The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-11-16
IcoNTYSurp FROM FIRST PAGE.

witnesses OF the untirlng energy anu
unfagging zeal of these who planted
the standard of Presbyterianism in the
the Western wilderness
But the emigration from this county
TO western Pennsylvania was not CON
fined To New Munster, and many of the
inhabitants, generally Presbyterians,
cmigrated there from Nottingham
Among the latter were members of
another family of Alexanders, whose
ancestor settled in Nottingham in the
early part of the last century. and who
is supposed To have belonged to the
same clan in Scotland 10 which the an
cestors of the Alexanders of New Nuns
ter belonged. Hugh Alexander, 4 mem
her of this family. married Margaret
Edmiston, and migrated To western
PENNSYLVANIA, as early as lI40. The
Edmiston family owned tract of land.
containing $50 acres, at the mouth Of
Stony run, ut this time This land in
cluded the site of the mill near the june
ton of that stream with the Octoraro
creek. The Edmston family was a
numerous one Some OF its members
intermarried with the Trumps, of whom
we shall have something To say when
we write of the doings of the people of
this county during the Revolutionary
War. A large volume might he writ
ten of the trials and struggles of these
western emigranis, but time and space
forbid Us To say much more of them at
this time or tell of the many and toll
some JOURNEYS that the Revs Ewing
and Smith (the last named of whom
was born near the village of Rising
Sun made To that desolate wilderness.
where wild savagcs then lived, and how
the early settlers were IN constant dan
ger for MANY wears of being murdered
BY them. The half they did can
ne'er he told
These emigrants having descended
from hardy and restless race, trans
mitted their peculiar characteristics TO
their offspring who, when civilization
encroached upon them and was about
TO circumscribe their accustomed liber-
ties and subject them somewhat to the
conveniionalities and restraints of REIN
ed society, emigrated to Kentucky. The
same NAV he said with equal truth OF
the same class that had emigrated IL
Virginia and the Carulinas In this
way Kentucky and Tennessee received
tie influence Of Prcsbyterianism that
has made an indelible impression upon
the character of their citizens
During this period of the history Of
the county, the stale of society was not
very coed. and few Of the old records
of the court that are vet cxtant show
that RIGHTEOUSNESS and drunkenness
prevailed to considerable extent among
the lower classes. most of whom Were
indentured servants or rcdemptioner<
The records of New Castle Presbvtery
contain but very few references TO mat
tiers of this kind, which, inasmuch a,
the Presbyterians We're very austere
and also rigid disciplinarians, leads u,
to believe that few breaches of dccorun
were committed by their membership
The same NAV Ice said of the member,
of the Established church
Slavery prevailed 10 some extent
throughout the county. but the slave:
were not numerous in that part of il
north of the Elk river The Rev Mr.
Finley had few of them. in whose re-
ligious welfare lie is said To have bee.
much Interested; always having them
present al family worship. and catcchis
ing them with his own children. This
was probably the case with the mem
beers of his and the other PRESBYTERIAN
churches
We must now speak Of murder that
occurred in the year l1i1. on the west
side of Big Elk creek, about mil,
south of where the road from Fair Hi
To Newark crosses that stream Tn,
victims name was Hugh Mahatfev Ii,
was blacksmith. Tradition saith that
person who lived with him becam,
enamored of his wife. aud that he ant
she entered into a plot to kill him
which they executed in this wise =
While Mahaffcv and wife were seated
near the lire, earl in the evening. tn,
cowardly murderer who had been mo
mentarilv absent from the room Sicalr b.
lily entered il and struck Mahaficv witt
an az The blow knocked him sense
less 10 the floor. but did not kill him
An apprentice boy. who was in bed il
the loft of the house, heard the noise
and coming down stairs, the guilty pail
compelled him to dispatch his master
threatening, If he refused. to do il them
selves and charge him with it and have
him hanged The body was then buried
IN the smith shop, where, after Il he laps,
of some weeks. il was found, in Thu.
way. Some of the friends Of the muir
dered man, who resided at some di,
tance, hearing Of his disappearance
came 10 assist his neighbors in rcmov
ing the mystery that cnshrouded il. and
hllched one of their horses in the shuI
near where the corpse of the murdered
man was buried The horse. knowing
by instinct that something was buried
there, or being impatient of rest ano
wishing to get loose, paved the earti
away from tue corpse, which Of cour,,
was discovered. No record Of the rria
Is ROW extani. but tradition saws thai
the guilty man escaped. that the equal,
guilty woman and the boy were trc,
for the murder, and that the boy wa.
hanged Mahaiiev's tombstone. which
may vet be seen in the old Stone grave.
yard, contains this inscription " II
memory Of Hugh Mahaiiry. who wa,
murdered November 18Th. l141."
One of the tomb,toncs in that grave
yard contains an image of Il panther
chiseled upon it in bass relief Ano,h"r
of them contains the figure Of man
hand, the thumb and forciinger of which
are represented a holding. IN order 1,
exhibit it 10 view, the FOUR or pIA
MoNDs. Why these curious device.
were placed on tombstoncs is mvstcr,
that will probably never be unrayeled
Tor the Inscriptions on the stones she,
no light upon it. Though il Is proha
bic that the person inferred beneath III,
former NAV have been killed bv pan
i