Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-02-10
THE TOPICAL TSLEEn.
THE STRANGE HISTORY OF AN OLD
VIRGINIA CLOCK CONTINUED.
Hmm the Piffshnrr nisnnfcl

Gilbert a. Hays brought from the
Shenandoah Valley last fall, and m
which he found the will aud Other
papers Of its former owner. stands
To-Day in VIZ. Hays Office on Fourth
avenue. Its soul, for the cOgged
wheels which measure time may
be fifty termed clocks soul, has
yet to be inserted. But though the
case yawns AZ vacantly az "A skull
upon "a doctors shelves, new chap.
tiers in its romantic history are be-
| ing unfolded daily.
Mr.. HAYS sent the papers to
Woodstock. Va, addressed to the
heirs OF Abraham Strickler, to
whom the clock and its contents
evidently at one time belonged
The response came quickly; a dozen
letters from the heirs of Mr.. Strick-
Ter are now IN Mr.. Hays posses
sion.
Every one OF these letters throws
some ray of light npon the history
of the clock, and the affairs of Abra-
ham Strickler. The only obstacle
to printing them all is that the
story might appear prOllX and its
sensational features might lose
their effectiveness. With the max
ed facts from the correspondence
the story of Abraham StrickeI's
clock has been constructed as it
will be found below.
The clock was built probably to-
ward the close OF the last century
or in the early years OF the nine.
teenth. A man named Fry at that
time ran clock factory on a small
scale on the outskirts of Woodstock
town in Shenandoah county, Va
His habit was to build a clock and
then start on a tour of the valley
with a view to selling it 20 some
farmer. There is a legend still cur.
rent in the valley that Clockmaker
Fry on one occasion having effect.
ed a sale was making his way back
to Woodstock, with $50, the price
OF the clock, in his pockets, and
many a drink OF good whisky under
his belt, when he encountered q
boon companion, whose name is
not on the records.
Fry and his comrades went easily
in double harness, and they made
Rome howl in many a wayside inn,
and at last, as unique diversion,
they proceeded TO fight q mock
duel. They obtained two big horse
pistols and loaded them with pow
der and nothing more hurtful be.
sides than wads of tow. The first
shots we're fired to no onos hart
Then they lOad,d again, and this
tune did not fire until at very close
quarters Fry's pistol touched his
friends breast when he pulled the
trigger. \ loud report followed
and the man unnamed fell dead.
Though history is silent as to the
sequel OF this tragedy,it is probable
Fry was acquitted of blame. He
lived TO make the clock for Jacob
Hotel, farmer in that region,
which is the 6gurehead of this vera.
cious tale. Hotel was born in III |
and probably became the owner Of
the clock about tho time he
was married, between 1870 and |
1900. Martin Stricken, who gives |
the greater part of the basis OF this |
tale, remembers seeing the clock in |
his grandfather's, Jacob Hotels,
house more than 30 years ago
Hotel died in 1915, and his farm |
was bonght-the farmhouse and |
old clock incl1ded-by his son-in.
law, Abraham Stricken The lat.
ter kept the clock all his life, and |
1t il presumed in the midst Of .he |
confused DAYS, when war swept like |
a destroying tidal wave over the
lovely valley, hid therein the pa.
pers and the will which were ouly |
found a mouth or two ago.
When Strickler died in 1872 the /
clock passed, with other old-fash-
Toned effects, into the hands of
strangers. 1t seems to have lost /
its reputation for veracity-ticklng
steadily for two or three genera
tons has dulled its fine sense in
these latter days.
Bow Mr.. Hays, by chance, pur-
chased it in the course of ramble
through the Shenandoah Valley
early last fall has already been
told. But there is yet most in
teresting chapter to be added,
Among tho papers which were dis
covered in the base of the clock
was a receipt which read as fol-
lows:
Received OF Abraham Stricken the sum
of 1900, being the amount in full of prin-
cpal and interest upon his note, which
lost or mislaid. THOMAS ). MILLER.
May 6. 1857.
There was also letter from Mr..
Miller to Abraham Strickler, OK
planning that he had lost the lat.
ter's note dated March %, 1851, for
$500, and wanted a duplicate of it.
There is no evidence to show that
Mr.. Stricken compiled with the re.
quest. The receipt printed above
was given to Offset the note if it
should ever be found. After Mr.
Stickler's death this note was found
by Mr.. Miler's son, and was pre-
sented for payment to the formers
heirs. They confessed that the
writing was Mr.. StrickleI's bat con.
tended that the note had been paid
long before. Young Mr.. Miller,
however, entered suit and u jury
gave judgment for the amount
claimed, and Mr.. Strlcklers heirs,
six in number, had to pa7 about
Sllj apiece for the note aud legal
costs. Nearly S7OD on note
which had been Cancelled 20 years
before the suit.
And at the very time the receipt
showing tho true state of the case
lay in that solemn old clock not
half mile from the Court House.
Only the lawyers of Woodstock
will rejoice that the voice of the
clock had not works enough to tell
of the strange contents of its case.
The lawyers, by the way, will have
q chance to recover that 800 for
the Stricken family now if the lat.