USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 24
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POSITION OF THE PRESS.
It is noteworthy that while some of the journals pub- lished in the county, either through fear of losing patronage or by reason of their partisan character, or for some other unexplained reason, were exceedingly cautious in their comments on the doings of the Mollies, the Shenandoah Herald, conducted by Thomas Foster, was bold and outspoken in its denunciation of them and their crimes, though it was published in the very heart and center of their power. The Herald fearlessly advocated the adoption of prompt and effective measures against them by vigilance committees, in order to give
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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
the people that protection which the law failed to afford. He thus incurred the enmity of these lawless men, and threats against him were freely uttered. On the third of September, 1875, he received through the post-office the following notice, prefaced with a sketch of death's head and cross bones, and ending with a rude picture of a shot gun :
"Mr Edtore wie wil give ye 24 hurse to go to the devil out this ye - R we wil send ye After gomer James and Mr - - and Som More Big Bug with ye "P. MOLLEY." "We aint done shooting yet."
He published the notice, and informed them that the one sided character of the shooting was at an end. The firm stand taken, and the fearlessness displayed by the editor of the Herald and a few others, not only taught the Mollies to respect and fear their opposition but in- spired them with courage, and made Shenandoah the center in the coal regions of opposition to the Mollies, who were notified that tenfold retaliation would be in- flicted on them. The night of October 9th, 1875, is remembered as one of terror in Shenandoah. A turbu- lent and violent spirit seemed to pervade the town, and a conflict between the Mollies and their foes seemed im- minent, but though there was some shooting and other violence no general riot occurred.
BEGINNING OF THE END.
On the morning of September 3d, 1875, a murder was committed at Storm Hill, in Carbon county, and the murderers were arrested near Tamaqua, and were taken thence to Mauch Chunk by the sheriff of Carbon county. An excited crowd of some fifteen hundred men accont- panied these prisoners, guarded by officers, to the depot; and, to quote the language of Dewees:
"That no riot did occur is a flattering commentary up- on the deep respect for law and order which character- izes the masses of the residents of the coal region. Only two days before the present tragedy Thomas Sanger and William Uren had been brutally murdered, and the assassins had escaped. Two weeks before, Squire Gwyther had been shot down on the public streets of Girardville, because he had dared to issue a warrant against a Mollie, and the murderer was still at large. Two weeks before, on the same day, in the presence of a large number of people, Gomer James had been openly shot at a picnic, and yet no one could tell who commit ted the act. Within two months policeman Yost, an official of their own town, had been shot while in the dis- charge of his duties, and the deed seemed clothed in mystery. The last of a series of brutal outrages had just been committed, and the assassins, fresh from the scene of blood, had fallen into their power."
The prisoners barely escaped lynching at Landsford and Mauch Chunk, but were finally lodged in jail at the latter place. This arrest was "the beginning of the end" of Mollie Maguireism in the anthracite coal region. At first the Mollies were confident that, though the case against these guilty men would be a strong one, their political influence and the facility with which they could suborn perjurers to prove alibis would secure the acquit- tal of the culprits.
The investigations of McParlan, however, and the in- formation he had furnished, gave the prosecutors con- fidence by assuring them that they were in possession of the guilty parties, and enabling them to defeat every at- tempt to show an alibi. His communications were made through his superiors in the Pinkerton Agency, and the prosecuting officers did not know who was the detective that furnished the information.
The condition of things in the coal region was never more critical than while these men were lying in jail in Mauch Chunk awaiting their trial. The feeling of hos- tility to the Mollies daily grew stronger, and their des- peration became more intense. In December, 1875, a secret vigilance committee, as it was supposed, killed Charles O'Donnell, a Mollie and a suspected murderer, at Wiggan's Patch, near Mahanoy City. This murder of one of their men, committed after their own manner, car- ried consternation among them and rendered them more desperate In January, 1876, at conventions held for the purpose in this county, an assessment was made on each member for the purpose of arming the order with rifles ; but arrests which were made about that time pre- vented the contemplated hostile organization. Such was the state of feeling at that time that a slight circumstance might have inaugurated open warfare.
Through McParlan it was known that other murders were contemplated, but the commission of these was de- ferred till after the trial of the prisoners at Mauch Chunk. Certain victims were marked for assassination after the acquittal of these prisoners, which was con- fidently expected. Had they been acquitted probably vigilance committees would have taken the matter in hand, and all the horrors of complete anarchy would have been the result.
FIRST CONVICTION AND EVENTS SUCCEEDING IT.
On the 18th of January, 1876, Michael Doyle, one of the murderers of Jones, was put on trial at Mauch Chunk, and by means of information recently furnished by McParlan, who was present at the trial in his assumed character of a Mollie, the chain of evidence on the part of the prosecution was so strong and complete that the defense did not venture to introduce the witnesses that were present to prove an alibi, and the accused was, on the Ist of February, found guilty.
In the course of this trial circumstances transpired which induced James Kerrigan, another of the prisoners, to become what among the ignorant Irish has always been considered most despicable, an "informer," and the revelations which he made, confirmed as they were by McParlan, gave the civil authorities confidence that they should be able to bring many other murderers to justice, and break up the organization which had hitherto given these assassins impunity.
Soon after the coviction of Doyle, six others were ar- rested and lodged in jail at Pottsville, charged with the murder of Yost at Tamaqua ; and a few days later two others, charged with the murder of Sanger and Uren at Raven's Run. It had become known that information
McPARLAN SUSPECTED-HIS TESTIMONY.
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had been given by James Kerrigan, but the arrest of the murderers of Sanger and Uren, and some things which transpired during the trial of Doyle at Mauch Chunk, led to the suspicion on the part of the Mollies that in- formation had been derived from another source, and that the details of their doings had been made known by some one within the order. Suspicion fell on Mc- Parlan, and was communicated to the Mollie leaders by Catholic priests, although the order had been publicly denounced by them. The result of this suspicion was that his death was determined on by the Mollies, and the men who were to kill him were selected; but by as- suming a bold and defiant demeanor in the face of his appointed assassins, and stoutly protesting his innocence, he escaped assassination. The narrative of his adven- tures at this time, and his hairbreadth escapes with his life, reads more like romance than reality; and the cour- age and coolness that he displayed are almost incredible. After an interview at Mahanoy Plane with Father Con- nor, the priest who had denounced him, in which he partially convinced him that he was innocent, he became satisfied that his mission as a detective among the Mollie Maguires was at an end, and disappeared. James Mc- Kenna the Mollie was no more seen in this region, but the work of James McParlan the detective began to bring forth its fruits. On the 27th of March, 1876, Edward Kelly was put on his trial at Mauch Chunk for the murder of John T. Jones, and on the 6th of April a verdict of guilty was rendered. He was convicted with- out the evidence of Kerrigan or McParlan ; and, as in the case of Doyle, no attempt was made to prove an alibi by witnesses suborned for the purpose.
When it came to be generally known among the Mol- lies that Kerrigan had given information to the authori- ties, their indignation was very great, and this feeling was shared by the better class of Irish who had no sym- pathy with the criminals, for almost every Irishman con- siders the crime of being an informer one of the blackest in the criminal category; so strong is the prejudice which he acquired in his native country.
A fruitless effort was made to effect the release of the Mollies arrested for the murder of Yost, under a writ of habeas corpus. The hearing was private, and Kerrigan was for the first time introduced as a witness.
IMPORTANT TRIALS AT POTTSVILLE-MCPARLAN AS A
WITNESS.
On the 4th of May, 1876, these men were arraigned at Pottsville for this murder, and elected to be tried to- gether. Their names were James Carroll, James Roarity, James Boyle, Hugh McGeehan and Thomas Duffy. Ample and elaborate preparations had been made for this trial on both sides. The Mollies had, as usual, suborned their witnesses to prove the alibis and felt sure of their ability to thus break down the testimony of Kerrigan, which they thought was the main reliance of the prosecution. Without their knowledge, however, the prosecution had determined to bring McParlan on the witness stand; and thus, on both sides, the utmost con-
fidence was felt as to the result. That the jury might not be influenced by sympathy or fear care was taken to exclude from it, as far as possible, Catholics, and those who resided in isolated or unprotected localities, where the work of the assassins might be done with compara- tive impunity. It was known, too, that vigilance com- mittees had been formed and that summary vengeance would be taken in case of lawlessness on the part of the Mollies in future; and this knowledge tended to strengthen the backbones of the jurors. No case had ever before been tried in this county of equal importance with this, and none had ever elicited so deep an in- terest; for it was felt that upon the result depended not only the financial prosperity of the region, but the personal safety of the inhabitants. Judge Persh- ing presided, with Judges Green and Walker and Associ- ate Judges Kline and Seitsinger, constituting a full bench. In his opening District Attorney Kaercher announced the fact that the detective, James McParlan, who had only been known to the Mollies as Jim McKenna, would be brought on the witness stand. This was a complete sur- prise, not only to the Mollies, but to the public, which had not hitherto known of his existence. This feeling of surprise deepened into one of wonder and amazement when he was placed on the stand, and with perfect cool- ness and deliberation told in detail the story of his career among the Mollies. When he told of being suspected as a detective and related his interviews with his intended assassins, his escapes, etc., judges, jury, counsel and au- dience listened with breathless attention; and so com- pletely spellbound were all by his recital of things the existence of which had not been thought possible that at any time the falling of a pin might be heard in the dense- ly crowded audience. Much of this narrative which was not relevant was not objected to by the counsel for the defendants, because of the intense interest which they evidently felt. He was on the stand during four days, and the most searching cross-examination failed to dis- cover a flaw in his testimony. No conclusion was reached at this trial, by reason of the sudden illness and subsequent death of one of the jurors.
Early during this trial arrests and commitments were made of John Kehoe, high constable of Girardville and county delegate of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; Michael Lawler, of Shenandoah; Frank O'Neil, of St. Clair; Patrick Butler, of Lost Creek; Patrick Dolan, sen., of Big Mine Run; Michael O'Brien and Frank McHugh, of Mahanoy; and Christopher Donnelly, of Mount Laffee.
Martin says: "During the trial of the Yost murderers it became known to the Mollies for the first time that those who planned and urged on the murder were liable to the same punishment as those who committed the act. They were terrified and incredulous. Then it was pro- posed to assassinate all who were actively engaged in the prosecution of the Mollies, but this was abandoned as too hazardous."
CONVICTION AND IMPRISONMENT OF THE CRIMINALS.
Alexander Campbell was convicted at Mauch Chunk
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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
on the Ist of July of the murder of John P. Jones, though he did not fire any of the fatal shots. On the 12th of the same month Thomas Munley was found guilty at Potts- ville of the murder of Sanger at Raven's Run; and on the 22nd Carroll, Roarity, McGeehan and Boyle were, after their second trial, convicted of the murder of Yost. On the 21st of September in the same year Thomas Duffy, who had demanded a separate trial, was also convicted of the murder of Yost. At about the same time many others were convicted of different crimes, and on the 16th of October received the following sentences, as stated by Martin:
" Thomas Donahue, accessory after the fact to the as- sault and battery on William M. Thomas, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at labor.
"Edward Monaghan, accessory before the fact to as- sault and battery on William M. Thomas, to seven years' imprisonment at labor.
"Barney N. Boyle, perjury, three years at labor.
"Kate Boyle, perjury, two years and six months at labor.
" Bridget Hyland, perjury, two years and six months at labor.
"Thomas Duffy, perjury, two years and six months at labor.
"John Kehoe, John Morris, Dennis F. Canning, Chris- topher Donnelly, John Gibbons and Michael O'Brien, convicted of complicity in assault and battery with in- tent to kill William M. Thomas, were respectively sen- tenced to seven years' imprisonment at hard labor.
" John Kehoe, John Morris, Dennis F. Canning, Pat- rick Dolan, sr., Michael O'Brien, Christopher Donnelly and Frank O'Neill, convicted of conspiracy to kill Jesse and William Major, were sentenced as follows: John Ke- hoe, seven years; Dennis F. Canning, seven years; Patrick Dolan, sr., one year; Christopher Donnelly, five years; Michael O'Brien, five years. The two last named, to- gether with Frank O'Neill, were sentenced to two years respectively for aiding Thomas Hurley to escape."
The counsel for the men condemned to death made every effort to save them from their fate, without avail, and on the 21st of June, 1877, James Boyle, Hugh Mc- Geehan, James Carroll, James Roarity, Thomas Duffy and Thomas Munley were hanged; the first five for the murder of Yost, and the last for the murder of Thomas Sanger. Not a word of penitence for their crimes was uttered. They only expressed their forgiveness for those who had been instrumental in procuring their conviction.
On the same day four convicted Mollie Maguire mur- derers were executed at Mauch Chunk.
In November, 1877, Dennis Donnelly was convicted of the murder of Sanger, and he was executed June 11th, 1878.
Martin Bergen, who had been convicted of the murder of Patrick H. Burns, was hanged on the 16th of January, 1879.
had been exhausted in his behalf, he was executed on the 18th of December, .1878. Probably no one was more deeply steeped in guilt than he. He was not only an influential man among his countrymen, and a promi- nent politician, but an acknowledged leader among the Mollies; and it is safe to say that all the crimes the com- mission of which he incited will never be known.
By the conviction and execution of these criminals the supremacy of the law was asserted, and the lawless or- ganization, which had acquired such power as to threaten the prosperity of the region and render life insecure, was effectually suppressed; and people were permitted to breathe free again.
The history of this country does not record another instance in which, by the ordinary processes of law, so great, so wide-spread and so dangerous an evil has been destroyed-so malignant a social cancer safely extirpated; and the people of Schuylkill county have just ground for a laudable pride in the fact that their administrators of justice, by their prudence, skill, and energy, accomplished this great work.
CHAPTER XV.
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THE MILITIA OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY-PARTICIPATION IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
HE militia of the State of Pennsylvania, which was established in early times, was reorgan- ized under an act of Assembly passed in 1822. Under this law an enrollment was made of all citizens between the ages of twenty- one and forty-five liable to military duty, who were required to appear for drill at certain times and places under a penalty of fifty cents. Of course, ex- cept to keep up an enrollment for emergencies that might arise, this system was of no account, and for that purpose it was found during the late civil war to amount to very little.
In 1864 an act was passed regulating the organization of the militia and dividing the state into twenty military divisions in which an enrollment was required; but in ad- dition to this a system of volunteer companies, regiments, etc., was established. These volunteers were required to appear in uniform for drill and exercise, and were sup- plied with arms and accoutrements by the state, and con- stituted what was termed the volunteer militia. Under that organization Schuylkill was a part of the fourth di- vision. The expenses of this organization were borne largely by the volunteers themselves, and this was found to be so burdensome to them that by subsequent acts of Assembly provision was made for the payment to the companies by the state of sums sufficient to meet a por- tion of their expenses. By an act passed in 1870 the
John (commonly known as "Jack") Kehoe, who had been sentenced to fourteen years in the penitentiary, was tried for the murder of J. W. S. Langdon, and found guilty on the 18th of January, 1877. Strenuous but unavailing efforts were made by his counsel to save him from the extreme penalty of the law. Three death warrants were issued, and finally, after every resource I name of "National Guard of Pennsylvania " was given
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MILITIA OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
to this volunteer militia, and by an act of Assembly in 1874 ten divisions of the National Guard were constituted and Schuylkill county was included in the fourth division. Each of the divisions was under the command of a major- general, and the divisions were divided into brigades ac - cording to the discretion of their commanding generals.
In 1878, by an act of Assembly, these divisions were abolished, and the state was constituted a single division with five brigades. Under this law Schuylkill county be- came a part of the territory of the 3d brigade.
The National Guard of this county consists of parts of two regiments and one unattached company. The last is known as the Ashland Dragoons, Captain O. H. Barn- hardt. It was organized July 8th, 1874. Of the 7th regiment six companies are included in this county. Lieutenant Colonel W. F. Huntzinger, of this regiment, and Major P. J. Monaghan, Quartermaster B. Bryson Mc- Cool and Assistant Surgeon Charles T. Palmer are resi- dents of this county. The companies in Schuylkill county are commanded as follows: Company A, Captain William G. Burwell; Company C, Captain John F. Shoe- ner; Company F, Captain Samuel R. Russel; Company G, Captain John M. Wetheril; Company H, Captain George W. Johnson; Company I, Captain Patrick H. Dolan.
Of the three companies of the 8th regiment in this county Company F is commanded by Captain Theodore F. Hoffman; Company H, Captain John W. Barr, Com- pany B, Captain Wallace Guss.
Brigade officers residing in this county are: General, J. K. Sigfried; Inspector, Major William S. Moorhead; Quartermaster, Major E. J. Phillips; Aid-de-camp, Cap- tain Clay W. Evans.
In June, 1875, all the militia of the county were called out to suppress riots at Mahanoy City and Shenandoah, the 8th under command of Colonel T. S. Gobin, the 7th commanded by Colonel A. Caldwell, the whole under command of General Sigfried. The troops remained on duty at these points, patrolling the region for the period of twenty days.
During the great strike of 1877 the entire military force of the county was again called on, and promptly responded with the exception of two companies of the 8th and the Ashland Dragoons, the circumstances sur- rounding which rendered concentration in season im- practicable. The 7th, under Colonel Caldwell, and the 8th, under Colonel Gobin, were ordered to Harrisburg, where they arrived on the 22nd of July, and were at once assigned to duty at the arsenal, which they guarded till the 25th, when the 8th marched to Rockville, Dauphin and Marysville to guard the railroad bridges at those points.
the soldiers in these regiments were placed by order of General Sigfried under strict military discipline, and greatly improved in drill and all soldierly qualities.
WASHINGTON ARTILLERY OF POTTSVILLE.
This company was organized in 1840 by Captain James Nagle, and its members at that time were all boys, under 20 years of age. The uniform was simple, made of blue drilling, and the company was known as " The Pottsville Blues." In 1842 the company changed their name to Washington Artillery, and were supplied by the State with arms.
In the latter part of the year 1846 the governor of Pennsylvania issued a proclamation, calling for one regi- ment of volunteers to serve in Mexico, during the war. This company offered their services and were accepted. The company numbered only about 30, but recruits from Minersville, St. Clair and Schuylkill Haven soon brought it to the requisite strength.
Headquarters were established at the old Town Hall. The citizens of Pottsville took a lively interest in the welfare of the men. They presented every member of the company with a revolver, and the officers were pre- sented with swords.
On the 5th of December, 1844, the company received marching orders, and left in the cars for Philadelphia, accompanied by a committee of citizens, Col. John C. Lessig, Samuel Huntzinger, and others. They soon left for Harrisburg, where the men were transferred to freight boats on the canal, and after considerable suffering from the inclemency of the weather arrived at Pittsburgh, where they were mustered into the service of the United States to serve during the war. The company was desig- nated as Company B Ist regiment Pennsylvania vol- enteers. Francis M. Wynkoop, who accompanied the company as a private, was elected colonel of the regi- ment. Lieutenant Fernsler returned from Pittsburgh sick, and Sergeant Felsnagle was elected to fill the vacancy. The officers of the company as mustered into the service were Captain James Nagle, ist Lieutenant Simon Nagle and 2nd Lieutenants F. B. Kaercher and Jacob Felsnagle. The company arrived at New Orleans on a steamboat, the latter part of December, 1846, and went into camp, on the old battle ground, seven miles below the city. On the 8th of January, 1847, the company and regiment joined in a grand military parade in the city of New Orleans, to commemorate a day dear to the people of that city and the country. On the 16th of February they embarked with two other companies of the regiment, on board of a transport, crossing the bar on the southwest pass on the 18th, and in due time arriving at the island of Lobos. This was the first transport that arrived at the point selected for the concentration of the troops for the line of operation against Vera Cruz, and the Washington Artillery was the first company of troops that disembarked at Lobos. The ist and and Pennsylvania, New York,
On the 31st the 7th, with General Sigfried, who had been in command at Harrisburg, proceeded by rail to the vicinity of Pittsburgh and went into camp, followed two days later by the 8th. They remained at that camp till the roth of August, but they were not called on to sup- and other regiments encamped on the island. press riotous demonstrations, for the disorderly elements General Scott, commander-in-chief, having arrived, the had previously expended their force. While encamped troops re-embarked, and the fleet set sail for Vera Cruz,
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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
where they arrived on the 5th of March. The companies, provided with three days rations, were transferred to the ships of war. On the 9th a landing was effected at a point about three miles below the city. Worth's division was first landed. Patterson's volunteer division, to which this company was attached, was next landed. A line was formed and the men lay down with their arms. On the 10th and IIth the investment of the city was com- pleted. During the roth the company received while marching through the chapparal, the first infantry fire (having previously been favored with salutes from the Mexican batteries); a halt was ordered, the fire was promptly returned, and the Mexicans were put to flight. On the 26th the firing ceased; the Mexicans having agreed to surrender both the city and the castle.
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