Orange County, New York Genealogy

News Articles

The Centinel, Gettysburg, PA, April 4, 1810. Submitted by Nancy P.
A Canandagna, N. York paper, contains the following:
Singular combat
As captain Metcalf, his son and one or two others from Middletown were on their way to this place, the fore part of last week, they discovered, a few rods from them, a huge Wolf.  He had a small trap hanging to one of his legs, which he had been caught in about a week before.  Perceiving him fatigued, these men, without dog or gun pursued him, followed him nearly a mile, and completely surrounded him. The wolf finding no means of escaping, turned upon his foe - with his jaws spread, and with the fierceness of a lion he sprung at the son of Mr. Metcalf, who immediately clinched his antagonist by the jaws, while suspended, one in each hand, and held him in that situation until his father came up and cut his throat.  This information we received from captain Metcalf and we believe it correct.

The Centinel, Gettysburg, PA, September 5 1810. Submitted by Nancy P.

Gentlemen,

The following is an extract of a letter received this day, dated Fincastle, the 14th August, 1810.  The circumstances mentioned are so extraordinary, that I conceive it material to publish the information.  Should you be of the same opinion, you will be willing to give it a place in your Mercantile Advertiser.

A Subscriber.

Aug. 23.

“The town of Fincastle has been in a great uproar in consequence of a suicide committed on Friday last at the jail.  You may remember an advertisement inserted some time ago in the N. York papers, relative to the elopement of a Mr. Walfingham with the wife and child of a postmaster in Orange County.  It appears that Walfingham was an assumed name; and that during his progress to this place he at various items went by several different ones; when he was taken here he called himself Smith.  A civil action being commenced against him, and he being unable to find bail to the amount ordered by the magistrates, he was committed to prison; and after a few days confinement, executed that justice upon himself which the laws could not have inflicted. But the only thing which induced me to mention his fate was the mystery which it involves. Before the magistrates, and after committal, he steadily persisted in refusing to reveal his name and after his death, it was found he had not only burnt every article of his clothing that could lead to a discovery of his family, but had also burnt a large sum in bank notes, from an apprehension that they might afford some clue to that object. He has left a paper on the subject of his conduct, which is not written in his common hand, but in round letters.  His very boots were cut in small pieces, lest they should betray him and his face and body so mangled as to bear no resemblance to their original appearance.  This circumstance has given rise to a variety of conjectures, and will probably afford an exclusive topic of conversation here for a month at least.

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