the second at the expiration of the second year ; and. that of the third at the expiration of the third year :- so that those who have been chosen since the first election .. have been chosen to serve for three years; and one third is. annually chosen. Their style is " The Directors of the Poor and House of Employment for the county of York."
" In the year 1828, another building was erected near the poor house, and connected with that institution. This was the elegant brick hospital which greets the eye of the stranger coming into York by the Philadelphia road, and is
Michael Hahn, for a tract called; " Rigen." On 4th of Nov. John. sold to Michael Hahn. On 20th Nov. Michael Hahn sold to Mathias. Sitler. On 27th Nov., 1796, Sitler sold to George Bentz. On 15th April, 1796, Bentz sold to Henry King. On 2d March, 1802, King sold. to Andrew Robinson. In April, 1805, it passed to the directors of the poor, in consideration of 4400 pounds ; the tract purchased, containing 132 acres, 156 perches, and allowance.
* This tract, which is known by the name of the "Hermitage farm," contains 159 acres and 17 perches, with allowance, and was purchased for 600 pounds.
t The price of "Elm Spring" and " Hermitage" farms was $13,- 333 33. The cash expended for brick, lime, stone, sand, and other. materials towards building the poor house amounted to $4,671 34.
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distinguished for its neatness, elegance and comfort. It is of brick, two stories high, its interior judiciously divided and the whole well fitted to the purpose for which it was erec- ted.
" The entire cost in cash, to the county, of this excellent building, was $7800, a sum much less than it would have been but that a good deal of labor was performed, at its erection, by paupers supported at the poor house."
Whenever the emergency of the country called for, the people of York county, were always ready to do duty ; of this they gave another instance in the late war of 1812.
"In 1814, when the city of Baltimore was endangered by the approach of the British, York county was prompt in coming forward to the aid of the Baltimoreans. A number of companies in various parts of the county were immedi- ately ready to march to the city, prepared to confront the proud invader, and, if necessary, to lay down their lives in the effort to check his progress.
" Although, of the companies raised here for the purpose of deiending Baltimore, but one reached that city in time to share the danger and glory of an actual engagement with the enemy-yet, the fact that they marched to the point of invasion as early as circumstances permitted, will shield all of them who did not arrive in time, from any imputation of indifference to the fate of Baltimore. When they did leave their homes, they left them in the full expectation that they were to meet an enemy flushed and insolent with success, and surpassing them in military discipline. It was no fault of theirs, that, when they arrived at Baltimore, an attack had already been made-it was no fault of theirs that they had not assisted in the gallant defence of the city and the repulse of the invader.
" The "YORK VOLUNTEERS," who did arrive in time, were nearly one hundred strong, were composed prin-
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
cipally of young men, " the flower of the county," and were commanded by Captain (afterwards Colonel) Michael H. Spangler, of the borough of York.
" This gallant company marched from York on the 29th of August, 1814, without any provision other than that con- tributed by the citizens of the borough. Immediately upon their arrival at the city, they tendered their services to the general in command, and in consequence of their respectable appearance and discipline, were solicited to attach them- selves to the fifth regiment, a fine body of Baltimore troops, under the command of Col. Sterett. They were marched with their regiment to oppose the enemy at North Point, and until overpowered by numbers, fought with the bravery of veterans. Notwithstanding the formidable host opposed to them, they resolutely maintained their ground, until a re- treat, thrice ordered, became absolutely necessary to prevent their being surrounded and cut off. Two of their number were taken prisoners and several wounded -- one very severe- ly. After the battle, and until the enemy retired, their du- ty was of the most severe and arduous kind, and they ac- quitted themselves in a manner fully satisfactory to their commanders and highly honorable to themselves.
"In testimony of the gallant bearing of the " Volunteers" at Baltimore, we subjoin the discharge of Gen. Smith, a pri- vate letter of Maj. Heath, and an extract from the regimen- tal orders of the brave Col. Sterett, of September 20, 1814. .
HEAD QUARTERS, Baltimore, September 20, 1814.
" Captain Spangler and his company of volunteers from York, Pa., having honorably performed the tour of duty for which they had offered their services, are hereby permitted to return to their homes. In taking leave of this gallant corps, the major general commanding has great pleasure in bearing testimony to the undaunted courage they displayed
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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.
in the affair of the 12th inst., and in tendering them his thanks for the essential aid they contributed towards the defence of the country.
S. SMITH, Maj. Gen. Commanding."
BALTIMORE, September 20, 1814.
To Captain Spangler.
Dear Sir-Hearing that you are about to depart from our city with your brave corps, I cannot do justice to my own feelings without expressing the obligations I am under to you and them for the promptness with which you uniformly executed my orders, your readiness at all times to perform your duty, and the cool and manly conduct manifested by the officers and men under your command during the action with the enemy on the 12th inst. May you all return in health to the bosoms of your families, and long enjoy happi- ness uninterrupted.
" I am sir, with sentiments of sincere respect, your friend : and humble servant.
R. K. HEATH, 1st major, 5th reg't.""
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