New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-18
RAREOLD RECORDS RESCUED
DISCOVERED IN OLD GREENsboH1
COURTHOUSE
CURIOUS ENTRIES IN THE COURT REcoRDs-A SIG
NATURE BY FRANKLIN AND CASE IN WHICH
WASHINGTON WAS INTERESTED.

Altoona. Penn. April II (Speciall-In clearing
up in the Westmoreland County Courthouse AZ
Greensburg preparatory to building new court
house the County Commissioners have discovered
in the trash" room a number OF valuable old
papers of interest comprising records OF court
dongs dating from 1913 The first court IN west
moreland County. which then included the greater
part OF Western Pennsylvania. was heid III
Hannastown February IA. 1773. In 1852 Hannasto"n
totally destroyed, but the records were saved
transferred 10 the old Greensburg Courthouse
and forgotten.
Among the papers three grants by the Pro-
prietaries of Pennsylvania" conveying lana III
parcels of 100 200 and 300 acres to various people
provided they pay Is to the Penns Tor every
hundred acres and pay the yearly quit rent OF
one penny per The papers are signed py
John and Richard Penn and John Lukens' sur
veyor-General and are dated 1863. lnS ana i'o'' re-
spectvely One fragment. which looks as thoush
1t might be the outside fold Of another grant, oo'c
the signature in firm bold hand ending III
broad scrawl BENZ Franklin Pres" what the
title president slgnifed IL not known one OF the
three grants was the original petition OF MAJOR
General Arthur St. Clair the noted Revolutionary
General and was for 30 acres of land ADJOINING
land Of John Camp on the waters OF the Loyal
Hanning Creek in Fairfield Township. III was
dated November l6 1851. Arthur st. CAR ngures
largely in Westmoreland County history ana was
its first prothonoary in the thirteenth year OF the
reign OF George III in 1773. His name appears on
almost all OF the documents found. he Is ou''e'
100 yards from the present courthouse In Green's
burg NV u.cu,NcroN
The name of George Washington appears once
in an old record of a suit against one John johns
for n debt of f25 SIS Cd The paper says that
lone George Washington of Philadelphia. is here
by given judgment in the sum or To IS Do
against John Johns" Washington sod out Johnss
property for the debt early in 1855. The penmah-
ship is neat and the document is signed by Arthur
St Clair Washington did not figure in the trans
action personally but had attorney on the
scene. .
An old paper yellow stained and with the writ
ing faded almost to ilegbility. bears the oath or
office of Abraham Hendricks. the grandfather Oh
the late Vice. President Hendricks. as Justice oil
the Peace The upper part Of the paper Is de-
stroved only part of the text and the signature
remaining Another paper is petition by Epnralm
Blaine James g. Blaine's grandfather TO take do-
vantage of the Insolvency law then in existence
1t is a curious and disappointing fact that though
there are records from l773 right on through the
Revolutionary period. word about the strus-
| Gle for indenendence Is to be found The only in
timation Of the change from English subsection to
independence is in the forms used in recording the
terms of court From l773 until the April term OF
| court in 1916 the last term held in the King
name) the form used "At court OF common
| pleas In Oct in the 18th year of the reign OF our
| sovereign Lord George the Third. King of Great
Britain France and Ireland, Defender OF the faltn
etc.; whereas. in III. in the first term OF court
on these records OF the new republic. the form
"Westmoreland County. S.. State OF Pennsylvania
was used.
SOME RECORDS OF LIQUOR DRINKING.
A tradition in Greensburg has 1t that the lapse
of two court sessions between April l's and the
fall of III was because the forefathers all got
drunk celebrating a victory. That some OF the
patriot fathers had astonishing capacity for
rum and toddy is evidenced by an old Nquor OH
found for which Captain William Christy iahuioro
of Hanna's Inn. sues James Bradon The Dill Is
daily account for six months In l77t In that time
1,es nurcha sed toddy and rum 10 the value Of esq
AT one time he purchased fve-sallon jug OF toddy
(possiby to sober up on) but was Dack III the
evening after mug Of rum
The blank forms for warrants, writs. etc. are
curious relics Many OF them are exceedingly well
preserved the only sign OF their extreme age being
in the peculiar color Of the paper and the gray
faded appearance OF the written parts and sig
natures The OF the long IS Is Kept up
throughout The returns of a suit are made with
a tautology that renders them at times almost un-
ineligible. royal writ to the SheiH IN SUIT Is
given entire
Grace Of God Of Great Britain F5anse c and I'd ISe
sSsl k IN c6n
command you that OF the goods ana cnattes; ianus
a ana yeSma Of SouP S YOU
be made as well the sum of fl9 IS Cd lawful money
in our county court OF common pleas at Westmore-
land County. recovered against him as debt as
house were adjudged for his DAMAGES which ne
sustained by the occasion OF the detention of that
SeS y Wherf 6se the mO sais boe our at
county court Of pleas nee nd have T To
there this %r sth DaT Of July in 18Th Year of
John proctor. the Sheriff in his return OF the
writ says the back:
John Proctor Sheriff BY virtue Of the within
writ haHye saTyed 5asHn eHekun as
with its slaves and track Of land cituate in Lerone
500 akors more or less Witch Remanes
| In my hand unsoud for want or payers; or,rop
Another interesting paper states that Joseph
Mitchell swore before Justice Mitchell that he
| did alone and unaided and with a gun and dog. kill
one old she wolf" The Justice stated that from
| which wolf have cut off his agreeable to
| law"
THE CLERKS HUMOR.
| A clerk Of the court in l7ss had evidently a
| keen appreciation of the humor of courtroom.
His interjected remarks on the appearance Of the
prisoners witnesses and other characters and his
comments their testimony proclaim him a wit.
Unfortunately. his remarks were so alarnngly or
| the realistic style and such dangerous ground
| as to be unfit for publication. His comments or
one case are worth noting. The was an assault
| on one Murphy evidently well-known character,
| by one Alexander Todd. alias Codd Mrs Todd
| Codd and her friend Mrs. Mccoy, were implicated.
| and Miss Smith witness Murphy's injury
| consisted Of deep cash on the head inflicted by
| club In summing UP the case the clerk said:
Murphy was sewed up: Mrs. Mccoy and Mrs.
| Codd were dressed up; Miss Smith was used up
and Alexander Codd locked up" In speaking
| of Murphy he said Murphy came into the court
| ROOM his moonface shining like the sun. II
remarked when Murphy took his seat that when
| he went to hi (as every one suspected that he
would he would be used as street lamp"
| Another warrant issued in the Kings name and
| signed by Arthur St. Clair in l77S commanded the
Sheriff OF westmoreand County, that you make
| knoun To Alexander Bowling. woman that he be