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The Adams Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
March 20, 1805
Pittsburg, March 8
On Monday evening last, was apprehended in this town, by Mr. Thomas Cohoon, Stephen Arnold, charged with the crime of murder, and for whose apprehension a reward of 200 dollars has been offered. On Tuesday he was examined before the magistrate, when he confessed himself guilty of the horrid crime. He is now safely lodged in jail.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Adams Centinel (Gettysburg,Pennsylvania)
March 27 1805
Pittsburg, March 9
Stephen Arnold, of the town of Burlington, in the State of New York, who, in a wanton and most cruel manner, whipt a girl, of about six years of age, seven times in the course of an hour and a half, because she did not pronounce "gig" as he required, and which caused her death - was apprehended at this place on Monday evening last, by Mr. Thomas Cohoon, who had heard of him at Oswego on the Susquehanna and followed him 320 miles. His aprehension was atted by singular circumstances. Sunday he arrived here; he was unsuccessful in three or four applications he made for passage down the river; he continued in the vicintiy near Grant's Hill, a considerable part of the day, and was frequently upon the point of committing the dreadful act of self murder, but was happily deterred by a directing Providence. Monday night he called at Mr. Henderson's tavern for something to eat, but said he had no money, in a short time Mr. Cohoon came in, and was informed that a countryman of his was in the room, to which he addressed himself, and discovered that he answered the description of Arnold: after requesting the other company to leave the room he read the advertisement; while reading he discovered the other drawing something from his pocket, upon which he raised his eyes and said "you are the man', the hand dropped, it was a pistol, which was cocked twice, and only prevented from doing execution by Mr. Cohoon's firmness. They took him to a magistrate, but on the way he drew a pistol and fired; a different direction was given to it by his arm being seized by a bye stander; the slash of the pan fingered his temple; and the ball flew by the ear of Mr. Cohoon; it however did not injury. The pistol, a number of balls, a rope and some money was found upon him; he called himself Smith and would give no satisfaction that night. The next day he made a full confession and appears to be sensible to the enormity of his crimes; deplores the violence of his passions, which have sunk him from a respectable standing in society to the lowest degredation.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Sprig of Liberty, Gettysburg, PA
July 4, 1805
The unhappy Arnold was on Tuesday last, indicted, and convicted, at the circuit court held in this place by his Honor Chief Justice Kent, of the murder of Betsey Van Amburgh, an orphan, by whipping her, in such an unjustifiable and barbarous manner as to occasion her death.
Judge Kent after an impressive address to the prisoner, passed sentence on him, to wit. "You are to be taken thence to the place of execution, and there be hanged by the neck until you are dead - and the Lord have mercy on your soul."
Yesterday the honorable court fixed the time of his execution to Friday the 19th of July next, between the hours of ten o'clock, in the forenoon, and two o'clock in the afternoon. The trial occupied about 5 hours and an half, and the jury were about two hours deliberating on their verdict.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
August 8 1805
Some short time previous to the day appointed for the execution of Stephen Arnold, the man who inhumanly whipt a child so as to occasion its death, because it could not pronounced the word Gig, to his satisfaction, complained of not being able to rest a night for want of sleep and requested that he might be favoured with moderate doses of laudanum for his relief, which was granted. He however, instead of using the laudanum, as he received it, preserved it from time to time, until he had a sufficiency for the purpose intended, the taking away of his own life, which it is said he effected - and thus escaped the halter.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
January 22, 1806 Page 2
On Wednesday the 8th inst., a duel was fought, near Pittsburg, between Tarleton Bates, esq., prothonotary of Allegheny county, and Mr. Thomas Stewart, of the house of Henderson & Stewart, merchants, of Pittsburg. They each fired twice. The second fire proved fatal to Mr. Bates, who received the ball of his antogonists pistol, in the upper part of his breast, and expired in an hour.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
October 21, 1807
Pittsburg, October 13
A few days after James Hamilton was murdered at William Foulk's farm, as mentioned in the Gazette of the 29th ult., a young man of the name of Nathaniel Aitken was apprehended as being concerning in the murder, and after examination committed to jail of Beaver county for trial.
On Saturday night, the 3d inst., about nine o'clock, an armed party consisting of eight or nine men, came to the jail, two of them entered it, and presented a cocked gun at the breast of the jailor, commanded him to open the door of the room in which Aitken was confined, and set him at liberty, swearing that if he refused they would put him to death, also threatened to kill his wife if he made the least noise. The jailor, intimidated by their threats, opened the door, the prisoner escaped, and has not since been heard of.
The following letter has been received by Mr. Fowler, a relation of the young woman who gave a testimony against Aitken.
Mr. Fowler,
Sir,
Send immediately away that informant from your house, or immediate and complete devastation will come on your property and person, send her out of the country; the secret band is too numerous and bloody to let you harbour her many days longer. Aikens appears to be made guilty.
I am your friend and have got a hint of the plot against you; nothing can save you but clearing her out; so as you may I have warned you of your danger; I am clear of what may come on you by the blood stained hands of the new reared Mohawks and Shawakese Indians; thy friends adds no more but remains.
Tom the Tinker.
Immediately underneath the signature the figures of two guns laid across each other.
The Governor, having received information of the unhappy occurrence in Beaver county, as stated in our last, has issued a proclamation, from which the following is an extract:
The Governor, having received information of the unhappy occurrence in Beaver county, as stated in our last, has issued a proclamation, from which the following is an extract;
"I do hereby offer a reward of 500 dollars to any person or persons who shall apprehend, secure, and bring to conviction the person who murdered the aforesaid James Hamilton, and 250 dollars for every of the accessories, before and after the fact; and also a free and full pardon to the person who shall first communicte the name of the person who committed the cruel and horrid crime, so that he brought to trial."
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
October 14, 1807
Pittsburgh, September 29
William B. Irish, Esq., the deputy marshal, left this town early last week to execute writs of possession, if favor of the Pennsylvania Population Company for lands recovered in the District Court of the United States from certain actual settlers in Beaver county. With this intension he left Greensburg on Wednesday last, accompanied by E. Williams, Esq., agent of said company, George Holdship, Esq., and a Mr. Hamilton; they had not proceeded more than two miles and were just entering on the farm of Wm. Foulks, one of the persons to be dispossessed, when they were fired on, by some persons concealed in a thicket of bushes, and James Hamilton was killed. It is said four guns were fired, no doubt with the intention of killing the whole party, as threats to that effect had been made.
We are told that information had been given to the Marshal, that a party of 40 men had collected at Foulk's, in order to prevent him from performing his duty. The marshal considered this a mere threat to intimidate him from proceeding, and could not think it possible that any men would so far forget their duty as citizens as to oppose the laws of their country with force of arms, and bring inevitable destruction on themselves and families.
The marshal and the other two gentlemen returned to Greensburgh, and made depositions of the fact.
At the request of the marshal an attempt was made by the sheriff, and other influential characters, to raise the posse comitatus, to apprehend the suspected persons, and enable the marshal to do his duty, but without effect, and the marshal returned to this place on Thursday evening.
Mr. Irish has favored us with the deposition he made of the occasion.
Allegheny County,
On the 25th day of September 1807, before me E. Denny, a Justice of the Peace in and for the county of Allegheny, personally appeared William B. Irish, deputy marshal in the Pennsylvania district, who being duly sworn according to law, on his solemn oath doth depose and say, that on Wednesday about 10 o'clock, the 23d inst., being in company with Ennion Williams, George Holdship, Esq. and James Hamilton, on their way to the place in William Foulks, in Beaver county, to execute a writ of haberi facias possessionsm in the case of Robert Bowne against William Foulk, they were fired upon at the entrance of said Foulks land by persons concealed in a thicket of bushes by the road side. This deponent heard three if not four reports of guns, directly after this deponent heard James Hamilton call to him, saying Sheriff I am gone, and instantly he fell from his horse to the ground. This deponent got off his horse and called to his other two companions that Hamilton was killed, they then rode up to the place but did not light down - said deponent then raised Hamilton to his feet, and in a minute or two he expired; said deponent then laid Hamilton down on his back, put his hat over his face, got on horseback, and rode back in company with his surviving companions with all speed to Greensburg, and made oath of the fact before John Johnston, Esq., of Beaver County.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
Wednesday, April 27, 1808
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 5
A gentleman lately from Beaver informs that on Tuesday evening last the house of Ennion Williams, about three miles from the town, was burned to the ground by some persons who are as yet undiscovered. A letter was found the next day near the place, addressed to Mr. Williams, threatening him in the most positive manner, that if ever he made his appearance in the county, his life would be immediately taken. It will be recollected that after the murder of Mr. Hamilton, last September, Mr. Williams thought it prudent to remove from that county with his family.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA
October 20, 1819
Daring Robbery - A robbery of the most daring nature was committed on Sunday last in Bedford county. A Mr. M'Farland, a merchant of Pittsburg, on his road to Philadelphia, was stopped by David Lewis, the celebrated counterfeiter, and two other villains and robbed of $1500. They took Mr. M'Farland into the woods and detained him from 9 o'clock in the morning till 4 in the afternoon. It is said Lewis' associated wished to kill M'Farland, but by Lewis's interference they were prevented. The alarm was immediately raised and several gentlemen went into pursuit, and last night the villains were caught at a house about two miles below this town, and this morning sent off under a strong guard for Bedford. Nearly all the money had been given up. At instance of the daring disposition of Mr. Lewis came within our own observation. Last night, while surrounded by a number of persons, he by some means got a loaded pistol which was lying in the room, and unobserved got out the outer door, when he called aloud and sprang off. The house was quickly cleared and he was caught - he snapped the pistol in the face of his pursuers, and when caught and overpowered, he cocked and snapped again. Very fortunately the pistol missed fire.
October 27, 1819 - Erratum: In the article published in our last, relative to a robbery committed at Sideline hill, for the name of M'Farland, read McClelland. The error existed in the paper from which we copied, and we have also seen it is several others.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
March 29, 1820
Pittsburg, March 22
Bank Robber Escaped
Pinymart, one of the fellows concerned in robbing the Farmer's and Mechanic's Bank, in this city, broke jail on Saturday night last, and completely effected his escape; no intelligence whatever has been heard of him since. He was accompanied in his escape by a man of the name of Emlay, convicted of larceny at the last Mayor's court. From the manner of making his escape , there can be no doubt but he had accomplices outside as well as inside the jail. The Sheriff has offered a reward of 100 dollars for his apprehension.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
The Republican Compiler
12 Nov 1823 - Page 3
Pittsburgh, Nov. 4
Quick Work - James Young, a stranger who says he is from New Jersey, went into a tavern in this city on Thursday morning last, purloined a bundle of clothes and sold them to a black man. The clothes were soon missed - the robber detected, and taken before Alderman Enoch and committed. A return was immediately made by the Alderman to the Mayor's Court, then in session - a bill was found by the Grand Jury - the prisoner was brought into court and arraigned; he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment at hard labor, in the common jail of this county. The time that elapsed from the stealing of the goods until the sentence was passed, was not more than 6 hours!
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
April 21 1824
A young man by the name of James M’Dermitt, of Mifflin township, was stabbed with a knife on the night of the 2d inst., by a man named William M’Cully. It is said that the wound given to M’Dermitt, will finally prove fatal, but at our last accounts, he was still living. M’Cully has been committed to prison in this city, to await his trial. We refrain from any comments. – Pittsburg Statesman.
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
Robbers Murder A Bank Cashier And His Manager
Four Men Loot McKees Rocks Institution And Shoot Up Town
Ride Away With $5000 In A Bag
Looting Is Said To Be The Most Sensational in the History of Pennsylvania(Special To The Inquirer)
PITTSBURG, Pa., April 5.--The most sensational bank robbery in the history of Pennsylvania, if not the entire county, occurred at McKees Rocks, a suburb, six miles below Pittsburg, at 8:30 o'clock tonight, and two men were shot and killed.
Employes of the Victor Banking Company, whose house is at George and Graham streets, were preparing to close for the night when four men stepped from the shadows outside.
Two with drawn revolvers warned away all passing pedestrians, while the other two inside the bank opened fire on all inside.
Samuel Friedman, manager, was killed with three bullets while trying to protect $5000 on the counters of the bank from the robbers, and Ignatz Schwartz, cashier, shot through the head, taken to McKees Rocks Hospital, where he died later. Robert King, citizen, was shot and badly injured by the robbers as they ran with the plunder.
At McKees Rocks Hospital is Andrew Milko, a mill workman, hit by stry bullet. He will die.
Mary Enco, an employe of the bank was slightly injured trying to save Friedman and Schwartz. She is hysterical from fright.
Tonight every detective that can be spared from Pittsburg and from Allegheny county is scouring the country for the four bank robbers and murderers, who jumped on horses right outside the town with the $5000 which they managed to secure.
Two Towns Terrorized
McKees Rocks and Schoenville, adjoining, were each terrorized for about thirty minutes during and after the bank incident, for once on their horses the four robbers, evidently crazed with blook, rode up and down through the town shooting right and left. It was then that King was shot down in cold blood and Milko also was shot. They each tried to stop the wild ride of the bank robbers.
The Victor Bank is situated in a place lonesome after nightfall. It is on the dividing line between Schoenville and McKees Rocks, and has done a heavy trade with workmen from the plants of each town. It is a bank for foreigners and also has conducted a steamship agency.
Last Saturday was pay day at most of the works and there was about $25,000 in the bank this evening. Only $5000 of it appeared on the counters, however, the rest being locked in the big safes.
It was customary to keep the bank open until 10 o'clock for several evenings after pay day, but business being slow tonight the manager, who also acted as teller, and his cashier decided to close for the night about 8:30.
It would appear that their horses were tethered very near to the bank, for within two minutes before a crowd had any chance to gather the four mounted men came shooting down the street. They took a few shots at the lifeless body of Friedman and swept on.
Shot Looker On
"Get out or we'll kill you," one shouted to Robert King as he stood in front of Greene's Hotel. All other guests had fled indoors when they heard the mob come riding, but King stood his ground, and in another second he was writhing on the ground with three bullets in his body. A little further along, Andrew Milko, who had stopped to gape at the fast riding men, was shot through the body.
Within one hour after the shooting three automobiles filled with detectives were racing from Pittsburg. The authorities of McKees Rocks are of the opinion that the robbery had been planned for some weeks, and that it was to have been carried out last Saturday night at 10 o'clock, when the bank was fairly filled with memory.
Three strange men entered the bank about the time for closing, but the mill employes were there in great numbers and forced the bank to keep open later than usual, after which they stood about the streets near the bank.
Friedman, the teller and manager, too, appeared to have had a premonition of coming evil, for he asked Chief of Police Leonard Bean to come to the bank that evening in case there might be trouble. Bean was in the bank when the three strange men entered, and had a good look at them. He declares at midnight that those men if found will prove to be three of them murderous robbers of tonight.At one time Saturday night the little bank had $35,000 on view.
During the presed stel car strike last fall Cashier Schwartz was waylaid on his way home by some footpads, and managed to escape only with his life. He then announced that he would never go unarmed again, and he would shoot first in case of trouble either in the bank or on his way home, and allow others to ask questions. Schwartz's revolver was on the floor beside him, mute evidence that he had tried to draw it, but the desperados had been too quick for him. [Philadelphia Inquirer, April 6, 1910 - Transcribed by C. Anthony]
An Extensive Gang of Counterfeiters Broken Up
Pittsburg, June 22 - Additional arrests of members of the counterfeiters gang lately operating in the vicinity, have been made. The attention of the government was called to the work of these men by some letters containing consignments of spurious money, and which being unstamped went to the dead office. Secret Service Detective Watkins was detailed to work up the case, and his efforts, aided by those of local detectives, resulted in these arrests. The band was thoroughly organized and headed by Milton H. Frank, a physician of Alleghany City, five members of the band have been arrested and are in jail.
The members of the gang were all provided with counterfeit passes over most of the principal railroads. $20,000 of the money has been secured by the officers.
[The Lexington Reporter, (Lexington, Tennessee) July 2, 1875 - transcribed by Amanda Jowers]
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