Prior (1852)
Next (1854)
For the year 1853
Prior (1852)
Next (1854)
18 Dec Michael Camp came to get an answer regarding the portion of the South Lot
he wants to buy. Agree to sell him 15 acres, wood and all, at $75/acre.
20 * Bought 18 acres north of us from Stone for $475.
25 Christmas. "We attend meeting same as common. SF elders came, making a
visit. They arrived about 1:30, stayed until 7:30. We had evening meeting.
27 FSW & Morrel I went to Albany to see the lawyer they hired to sue Jude Hammond
who some years ago, bought strawberry plants and never paid for them.
29 Buying feed for horses and hens in Waterford.
Henry Watson's younger half-brother, William, joins.
BOOK 4 - 1853 in^ ^^ I? F*
4 Jan ' NF sisters have braided 75 doz. whiplashes.
5 Two men from Saratoga to buy corn husks for mattresses. Bought 400 Ibs.
at 60 per Ib.
6 CC and DAB got an early start to take Bro.Benj. S. Youngs & Asa Seaton to
Lebanon. Benjamin is to staysome time with Calvin Green in revising the
book "Christ's Second Appearing" and have it ready to be reprinted..."
Samuel Rose went to Yearsley's (Latham) to pay the great tax - $352.52.
"A crazy man called, had some dinner. We had some labor to get rid of
him but finally made it out."
11 Loren Wicks and Arabella Hays were "among the missing at breakfast; it seems
they took an early start for Syracuse. "The elders informed us that Josiah
& Lillis^cnose to leave. Their things were brought to the Office, inven-
toried. CC, CM, Clarissa & Jannet went to Albany with them and they took
Li I I is
to Dr. March about her finger. They felt very comfrtable. Elder
Brother thought they should be sent to Buffalo to their father as both
were under age.
12 An inventory taken of Loren's tools., his and Arabella's clothing, and packed
ready when the word shouald come where to have them sent.
14 DAB came back from Leylbanon with the news that BSYoungs fell the day after
he got there and hurt himself so that he had not been able to do anything
about the book since he got there.
17 Road Commissioners very anxious to have road from Shakers to Albany planked.
18 Justice and two sisters started. for Tyringham to teach 'them how to make
brushes .
19 "James the paddy has been to Schenectady after a load of manure every day
this week."
20 "Thomas the paddy goes to chopping every day..."
One of Osborns here "plank reading it." Had dinner.
25 James the Englishman and James the Irishman went over the river after
manure, returned soon after dinner and informed us that the oxen broke
through the Ice, sleigh, manure and all sunk. By the timely help of some
nearby, they succeeded in getting the oxen out. After dinner a number of
brethren went to see if they could find anything of the sleigh, but nothing.
27 'John & Samuel Ingham taken to Schenectady to take train. "It was thought
they would never make Believers and they had better go to their father."
29 Went to look for lost s l e i g h
but failed.
30 (Sun) Henry Hanson again spoke at meeting to "a great concourse of people."
10-12 of Legislature with ladies came, visited in Office but did not eat.
31 SB bought a barrel of pickled cod.
1 Feb Fred' Grif fenham, a German, came from SF to live at CF.
8 CM to Troy and got 215 yards "2 & 2 light" for Lebanon people.
12 Sent some sheets and pillow cases to Albany to the Markwells for their
son is sick.
17 George Weaver came, said his mother had died and he wanted to get her coffin
made, but there was no one to do it.
18 Dr. W^de came to see Caroline Vernoy's hip which is very bad.
22 Ministry, elders & deacons meet: put Maynard in charge of River 'Farm;
give CC liberty to see if he can get a broom maker frompie SF.
25 "SB went around to see the poor neighbors."
27 Henry Hanson spoke at public meeting. Eleven of our brethren & sisters
went and were much pleased.
1 March "This day is kept in remembrance of Mother Ann's birthday. We had meeting
the same time we do on the Sabbath. Elder Brother Freegift read six chap-
ters of the book entitled "Mother's Sayings." After that ail the family
spoke, some more, some less. We had a very pretty meeting."
2 Melville Loomis came from NF to live and to learn to be a broom maker.
CM went to Troy to mills to see about cloth for PLeasant Hill.
3 NF sisters have made 10 doz. bonnets.
10 CC, Elder Sister & Betsy went to Albany In the best covered carriage to
meet FSW, CM & BSYoungs. (Benjamin had been laid up with "watchers" ever
since he had fallen at Lebanon.) They arrived at/4-: 30
with him. He stood
the journey better than we expected. The physic fans have prepared a room
in the 2d House for him. He has been confined in the Office at Lebanon
ever since he has been there and has had to be watched every night. The
1st and 2d Order brethren have watched five times each.
25 Maynard drove on the pond with the farmers1 horses, they broke thru the
ice. The brethren & men at work on the pond saw it and went to their
assistance & got them out without any serious difficulty.
28 FSW went to Albany to see some of the Senators to please Alexander Youngs.
They own land In Schenectady County & are in favor of having the county
divided.
31 Mar Calvin Wells died. ** ?/-/-?
"A large coachload of gentility came, they rode over to the 2d Order,
called for something to eat."
1 Apr Calvin's funeral attended by quite a number from 2d and South Families, "as
he had been as it were a father to them."
Ephraim Prentice returned to make a visit after an absence of two years in
the state of Maine. His health is poor.
2 Took Sarah Taylor & Phebe Ann Smith to Albany.
Also took.Loisa Rogers, a little girl, to see her grandfather who is quite
sick. "Her grandmother chose to keep her, whether she will ever come back
is uncertain."
4 Arethusa has wove and put together 20 doz. bonnets since last summer.
5 Mary Ann Ayers & Lucy Bates brought the 10 doz. bonnets they have made to
be sent to Groton .
11 Put scow in river.
16 Finish hauling 53 loads of manure fromVischers Ferry for Island.
NF have another 27^ doz. bonnets made.
20 CC & George brought 2000 clams from Albany.
28 Harvey Copley came topee if his father was dead and if Chauncey was still
among the living. Had dinner, Went to Island and sawbc for a few moments.
1 May "A poor woman with 2 small children came. She drawed them in a little
willow wagon from Troy. We kept her overnight."
2 CC went to Albany & traded his horse for a gray one that proved to be sick.
"They could hardly get home with him."
3 CC went to the Island on foot as his horse is quite feeble yet.
7 FSW took Benjamin Youngs for a ride (the first he has been out).
9 SB started forJHarvard & Shirley. He took $1000 ($300 of it belongs to the
SF) to lend or give to the CF at Shirley to help with their factory busi-
ness. They have had a great deal of trouble with ** It."
20 Simon Atherton came from Harvard for bonnets.
23 Simon Atherton taken to Albany to return home, with 10 doz. bonnets from SF.
24 SB is tojiave charge of stock, Smith Taylor goes back taNF to be shoemaker
& Albert (Twiss ?) "moved here to work on herbs & extracts. DS moved to
Office, CM is appointed Trustee with CC. Samuel Rose went to live with
Elder Brother.
1 June A woman, Eliza Oliver, came from East Troy with an 18 mon . orphan girl,
Ann El iza Haymes.
2 Two of Corning gardeners came for asparagus roots.
Packed up baskets & fans to ship to Niagara Falls.
4 June Eleanor & Nancy Wicks came & brought 10 doz. bonnets we are to ship off
for them.
7 The two Gaul man boys & little Edward all wanted to go & were taken to Troy
& put in a way to meet their friends.
9 "Isaac Youngs came to see something about the sewing machine. They are
about getting some."
11 "Soocpn after wejreturned from evening meeting, two ver^/singular looking men
made their appearance. Their beards werejexceedi ng long. CC took them
to the old house to stay."
12 (Sun) Our Elders went to public meeting with the visitors... The strangers profess
to be led by the spirit & to follow Christ & the like. We had some talk
with them. We-gave them some dinner. After that CM went to the SF with
them. There George Peavy said he had known one of them as an Advent & he
had lived at Enfield NH & been an elder there. They left two old Bibles,
one the cover entirely off,one they saicjvas.for the brethren."
13 Elder Sisters & Deaconesses came to Office & talked of having their wool
worked at Hancock & making bonnets instead.
23 Davis &|lady came to get pay for painting the Office. If cost $17.28. They
painted the building 3 times, the blinds twice, outside of sash once, white
fit, window sill, water table etc.
Hard thunderstorm towards evening. When FSW was putting;1 his horses in the
barnyard, CC1steam followed out thru the stables & ran off. CC out all
n i ght chas i ng them.
24 CC couldn't find horses, rained hard, turned cold. Started out again with
SB! in wagon. Home by 4, no luck. Geo. Price went to horse companies and
told them. Some of the brethren looked in the woods, SB rode horseback in
evening.
25 CC & George to Schenectady, DS & FSW to Troy to horse companies. CC & Geo.
home about 5 pm with the horses. They had a flyer printed offering $25
reward and as soon as the flyers were out, a man came & told them he had
seen them at the Lower Aqueduct. CC gave man at Aqueduct $4 for keeping
horses, other man $10 for information.
27 Simon Smith and his 2 daughters came to see Philip & Lucretia.
3 July (Sun) A great concourse of people. HenryJHanson spoke.
4 "Most offfhe hired men kept Independence Day."
Lucy FuIler went to SF to teach them how to sew braid on bonnets by machine.
6 Using coal in extract house.
16 "Tipp, our beloved cat, breathed his last about 7:30. He has been sick with
consumption some time. Clarissa had him put in a box & Daniel buried h i m . "
17 (Sun) Henry Hanson spoke at p u b l i c meeting.
21 "Two young men came to survey some. They are about getting up a map of
th is county."
23 July Brought out from Albany "a box of leggings from D. Parker to be'finished
by us for $3/doz."
Benjamin Johnson, wife and son, had dinner. He is President of State
AgricuIturaI Society.
28 FSW went to get some children named Ha I Ienbeck--oldest girl is 6, other
girl and boy younger.
11 Aug John Decked started at 3 a.m. to walk to Albany. Rode back on the new grain
cutter or reaper they had ordered from Emerys. Two of the Emerys & most of
the brethren watched the testing of the machine. Very hard for the team,
extremely hot.
13 Heat intolerable. Bought used broom corn sizer in Schenectady for $70, used
about 2 years. Trying to get in wheat & oats but men feel as1 if they would
melt. Thermometer has been up to 103.
15 Calvin Green comes to see Brother Benjamin about revising the book "Christ's
Second Coming."
16 Brother Calvin is quite unwell.
25 George Peavy absconded. No one knew how or where he has gone.
28 Brother Calvin spoke "quite lengthy" to the spectators at the public meet-
ing.
Louisa Fairchild fell downstairs & hurt herself quite badly. CM went to
get Dr. Wade.
29 Were employing 14 hired men and boys.
5 Sept Elder Brother Freegift, Jesse Harwood, Aurelia W., Caroline Vernoy &
Sophronia left for NYC and Long Island "for health & comfort."
8 "CM went to Philadelphia for the first time."
12 Francis Loomis concluded to return from whence he came & left this morning.
16 CM went to Albany to get Elder Brother & company but they were notrhere
but he brought two letters from them.
17 Sat Tabitha Shapely died. "She was^taken ill with fever ague about 10 days
since and it ran into bilious fever." A-*-7 CM went to Albany 7again for Elder Brother company,waited suitable length
of time and returned without them.
19 John Decker went to Albany for Elder Brother ^company, but they did not
come. Home 8 p.m.
20 John & CM left about 3 p.m. in the rain for Elder Brother & company and "to
our great satisfaction they arrived in good health & spirits about 7:30...
The cause of their delay was their being on the sloop so long."
4 Oct Henry Watson's stepmother & 4 children came from Schenectady to visit.
The oldest g i r lintends to stay.
5 Bring home a load of popcorn every day from the Island, cut up by the roots.
The men husk in the evening & Patrick spreads it to dry.
15 Oct Finished digging potatoes - have 2000 bushels.
20 "James & Melville Loomis returned from whence they came."
./
22 The Ferguson man came tojsee Catherine but did not try to get her away.
25 Want to sell wood on River Farm. Ask Winne & Nathan Co. if they want it.
26 Winne will give $60/acre.
31 Two brefhen taken to railroad, they are going after pipestems.
2 Nov MorrelI started for Johnstown for "basket timber."
6 (Sun) "We arose at 4, as of late years, breakfast at 6 & attended to the work
of the day as much in the fear of God as possible. No public meeting,
considerable many of the world around."
7 Employed Witbeck to survey wood lot. Selling wood off River Farm to Potter
& Gary of West Troy - 30 acres @ $75/acre.
10 Elder Brother Joseph (Hodgman) & Elder Sister Hannah Wells released; Jesse
Wells & Emeline (Clark) in their places with Joel Smith & Nancy Wicks to
live with them (at WF).
11 A carpenter came to partition off the lower part of the meeting house for
a broom shop.
CC bought 100 bu. "injured wh^t" for horse & hen feed.
12 Ministry have painted their shop since they have been here & DAB & a company
have painted the old Meeting House, boys' shop & back buildings.
16 CC brought 2000 clams for both families.
21 DAB started the boys' school.
We put down our new carpets.
23 Clarissa & Catharine have been bottoming chairs this week.
25 CC r ~broughthome/from Albany "a quintle" of codfish. (Webster says a
quintal is equal to 100 kilograms or hundredweight.)
28 About 6:30 p.m. a naked man (George Snyder) came to Francis Stark at the
mill saying he had been robbed by two men in the Shaker woods of his
clothes & his carpetbag which contained clothing. Francis brought him to
the Office "and we clothed him the best we could."
29 Elder Brother took the man to tell his story to the police. They gave him
a free pass on the cars to where he said he was from but he was seen in the
afternoon at the end of the lane here and going to the Troy Road. "No one
here believes his story."
30 CC & CM started for Michigan & Illinois to see about land.
Elder Brother went with Philip to see Homer Strong (a neighbor) about'Geor.
Snyder, the man that pretended to be robbed. Learned nothing new.
7 Dec Sending 4 barrels of roots to Lebanon.
8 Dec Calvin Green went back to Hancock. Had been there 16 weeks revising the
book.
9 "A clairvoyant doctress came to engage some herbs & roots. She and her
husband took tea."
10 Tom the Irishman is going to Australia. CC paid him off this evening in
gold. His brother-in-law & two sisters are in Albany & all are going.
14 CC & Daniel started for Canaan 4 Corners with the journey covered wagon to
have ft painted & finished off in style. They hitched it behind another
so to have a wagon to come home with.
Tom the Irishman came back to be hired again; he decided not to go to
AustraIia.
24 Clarissa CVeeder) is quite sick with a heavy cold & cough. Dr. Wade comes
and orders a "Dover powder sweat."
Made a deal for all the manure from Harry Yates' horses in Albany for the
year 1854 for $75.
1854
8 Jan "We have no morning meeting at the Meeting House, either public or private."
10 "Tom the paddy has had a fight with Anson the Dutchman. It is the second
fight Tom has had with the men & the Trustees are going to discharge him
in the morning notwithstanding all call him one of the best men to work
they have."
12 Broom corn sizing machine set in operation today; four of the hired men
work at it.
26 Elder Issachar came and, at the request of Elder Brother, has been given
$35 to help pay Henry Hanson's expenses to England.
27 Benedict from beyond Johnstown came on foot from the cars to get his yearly
supply of garden seeds. Bought $15.
29 Sun Very cold. Intended to have special meeting but the Meeting House did not
heat up to their expectations so they s.ent word to the families.
31 CM brought out a man with one of the Singer sewing machines for JUstice.
16 Feb River very high; nothing to be seen on Island but the house.
28 The little Cook -boy who had lived at the NF with CM was taken to his mother.
29 This day is kept in remembrance of Mother's birth. Have a good meeting;
reading & speaking. Almira &_Lydia had to stay out to work in the kitchen;
we have 14 men & boys to cook for.
7 Mar Packed 6 boxes with 170+ doz. bonnets.
11 Bonnets in A l b a n y
but could not get across river, water high. CC & Daniel
went to Albany & moved them upstairs, fearing they would be under water
where they were stored.
12 Sun In p u b l i c
meeting a man named Simon Peter Manger with a very long beard
spoke; left Union Village in 1841.
of Mr, Van Yorst to
the City of New York.
Soon He'did not remember going to Springstead's
drug-
afterthis he was associated
with Samuel G. Court-store, nor any other drug store.
When the ques-
ney, a son-in-law of Daniel
S. Dickinson, and
for tion was again" directly put to him, (( Were you not
in some drug store in Albany ?" he was in a some-
several years United States District Attorney for the
Southern District of New York. what reclining position in his chair, as if grieving;
In 1857 heformed a copartnership
withthose the question seemed to startle him, and, after some
brilliant lawyers, Clark
B. Cochrane and John
H. hesitation, he finallyreplied: "I do not remember."
Reynolds. This was one of the strongest legal
On the trial, the People offered
to provethestate-
firms that ever existed in Albany. ments of Hendricksonbeforethecoroner. The
During-thisconnection Mr. Cochrane and Mr.
evidence was objected to as inadmissible,
but the
Rej'nolds both became Members of Congress.
The Court admitted it under an
exception.The Peo-
copartnership
ended with Mr. Cochrane's death in
ple offered
to prove,as a motive for the act,
that
1867, but Mr. Harris and Mr. Reynolds continued
Lawrence Van Duzen, the father
of Mrs. Hen-.
their association till the latter's death in
1875, drickson, by
his last will, gave
all his property to
Mr. Harris has nowassociated
with him in thehis wife for life, with a remainder over, one-half
to
practice of his profession his son, Frederick Harris,
his only son,the otherhalf to beequallydi-
and William P. Rudd. vided between Mrs.
Hendrickson and her sister.
In the autumn of1853 he was nominated
and This evidence was objected to, but admitted under
elected District Attorney
of AIbanjrCounty, serv-an exception.
. This case required in
thecounsel
ing untilJanuary r,1857. Mr. Harris'adminis-
for the People,
not only great
legallearning, but
tration'of
thisimportant office is
remembered as a thoroughacquaintancewithmedical jurispru-
largely enhancing his reputation and advantageous
dence, particularly in
thescienceof toxicology,
to the public. During his administration
he asit was insistedthat the victimdied from
conducted severalof the most importantand the effects
of strychnine.Hendrickson^ was con-
stubbornly contested prosecutions for murder ever
victed,as beforestated,and sentencedto be
tried at the Albanj' Bar;
indeed,we know of few hanged. /J^^-%' $"fa**1 /f^'V
more important cases In Jegal history. The duty of conducting this case in
theAppel-
Among thesewas the trialofthe People vs.late Court placed Mr.
Harris in a most
responsible
Hcndrickson, indicted position,
for the murder of his wife involvingmuch labor and learning.
by poison, in
1853, andthe several
trials of
Mc- The counsel for the
defense
reliedupon their ex-
Cann for the murder of his wife in 1856. ceptions to the admission of the evidence we have
Mr. Harris entered
upon hisduties as District'
referred to as involving sufficient error to give them
Attorney of Albany County on the first day of Jan-
a new trial.
uary,1854. The exhaustive and admirably prepared brief of
Hendrickson had been tried and con-
victed ofmurder in the first degree, but the prisoner,
Mr. Harris, and its logical reference to authorities,
through his counsel--Hon. John 1C. Porter--had
on which was founded a very able argument, fully
brought error to the Court of Appeals,
and it hadsustained the rulings of the
Judge at the trial, and
not beenargued when Mr. Harrisenteredupon in due time the decision of
the Court was handed
his duties, and
the duty ofconducting it in the
down, affirming
the convictionof Hendrickson.
Appellate Court fell upon him. The case was reported in 10 N. Y Reports, 13.
~--r
Mrs. Hendricksondied suddenly at Bethlehem The trials of McCann, forthe murder of his wife,
on-the morning-of March 7, 1853.
.Shewas dis- which took place July 8,
1856, wasanothergreat
case.
covered by her husband dead in bed, at about two On.the morning following
her death,the
o'clock in the morning.
He aroused the family,dead body'of Mrs. McCann,. the wife of the prison-
er, was found on the floor of one of
who saw by her appearance that she had been dead the rooms in
but a few moments.In the evening of
that day, the houseoccupied by him and hiswife, with a
at the Coroner'sinquest,
Hendrickson stated ghastly wound over the right eye,
which fractured
under oaththe circumstances
ofher death. He the skulland opened the brains. There were
eight wounds on
said he went to church with her in the afternoon of her head, disfiguring her to such
the day previous,
returningin the evening;his an extent thatthosewho knew her best could
hardly recognize her.
wife complained of ill-health, retiring about eleven Suspicion at once fell upon
o'clock. McCann.
He awoke at about two in the morning There were severalstrong motives
by a noise in the barn.
On speakingto his wife,
proven that induced him to
commit the murder,
he found her motionless,an'dher facecold ; and it was evidently done with deliberation--as the
thinking her dead, he alarmed the family. 'law has it, "with
malice prepense/'
He was in-
dicted and brought to trial at a Court of.- Oyer and
When asked as to his having been in Albany, he
said :"Iwas there two weeks ago last
Saturday."Terminer, inNovember, 1856. Mr. Harrisas
" Have you been there since?" District
After pretending Attorney appeared
for the People;
Hon.
to reflect,
he said ;
"Oh, yes, I think I
was there Lyman Tremain, Hon.Rufus W. Peck ham and
one week ago last Saturday."
"Have you not J. M. Kimball, Esq.,conducted the defense,
been there since?.He replied ; ""I was there last
which was insanity.
It was insisted by the defense
Saturday." When askedwhat he went for,he that McCann killed . his
wifewhile suffering
from
said he took a
loadof timberto the mills there;
delirium tremens, under
thedelusionthat he was
hts brother was with him ; he then gave the names
resisting
the attack
of persons determined to kill
of Hie different places he visited \vith his
brother.him. There were several
circumstancesproved
which thedefenseinsisted
established this theory,
which was acceptedby Mr. Harris, and
the pris-
one of which, was that
McCann used two axes in oner was sentenced
to State Prison for life.
Thus
killing his wife,
orratherthat hekilled her withended a trial
which is withoutprecedent
in the
one ax and choppedher to pieces
withanother ; criminal trials of the State.
The case is reported
that he seized them both to
fightthe men whom in 16 N.Y. Reports,
58, and is regarded as an im-
he believedwere assaulting
him. He made no portant and leading one.
attempt at
flight,but remainednear the body of Among other important murder cases which Mr.
his victim nearly all night.
Neitherdid he make Harris conductedwere thoseof The People vs.
any attempt to conceal the bod}'. Phelps, The People vs. McCrossen,
The People .
The defense of delirium vs.
tremens was held to be Dunnigan and The People vs.Cummings.
no defenseuntilChief-Justice
Story laiddown In all- these
cases Mr. Harris was opposed by the
the law whichsettled
that a man committing a ablest lawyers of the
time. The successthatat-
crime, suffering under this disease, is not responsible
tended him sufficiently attests his accomplishments
for i t . . .. .' ' as a-prosecutingofficer.
The.comments of the
The defense
summoned to the trial some of the
press upon the manner in which he conducted
his
arduous duties are gratifying testimonials.
ablest physicians of the times, including Dr. Alden
March, Dr. Thomas Hun, Dr. S.0.Vanderpoel, One .importantcriminal casein whichMr.
Dr. J. Swinburne and Dr.
33. P. Staats. Harris appeared
againsttheprosecutionwas the
It is said that Mr. Tremain
never inthe course case of The People vs. Reimnnn, indicted for com-
of all his
practicemade a more powerful defenseplicity in the murder of Emil Hartung.
Reimann
thanon thistrial.
Mr. Harris,however,was was at first
indicted as
accessory
beforethe mur-
equal to the occasion.
His cross-examination and
der, the principal being Mrs.
Hartung, wife of
the
examination of the medical witnesses
miht easily deceased,but he was subsequentlyindictedas
have caused a stranger
to believe himsome emi- principal for
causing Hartung's death by adminis-
tering to him
nent physician, experienced in treating cases of in- arsenical
poison.The case created
sanity,so readywas his understandingofthat greatinterest;
indeed,therewere featuresinit
disease. which invested it with dramatic interest.
The medical testimony
was of great value, and Mr. Harris appeared
for the defense;
the prose-
has beenrepeatedly used
as cution
precedent in similar was conducted by District
AttorneyIra
cases, particularly that
of Dr. Hun. It is doubt-Shaffer, assisted by Samuel G. Courtney.
ful whether the
subject
'of 'delirium
tremens was Mrs. Hartung had been convicted of the
murder
ever more
admirably dissected
or more ably ex- of her husband by poisoning,and
was sentenced to
plained than on this trial. be hanged. It was contended by tho counsel for
McCann was convicted
and sentencedto be the People that Reimann was her guilty paramour.
hanged. She was ahandsome and attractive woman, with
The execution whom Reimann
was-fixed by the judges on Janu- was passionately in
love, andhe
ary 23, 1857.
A few daysbeforethe execution aided in the taking off
ofher husband,to permit
was to take place him
his counsel removed his case to to marry her.
Much time was consumed in
obtaining a jury, and more in taking the evidence.
* the General Term, where the conviction of McCann
was affirmed.
From the judgment of
the General After the people rested, Mr. Harris made a motion
Term his counselbroughterror to
the Court of for thedischarge of Reimann
on theground that
Appeals, andafter
argument of Messrs.
Peckham the evidence was insufficient to convict him.
The
& Tremain onthe part of the
defense,
and of Mr. motion was supported by an elaborate and cogent
Harris on the part of the People, a
new trial wasargument, to which Mr. Courtney replied
with
ordered. forceand eloquence.The Hon. George Gould,
The new trial commenced in November,
1857. who presided at the trial, after a learned
and criti-
cal review of the whole evidence and the argument
Another long and exciting contest took place, re-
sulting in the disagreement of the jury.
InMarch, of the respective
counsel,grantedMr. Harris'"
1858, McCann was againplaced atthe bar for motion, and Reimann
was discharged.But there
trial,
and for the third were two more
time the public interest \yas indictments against
him ; one for
aroused over this truly
great case. oeing accessory before the fact, the other for being
This trial, like
the second, resulted accessory after the
in a disagreement of the jury, fact,
and hewas remandedto
there being
eleven for
conviction
and one for ac- jail.
A motion soon followed to admit him to bail;
quittal.
The jurydeliberated
nearlysixty-threeand another sharp
legalcontest
ensued. lie was
finally discharged.'
hours, and during all this time the one juror stood
atone against the pressure of his fellows. A historyofthe causescelebres in which Mr.
To use the Harris has been engaged has filled volumes, inter-
language of a leading journal oi the
estingto bothpractitioner
and student.From
aThe case
1816 down
was summed up for the defense by the Hon. to1876 therehad been forty-three
ISW. Peckham in amost admirable manner
He was murder cases tried
inthe County ofAlbany, and
Mr. Harrisappeared
followed by Hon. Hamilton Harris on the part of the lu>- as the
leading counsel in no
ple They!ntense earnestness and
powerful
eloquence ofless than ten, either for the People or ihe defense.
this gentleman gave him in this case, as in all others, great
Though he isnot what might be termed a
influence with the jury."
, criminal lawyer, it has been his fortune, as we have
A proposition was finally made to have McCann
seen,to be engaged in very many important criini-
plead guilty
to manslaughterinthe first
degree,
17 Mar SF brought 100 doz. bonnets,packed in two boxes.
"This is St. Patrick's Day & all the paddies went to keep the day."
18 CC went to Schenectady with Henry Watson to see about burying Henry's
father. CC bought a coffin for $5.50.
"There was a most destructive wind after noon in this place; a'large por-
tion of the tin ripped from the new barn & had it not been for the courage
& perseverence of the brethren it would have been all torn off. They went
up, tied on with ropes, & nailed slats on the tin. The west chimney on
the new part of the Dwelling House was blown off; Meeting House roof was
seen in motion & a number of bricks were blown off of the chimney. A great
deal of damage at NF -- 2 chimneys on Dwelling & entire roof of new machine
shop & it stove in one side of timber shed. Many"trees down. $1000 damage
at CF & NF; others more fortunate.
22 CM saw Benjamin Marshall in Troy about making cloth for western people.
23 Burning out chimneys. About 2 pm bell on Dwelling House rang & everyone
alarmed. The fire had caught near the bottom of the chimney--they could
do nothing toward putting the fire out until they chopped a hole through
the floor in the passageway..."
26 Exceedingly cold & windy. No meeting in Meeting House and "we have to
attend in rather a cold room in the Dwelling House for if has been too cold
to get the chimney mended since it was blown off a week ago yesterday.
3 Apr CM started for Canaan 4 Corners after the covered riding wagon taken
these last fall to be painted & fixed in style. Returned 4th.
5 A mason came & repaired the chimneys & put up the "turkey buzzard" on Elder
Brother's chimney that was blown doWn.
8 Lydia (Annas) came out of the kitchen. She has a number of boils on her
back, shoulders & she went to the 2d House aftger dinner & took some physick.
18 Cyrus Bats broke his Meg somehow jumping on one of his colts.
20 Hired men drawing dirt away from the old Meeting House & putting it back
of the Office.
28 Ministry brothers, Elders & Deacons had meeting about painting the Meeting
House & fixing the out buildings.
30 A young man, nephew of David Cole, was found drowned in SF pond; he had
set out to be a Believer one week ago. (Bethuel Shout - 17 yrs o l d )
5 May John Hendrickson hung in Albany for the murder of his wife.
7 Ministry sisters had all the sisters together this morning at 8:00. At 9
(Sun) there was general singing meeting; all attended except Eldress Asenath
(White), public meeting today and the 2d Order came in afternoon.
8 Have painted Meeting House roof, now begin painting the building, the roofs
of the small buildings back of the MH and the fence pickets.
14 May Rainy but there was public meeting. In the afternoon had meeting in the
Sun. Dwelling House. Ministry attended. "Eldress Asenath had a particular
gift to bless little Bata Hallenbeck, about 3 years old. Finally the
Ministry blessed all the children."
19 DAB and 2 boys begin painting the 2d House soon after breakfast and he
fell from the scaffold & on a ladder and was injured.
24 Hallenbeck children are bound by their mother, Ann. Girls to Betsey,
boy to Chas. Brackett.
26 FSW to Albany with old Jim (horse) and took some curtain rollers & pipes.
VJune Got 2 bales of palm leaf.
"The families cleaned the Meeting House, 13 of them, they ate at thejoffIce."
4 CF sisters went to 2d Order to watch with Arethusa White who is very sick.
6 "A man with a monkey with ared frock on came. It was the first time that
a large portion of the family ever saw (a monkey)."
8 Three brethren from WF, 2 from SF and the same from NF & CF are shingling
the long shed by the Meeting House. Finished on 12th.
10 FSW emptied a hogshead of sugar - 1219 Ibs. '241 Ibs. went to Dwelling House.
12 CM went to Amsterdam on thejcars to get hoes and scythes.
14 (Daniel took brooms to Schenectady to be shipped and brought home 2000 broom
handles.
17 Catherine Ferguson's father and another man came, had supper, "appeared
friendly."
19 Eldi|er Brother Joseph' Hudson died at WF.
21 Clarissa, Abby and Mary cleaned 28 chairs.
22 FSW varnished the chairs.
24 CM & Frederick Griffenham went on Cars to Schaghticoke to "engage a lot
of twine."
26 "Any number of Irish and Germans came to work; a part went to the Island
and the rest remain here."
4 July No observation by Shakers, but noted that some of hired men went away to
do so. considerable company, only 5 eat. Very warm.
30 Jun Lucy & Lydia went to SF with 6 doz. bonnets.
2 July "Some people from Cohoes called to see Sarah Pennington but we refused them."
5 Ruth Johnson died. &L ^-3->
6 Brother & 2 sisters and "the two least girls" went to the Island and around
for a ride. Catherine Ferguson's stepmother came with her family.
29 Oct Marinus & co. went to WF & had supper but again back to CF Office for night.
30 Marinus & co. had early start so no breakfast but were given a lunch.
Mary Ann Bates came to Office with Elder Sister, v.'hasdecided to leave &
go to her parents "to the great jo^ of nearly a l l . "
(David Buckingham., in his Journal, indicates she was ordered to- leave as
"her conduct ... has been such for many years up to the present time as to
disinherit her from a night in Mother's house. 11 )
31 We took inventory of Mary Ann's clothes etc. in morning. Jesse Harwood
was brought from work at River Farm to accompany her on railroad to
"somewhere on Grand Island in the Niagara River." (Jesse back on NOv. 3.)
2 Nov "The general gift of opening our minds was made known in evening meeting."
3 The "yellow shop" was ransacked last night, also Brick Shop, Farm Shop &
Blacksmith's Shop. Taken were $8-10 in money (later identified as counter-
feit), 4-6 calf skins, a hone, a water level, a diamond to cut glass with,
etc. FSW and CC went to Albany to tell police.
5 We arose at 4 a.m., assembled in meeting room at 5 a.m., breakfast at 6.
Sun. "The Sisters have a privilege of visiting both of the Elders. Meeting gates
closed and fastened." Clear & cold, only 8 above.
6 We assembled at 5 a.m. in the meeting room, the Ministry with us. They spoke
some etc. "It took the Elder Sisters nearly all day." (listening to con-
fessions from sisters and girls).
CC went to Schenectady on foot to take a mortgage on Ma I urn
farm.
7 CC & CM went to WF to see their drying house as both the NF and CF need
one and WF has a very good one.
11 Christopher Talbot & family getting ready to move to River Farm house.
14 Butchered 10 cattle, 3 for Office use.
15 Took hides to tannery in Albany.
16 Got Benjamin Hughes of SF to come & turn broom handles.
18 Governor Seymour andjtaife & others visited.
SF robbed of 20 bushels of Indian corn & their corn sheller.
23 Solomon (Gale) of NF went to town to buy steel traps to catch muskrats.
Irena Bates from SF came with 3 of their young sisters to have a little
visit & see our young sisters weave palm leaf.
25 "James Stark Is teaming around in one place & another all the time and I
cannot keep tally of him."
26 "Dear old Charley (a horse) got cast in a ditch & when the family was
returning from meeting they saw him & helped him up."
Justice met someone who told him of Absolom Soul being-seen about 4 a.m.
on Tuesday with a load of corn drawn by one horse. A. Youngs & C. Miller
left about 5 pm to get what evidence they could in Schenectady. Stayed all
night, in a.m. got constable & search warrant & went to Soul's mill (at
Brandywine Mills). A son, Charles was at work; they told him of their
business; he stepped out as if to call his father & took off for the
woods. They searched the mill looking for the corn she!ler as it was impos-
sible to identify their corn from other in the mill. CM spied a desk with
about 30 keys (suspicious) and then, in a cuipboard,found 3 of the calf skins
with C. Copley's name on them. They then searched the house., but found only
a hone stolen from Nehemiah White, but saw other things they suspected of
being stolen from others, i.e., 5 watches. Absalom Soul taken to city
jail on the 27th. CM then went to Albany on cars & told police of Charles
Soul's escape. From the description they recognized Charles as the person
they had picked up 2-3 days before trying to pass counterfeit money.
Charles had told them he was in town with a load of old iron & the Shakers
afterwards suspected their corn shelter might have been included in the load.
(On Nov. 29, A. Youngs found this to be so & discovered it at the scrap
dealers.) At the time, Charles pleaded innocent, said he had taken the money
in at the mill as good money. The pol ice showed the b i 1 Is
to CM and he knew
they were the ones stolen from the Herb Shop.
It was later found out that Charles came back to his house, changed clothes,
started the mi I I & ground the corn, & then left. A constable with a com-
panion who knew the family, went to Charles' uncle's home in Duanesburg.
After showing his pistol, the constable got Charles to give himself up & he
was brought back to the city jail in handcuffs at 4 a.m. Charles appeared in
30 Nov court for/arraignment; admitted all they positively knew, but cleared his
father, although no one believed his father was not invovled.
On Jan. 5, 1855, Charles Soul was sent to State Prison at Clinton for 10 yrs.
27 Nov Francis & Jesse went for pipe stem timber.
4 Dec Began snowing yesterday. Elder Paulina came down last evening & stayed all
night so she & Betsy Harrison could get a morning train from Albany to
Lebanon but it stormed so hard they waited until nearly noon when Amos man-
aged to take them in a sleigh.
CM went on foot to SF to go with them to Schenectady about theft case.
Trial set for January 1.
9 Elijah Myrick came on a visit.
10 Brother Daniel Beard from No. Union arrived.
14 Bought a "box of hard soap" in Troy for the family.
Ella Isabelle Benedict, an orphan 4 years old, was brought from Cohoes by
a man & his wife. Taken to SF & Eldress P a u l i n a
agreed to keep her until
Ministry come.
15 "Any quantity of beggars nowadays."
17 Sun Meeting .House furnace not working so no p u b l i c meeting.
21 A man from Iowa came to make a contract with our Trustees to raise broom
corn for them.
22 Young Dr. Wade came & CM paid him $45 for this summer's doctoring, setting
Cyrus 1 leg & taking care of it, etc.
26 CC decided to go to Utica (his western seed journey) on the railroad as
there was no sleighing.
Elder Sister & Betsy taken to Albany to see some girls they'wanted taken
"but they did not like their appearance."
For the year 1853
Prior (1852)
Next (1854)