Susquehanna County PA Miscellaneous News Articles
Transcribed for Genealogy Trails by Nancy Piper
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
February 18, 1824 Page 2
From the Montrose (Pa.) Gazette, Feb. 6
A Panther Killed
A Subscriber to the Gazette, who resides in the Eastern part of this county, sent us the following hunting story. As the Indians who once ranged these forests, and were fearless possessors of the soil, are now driven beyond the western waters, and seldom seen retracing their steps to the land of their fathers - so it is with the panther; he but seldom ventures to the place of his former abode, and is sure never to escape the vigilance is sure never to escape the vigilance of the hunter.
"Mr. Benjamin Samson and James Lindsey, of Scott, known by the name of Starucca, on the 22d ult., discovered a panther's track, which they followed about five miles, into the town of Jackson, where their dog had treed him. Lindsey with a well directed fire, put a ball equi-stant between his eyes, which passed through the head and neck, and lodged against the skin between the shoulders, and bro't him to the ground, when he received two other balls in the head, which killed him on the spot. The panther, it is said, weighs about two hundred pounds, and measures nine feet from the nose to the tip of the tail, and was in every respect a most powerful and ferocious animal and was probably an old settler. The track of his mate was discovered a few days after, but a fall of snow prevented them from following her."
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
January 10 1832
A fire broke out in the Printing office of the "Register" at Montrose, Pa. on the night of the 26th ult., which destroyed the office, 4 stores and several dwellings.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
January 17 1842
The Hon. Davis Dimock, Jr. member of Congress from Pennsylvania, died at his residence in Montrose, Susquehanna county, on the 13th inst. He was in attendance at the extra session, but was unable to attend the present one. His decease was announced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday last, in a very feeling manner, by Mr. Bidlack. The House resolved to wear crape as customary, and immediately adjourned, as also did the Senate, in which body the announcement was made by Mr. Buchanan.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
January 20 1845
Shocking Accident - The Montrose (Pa.) Democrat states that on Monday evening of last week, as Dr. E. Leyman, of Great Bend, was returning from Montrose in a wagon with his wife, when about three quarters of a mile from home, the reins dropped upon the shafts; the Doctor leaned over the dash board to recover them, when it broke and precipitated him against the horse, which took fright and ran for about half a mile. During this time Mrs. L. remained in the wagon, unhurt, and supposing that her husband was left behind at the place where he had fallen. On a neighbor coming to her assistance she expressed fear that her husband was hurt, when to the astonishment of both they beheld his mangled body still hanging from the forward spring in which his foot was unfortunately caught, and by which means he had been dragged and mangled until life was extinct. His jaw was perfectly torn off, and his head, shoulders and arms dreadfully bruised and lacerated. Dr. L. was a highly respectable citizen, of temperate habits, in the prime of life, and in successful practice in his profession.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
November 12 1849
On Monday last the Cashier of the Susquehanna Bank at Montrose, Pa., was committed to jail, in default of $40,000 bail, on an alleged charge of defalcation. It is reported that $85,000 of the funds of the Bank are unaccounted for.
The Bank is supposed to be a total wreck. A large amount of its paper was in circulation, much of which, it seems, was put out very recently, under circumstances calculated to produce the impression that knavery has been long contemplated by the owners and directors of the concern.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
November 26 1849
The Susquehanna Bank
It is said by the Montrose Register, that the notes of this broken conern, now in circulation, amount to $200,000, most of which is held at the West. The assets recovered thus far, are not more than three-fourths of that sum. Mr. St. John, the late cashier, has given bail, and left Montrose.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
July 14 1851
Large Trout - A few days since, Mr. S. A. Woodruff of Montrose, caught a trout in Silver Lake, measuring two feet in length, and weighing nearly six pounds.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
November 13 1854
A very destructive fire took place at Montrose, Pa., on Friday, consuming a large number of stores, shops and dwellings. The loss is stated to be nearly $60,000.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
January 12 1864
Catholic College Burned
Philadelphia, Jan. 5 -- Information has been received here of the burning of St. Joseph's Catholic College, near Montrose, Susquehanna county. The fire took place at a late hour last Friday night, after the pupils had retired. There were about one hundred boys in the building, but fortunately all escaped. A few lost their clothing. The principal, Rev. Hugh Monshan, was absent in this city at the time. It is also reported that the church attached to the college was burned.
Titusville Morning Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania)
Ocober 6 1870
Home Life in Montrose, Pa.
A correspondent of the New York Evening Post writes from Montrose, Susquehanna county, this State, a description of the place, which cannot fail to prove of interest to our readers. The letter is dated September 28th:
"Montrose is proud of its neatness. The dwellings, with the exception of two, are all built of frame, most of them are white, with green blinds, and many of them are of no particular style of architecture, but all look pretty, standing among tall trees, with vines creeping over the pillars of the piazzas, and all are scrupulously clean. The doors stand open until bed time in mild weather, and if, on going in you do not find the friend you seek, in the sitting room, you can go to the kitchen, and be sure of a welcome, for Montrose housekeepers take especial pride in their kitchens, and keep them at all times in a state to entertain, if need be, guests in white satin. It is the only place I know, and I peak not ignorantly, where summer boarders are really made entirely comfortable, where they have given them large rooms with closets large enough to contain a good sized ward robe; and a good bed made up with linen. Then below stairs, parlor, sitting rooms, hall, piazza, grounds, and garden, are entirely at their disposal; and as for the dining room, what delicious meals are enjoyed there! The abundance of the country is seen in perfection, and is served upon fine chins on a table covered with fine linen and adorned by fine glass and silver. No drinking coffee out of a thick cup with a pewter spoon here, and no sweetening of with common sugar. The hospitality of the South is combined with the thriftiness of the North. During the fruit season, in every house you enter you find a dish of apples, pears, or plums on a table, convenient for every chance visitor to take at pleasure.
Then Montrose is everlastingly moral. There was but one willful murder ever committed in Susquehanna county, and that dates back to the twenties somewhere when the century was not old enough to know better. The murderer was hung here in Montrose, and the date of Treadwell's hanging was for a long time an era from which backward and forward dates were reckoned. The greatest crowd ever assembled in the village came to see him hung. Men, women and children were pre-cut, the latter brought by their parents for the moral influence. Persons walked as many as twenty miles to witness this execution, being forewarned, it might be supposed, that it was their last chance of beholding such a sight in their native county.
For amusement, there is always something going on; tea-parties in abundance, of a pleasant social character; lively picnics; social visiting among persons of refinement and cultivation; driving; and last but not least, croquet. Not least, for croquet is a passion here, and is played with an eagerness and intensity no outsiders can comprehend by all ages from seven to seventy. It is played for hours every day, is made a science; and to have the best croquet ground in town, or be considered the finest player, is no mean distinction. It is preferred not to play on the grass, as grass is found to interfere more or less with the rolling of the balls, besides preventing a game after a rain; tan-bark or sand, or sawdust is preferred. So in every yard you see a large space of bare ground made perfectly level, and kept well rolled. This is usually sprinkled lightly with sand, and, after a shower, can be used without any fear of any of the players taking cold. For three years croquet has raged here, and every visitor catches the fever. The grounds are usually well shaded. One of the most beautiful is situated in an orchard, where the branches of the trees meeting overhead are over fifty years old. In former seasons it has been the custom to use this ground by night as well as by day. It was illuminated by means of torches, and decorated by flags, and once a week the brass band gave a concert, while a dozen games of croquet were in progress. It really made a picture as beautiful as novel - the ladies in light dress, with colored sashes or gay wrappings, intent on their game, the old trees arching above, and the torchlight giving a strange fascination to the scene."
The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
November 19 1874
O'Mara and Irvin
Montrose, Pa., Nov. 12 - The execution of Daniel O'Mara and Patrick Irvin, for the murder of Mrs. Margaret O'Mara, aged seventy-four years, and her daughter, Mary O'Mara, aged twenty-four years, took place at Montrose, Susquehanna county, at 10:30 am today. The peculiarly atrocious nature of the crime and the relation of the parties made the occasion one of unusual interest.
Daniel O'Mara was about thirty years of age, five feet six inches high, weighs 150 pounds, rather pleasant looking.
Irvin was thirty-four year old, five feet eight inches high, weight, 175 pounds; low forehead, somewhat repulsive features, half savage, half idiotic expression.
The crime for which they were executed was committed on the morning of September 17, 1873, at O'Mara's home, about two miles from Montrose station, on the line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad. Daniel O'Mara was required to support his mother and sister during their lives, after which he would inherit the small farm upon which they lived, valued at $2,000. Daniel was not satisfied with this arrangement, so determined to get rid of them and secure the property at once. Patrick Irvin was O'Mara's hired man. It was said he wished to marry Mary O'Mara, but she did not favor his suit.
The Wellsboro Agitator (Wellsboro, Pennsylvania)
April 17 1880
The Murder at Montrose
An Account Of The Affair By the Victim's Father
On Thursday afternoon, the 15th instant, Mr. Mason B. Wilson was shot and killed by Mr. Frederick S. Warren, at Montrose, Susquehanna county, both the parties to the tragedy being prominent young married men of that county. The murdered man was a nephew of Mrs. Elias Tipple, of East Charleston in this county; and the story of the murder is graphically related in a letter to her from her brother, from which we are permitted to quote, as follows:
Montrose, April 19, 1880
Dear Sister Cal,: I am in trouble. I do not know what to write; but I must.
"Mason is dead."
"A young married man about his own age shot him three or four times, and he died almost instantly."
"Last Thursday Mason came to Montrose and hitched his horses in my father's barn, as his custom has always been. From there he went up town, as well call it, although my father lives in the heart of the village. Fred. Warren, this young married man, wanted to see him, and some way or another, had him go back to the barn. Fred. Warren having hold of Mason's arm in a friendly way, they went to the barn.
"They might have been in the barn ten or fifteen minutes; and in this time, while they were there, Mame went by the barn door and saw them as she passed. Mason spoke to her very pleasantly, saying. "Halloo, Mame!" Fred Warren turned away without speaking to her as he formerly had done; for before this he took pains to speak to her. Mame thought no harm, passed by and went into her house, which is close by. Perhaps ten minutes after this Mason was shot.
"There are two small doors in the barn - the front door, which Mame passed, and a back door into an alley on which is a livery stable, a dwelling house and the back part of the stores on the brick block. Mason burst open this back door and jumped into the alley. As he jumped, instead of striking on his feet, he fell, but got up or partly up, and fell again. Fred. Warren following him, and shooting him even after he was down, taking pains to shoot him the last time in a fatal place, although the other balls were also fatal.
"Before Mason was married he went with Fred. Warren's wife, and they were probably engaged; if so, the engagement was broken, and Mason married another girl, who has been a good wife and mother and daughter. Mason and Annie have two children."
"Mason did not seek this interview; and so far as we know he wished Fred no harm. We hear many testimonies that Mason spoke well of Fred. Warren and his wife.
"As Mame passed by the door she heard one of them say, "My wife says -" This is all we know of their interview in the barn."
From the Montrose Republican of last week we learn the following details of the affair: It was about twenty minutes from the time the two young men entered the barn when a pistol shot was heard, and young Wilson burst open the rear door of the stable and was seen to jump into the alley, crying "Murder! Don't shoot me; don't kill me!" He was closely followed by Warren, who was firing at the fleeing man who fell close at the corner of Mitchell & Goodwin's livery office, fatally wounded by two pistol balls. Warren then went up to the prostrate body, and taking deliberate aim, discharged two more bullets into the dying man, who expired in about five minutes from the firing of the first shot. Almost instantaneous with the firing of the last shot, Mr. Hugh Mitchell reached the side of the murderer and seized him by the coat collar and asked him excitedly, "Why, in Heaven's name, he had killed that boy?" Warrren repliae that "He had a good reason for doing it, and that Mr. Mitchell need not hold him, as he did not intend to run away."
Warren was then advised, and proceeded to the Sheriff's office and gave himself up, and the victim was carried to the house of his father, Saxon M. Wilson.
The revolver with which the shooting was done was one of Smith & Wesson's latest improved 32 caliber five-shooters. Every chamber was found empty. This revolver had been purchased April 3d by exchanging a lighter one and giving some boot, Warren saying he wanted something that would shoot stronger. He had also bought some new cartridges for it within a few days, being particular to inquire if they were good, saying he wanted those that would not miss fire.
The Republican says Fred. S. Warren is about twenty-six years of age, and the youngest of four children of Re. A. O. Warren, a highly respected citizen of Montrose
He was formerly senior member of the firm of Waren & Griffis, who carried on the confectionary trade in the store-room now occupied by the New York Clothing House, where he was employed as clerk up to the time of the murder. About six months ago he was married.
Mason B. Wilson, the murdered man, was about twenty-five years of age, and only son of Saxon M. Wilson, a highly esteemed citizen of Montrose. He was married a few years since to a daughter of Wm. H. Jones, of South Montrose, and has since lived on and managed a farm in that neighborhood.
The young men were brought up and were school-mates together in Montrose, and people could hardly believe the truth of the murder until witnessing the lifeless remains of the victim, for the murderer, up to this time had borne irreproachable character. The relatives on both sides have the sympathy of the entire community.
Theories regarding the cause of the rash act are numerous and many people have visited the scene of the murder.