Miscellaneous Newspaper Articles From the Past
Adams County Pennsylvania
The Adams Centinel, Gettysburg, PA
May 20, 1801
Eight Dollar Reward
Ran away from the subscriber on Sunday, the 17th inst., a German indented servant man, named John Godfrey Daniel Fidler, by trade a shoemaker, about thirty-two years of age, five feet eight or nine inches high; he is stout made and has short black hair. Had on a lead colored homemade thick cloth coat, brown thick cloth pantaloons, a white dimity waistcoat, and half boots. It is expected he is making towards Philadelphia. Whoever takes up said Servant and secures him in any jail so that his Master gets him again, shall have the above reward, and all reasonable expenses if brought by me.
Robert Wray
The Gazette, Gettysburg, PA
February 4, 1803
A letter dated Canalsburg, Dec. 3, 1802, written by Samuel Gordon, and directed by Joseph Hays, of Carlisle, contains the following very remarkable circumstance. The facts are stated precisely as we have received them, and the account is corroborated by another letter, received by another gentleman of this Town, on the same subject.
The Rev. John Watson (who had presided over the Academy at Canoesburg, in Washington county) and the Rev. John Moorehead were married (by the Rev. Marquis) to two daughters of the Rev. John McMillin, on the same day. Each of these gentlemen had a child born to him on the same day. They both labored for a considerable time under a consumptive complaint, both died on the same day (1st Dec. 1802) and both were interred on the same day, in the same grave. And the same minister who had married them, delivered a very affecting Sermon on the occasion.
The Gazette, Gettysburg, PA
April 22, 1803
On Tuesday evening last, the barn and stables of Mr. David Troxall, about two miles from town, was entirely destroyed by fire, together with five horses, six cows, and fourteen sheep, and a considerable quantity of grain. We have not heard as yet in what manner the fire was communicated to the buildings, but it is suspected to have been willfully don by some malicious person.
Samuel Stretch, respectfully informs to citizens of Adams county, that he has lately commenced , and wishes to carry on in all its branches the tailoring business, next door to the house lately occupied by Mr. Matthew Longwall, in the town of Gettysburg,.
The Gazette, Gettysburg, PA
June 10, 1803
Sixty Mills Reward
For taking up the Runaway
Ran away from the subscriber about the middle of April last, an indented servant girl, named Agnes Burch. She is about thirteen years of age. The above reward will be given if she is brought home, but no charges will be paid by James Wilson
The Sprig of Liberty, Gettysburg, PA
May 25 1804
Information Wanted
About the last of February 1803, left the residence of her father in Berwick township, Adams county, about 12 miles from Gettysburg, a young woman named Susannah Noll, about 20 or 22 years of age. Her father died on the 6th of January last, intestate, it is therefore the wish of her friends, for their satisfaction, as well as her own interest that she may return home if living. If dead, it will be considered friendly in any person knowing of her death, to communicate information to the subscribers, living in Adams county, Pennsylvania.
John or George Noll
April 27, 1804
The Sprig of Liberty, Gettysburg, PA
May 9, 1805
A person who calls himself Miller, was apprehended in this city on Monday, and after an examination at the police office, was committed to the Bridewell, on a charge of having robbed a gentleman of his pocket book containing nearly 2000 dollars, at an auction room in Philadelphia, on Friday last. Information of this circumstance has been forwarded to the Governor of Pennsylvania.
The Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
August 28 1805
The highest price in cash will be given for good clean flaxseed if delivered at the store of Major George Kerr, in Gettysburg, or at the house of the subscriber - James Lloyd, Gettysburg, Aug. 22
The Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
August 28 1805
For Sale - A valuable plantation containing 296 acres of patented land, situated in Carroli's tract, Adams county, within about 6 or 7 miles of the county town, Gettysburg, and within 55 miles of Baltimore. This land is limestone of the first quality. The fields are covered with walnut and locust. The improvements consist of a new barn, a small farm house, with about 200 acres of cleared land, of which 20 acres are good timothy meadow, with a never failing stream running through the middle of it, near the door; a large orchard, the fences all in good order. Any person willing to purchase may know the terms of sale by applying to Mr. Archibald Ramsey, on the premises, to James Gettys, Esq., in Gettysburg, or to the subscriber in Huntingdon - Alexander Dean, July 19
The Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA
February 17, 1819
A duel was fought near Bladensburg, (Maryland) on the 6th inst., with muskets, at ten paced distance. The combatants were Gen. Armistead T. Mason and Mr. McCarty, both of Loudon county, Va. The former was killed and the latter wounded in the arm.
The Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA
August 18, 1819
A lost boy.
A lad about 10 years of age, who called himself Robert Chambers, is now at the house of Mr. Alexander Scott, in this borough. He says he arrived with his parents at Baltimore from Ireland, about two weeks since, in the ship Rolla - that they were on their way to Pittsburg - that he got separted from them in Hanover, and believing they had gone on, he pursued the Pittsburg road. He arrived here destitute on Saturday evening last, when Mr. Scott took him to his house, and this notice is given for the information of his parents.
The Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA
October 13, 1819
A black snake was killed, on Saturday, the 28th ult., in Plymouth township, in this county, which was five feet and a half long, and had two heads, one on each end, one of which was somewhat less than the other, but both equally natural. It was killed in an oats field, and was seen by a number of people.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
March 4, 1820
Fire, Fire!
Yesterday morning between 7 and 8 o'clock, a carpenter's shop of East York
street, in this borough, the property of Mr. Ralph Lashell, and occupied
by Mr. George Folk, was destroyed by fire, together with the entire
stock of tools which it contained.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
August 29, 1821
Hail Storm
We are informed that on Monday, the 20th instant, a violent hail storm passed over part of Reading and Hamilton townships, in this county, which entirely destroyed a number of fields of corn and buckwheat, tore down fences, broke glass & c.
Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
June 26, 1822
Counterfeits on the Harrisburg Bank
Yesterday afternoon a well dressed gentleman (in dark clothing with a white hat) amused himself by passing several counterfeit five dollar notes of the above bank. - After doing what business he could in this way, he left town and proceeded westward. He was met about 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon near Mr. Hoke's, on the Hanover road.
These counterfeits which are the first we have seen or heard on that bank, are pretty well executed; and for the better guarding of the public against imposition, we subjoin a description of one of them:
Letter D. No 2701 - Dated May 14, 1819. Signed J. Forster, Cashier, and Thos. Elder, President.
The paper is extremely well imitated, and the style of the engraving is little, if at all, inferior to that of the genuine note.
P.S. The gentleman alluded to in the above paragraph, was pursued and caught last evening 7 or 8 miles from town, on the Gettysburg road; he was brought back and examined before Justice Robinson, and was fully committed to take his trial in August next. Upwards of $100, in counterfeit paper were, we understand, found upon him. He calls himself John M'Neal.
Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
July 3, 1822 Page 3
Counterfeit (?ar) Notes, on the State Bank at Morris, New Jersey, have just made their appearance. They are well executed, and would, be ready taken by the best Judges, if not aware of them. They are dated Jan. 1, 1818, letter C, and in favour of Joseph Cutter. - Lancaster Intel.
Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
July 3, 1822 Page 3
From the Western Spy
Mr. Samuel Bereford
Takes this method to express his thanks to those gentlemen to whom he is indebted for the restoration of the suspended life of his son; particularly to Doctor Marshall, who he understands is an active member of the Humane Society, and to Mr. F. A. Clevelaudt one of the Doctor's students.
The following are the particulars of this transaction. On Saturday the 11th of May last, the son of Mr. Beresford fell off a raft into the river, where he remained several minutes, when he was taken out and placed on that engine of death,, a barrel! Doctor Marshall being in attendance to a patient at the house of Mr. Brooks, directly opposite, came in time to put a stop to this destructive practice ere it had quire destroyed the last lingering vital spark! The child, however, was black in the face, in
In consequence of rolling it with its head hanging down; in short it was breathless, motionless and apparently lifeless. The wet clothes were torn off, a woolen blanket was wrapped round the body, which was laid on the warm boards of the raft; the head gently raised; the froth or mucus removed by means of the finger from about the throat; the limbs rubbed with the blanket, on which hot spirits were poured. The Doctor inflated the lungs by breathing or blowing in the mouth, at the time imitating the motion of breathing by depressing the short ribs, pulling down the windpipe, and then letting the ribs suddenly expand by which means after ten minute's time, some faint signs of life were discovered; but before the respiration became regular, an injection of quire warm whiskey and water was used with good effect, and the child is now in perfect health. Let these means which require no skill to perform, be rememberd by every person.
Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
October 23, 1822 Page 3
Murder
Mr. Arthur O'Kelly, who kept a public house, on the turnpike, near Brownsville,
in this county, was committed to prison on Saturday morning last, charged
with shooting dead, a mulatto man, in the tavern house of O'Kelly, on the
preceding evening. As this will be a case for trial in the sessions, anything
on the merits would be improper, in a newspaper. Ib.
Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
December18 1822 Page 4
Murder
A shocking murder was committed at Breakneck Furnace, Saltlick township., in this county, on Tuesday last on a Mr. M'Kew. The circumstances ascertained to us are these: A number of the Furnace hands on that day, assembled at a Tippling house, convenient to the overbank kept by a Mr. Michael M'Kendrick, and that some time during the day, M'Kendrick went to a neighboring house and informed them that some of the men had got intoxicated and he believed that some of them had killed old Mr. M'Kew, and wished the man of the (…?...) with him to (..?...) the boy: on gathering some of the neighbors they returned, and found Mr. M'Kew still alive, but had one of his thighs and one arm broken, and his skull fractured for several inches, but still had the faculty of speech; he informed them that Michael M'Kendrick was the perpetrator, and had done it with a hand-spike; he died in one or two hours afterwards. M'Kendrick was immediately arrested and lodged in our jail there to await his trial. - Ib.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
April 9 1823 Page 3
Fire
A two-story Brick house in Hunterstown, owned by Mr. Woods of Baltimore, and occupied by Mr. John Thomas as a tavern, was destroyed by fire on Monday night, the 31st ultimo.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
April 9 1823 Page 3
On Sunday morning 23d of this instant, the court-house in this place was entirely destroyed by FIRE! All the records of the county, the sheriff's office and the commissioners' office, were entirely burnt up: not one paper saved of all the three offices.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
May 28 1823 Page 3
Hail Storm
On Wednesday night, the 21st instant, there were upwards of 80 panes of glass broken, by hail, in the Poor House of this county, and a field of rye of about 11 acres, on the farm very much broken down. We have also heard that the rye in other parts of the county was injured on the same night.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
June 11 1823 Page 3
Fire
On Tuesday morning last, some time before the dawn of day, the superb stone Grist Mill of John Markle, Esq. was discovered to be on fire; but the flames had gained such an ascendancy at the time, that no exertion could be made to save the building, or the property in it. The heat was so intense, that it was with the utmost difficulty that a dwelling house adjacent to the mill, could be saved. The flames were first observed bursting through the lower windows, but how the fire originated has not been ascertained; there had been none in the mill for ten days preceding its destruction - and but a few bushels of grain had been ground the day before.
So powerful were the flames, and so intense the heat, that not an article of property could be rescued from the destructive element; the burrs were broken into small pieces. One hundred and fifteen barrels of flour, ready for transportation, besides other flour in bags, & c. and some grain, were consumed. It was the most substantial, convement, and best finished mill in the county. The loss which Mr. Markle has sustained, cannot be estimated at less than five thousand dollars. - Ib.
Adams County Justices of the Peace 1800-1821
Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
June 19 1822 Page 2
Many of our readers no doubt recollect the abuse heaped upon William Findlay, in the years 1819 and 1820, for appointing, as it was alleged, an unnecessary number of Justices of the Peace. The following is a list of those officers in Adams county, as reported to the House of Representatives by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, on the 24th of January last, viz.
Names When Commissioned Samuel Sloan February 25, 1801 Alexander Russell January 7, 1807 Henry Hoke January 7, 1807 James Bleakley March 20 1808 John Reed September 30 1818 Sampson Smith King March 11, 1817 George Welsh February 22 1819 David Middlekauff May 17, 1820 John Weigart January 2, 1804 Robert M'Ilhenny April 1, 1806 Andrew Little, Jr. June 4, 1819 Tobias Kepner December 15 1800 John Aulenbaugh April 3 1809 John L. Gubernator March 13 1817 George Brown March 27 1818 Thomas Tucker* May 17 1820 *Deceased Jacob Housel March 28 1821 William M'Taggart May 10 1821 John Shriver December 15 1800 Samuel Smith December 15 1800 John Brinkerhoff December 15 1800 John Dickson October 24th 1807 John Miley December 15 1800 John Wierman January 1 1806 John Fickes April 1 1806 Peter Martin December 9 1815 Samuel White January 4 1817 Jonathan Neely March 29 1808 George Hickenluber* February 4 1811 *Deceased William M'Grew June 28 1814 Samuel M'Nair 1801 Amos M'Ginley April 22 1807 Jones Wilson January 30 1811
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