Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-09-01
HI. SNYDER, Publisher
NOTES BY OBSERVER.

l.
he Jovn 10 make room for modern
srrIlings in Shepherdstown. One of
go was Grover Maddex's home on
y;rS % street, next to the community
s~Siing, formerly known as the fire.
H.n's hall. The lot on which these
.";pirps have been located was Enown
y, many wears rs :le Kennedy lot,
=. Kennedy family having occupied
\. dwelling just demolished by Mr..
T,ddex that stood at the corner cf the
',reet and the alley. After the Kenne-
ave moved away the house was the
snne of Edward Lucas, who had a
,mily of five or six sens anI daueh
,rs. none Of whom is now living.
observer remembers that one of the
,rractions at the Lucas home was
set coon which was kept under 4 side
rorch and confined by a chain That
coon was fascinating to small boys,
who while they feared it cpuld not be
tept away from it. "Dort' Lucas, the
Oldest son, would invite the little
chaps TO count the rings around the
coon's tail, and it vas ali the fun he
vas looking for to get the coon TO
saar at the youngsters as they fed
in terror to safe distance. "Dort"
afterwards fell from high point in the
cement mill quarry east of town, where
he was employed, and was terribly
hurt. Observer we'll remembers the
feeling of awe with which he saw the
ether wOrkmen carry the injured man
into town on a litter, and afterward
he wondered at the contraption which
the doctors rigged UP to keep his
broken leg suspended at the prorer
angle bort was lively fellow, and
has teen dead these many years. Mrs.
Maggie WiSler, WHO died a few ilonthS
sgp, was the last survivor of the fami-
ly of Edward Lucas.
There used to stand OIL the corner
where the firemen's building is now TO-
cate another ancient dwelling. II was
a frame building, very, very old, and
finally collapsed for lack Of repairs.
All that remained of it fifty years ago
or more was the ruins Of the fpunda-
ton.
Laska Stanley's lot at the southwest
edge OF town, on the pike leading to
AearneySville, has a history. The
little frame dwelling which has lust
teen removed from the place stood on
the site Of brick house where during
the Civil War lived Julia Burke, long
remembered as an ardent Southern
sympathzer and a woman who took
great many risks to serve her friends
and the cause they represented. She
used to receive and dispense news,
sometimes very important, concerning
me activities of the armies, and through
ner hands passed many letters from
confederate soldiers to their families
ana friends. She was faithful and
fearless in getting messages through
the lines, and her service were Highly
appreciated. Captain Redmond Burke,
noted Confederate scout-we think
ne was relative--was often at her
house. The Union forces had set
price upon his head, for he had baf-
lied them many time and blocked
theIr well-laid plans by the informa-
ton he was able to secure.
One night Captain Burke was here
and went to the Julia Burke home.
A ScaIaWag Union sympathizer saw
hin and Immediately got word to a
camp of Northern soldiers across the
iYer in Maryland. They swiftly
formed a detachment and came across
10 town, certain that they would cap
lure their hated enemy. Just as they
were about to surround the house Cap
IAN Burke heard them. Quick as a
IaSh he ran out the back door and
through the garden to the rear Of the
IOt' Hearing him as he ran, volley
was tired in his direction, but though
lney searched the house and the
premises they saw nothing of him in
ue darkness. Greatly disappointed,
ule Yankees returned to their camp
across the river.
=, Next morning some one passing
usIroush Lees field west of the Burke
i, hGIle round the captains lifeless body
HhR alongside the stone wall that
separated the garden from the field.
,S ns me poor fellow was jumping over
we wall stray bullet had struck him
asS aHl ne tell on the far side. He prob
SuE was killed instantly, as che had
nale no sound. When the Yankees
sSalcned the garden they had not
"b,oueht .bo TO look on the opposite side OF
VIC wall. This was the end of brave
,,Ea ,Ia caring man who many time had
,a"en MS life in his hands in order that
D. might serve the South. Captain
;IuTSeS u EI ashes lie in the soldiers plot
M EIlnwood Cemetery, and neat
"'.l,ostone marks his grave.
b,eIle sumo time later Julia BurIe's
naTse rioI. was burned to the ground in the
is,I r;e;. ne town folks had their sus-
SSo.on SIon OF cowardly fellow who was
tba b,a''ica with having set fire to it at
hm, IuStigation of Union sympathizers,
ba,N no arrest was ever made. 1t would
da,. day. neen no use, for in those chaotic
rn,' ms me most barefaced crimes went
o., p.punShed and it was impossible to
eI,;-d sentence against anyone who
lon l''Iel TO be Union man. The fel-
VINO was accused Of the burning,