of Erie, for $75,000. On November 24, the issue of $50,000-bonds was authorized, and December 16, 1880, a further issue of $60,000. J. W. Beeman was treasurer in 1880-81.

The new court-house was completed, and opened September 12, 1881, B. D. Hamlin, presiding, with the following representatives of county sub-divisions: Joseph Hodges, of Annin; B. C. Havens, James Broder and Loyal Ward, of Bradford; W. R. King, of Ceres; Thomas Conover, of Corydon; John Duke, of Duke Centre; Eben Barden and William L. Chrisman, of Eldred; A. W. Buchanan, of Foster; Jabez F. Gallup, of Hamlin; James A. Anderson, of Hamilton; A. H. Cory, of Keating; Philo Ackley, of Kendall borough; A. M. Benton, of Liberty; James Hoop, of Lafayette; A. P. Brewer, of Norwich; Arthur Prentiss, of Otto; Adam Martin, of Sergeant; W. Y. McCoy, of Smethport, and O. D. Coleman, of Wetmore. Lucius Rogers and John R. Chadwick were secretaries. That evening Judge H. W. Williams opened the September term of court, and P. M. Fuller qualified as associate judge vice F. N. Burnham, deceased. In January, 1882, commissioners F. S. Johnson, A. T. Palmer and Andrew Reilly replaced the commissioners of the court-house building days, and appointed John R. Sherwood clerk. In April the erection of fountains on the square was authorized. In January, 1883, T. A. Morrison was appointed county attorney, and E. G. Brown, physician. In July of this year more contracts for building iron bridges were entered into. In December, 1883, C. C. Melvin qualified as treasurer.

In September, 1883, a petition signed by a majority of the poor-masters was presented to the court asking for an election on the question of establishing a poor farm. This was granted, and in February, 1884, 1,611 votes were cast in favor of and 885 against such establishment. In March, 1884, an issue of bonds for $50,000 was authorized; in April the Wilcox farm was purchased, and E. F. Richmond employed as superintendent of the farm. In April the A. I. Wilcox farm, 345 acres, was purchased for $15,515. In May the style of the Allegheny county poor buildings was adopted, and S. A. Bishop appointed architect. In July the contract for buildings was sold to Davitt, O'Brien & Hart for $24,813.18; in December a further issue of bonds for $15,000 was authorized. In April, 1885, bonds for $9,000 were ordered to be issued. In May, 1885, D. H. Burnham was appointed general superintendent. In July, 1885, the building was ready to receive poor persons. In January, 1886, E. G. Brown and H. L. McCoy were appointed physicians, and D. H. Burnham, superintendent; but in 1887 Dr. McCoy alone was appointed physician, Dr. Brown succeeding him in 1889, John R. Chadwick succeeding Burnham as general superintendent. C. S. King was appointed superintendent of poor farm in January, 1890.

In January, 1885, Commissioners Andrew Reilly, R. A. Rice and W. D. Gallup qualified. In January, 1887, M. B. Greer was appointed county clerk; T. A. Morrison was re-appointed attorney, and Dr. S. I. Wells, physician. In January, 1888, Commissioners James Anglun, P. M. Fuller and James A. McKean took their seats to serve until January 1, 1891. Robert H. Rose was appointed attorney and E. G. Brown, physician, in January, 1889.

The first mortgage was recorded June 1, 1827. It secured to Norry Hooker by Justice Rice 200,000 feet of good, merchantable pine boards, payable in 1828 for 100,000 feet of similar boards purchased from Hooker that year. All the mortgage transactions from 1826 to 1858 are contained in Record A or in 473.pages. The mortgage record was contained in Book A and part of Book B up to 1874, since which time thirty-three large records have

been filled, and since 1864 sixty-three records of deeds and twelve miscellaneous records.

During Asa Sartwell's administration of the prothonotary's office the county commissioners declared 100,000 acres in McKean county and 50,000 acres in Potter county forfeited for non-payment of taxes. He commenced to purchase such lands at from 3 to 10 cents per acre, and continued until he claimed about 250,000 acres or even more. In time he sold to New York lumbermen the pine, hemlock and maple forests, and with the proceeds purchased from the Binghams a tract of 55,000 acres in this county (the greater part of which floats on an ocean of oil), Joe R. Ingersoll and William Miller being the agents of the estate at the time. In 1836 Mr. Sartwell sold all his lands, as purchased from the Holland Company in Jefferson county, as well as the Kersey tract in Jefferson and Clearfield counties to the United States Land Company of Boston.

The townships of McKean county established when the county was organized are Sergeant and Ceres. Keating township was established in 1824; Bradford township, in 1828; Liberty, in 1828; Corydon, in 1829; Hamilton, in 1834; Norwich, in 1835; Lafayette and Eldred, in 1843; Hamlin, in 1844; Otto, in 1854, and Annin, in 1860. Smethport was organized in 1853; Bradford borough, in 1873; Foster township, in 1880, and Eldred, Duke Centre (since discontinued) and Kane boroughs since 1878; Port Allegany was or ganized in 1882, Kendall borough in 1881.

CHAPTER V.

COURTS AND BAR.

FIRST COURTS-CHARACTER OF THE EARLY BENCH AND BAR, WITH DATES OF ADMISSION OF MEMBERS PRIOR TO 1878-CELEBRATED CAUSES-JUDGES AND ASSOCIATE JUDGES-PROMINENT ATTORNEYS, PROTHONOTARIES, ETC.-ATTORNEYS ADMITTED TO THE MCKEAN COUNTY BAR SINCE MAY, 1878, TERM-ORLO J. HAMLIN-JOHN W. HOWE.

THE

THE first court of McKean county was held at Smethport, September 25, 1826. Edward Herrick presided, with Joseph Otto and Joel Bishop associate judges. Prothonotary Timothy Newell and Sheriff Wright were present, while the bar of the circuit was represented by Anson Parsons* a young lawyer from Lycoming county (deputy attorney general), subsequently judge of the Philadelphia courts; Ellis Lewis, of Wellsboro, later a judge of the supreme court; William Garretson,* and Peter R. Adams,* of Tioga county, later judge of the Peoria circuit, in Illinois; Simon Kenny,* of Towanda, Penn.; Henry Bryan* and Chauncey J. Fox,* of Olean, N. Y. In December of this year Orlo J. Hamlin* and John W. Howe* were admitted to the bar. Mr. Howe died in 1873, and his wife, Sallie Howe, died April 17, 1880. In February, 1827, Clarendon Rathbone, of Tioga county, was admitted, but no record is made of the May, September and December terms of that year. On the order book of 1826, however, there are no names of jurors given, but in May, 1827, the following-named citizens were paid small sums for jury service:

* Deceased.

William Brewer, E. J. Cook, Levi Coats. Oliver Felt, John Smith, Jacob Minard, Jonathan Colegrove and William Bell. The other members, it is to be presumed, did not call for warrants. In September, 1827, the grand jury served two days. The members were William Housler, Robert King, George Jackox, Gideon Irons, Jacob Knapp, Simeon M. Morris, Jacob DeWitt, William Rice, Hugh Moore, Harvey Abbey, Benjamin Billins, William Moore, Henry Garlick, Levi Davis, John R. Spencer, Ira H. Curtis, John Applebee, Ralph Hill, Ebenezer Burbanks, Smith Wolcott and Essek Smith. In February and May, 1828, court was regularly opened, and in September Horace Williston, of Bradford county, Robert Fleming, of Lycoming, George Miles, of Allegany, N. Y., and George A. Y. Crocker, of Cattaraugus, N. Y., were admitted.

Court was also held in December, 1828, and four terms were held in 1829, James Lowrey,* of Tioga county, being admitted in September. In February, 1830, Judges Otto* and Bishop* were present; Richard Chadwick* was prothonotary; S. Sartwell, Jr., sheriff; George Darling, coroner; Levi Bennett, crier. Judge Herrick* presided; Justus Goodwin,* of Tioga, and D. C. Bryan,* of Cattaraugus county, N. Y., were admitted, and the former accepted the office of deputy attorney-general which O. J. Hamlin declined. In September William Lowe,* of Cattaraugus county, was admitted, and also Abner C. Harding,* of Union county. Robert G. White,* of Tioga county, was admitted in December, 1830.

Regular terms of court were held in 1831, with the judges and the lawyers of the old bar present. In February, 1832, Messrs. N. H. Purple* & Maynard* were admitted; in May, John E. Niles, ex gratia; in December, L. B. Cole,* of Coudersport, and S. M. Russell,* of Olean, became members of the bar. In May, 1833, Asa Sartwell signed the record as prothonotary; in September, James Armstrong, of Lycoming, and Josiah Emery, of Tioga, signed the roll, and in March, 1834, W. S. Oviatt and E. Patterson. P. B. Depew was admitted in June, also Horace M. Bliss. Lawyer White was present in September. Hiram Payne and Dr. W. Y. McCoy were appointed school inspectors for Keating township, and L. R. Hawkins was then deputy clerk. T. M. Keeler and Eli Rees were appointed school inspectors for Wharton township, in March, 1835. In September C. B. Curtis,, of Warren, was admitted to the bar, and also Benjamin Bartholomew, A. S. Tiven and James D. Bryan. In December Judge N. B. Eldred presided. Joseph P. King was appointed crier, and Thomas Struthers, of Warren, signed the attorney's roll. The May term of 1836 was held before Judges Otto and Bishop. Messrs. Hamlin and Niles were present as attorneys; F. B. Hamlin was admitted to the bar; tavern licenses were granted to P. W. Beach, of Smethport, and David Benson, of Ceres. In September Judge Eldred was present, with Attorneys Hamlin, Niles, Payne, Johnson, Bartholomew, Curtis, Wetmore, F. B. Hamlin and L. B. Cole. George Weimer, a German, was naturalized at this time. A few insolvent petitions were presented, and the property of the debtors assigned for creditors' use. Probate business was also transacted. February, 1837, Attorneys Johnson, Purple, Maynard and Bryan, with those hitherto named, were present.

In

In December the divorce suit of T. B. Shepperd vs. L. Shepperd was entered, and also a similar suit by W. B. Otto vs. Lucy O. Otto, but the latter was granted her petition in 1838. Testimony regarding the death of Elihu Chadwick, a Revolutionary soldier, showed that he died August 30, 1837, leaving his widow, Rebekah. In February, 1838, Attorney DePue was pres

* Deceased.

M.

ent, and Anson Gibbs, of Cattaraugus county, N. Y., was admitted. In May S. P. Johnson was appointed deputy attorney-general for McKean county. J. Lowry practiced in this court during the fall term. D. C. Woodcock was admitted in December, and prosecuted the indictment for murder against Joseph and Sarah Brush. In this case the jury, comprising Erastus Cowles, Simeon Morris, David Crow, John Brockham, Richard Renshaw, Joseph O. Coleman, Samuel Holland, Jr., Walter Brush, Amos Flatt, William Smith, A. P. Barnaby and Joseph Rhodes, found the prisoners not guilty on the 22d. At this time a horn was used in calling court. In February, 1839, tavern licenses were granted to J. S. McCall, William Gibbs and Samuel Eastey. In May William A. Williams* was admitted to the bar. In September a lawyer named White appeared, and in December Judge McCalmont presided. Crosby W. Ellis was admitted an attorney, also L. P. Williston and J. C. Knox, and in 1841 Alexander McDougall. In February, 1841, The Tomahawk was declared a nuisance by the grand jury. President Judge McCalmont, with associates, W. P. Wilcox and S. Sartwell, were present in May. Sheriff Richmond took McCoy's place, while Smith still held the office of coroner. Gallaher was admitted to the bar in September, and in November, 1842, H. W. Smith and G. W. Scofield. In 1843 N. White replaced Wilcox on the bench. In 1844 the name of Attorney Brown appears, and in September, 1845, N. W. Goodrich and John McCalmont were admitted, and Isaac Benson permitted to practice. Nelson Richmond was appointed deputy sheriff, and in May, 1846, John K. Williams was admitted to the bar, and in September Byron D. Hamlin was examined and admitted, and resolutions on the death of Judge White adopted. C. B. Curtis was appointed deputy attorneygeneral in December, 1846; Ford was sheriff. Joseph Morse was associate judge in 1847, succeeding I. S. Holmes, and A. S. Arnold held over. Attorney Knox's name was enrolled here in September, and also that of J. S. Mann. In June, 1849, Horace Williston was president judge and W. A. Williams, prosecutor. H. W. Souther was admitted to practice here, and Bard was sheriff. In January, 1850, the old court-house was considered unsafe, and court was held in the Methodist church. There the trial of Uzza Robbins was commenced, with O. J. Hamlin, Isaac Benson and N. W. Goodrich, prosecuting; S. P. Johnson, C. B. Curtis, C. W. Ellis and L. D. Wetmore, defending. Uzza Robbins was hanged August 30, 1850, and buried, but during the night the earth was removed, the murderer's head cut off, and carried to a carpenter's shop, where it was found next day, and replaced in the grave by a committee of citizens. Isaac G. Gordon was admitted in January, 1850, and C. C. Green and Arthur G. Olmsted, in October. A. D. Hamlin qualified as county surveyor. In 1851 Colegrove was sheriff, and Corwin, coroner. George R. Barrett was admitted to the bar in June, and *J. C. Backus, M. W. Aldrich and A. F. Frazer, in October. In January, 1852, Judges R. G. White, R. Chadwick and O. L. Stanton, with Sheriff Bennett, were present. F. W. Knox and Charles B. Curtis were permitted to practice here. S. F. C. Hyde took Richard Chadwick's place as prothonotary. In February, 1853, the court refused tavern license to eleven applicants. A year later E. B. Eldred practiced here. In September, 1854, Warren Cowles was admitted, and in February, 1856, Oliver Payne was examined and enrolled as an attorney, while H. B. McKean and E. A. Brooks were permitted to practice here. In December Samuel C. Hyde signed the records as prothonotary, Judge White was president of the court, with S. Holmes and J. Darling, associates. In March, 1858, the bar petitioned for the removal of H. B. King, the old court crier, and for

* Deceased.

In June, 1858,

G. C. DeGolier's appointment. This petition was granted. Judge John Galbraith, of Erie, presided. H. G. Rogers and John H. Boyle were admitted to the bar, and in December William A. Nichols' name appears as a member of the bar. C. B. Curtis presided, vice White, in June, 1859. In September of that year Joseph J. Robbins was tried for firing John Dexter's house, and acquitted. B. D. Hamlin and Prosecutor Cowles represented the State, while L. D. Wetmore and W. A. Williams defended, twenty witnesses being called for the defense and twenty for the State. The trial of James Dunn, for the murder of James Stocker, in Ceres township, July 1, took place at this time, and resulted in a verdict of guilty in the second degree, in June, 1860; W. Cowles and L. D. Wetmore prosecuted, while B. D. Hamlin and S. P. Johnson defended. He was sentenced by Judge White to a fine of one dollar costs, and to twelve years solitary confinement. A. B. Armstrong, Philetus Ford and Samuel C. Hyde were admitted in 1860. In December, 1861, Attorney Struthers' name appears. Judge Peabody took the place of Judge Holmes. Fred. E. Smith was admitted in July, 1862, and J. W. Ryan, J. W. Conley and W. W. Williard, in December. In February, 1863, J. B. Newton and G. W. DeCamp were admitted.

In 1865 Judge Williams, with Associates Darling and Peabody, presided. The petition for the incorporation of Kane was reported on favorably. Attorneys Laurie J. Blakely and Beardsley were admitted, and Wallace W. Brown appointed district attorney, vice Cowles, resigned. Judges A. T. Barden and A. N. Taylor were present in December, 1866, with Judge Williams, presiding; William J. Milliken was admitted to the law circle, and William K. King was appointed county surveyor. In February, 1868, Nelson Medbery was appointed crier of the court, vice King, but the latter was reappointed. Henry King was admitted to the bar in June of that year, and Charles R. Saunders, in February, 1869. The petition against the election of C. C. Melvin as treasurer was received in December, 1870, and was considered and reconsidered until the subject was dropped. Manley Crosby was admitted to the bar in June, 1871, and Delano R. Hamlin's* name appears on the records in August of that year. Associate Judges W. S. Brownell and Loyal Ward qualified in December, H. W. Williams presiding, and in February, 1872, S. F. Wilson, the additional law judge, was present. At this session the name of E. Brown appears as attorney. D. C. Larrabee* was admitted in April, and George A. Rathbun in June, when the charge of murder against the Burns brothers was tried, one of whom was found guilty of murder in the second degree and sentenced to twelve years solitary confinement. Messrs. King, Williams and Clark prosecuted, while Backus and Milliken defended. In September F. W. Paine was admitted, the death of Warren Cowles announced, and H. E. Brown, of Warren, permitted to practice here, and later John G. Hall, of Elk county. In June, 1873, Andrew Tracy signed the roll of attorneys. J. R. Clark was present as an attorney in the fall, and Robert H. Rose was admitted to the bar. At this term the celebrated hunter, Leroy Lyman, was indicted for killing deer out of season. In June, 1874, Charles Dinsmore, of Warren, was admitted to practice, S. W. Smith in September, also F. D. Leet, of Cameron county; R. B. Power qualified as stenographer. The grand jury declared the jail and outbuildings nuisances; in December P. R. Cotter and C. Hollenbeck appeared as attorneys, and W. M. Lindsey was admitted. Edward Crow was indicted by a coroner's jury of killing Calvin H. Hobar, at Port Allegany, August 3, 1874. The same year he was tried for this offense and sentenced to a five-years term. He was defended by

* Deceased.