Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1897-11-12
JOLLY JOE DlSBL,,
CAREER OF A THIEF OF REVOLT
TiONARY TIMES.

TIMES.
Nothing Could Cure Him of His Pilfcripc
Propensity = All His Property Conhs-
Gated. His Ears Cut Off and Imprison-
mcrt For I'll Years Imposed Upon Him,
About tho close of tho Revolutionary
war a notorious character named Joe
Disberry lived about Selinsgrove and
sunbury, On the susquehanna. Whence
he came is unknown, but he is supposed
to have been Of Connecticut origin. He
is reputcd to have been possessed of
great physical strength and powers of
endurance, could excel in running and
jumping, and in thieving and lying had
no equal along tho river. He was Of q
humorous disposition also and fire.
quently INDUCED i'll amusing pranks
while engaged in plying his avocation.
1t is related of him that OH moro than
Il occasion he was known slyly to en-
ter the kitchen Of a family when all
were in bed, start up the fire and cook
himself a meal and leisurely eat it. If
discovered, he relied Oh his swiftncss of
foot to escape. Finally his thcfts be-
came so numerous that tho whole neigh
borhood arose against him, and he was
arrested and confined in tho rude Jail at
Sunbury, but as it was not very secure
he escaped, and Sheriff Antes offered q
reward for his apprehension. Joe took
refuge OH the isle of Cue and concealed
himself i'll q dense thicket. He might
have eluded pursuit but for his inordi-
nate love for perpetrating jokes. While
lying in his place of concealment near
the road which crossed the island Joe
heard tho footsteps of a horse and, slyly
peeping from his covert, discovered tho
shcritf's wife approaching OH horseback
on her way to Selinsgrove. Quickly
stepping into the road, he pulled off his
hat, made q polite bow and as quickly
disappeared i'll tho bushes. The aston
ished lady, who knew him, hurried on
to Selinsgrove and gave the alarm.
A party headed by George Krcmer,
a member Of congress-, was
hurriedly made up and went in pursuit
of the refugee. He was captured and re-
turned to the custody Of Sheriff Antes
at the Jail in Sunbury. He was tried
and convicted, and his sentence is Il
of the strangcst found in tho annals of
criminal history in Pennsylvania. Tho
quarter sessions docket, still preserved
among the court records at Sunbury
(for September term, 17S4), shows that
no was convicted Of felony, and tho fol-
lowing sentence was imposed:
Judgment - that tho said Joseph
Disberry receive 80 lashes between the
hours Of 8 and 8 o'clock tomorrow; to
stand in tho pillory hour; to have
his ears cut off and nailed to the post;
to return the property stolen or the
value thereof; remain in prison three
months; pay q fine of ESQ to the honor
able tho president Of this state for the
support OF tho government and stand
convicted until fine, fees, etc., are
This remarkable sentence shows the
estimate that was put Oh Joe as a Grim
inal. The whipping post and pillory
stood in tho public square i'll Sunbury,
and the spot a still be pointed out.
Colonel Henry Antes, the sheriff, di-
rected tho whipping if ho did not do it
himself. There is no record to show
who did the car cropping, but as the
surgical operation fell to the sheriff it
is presumed that he did. Among the 10
who composed tho jury were sew
eral noted Indian fighters and Revolu-
tionary soldiers. Peter Hosterman, fore
man, was active as a militiaman and
had command at time Of a company
to repcl Indian attacks. Adam and Mi
chael Grove were famous as Indian
scouts and were engaged in several
encounters with the savages.
This severe sentence did not cure Joe Of
his thicving propensities, for the quar-.
ter sessions docket for August term,
1898, shows that he was a%rraigned and
tried Oh three indictments for robbing
the houses Of Philip Bower, Peter Jones
and Isaiah Willitts and convicted on
each. The Hon. Jacob Rush, president
judge of the judicial district, was on
tho bench and imposed the following
sentence:
"That tho prisoner, Joseph Disberry,
forfeit all and singular his goods and
chattels, land and tcnemcnts, to and
for the use of tho commonwealth, and
undergo a servitude Of seven years for
the burglary committed in tho house of
Bower, and be committed to the
house OF correction, pay tho costs of
prosecution, etc." The court then SEN
fenced him on the two other indictments,
seven years each, and continued: "That
the defendant DO conveyed to the jai!
and pe%nitentiary house of Philadelphia
to undergo tho servitude aforesaid for
the term of 81 years. And that the said
Disberry be kept for the space
Of two years in tho solitary cell opt Of
the term Of 81 years."
When the sentence was being de-
livered, Joe was an attentive listener,
and when tho last ~"seven'' was pro-
nounccd he broke in with the remark,
why, judge, three times seven arc
which caused the audience to
smile. Joe was brought to this city and
served his long sentence, which expired
in 1919. He returned to his old haunts
about Sunbury and Selinsgrove an old
man, but as merry as ever. His long
and frequent punishment failed to mako
an honest man Of him, and he continued
to pilfer wherever an opportunity offer
ed. Tho date Of his death is unknown,
but it is said that he went one night to
a mill in Union county to steal -four,
and, falling through a hatchway, sus.
tanned injuries which finally killed him.
Philadelphia Times.
Aggravation Below Stairs.
Mrs. Greene-Really, I think that
girls i'll domestic service have a pretty
comfortable time Of it.