Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-03-10
SIDE LIGHTS
LOCAL HISTORY
~ sa
By
Stanbery Alderman
DEATH OF THOMAS SHERIDAN
NOVEMBER, 1868


| building was laid, or we have read
about the ceremonies in connection
with such an event.
In this corner stone is placed a
metal box containing an assortment
of articles more or less relating to
the construction of the building
and which, it is hoped, will give the
people some idea of local conditions
when the corner stone is opened in
| years to come.
How many of us are aware of the
Significance of this ceremony? Do
we know that it is the present day
Substitute for a ceremony dating
back nearly as far as we have re-
corded history? In ancient times it
was believed that no large building,
either of public or private nature,
would stand very long, nor would it
answer the purpose for which it was
builded unless there was placed in
the foundation of it human sac
rifce. If you will consult your Old
Testament you will find references
to this rite. History tells us that IN
connection with construction Of
some Of the city walls of the old
cities hundreds were sacrificed and
their bodies placed in the founda-
tions. 1t has not been so many
years ago that such evidences were
| found when some old walls were
torn down in England.
| Later, when the people were more
civilized than they were in older
times, effigies were made and plac.
ed in the walls as a substitute, and
today we follow the old custom,
though but few know why, by plac-
| ing in a box objects in the corner
| stone.
The tracing of customs of today
back to their original meaning CEN
turies ago, is most interesting and
many times is not a little surpris
ing.
| With the exception of certain So
called savage tribes in Africa all
such sacrifices of human life have
been abolished. Those who have
read of the conquest of Mexico will
recall the thousands of human sac
rifces that were made at the temple
on the great pyramid that stood IN
the square in the eastern part OF
| Mexico City, and now known as the
| Zocola. The great sacrificial stone,
on which the victims We're placed
] and their breasts torn open and their
hearts torn from them and cast up
on the fire before the Great God OF
| War, now stands in the museum To-
Gated behind the National Palace,
facing the west, on the east side OF
this great square.
While we have some traditions of
human sacrifice among the abor~
igines of North America, within the
confines of the United States, we
ihave no authentic recorded instance
of such fact.
| We do know that it was the GUS
tom of certain tribes to bury with
| a great chief his personal effects
and in some instances to kill horses
and bury with him, but that seems
| to be as far as they went, though
we can easily believe that this Gus
som was based on a previous one
THAT required actual human sacri-
ifice.
However, within historic times,
we have no record of any such,
though the idea has never died and
even today you will read that in the
erection of great sky scrapers or
bridges, the workmen believe that
a human life must be lost for each
story of a building or hundred
feet of a great bridge. In the re-
cent erection of the bridge connect
ing San Francisco to the peninsula
north of it, you will recall reading
that every precaution was taken to
prevent the loss of any life, but
even with all the care they took,
believe it was IA lost their lives at
one time, and l recall reading an
item in a San Francisco newspa-
per of an interview with one of the
workmen, the import of which was
that all the workmen knew it would
happen, and were not at all sur
prised when it did. Such is the
strength Of superstition.
In small towns like ours we sell
dom hear of these things nor do we
pay any attention to them should II
life be lost when a structure is
erected.
In going over my files l have tried
to put in one place the records Of
all the tragic deaths that have oc-
Cured in our county. I have writ.
ten of the death of Richard Keepe,
and shall report a few other tragic
deaths that were SO out of the ordi-
nary that they should be made a
matter of record before the data
concerning them is lost forever.
AS I have stated before ] am in
debted to the care of others in writ
ing down, at the time of the event.
at least the major part of the rec
ord, though in nearly every instance
have to make additional inquiry to
ascertain exact information regard
ing some of the details. No doubt
some records were printed in the
not have access to them, and so
there is possibility Of some little
error creeping in to my reporting
of these events. If such there be, l
would much appreciate hearing
from those who are in possession Of
the actual facts and correction will
be made at once.
Our county, like all others, would
furnish it's quota of accidental
deaths through the discharge of
shot guns that were not known to
be loaded, or of hunters shot dur
ing the hunting season. We have
had, nearly every year, some loss OF |
life in the river from those who
were in swimming. In earlier times
when communications were not 30 |
good as today, should a person be |
badly injured on q farm, even few
miles from town, by the time word |
was sent in for doctor and he
could get back, 1t was often too late
to save person, who, today, would |
be rushed by ambulance to hos
pital, and with all the modern fa-
cilities we have. what would have |
proved 2 fatal injury so years ago,