History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 98

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended > Part 98

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The following is an account of their pro- ceedings in Shrewsbury Township: Williams intimated that he had received a call from a

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ghost resident in those parts, at the distance of forty miles from Dady's. Jacob Weiser was the agent of Williams. He instituted a company of twenty-one persons, all of whom were ignorant people. The same ceremonies were performed by these people, and the com- munications 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 elixer, as likewise a kind of sand which the ghost called the "Asiatic sand," and which was necessary in order to give ef- ficacy to the "power." Ulrich Neaff, a com- mittee.man of this company, paid to Dr. Dady $90 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 certain occasions he annointed his head with it. and afterward, by order of the spirit, the vial was buried in the ground.

Panl Baliter, another of the committee-men, took with him to Dr. Dady's a $100 to pur- chase " Asiatic sand," at $3 per ounce. Dady .being absent, Williams 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 dispatch a committeeman to Lancaster to buy " Deder- ick's mineral elixer" of a physician in that place. In the meantime Williams and his wife went to Lancaster, where they prepared the elixer, which was nothing but a compo- sition of copperas and cayenne pepper. Mrs. Williams, as the wife of John Huber, a Ger- man doctor, went to Doctor Rose, with a let- ter dated " thirteen miles from New Castle, Delaware," which directed him how to sell the article, etc. The enormity of the price aroused the suspicion of Dr. Rose. In a few days the delegates from the committee ar- rived and purchased elixer 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.

A few days after the disclosures made by Mrs. Williams, an indictment was presented in the criminal court of York County, against Dr. John Dady, Rice Williams, Jesse Miller, Jacob Wister, the elder, and John Wister, the younger, for a conspiracy to cheat and defraud. The trial took place in June fol- lowing, and resulted in the conviction of Wister, the elder, and of Dr. Dady-the

former of whom was fined $10 and impris- oned one month in the county jail, the latter fined $90, and sentenced to two years in the penitentiary of Philadelphia.

SLAVERY AND REDEMPTIONERS,

SLAVERY IN YORK COUNTY.

YLAVERY was introduced into Virginia col- U2.9 ony in 1620, by the arrival of a Dutch trad- ing vessel at Norfolk, loaded with colored Africans. It existed in Pennsylvania under the Swedes and the Dutch, prior to granting of the province to William Penn. The col- onial assembly as early as 1712, passed an act to restrain its increase. The same authority, later, imposed a prohibitory duty on the importation of slaves into the province. This was repealed by the crown, as slavery was then common in England. The price of an imported negro, about the middle of last century, ranged from £40 to £100, Penn- sylvania currency. The Society of Friends who for many years controlled the legisla- tive assembly, took an active part in the abo- lition of slavery, and at an early period, would not allow any of their members to own slaves.

The Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery, was founded in 1775. It contin- ued an organization until Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, struck the death blow to slavery, by signing that immortal document-the Eman- cipation Proclamation. The great philoso- pher, Benjamin Franklin, was its first presi- dent, and Dr. Benjamin Rush, the first sec- retary. This society, in 1790, sent a memo- rial to congress, bearing the official signa- ture of Benjamin Franklin, asking that body to devise means for removing the in- consistency of slavery from the American people. On March 1, 1780, owing to the pressure of public opinion, the legislature of Pennsylvania passed an act for the gradual abolition of slavery. This law required that all slaves should be registered in the office of the clerk of the court of quarter sessions, on or before November 1, 1780. The name, age, term of service and valuation of the slave, were demanded; all persons held as slaves for life, or until the age of thirty-two years, should continue as such; but all persons born after that date of slave parents should be free, except children born of registered slaves, who should be servants until they were twenty-eight years old. This

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

law was so modified in 1788, as to prevent persons from taking their slaves to another State; an interesting case to test this law was tried in Lancaster in 1804.

The following are the names of persons in York who owned slaves in 1780, together with the number owned by each individual:

Rev. John Andrews, 3; William Alexan- der, 1; Valentine Crantz, 2; Michael Dou- del, 3, Widow Doudel, 1; Joseph Donald- son, 1; James Dobbins, 1; David Grier, Esq., 1; George Irwin, 3; Joseph Cham- bers, 2; John McAllister, 1; Widow Moore, 1; Peter Reel, 1; Michael Swope, Esq., 2; Balzer Spangler, 3; George Stoehr, 1; An- drew Welsh, 1; Bernard Eichelberger, 1.

There were 30 slaves owned in 1780, in Manchester Township, which then included West Manchester; 40 in Fawn, which in- cluded Peach Bottom; William Chesney, of Newberry, who owned the ferry below New Market, 7-(he was the only slave-owner in the township at that time, which included Fairview); Dover had none; Ephraim John- son, of Menallen Township, Adams County, then a part of York County, owned 2 slaves; one was 110 years old in 1780; Manheim, 14; Monaghan, which embraced Carroll and Franklin, had 21, James Dill owned 9 of them; Windsor, including Lower Windsor, 10; Paradise. 2; Codorus, 5; Heidelberg, in- cluding Hanover, 14; Shrewsbury, 22; Hal- lam, 8; Warrington none, as slavery was opposed by the Quakers; Chanceford, in- cluding Lower Chanceford, 21. Hopewell, 5. In the entire county, which included Adams County, there were 471 slaves in 1783, and 499 slaves in 1790. There were 77 slaves in 1800. In 1810, there were 22. In the year 1820, 6: four females and two males.

The last slave in the county died in 1841. He was owned by the father of Karl For- ney, of Hanover.

In 1816 Capt. Izard Bacon, a wealthy planter, who resided in Henrico County, Va., manumitted fifty-six of his own slayes. Some of the heirs attempted to hold them in slavery, but the courts finally pronounced them free on June 15, 1819. Charles Gran- ger, a nephew of Bacon, loaded them on wagons to take them to Canada. Fifty-two of them in September, 1819, passed through York, and most of them located in Columbia, where their descendants, the Randolphs, Greens, Pleasants, Haydens, and others now reside. The Columbia Abolition Society procured for them positions when they ar- rived.

In 1821, 100 manumitted slaves, from Hanover County, Va., came into York; some

remained here, while others of them went to Columbia and Marietta and located. They were employed by the lumber merchants along the Susquehanna. Just prior to the passage of the Fugitive Slave law, in Sep- tember, 1850, several hundreds of them passed north to Canada. In the fall of 1850 William Baker, still living in Columbia, was arrested and taken to Philadelphia, tried as a fugitive slave, and remanded into slavery. This was the first rendition of the new law. His friends at Columbia raised money and purchased his freedom.

THE YORK COUNTY COLONIZATION SOCIETY.

The American Colonization Society was organized at Washington in 1817, soon after the accession of James Monroe to the presi- dency. He advocated the colonization of freed slaves. Through the efforts of the Colonization Society, the United States government, in 1819, formed the Republic of Liberia, on the coast of Africa, and called its capital Monrovia, after the President. It was intended as a "colony for any free per- sons of color who may choose to go there. "

On the evening of August 8, 1819, the celebrated Rev. Dr. Meade, of Washington, delivered a lecture on the subject: "Colo- nization." in the court house at York, and the same evening. an organization was effected, and an auxiliary society formed, called the "York County Colonization Society." The Pennsylvania Society was formed eight years later.

A constitution was adopted and the follow- ing-named persons elected as officers and managers: president, Jacob Barnitz, Esq. ; vice presidents, George Barnitz and Jacob Eichelberger; managers. Charles A. Barnitz, Andrew Creamer, Dr. William McIlvain and Charles A. Morris; treasurer, John Schmidt; secretary, John Gardner.

In 1825 a number of free colored children were kidnapped in Philadelphia, and sent to Mississippi, where they were sold into slavery. This created great indignation throughout Pennsylvania.

As slavery gradually ceased to exist in Pennsylvania, most of her people became op- ponents of it, and abolition societies orig- inated in the North. Many persons gave as- sistance to runaway slaves that escaped north of Mason and Dixon's Line.

"THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD."

A kidnapping case at the borough of Co- lumbia, in 1804, incited the people of that place to protect the colored race. The lead- er in this work was William Wright, a

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grandson of the Quaker emigrant, who was one of the first settlers there. This plan was designed to allow escaped slaves at that early day protection from the "slave-catcher," who came from Maryland and Virginia after them. This is what gave rise to the expression, "underground railroad," first used by one of the owners of human flesh, who could not find his game, and declared there is an under- ground railroad somewhere. From 1820, or earlier, to the passage of the fugitive slave law in 1750, large numbers of them crossed York County to Columbia. The persons who directed the fugitives were called agents of the underground route and did their work very quietly. York was one of the stations of the ronte to Columbia. William Goodrich, the col ored man who built "Centre Hall," in York, was one of the agents there; a man named Fis. sel, near town, was another, while many prom- inent persons assisted in one way or the oth- er. William Yocum was an agent of a line to Middletown Ferry. He sent them to "Black Isaac," north of York, and the latter directed them to Middletown. Another branch of this road passed through Adams County to Dover, where Dr. Robert Lewis was the agent. He sent them to his father, Dr. Webster Lewis, of Lewisberry, and he in turn sent them either to a station near Boiling Springs, Cumberland County, or across the Susque- hanna, at Middletown Ferry. Many of them remained at Middletown, and were employed in the lumber yards. Their descendants are now there. Persons who helped slaves fre- quently imperiled their own lives and liberty. There were a few thrilling incidents in the county, near the village of Lewisberry, where there was an abolition society. A negro slave was shot, though not killed, by his pursuing master, near Lewisberry, about the year 1830. He had jumped out of a garret window of a house now owned by Jacob Garretson. Sixteen shots were taken out of his wound. He recov- ered, and was taken back to the home of his owner in Virginia. About the same time "a slave-driver" snapped a pistol at Dr. Robert Lewis, in the village of Newberry, and then fled. His pistol did not discharge. Some of the persons who came in search of these fugitives were gentlemen, and were simply in search of what they considered valuable property. On one occasion two fine- looking young Southern planters discovered three of their escaped slaves working in the barnyard of a good-natured Quaker, who resided not many miles north west of York. As they approached the mild-mannered old Friend. they addressed him courteously, and

one of them said: "I see you have some of our boys." The farmer replied in the affirmative, and then said to them: "Will thee come into the house and have some din- ner before thee goes ?" They cousented. The Quaker had three interesting young daugh- ters; two of them prepared the meal, and en- tertained the visitors so well that the third sister went to the barn, planned the means of escape for the slaves; and to the utter surprise and astonishment of the South- ern gentlemen, after having finished their dinner and went to the barn for their slaves, found they had gone, but they never suspected who assisted in their escape.

The fugitive slave law, an act of Congress passed in 1850, imposed a fine not exceeding $1,000, and imprisonment not exceeding six months, upon any individual harboring or giving aid to fugitives, and $1,000 for each slave who was lost to his master by the as- sistance of others. Any one called upon by a deputy marshal was required to assist in re- covering a runaway. If any food was given him, the donor was subject to prosecution. In 1850, an agent of the "underground railroad," in York County transmitted two or three slaves to Mr. Kauffman, of Cumberland County. He allowed them to harbor in his barn, where some member of his family, without his knowledge, gave them food. They escaped northward. Suit was soon af- ter brought against Kauffman for the recov- ery of the value of these slaves, under the new law, by the reputed owner, who lived in Virginia. Thaddeus Stevens was employed for the defendant, and "contested every inch of ground," says our worthy informant, Sam- nel Evans, Esq., of Columbia. The case came before the United States Court at Phila- delphia. Two jurors, one of whom is still living, Abraham N. Cassel, of Marrietta- "hung" the jury for six weeks, and prevented a verdict in favor of the slaveholder.

The first martyr in the United States un- der the fugitive slave law, was William Smith, a colored man of Columbia, Penn., who was shot and instantly killed while attempt- ing to avoid capture, by Albert G. Ridgeley, a slave-catcher, from Baltimore County, Md.

This occurred on the 30th of April, 1852. It was claimed that Smith was an escaped slave belonging to George W. Hall, of Harford County, Md. After the murder, Ridgeley fled across the river into York County, took the old Baltimore Road from Wrightsville, passed south of York, and was not captured, although the sheriff of York County and his posse were on the alert for him. In his headlong flight he became over-heated, and

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took sick and died soon afterward in Balti- more. This created a great sensation throughout the entire State. Application was made to Gov. Bigler for a requisition, but owing to some complications in the case it was not granted.

Slaves continued to escape, and the "un- derground railway" system kept up until the outbreak of the Rebellion.

SERVANTS AND REDEMPTIONERS.

S YERVANTS were in great demand during colonial days, and cargoes of laboring peo- ple were brought across the ocean and disposed of in America by indenture. The form was little better than slavery. As recorded in the early taxable lists of York County, they were assessed as personal property the same as colored slaves. Most of them in this county were "redemptioners" from Germany; some from other countries. Indentures were prepared before setting sail for this country, binding the subject to serve for a number of years, rarely less than four. Servitude of this kind existed as late as 1800 in York County. Many European mechanics, as well as farmers, came here under such conditions, and some of both classes, after serving the term of their indenture, became prosperous and well-to-do citizens. In 1760 there were more than 100 redemptioners in York County. In 1781 there were forty-nine. An adver- tisement for the recovery of a runaway ser- vant was very common in those days. Some- times "three cents reward" was offered for their return.

The most remarkable case was that of James Annesley, son of Arthur Annesley, (Lord Altham) who, as an orphan boy, was enticed on board an American vessel by an uncle who wanted to get possession of his legacy. The boy was landed at Philadelphia and sold as a servant by the captain, to fulfill the contract with the uncle. His place of servitude was forty miles west of Philadel- phia, where he remained twelve years. In 1740 he was discovered by two Irish emi- grants to America from his native place. He was taken from his condition of servitude, returned home, and in 1743 brought suit against his uncle for the recovery of his prop- erty, and gained his case; but pending an ap- peal to the House of Lords, he died. A story by the celebrated novelist, Charles Reade, entitled the "Wandering Heir," was founded upon this incident.

The sale of "redemptioners" became a busi- ness during colonial days. They were brought to this country and then taken through the land and sold by indenture. On this account those who sold them were called "soul-drivers." The following tradi- tional story is common to many localities: One of these venders of human beings had disposed of all his drove except one, who proved to be as ingenious at making a bar gain as his owner. Having put up at a tav- ern for the night, the sagacious servant rose first and sold his master to the landlord, re- covering quite a handsome.sum. He quickly departed, but first warning the landlord that the servant he sold him had a vicious habit of telling falsehoods, and warned him that he might try to pass himself off as the master.

SECRET SOCIETIES.

FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS. *

THERE are traditions of the working of the T Masonic brethren in the then Yorktown as early as the year 1777. The Misses Clark, daughters of Gen. John Clark, an officer of the Revolution, frequently heard their father speak of sitting in a lodge at Yorktown. This might have been one of the traveling lodges of Revolutionary times, and if so, was in York at the time the Continental Congress held its sessions there. If we are rightly in- formed it was customary in earlier days, when a number of Masons were sojourning in the same place, to open a lodge for fraternal greet- ing, there being no work. On the 27th day of October, A. D. 1810, and of Masonry 5810, a warrant was granted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and Masonic jurisdiction there- unto belonging, "according to the old consti- tution received by his Royal Highness Prince Edwin of York, in the Kingdom of England, in the year of the Christian Æra Nine hundred and twenty and six, and in the year of Masonry Four thousand nine hundred twenty an six," to John Armstrong, Jacob Kline and Thomas McGrath, authorizing and empowering them to form a lodge to be called St. John's, No. 123, to be held in the town of York, "or within five miles of the same, and make Free Masons according to the most Ancient and Honorable custom of the Royal Craft in all ages and nations through the Known World and not Contrarywise." It appears from good authority, that the first

*By A. Hiestand Glatz.

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SECRET SOCIETIES.

meeting of this lodge was held in the build- ing now known as the Lafayette House, on South George Street, on the 30th day of November, 1810, and the first officers of the lodge were then installed. They continued holding their meetings at that place for some years, after which they moved into the brick house on the east side of South George Street, one door north of the German Catholic Church, and finally in a building that ad- joined Hartman's store on the same street, owned at that time by George Haller, Esq., father of Dr. T. N. Haller, deceased. The entrance to the lodge room was through an alley between Hartman's and Winer's stores. There the last meeting of the lodge was held about the year 1836, and by reason of the loss of its charter during the anti- Masonic excitement which then prevailed throughout the State, the lodge ceased to exist. Among its members we find such names as George Haller, Esq., Calvin Mason, David B. Prince, Morris J. Gardnier, Dr. Luke Rouse, Abraham Hiestand, Henry Smyser, Judge Walter S. Franklin, Judge Samuel C. Bonham, George S. Morris and Judge Robert J. Fisher.

The warrant for the present lodge, No. 266, was granted by the Right Worshipful the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, September 6, 1852, and constituted November 4, of the same year. The place of the meeting of this lodge, until September 24, 1864, was in the Odd Fellows' Hall. In the year 1863, the feasibilty of securing a permanent hall was considerably discussed by the members, and on April 7, of the same year, a con- tract was made with Frederick Stallman, a member of the lodge, to build a suitable hall. The corner-stone was laid September 13, 1863. The committee under whose super- vision the hall was constructed, reported that the hall built by Frederick Stallman, "was finished, furnished and ready for 'solemn dedication,'" which was done by the Right Worshipful the Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge, September 6, 1864. The hall has been purchased from Mr. Stallman, and is now the property of York Lodge, No. 266, F. & A. M. From September 6, 1864, to the present time, the lodge has continued to hold meetings in the same place.

York Lodge, No. 266, is the parent of not less than four lodges in the county, of which we give a list.

Patmos Lodge, No. 348, held at Hanover; warrant dated June 6, A. D. 1864; A. L. 5864.

Shewsbury Lodge, No. 423, held at Shews- bury; warrant dated March 4, 1868.

Zeredatha, No. 451, held at York, warrant dated November 24, 1869.

Riverside, No. 503, held at Wrightsville; warrant dated December 26, 1871.

Howell Chapter, No. 199, Royal Arch Mason, was constituted September 29, 1864.

York Commandery, No. 21, Knights Tem- plar, was constituted January 19, 1865.

MASONIC HALL, NORTH BEAVER ST., YORK, PA.

The counties of York and Adams constitute Masonic Distict No. 4, with Isaac A. Elliott as district deputy grand master. Following is a complete list of the past masters of York Lodge from the time of its constitution until the present.

¡George S. Morris, November 4, 1852, to December 27, 1853.

+David B. Prince, December 27, 1853, to December 27, 1855.

¿Peter Bentz, December 27, 1855, to De- cember 27, 1857.

William Smith, December 27, 1857, to De- cember 27, 1859.

Robert J. Fisher, December 27, 1859, to December 27, 1860.

William H. Jordan, December 27, 1860, to December 27, 1862.

Samuel J. Rouse, December 27, 1862, to December 27, 1863.

Michael B. Spahr, December 27, 1863, to December 27, 1864.

+Thomas White, December 27, 1864, to De- cember 27, 1865.

Jere Carl, December 27, 1865, to December 27, 1866.

George H. Maish, December 27, 1866, to December 27, 1867.

Joseph R. Davis, December 27, 1867, to De- cember 27, 1868.

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

Fitz James Evans, December 27, 1868, to December 27, 1869.

David P. Shultz, December 27, 1869, to De- cember 27, 1870.

John Gibson, December 27, 1870, to De- cember 27, 1871.

O. C. Brickley, December 27, 1871, to De- cember 27, 1872.

Jacob D. Heiges, December 27, 1872, to December 27, 1873.

Martin J. Skinner, December 27, 1873, to December 27, 1874.

Jere W. Brickley, December 27, 1874, to December 27, 1875.

Israel F. Gross, December 27, 1875, to De- cember 27, 1876.

William Gilberthorp, December 27, 1876, to December 27, 1877.

A. Hiestand Glatz, December 27, 1877, to December 27, 1878.

Samuel B. Heiges, December 27, 1878, to December 27, 1879.

Charles S. Weiser, December 27, 1879, to December 27, 1881.

Isaac A. Elliott, December 27, 1881, to De- cember 27, 1883.

James Kell, December 27, 1883, to Decem- ber 27, 1884.

The present officers are Samuel I. Adams, W. M .; Richard E. Cochran, S. W .; David O. Prince, J. W .; Jere Carl, treasurer ; David P. Shultz, secretary; William H. Jor: dan, A. Hiestand Glatz and Jere W. Brick- ley, trustees. The number of members is 115.

ODD FELLOWS, ETC .*

The Order of Odd Fellows in York County was, from the day of its introduction, pos- sessed of a spirit of energy not displayed by any other secret organization introduced be- fore or after the period of anti-Masonic an- tagonism. The only secret society of which there exists any record, the original Masonic Lodge, of York, had disbanded during the anti-Masonic troubles, and the greater num- ber of her members felt disinclined to face public opinion, then freely and openly mani- fested against all so-called oath-bound or- ganizations. But the spirit and the teachings inculcated by the Masonic fraternity re- mained, and evidently only slumbered, await- ing a favorable opportunity to branch forth in perhaps a somewhat modified form; omit- ting the objectionable, "oath-bound" portion, but retaining strict and implicit secrecy un- der "Honor-Pledge." Many of those who had been looked upon as ardent advocates of the "square and compass," turned their at-

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History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 98

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104