24 May 2019

The Hangman's Ropemaker: Ernest Ortwein, the Homestead Butcher

"Among the other important murderers for whom Mr. Bupp made ropes, were..... Ortwein, who was convicted of killing the Hammett family, five in number, at Homestead."
"Making Nine Ropes," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 31 March 1890, page 2
*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

Ernest Ortwein was a recent Prussian immigrant from a village near Stuttgart in the newly formed German Empire.   He was a veteran of Bavarian Army, and had fought in a number of battles in the then fairly recent Franco-Prussian War, which can be read about in a previous blog.  He was in his late twenties and was working as a laborer of the farm of the Hamnett family in Homestead, Pennsylvania, which was in the country southeast of Pittsburgh.  He went by the names of Ernest Love  and Ernest Mentzer as aliases, although why he needed such aliases was unclear.

On 29 April 1874, John and Agnes Hamnett, the owners of the fairly prosperous farm, had gone to visit neighbors, leaving their two young daughters Ida and Emma and their young ward, Robert Smith, home alone.  Ernest Ortwein had asked to borrow a horse to visit a friend, and was supposed to be gone from the farm that evening. However, he had returned home sometime in the evening, after having a few drinks and purchasing candy for the children in the village.

The story gets kind of confusing at this point.  In some newspaper accounts, Ortwein's motive for the crimes he committed that night was he wanted to rob the family, but couldn't with the children at home, so he killed them.  Another account stated he killed the boy and the parents and then set fire to the house to cover his crime, but couldn't bear to think of the children burning to death, so he killed them mercifully while the house burned.  Another account stated he did what he did only to cover up his lust for the elder daughter, Ida (who was only six years old according to her tombstone and eight according one newspaper account), and the fact that he was caught in acting upon that lust.  Whatever the motive, the fact remains that by the end of the night, not only were the children dead, butchered by an ax, but both John and Agnes Hamnett lay dead.  The house was ransacked as Ortwein looked for whatever money he could find, and then burned to cover up the crime.

A neighbor noticed the burning house and the smell of flesh being roasted at three the next morning, and suspicion first fell upon Ortwein when neither his belongings nor his being were found amongst the ruins of the burned home.  It was upon examining the remains that authorities were alerted to the nature of the crimes.

Meanwhile, Ortwein fled to the South Side of Pittsburgh, hopping from saloon to saloon.  He then crossed the river into Allegheny, where he was caught with a number of possessions on him belonging to the Hamnett family.  According to one newspaper account,  he was hallucinating:
"During all this time the apparitions of his murdered victims appeared to follow him and his inability to ignore the subject of the murder finally led to the suspicions which caused his arrest." ("The Curtain Dropped," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 February 1875, page 4)
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After word got out about his hallucinations, people in the village of Homestead threatened to lynch Ortwein if he was not brought up on charges of murder.

Ortwein's trial took place in June of 1874.  The lawyers for the defendant worked hard to prove that Ortwein was insane, using the claims of his hallucinations as proof.  There was discussion that his recent service in the Franco-Prussian War caused him trauma and that was why he killed the family in the manner that he did.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the sentencing in January 1875, stating that even if Ortwein was doubted to be insane, the court was not necessarily convinced he was actually insane, and therefore the sentence of death was upheld.

On 23 February 1875, Ernest Ortwein was hanged in the city jail.  Six people wanting to watch the scene unfold but not on the invitation list had been caught that morning, having sneaked into the jail during the night.  A wall erected in the city jail yard kept a lot of the looky-lous from viewing.  His last words were said to be a prayer, spoken in German and translated by one of the ministers who was there.  He then was hanged, and his body and brain were examined upon his death for any abnormalities.  None were found.  The same scaffold he was hanged on was later widened to be used in the hangings of William Murray and Frederick Myers eleven months later.

While not listed as the maker of the rope in the articles of the day, in later interviews Jacob insisted he made the rope for Ortwein's execution.  What's interesting is that just after one of the newspaper accounts of the hanging, the following was found:
"A rope manufacturer, with an eye to business, attended the execution yesterday.  He was very solicitous to get a free puff.  Whether he succeeded or no, we are unable to state, but the matter was regarded much in the same light as decorating soldiers' graves with flags on which advertisements are printed." ("Local Briefs," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 February 1875, page 4)
Whether or not that particular ropemaker was indeed Jacob  remains a mystery, but it is an interesting mention, and given his history, the chances that it was Jacob are great.

Sources Used
"The Curtain Dropped," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 February 1875, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 May 2019).

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 May 2019), memorial page for John Hamnett (and family), Find A Grave Memorial # 48780291, citing Anne Ashley United Methodist Church Cemetery (Munhall, Allegheny, Pennsylvania), memorial created by Roseanne Kocinski-Fowler, photograph by Richard Boyer.

"The Hamnett Tragedy," The Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 20 June 1874, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 May 2019).

Journal of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the Session Begun at Harrisburg on the Fourth Day of January 1876 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: B. F. Meyers, 1876), 68; online images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=a3JMAAAAMAAJ : accessed 6 June 2019).

"Local Briefs," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 February 1875, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 May 2019).

Loftquist, Bill. "Ernest Ortwein," State Killings in the Steel City: The History of the Death Penalty in Pittsburgh, 11 January 2018 (https://state-killings-in-the-steel-city.org/ : accessed 23 May 2019).

"Making Nine Ropes," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 31 March 1890, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016). 


21 May 2019

The Hangman's Ropemaker: Frank Small, Jacoby's Murderer

"This makes the twenty-ninth rope which Mr. Bopp, has furnished for executions. A rope off the same piece will be used to swing Frank Small into eternity."
"Local and Variety," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 16 February 1882, page 2
*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

It was a snowy evening in January 1879.  Mayor Liddell had just started his first year as mayor of the city, and was hoping for a quiet year.

Nicholas "C. J." Jacoby was a well known iron worker in the Sixth Ward.  He was about thirty years old, somewhat wealthy and self-made, and had recently rose to prominence as a Greenbacker.

Charlotte "Lottie" McAleese Jacoby was had gained some notoriety as a young woman for having participated in some rowing championships for prizes.  She had married Jacoby for his wealth, as she apparently had a poor upbringing.   However, she was known quite well around the Ward as being a woman of easy virtue with a string of lovers.

Edgar Frank Small was known as a small time criminal and a man of bad character, but noted as having a respectable appearance.  He was in his late twenties and of medium build.  He had just spent eight years in Western Penitentiary for the burglary of a jewelry store and had gotten released recently.  Before he went to prison, his mistress (some accounts say fiancee) was Lottie McAleese, who had married Jacoby while Small was in prison.  Upon Small's release, the couple had been meeting on the fly and getting reacquainted.  The night of the 15 January 1879 was one of those connections.

Sometime either the night of the 15th or after midnight on the 16th of January, Jacoby caught his wife in a meeting with Frank Small at Keyser's Saloon on Fifth Avenue near  Congress Street.  Jacoby argued with his wife and got into a fight with Small that came to blows before leaving, taking his wife with him.  As the two began the chilly walk home, they were accosted on the corner of Chestnut Street and Fifth Street by Frank Small, who wielded a pistol.  After another enlargement, Small shot Jacoby in his left side and fled.  The shooting took place around one in the morning on 16 January 1879.

Jacoby lingered for two full days before succumbing to his injuries at his residence early in the morning on 18 January 1879, surrounded by his family members.  Before he passed, he submitted a statement giving his account of what had passed the morning of the 16th, as well as pointing the blame at his wife's lover as his murderer.  His wife corroborated his story, laying the blame of his death on her former lover.

Small's trial took place the first week of April of 1879.  At the trial, it was revealed by one of the detectives who had been present when Jacoby gave his statement that when Jacoby had been asked who shot him, before he could answer, his wife had stooped down and whispered in his ear while giving him a hug.  It was after that gesture that he stated that Frank Small had shot him.  However, at the same trial, Lottie Jacoby's promiscuity was brought up and thoroughly described, and the defense tried hard to paint reasonable doubt y showing her in a negative light. The defense had argued that even if Small had shot Jacoby, it was not premeditated, and therefore should not be murder in the first.  They also argued that there was not reasonable doubt proven, as Lottie Jacoby had acted very suspiciously after the shooting and before Jacoby had finally died.

A new trial was requested by his defense, as it was found that while all jurors did find Small guilty of murder, they could not all agree that he was indeed guilty of murder in the first degree.  However, in January of 1880 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania decided to affirm the decision of the lower court and agreed that Small must hang for the murder of Jacoby unless the Pardon Board intervened in the matter.  

The Pardon Board had continued the case of Frank Small into November of 1880, which caused a number of people in Pittsburgh to become uneasy, including one person who wrote a very scathing opinion in the Pittsburgh Daily Post that same month.  Ultimately though, the Pardon Board voted against pardoning Small.

The rope that was used was made at the same time as the rope used for James Allison and was described as follows:
"The rope was made by Jake Bopp, of Allegheny, and has been in the Sheriff's office several days.  It is the ordinary gray cord, three-eights of an inch thick, and as firm and untwisting as if it were composed of wire." ("To-Day," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 March 1882, page 4)
On Friday, 24 March 1882, Frank Small was hanged in the city jail yard in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He was described as having dressed in black pants and a dark blue frock coat over spotless linen. The last person to visit him was his mother, and Small had his photograph taken for those who had become friendly towards him during his long incarceration.  Only forty five passes were given out to people who really did not have a reason to witness the execution, but throngs of people crowded around the jail, climbed the roof, and watched from every angle they could.

After a day in the sheriff's office, Frank Small's body was taken to his aunt's house.  The crowds wanting to view the remains grew so large that twenty police officers had to be dispatched to protect the occupants of the house.  He was buried in Uniondale Cemetery.

Even after his death, Lottie Jacoby tried in vain to show that he was indeed guilty, despite the number of people argued that her actions had caused her husband's death.  There were even some some who believed Lottie was actually guilty of killing her husband and blaming it on Small, for she argued frequently with her husband over being on a "friendly" basis with Small.  It would appear that Jacob Bupp was one of those people.  According to a few newspaper accounts of interviews given later in life, Jacob Bupp said of Frank Small's execution (and also Ward McConkey):  "I hated to see those two boys hung. I don't think they were guilty. I was never positive they deserved it."

Sources Used
"Executed," Indiana State Sentinel (Indianapolis, Indiana), 29 March 1882, page 1; online images, Hoosier State Chronicles (https://newspapers.library.in.gov : accessed 21 May 2019).

"Execution of Frank Small," Pittsburgh Medical Journal, 2, no 4 (April 1882), online reprint, 127, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 20 May 2019).

"The Green Curtain," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 25 March 1882, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 May 2019).

"The Hanging of Frank Small in Pittsburgh," Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania), 25 March 1882, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 September 2017).

"He Must Hang," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 5 April 1879, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 May 2019).

"Hemp for the Hangman," The Weekly Courier (Connellsville, Pennsylvania), 30 July 1886, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 17 September 2017).

"It Proves A Murder," The Pittsburgh Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 25 January 1879, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 May 2019).

"The Jacoby Homicide," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 3 April 1879, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 May 2019).

"The Last Rites," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 27 March 1882, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 March 2019).

"Local and Variety," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 16 February 1882, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 September 2017).

Loftquist, Bill. "Edgar Frank Small," State Killings in the Steel City: The History of the Death Penalty in Pittsburgh, 12 January 2018 (https://state-killings-in-the-steel-city.org/ : accessed 20 May 2019).

"Ropes for the Anarchists," syndicated news article, The Daily Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), 1 October 1887, page 2; online images, Genealogy Bank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 21 September 2017), Newspaper Archives.

"Still Unhung," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 18 November 1880, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 September 2017).

"Supreme Court Decisions," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 7 January 1880, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 May 2019).

"To-day," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 March 1882, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 September 2017).

"Wants the Job," Ottawa Daily Local-News (Ottawa, Kansas), 3 October 1887, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 17 March 2019).

"Wants to Make the Ropes," syndicated news article, The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California), 10 October 1887, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 September 2017).

16 May 2019

The Hangman's Ropemaker: The Indiana Murderer James G. Allison

"Jacob Bopp, the Wood's Run rope manufacturer, made the rope that will end the life of James Allison, the Indiana murderer, on the 17th inst., and was shipped to Sheriff Jamison last week. The rope is twenty feet long, three-eighth of an inch thick, and is well made."
"Local and Variety," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 16 February 1882, page 2
*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

Robert Allison owned half of a farm of about three hundred acres in Washington Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, with his brother Alexander and sister Mrs. Alexander Young each owning their share of what remained.  Apparently a second sister had sold her share of the farm to Robert, which is why he owned half.  He was between the ages of 67 and 70 and was described as a quarrelsome man with ill manners and habits.  For some reason or another, he not only hated his wife Mary, but also his eldest son, James, and was apparently extremely violent and abusive to both of them.  Because he neglected his family and the farm, James had to shoulder the weight of taking care of both as he got older.

Eventually, James had had enough with the abuse of himself, his mother, and likely his younger siblings, so he ran his father off of Robert's share of the Allison farm.  This apparently happened in January of 1877.   Robert took refuge first in the home of his sister, the aforementioned Mrs. Young, before moving in with his brother Alexander, who lived nearby. According to some accounts, Robert was living a mere quarter mile from his wife and children.

James G. Allison was said to be a young man who had been neglected in his moral training due to his father's lack of civility.  He was described as a rough farmer, or dark complexion and tall but of slender build, and was a hard worker who never gave anyone but his father trouble.  He worked hard to support his mother, brother Alonzo and sister Elizabeth.

In the spring of 1880, Robert hired a lawyer to help him reclaim what had belonged to him, and under the advice of the lawyer sought to gain possession back.  He was badly beaten by James, who resisted his father's claim and sent him packing.  In return, Robert pressed charges of aggravated assault and battery on James.  The case was referred to arbitrators to be settled out of court, with all parties agreeing to abide by the final settlement.  On 17 June 1880, the entire family had been to court, and were waiting this final settlement when tragedy struck.

The next afternoon, while loading bark with his brother Alexander on another part of the farm, Robert was given a message by one of his nephews that his own young son, Alonzo, wanted to see him up at Robert's home at dusk.  Robert went back to his farm, not knowing that the message was actually sent by James, who intended to harm his father.  Perhaps James felt the judgement in the settlement would not go his way, but he was intentional in what he was about to do.

When Robert arrived at the farm, calling for his son Alonzo, James met him with a revolver, and proceeded to open fire on his father, putting one bullet in the back of his head and three in his back.  He would have proceeded to kill Robert had John Allison, nephew to Robert and cousin to James, had not come running upon hearing the shots and causing James to flee the scene.

Robert Allison was carried into his home and doctors were summoned, but little could be done for the mortally wounded man.  After lingering for three days, in which he proclaimed he knew who was guilty multiple times, Robert Allison died.  The next day, James Allison was arrested and charged with his murder.

His trial took place between the 15th and the 22nd of March, 1881.  His defense lawyers were listed as Mr. Silas Clark, Mr. J.C. Ruffner, and Mr. H.K. Sloan.  District Attorney M. C. Watson, Mr. Joseph M. Thompson and Mr. Harry White were the prosecution.  The trial was a bit on the sensational side, as all of the Allison family's dirty laundry was brought to light and thoroughly pontificated about in the courtroom.  After an overnight deliberation, the jury found James Allison guilty of murder in the first.  He was sentenced to death by hanging.

His lawyers called for a new trial on the basis of a writ of error, as they claimed several of the jurors had already fixed their minds that Allison was guilty before the trial even started, thus tainting their objectiveness and impartiality as jurors.  The writ was denied.

On 19 December 1880, his death warrant was received by the Sheriff, and two days later it was read to Allison, who according to one news account "as usual, remained stolid and apparently indifferent."

His lawyers appealed to the Board of Pardons in a last ditch effort, trying to commute Allison's sentence to life without parole instead of a death sentence, but on 18 January 1881, that too was denied.   The public, having sympathized with Allison's plight, made an effort was made to petition the governor for a pardon, but it was dropped reasons unknown.

According to witness' testimonies, some tried to get James Allison to agree to a new suit for his execution, but he insisted in being hanged in the clothing that he always wore, stating  ""These clothes were good enough to live in, and they are good enough to die in."

James Allison was hanged on 17 February 1882 in the yard of the county jail in the county of Indiana, Pennsylvania in his twenty-eighth year.  He was the first person to be hanged in Indiana County.

Upon hearing the news that her son had been executed, his mother fell to the ground, weeping for her son.  He was buried by his family in the Lutheran Church cemetery at Plumcreek.

Jacob Bupp was listed as the maker of the rope for this hanging, and made the rope at the same time as he did the rope for Frank Small, who was hanged a month later.  He was called a German, residing in Wood's Run.  According to a few newspaper accounts, the rope was hemp, 20 feet long and half an inch thick.  Jacob tied the hangman's knot, constructed the rope so it wouldn't twist, and greased it with tallow.  The rope cost the county of Indiana $25.

On her deathbed years later, Mary Allison confessed to having dressed in her son's clothing and killing her husband.  Whether or not this was true, and James went to the gallows for his mother's crime knowing her guilt, will forever remain a mystery.

As of 1899, when Bupp died, strands of the rope were still in the Commissioner's office in Indiana, Pennsylvania and could be examined by looky-lous upon request, as well as the rope that hanged Joseph Sarver.

Sources Referenced
"A Startling Crime," The Indiana Weekly Messenger (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1881, pages 1 and 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"A Terrible Tragedy," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 24 June 1880, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"The Allison Trial Closed," The Indiana Weekly Messenger (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1881, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"The Execution of James G. Allison," The Indiana Progress (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 23 February 1892, p 13; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 September 2017).

"The First Hanging in Indiana County," The Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, HGSIC Historical Happenings, 30 October 2018 (https://hgsic.wordpress.com : accessed 16 May 2019).

"The Home News," syndicated news column, The Indiana Weekly Messenger (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 1 March 1899, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 September 2017).

"Local and Variety," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 16 February 1882, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 September 2017).

Pennsylvania State Report, Volume 99 (Harrisburg, PA: Banks and Brothers, 1883), 17-34; online images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 16 May 2019).

Seagrave, Kerry. Parricide in the United States (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland Press, 2009), 51-53


15 May 2019

The Hangman's Ropemaker: Constable Bupp

"Constable Jacob Rupp of the Eleventh ward, Allegheny, sometime since appointed J. J. Hays one of his deputies."
"Court Brevities," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1876, page 4.  The "Rupp" was likely a typo.
*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

Since he had already been elected as a judge, and apparently was starting to become a popular gentleman in the area, likely due to his burgeoning rope-making business and the success of his hangman's ropes, Jacob Bupp decided in 1873 to run for constable of the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City.

In those days, a constable in Allegheny City maintained the peace, executed warrants, and policed crowds.  They served the court system by delivering summons, complaints, subpoenas and orders of eviction and protection.  They also were the only law enforcement officials allowed to be on duty at polling places on Election Day.... coincidentally they were also elected to their positions.

According to the opinion of the editors in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review article "The Philadelphia Constable," there had been a number of questionable practices of constables.  Some constables were elected and never carried out their duties as constable.  Some collected exorbitant fees for their services from those who elected them.  Some accepted bribes for the appointment of deputy constabularies, who then often were as corrupt as those they bribed.  As stated in the same opinion piece:
"Apparently, many constables run for election without any intention of practicing.  They may run merely for the satisfaction of winning in a public election, for the prestige of holding the title of constable, or because they just happen to be available when a ward leader needs someone to fill out the long ballot." (page 511)
It is not known if any of the above were true in Jacob's case.

What is known is that Jacob was nominated by the Republican Party in Allegheny City and endorsed by them for constable after winning the Republican primary for the position in the days leading up to the general election.  On 9 Dec 1873, he was elected constable of the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City with 107 votes.  His competitor was M. Beard, who only had 27 votes.

Constables were usually paid on a fee system, so they also could have full time jobs, such as Jacob  did with his ropemaking.  However, the directory listings for Jacob Bupp in both 1874 and 1875 in the Pittsburgh and Allegheny City Directories list him as a constable, and living on the same lot his son had purchased in 1871, in what is now the Shadeland neighborhood.  While there is no evidence of any hangings having been carried out with Jacob's ropes during this period, he could have been still making ropes for any of the multitude of other uses during this time.  It is possible to also surmise that he was indeed working as a constable full time, although no evidence seems to exist to either prove or disprove this theory.

*Edit made 6 June 2019*:  Further research having been done, it is now known that Jacob Bupp was likely the manufacturer of ropes for two separate hangings while in office.  The two events were the hanging of Ernest Ortwein, done on 23 February 1875, and the hangings of William Murray and Frederick Myers, who were hanged on 6 January 1876.

Constables did not have a limit to how many deputies they could have, however in Allegheny County, an appointment of a deputy constable had to be affirmed by an order of the court.  Constable Bupp had one such deputy that created quite a scandal.

Bupp had appointed a man by the name of J. J. Hays as one of his deputies.  One of the court's judges, Judge Kirkpatrick, had refused the commission of deputy constable Hays on multiple occasions, as Hays had apparently had a recent run-in with the law, having been suspected in the murder of a local girl.  Hays had also been brought up a few months prior on charges for perjury for making false claims in another trial that had been brought up in front of Judge Kirkpatrick, as well on several charges of assault and battery the previous year.

On 21 March 1873, Hays applied to another one of the court judges, Judge White, for approval and White approved it, but upon learning Kirkpatrick had refused to sign off on the commission, White withdrew his approval, and Hays was summoned to the court to give up his commission.

It is unknown if Hays gave up his commission.  He was found not guilty of perjury, but ordered to pay half of the court costs in another case he was involved in.  He ultimately skipped town, and by the end of 1876 found himself having been extradited back to Pittsburgh from Ohio, and was jailed for skipping out on his bondsman.

It is not clear when Jacob finished his term as constable, but given that typically a constable was elected for six years, it can be assumed he completed an entire term, which would mean he was done in late 1879 or 1880.  However, directory listings for him for the years 1876, 1878 and 1879 list him as a ropemaker and laborer (he was missing from the 1877 directory).   This could mean that either he had given up his commission after 1876 or he was no longer working full time as a constable but rather was using it to supplement his rope-making income.

In any case, it appears his constabulary days were limited to a single term.

Jacob continued to reside in the Wood's Run/Shadeland neighborhood in the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City, but what is curious is his enumeration listing for the 1880 census, where he, Caroline, and their daughters Kate and Lizzie are enumerated in the Tenth Ward, which lay just to the east of the Eleventh Ward per the city maps from the time.  Why he was there remains a mystery, but he is enumerated as being a fifty-eight year old laborer born in Pennsylvania, whose parents were also born in Pennsylvania.  Caroline is listed as his wife and housekeeper, aged fifty and born in France.  Both daughters are listed as "at home."  By 1882, he was back living on Shady Avenue, presumably in the family home, so why he was briefly in the Tenth Ward is still a confusion.

Perhaps it had something to do with debt.  In March of 1877,  a sheriff's sale notice appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the lots owned by Jacob and William H. Bupp.  Another notice appeared in September of the same year, and by 1 December 1879, the Wood's Run Savings Fund and Loan Association held a deed of indenture on the properties.  While William appeared to continue to live on his lot, Jacob had apparently moved out, temporarily.  The Bupp family appeared to reacquire the property, however no deed has yet been located to prove this.

Sources Referenced:
"A Constable Sues for Damages", The Pittsburgh Commercial Daily (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 14 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Allegheny", Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 9 February 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Allegheny City Election," The Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 10 December 1873, page 1. Jacob Bupp elected constable of the Eleventh Ward with 107 votes; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 May 2019).

"Allegheny City Primaries," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 8 December 1873, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 May 2019).

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 273: 505-506, Deed of indenture from Grantor Fred J Melaney and wife Sarah to Grantee William H. Bupp, dated 14 June 1871; FHL microfilm 1509878.


Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed book 400: 221-223, William H. and Elizabeth Bupp deed of indenture to Woods Run Savings Fund and Loan Association, 1 Dec 1879; FHL microfilm 8092439.

"Allegheny Elections," election results, Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 10 December 1873, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016).


Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 August 2016), Entry for Jacob Bupp and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Allegheny Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1088, Family History Film: 1255088, Page: 82D, Enumeration District: 027, and Image: 0162.

Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny: From Official Records, Private Plans and Actual Records (Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, 1882), plates 35 and 36; online images, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 15 May 2019).

"Brevities", Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 19 Dec 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Court Brevities," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).


Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1874/1875 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1874), 112, "Bupp Jacob, police, Shady av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).


Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1875/1876 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1875), 111, Bupp Jacob, constable, Cliff, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1876-1877 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1876), 111, "Bupp Jacob, rope maker, McClure av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1878/1879 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1878), 126, "Bupp Jacob, lab, McClure av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1879-1880 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1879), 139, "Bupp Jacob, rope mkr, McClure av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Editors, "The Philadelphia Constable," University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 104 (1956), online archive, Penn Law (https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7472&context=penn_law_review : accessed 13 May 2019), 508-542.

Joint State Government Commission, "Overview of the Constabulary: History," Constables in Pennsylvania: Proposed Statutory Reforms (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, April 2014), 5; JSGC Public Website (http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us/resources/documents/ftp/publications/2014-369-Constable%20Report%206.03.14.pdf : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Quarter Sessions - Judge Kirkpatrick", The Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 21 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Sheriff Sales," notice of auction, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 March 1877, Page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016). 

"Sheriff's Sales," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 22 September 1877, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 September 2017).

"Troubles of a Deputy Constable," The Pittsburgh Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016).

"What the Heck are Constables and Does Pittsburgh Need Them?," Popular Pittsburgh, 10 June 2016 (https://popularpittsburgh.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

12 May 2019

The Hangman's Ropemaker: Michael Moore, In the Shadow of the Scaffold

"The preparation for the execution of Michael Moore on Wednesday next move on apace. The rope has been purchased by Sheriff Bottacker from Mr. Jacob Bopp, Wood's Run, near Pittsburgh, the price paid being, $20, and not $40, as heretofore reported. Mr. Bopp is the same gentleman who manufactured the ropes with which Buser and Howser were hanged in 1866, has been in eighteen years in the business."
~ "Shorts," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 28 November 1872, page 7

*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

On 1 March 1872,  a woman's body was found in the woods near Mineral Point.   A man by the name of John Shiver, who was described at somewhat timid and squeamish to blood, had found some bloody hair and hair pins while out fox hunting that morning with his dog.  He ran to the nearby village, arousing the villagers who lived there, who returned to a gruesome scene.  The woman's body had been mutilated and partially burned in the woods.

Tracks that led to the gruesome scene seemed to suggest that a man and the woman were walking together, and not far from where the body was discovered was the scene of a struggle, so it was soon assumed that the woman was murdered not far from where the body was found.

Footsteps from the scene led to the home of Michael Moore, who was known as a notorious character in the vicinity.  Michael Moore was described as being a man of muscular build, with a forbidding countenance, and was no stranger to breaking the law, as he had been charged with assault and battery in 1850.  At the time of the incident he was between forty-five and fifty years of age.  Newspaper accounts stated he was of Irish descent.

The woman was identified as Ann E. "Annie" Boyle (or Doyle) Moore, who was about forty years of age at the time of her demise.  From the remains of the discarded articles of clothing and personal effects that were found with her body, the victim was determined to be a woman of tidy habits and demeanor.

Ann had been married to Michael Moore since October 1853, but within two years of the marriage she had deserted him because he was abusive and treated her ill.  According to newspaper accounts, she had fled to Philadelphia to live, working as a domestic under the name of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Stevenson, but had recently returned to Mineral Point with Moore under the guise of reconciliation with her husband, who had written her numerous letters that were found in a trunk in Altoona, Pennsylvania after the murders.

Moore apparently killed Ann because he had committed bigamy by marrying again, this time to a woman named McConnell, and he wanted to make that marriage legal.  He also apparently had not forgiven her for deserting him.  However, these reasons were just theories, as Moore never confessed or gave a motive for her murder.

After a trial that lasted the first two weeks of June 1872, the jury found him guilty of the charge of murder with only ten minutes of deliberation.  Moore and his lawyers A. Kopelin and J.P. Linton appealed to have the arrest of judgement and for a new trial on the grounds that the jury was contaminated.  Their appeal was rejected in September, and Michael Moore was sentenced to death by hanging..

Moore tried in vain to escape by digging his way through the stone floor and walls of his jail cell.  On  11 October 1872 his death warrant was issued and on the 29th of that same month, it was signed.  When Moore was told of his imminent death, he brandished a piece of iron pipe that he had dug from the wall of his cell.  The sheriff was forced to draw and fire his weapon in self defense, hitting Moore in the arm and leg.  While Moore recovered from the shooting, he was chained until his hanging as a precaution.

Jacob Bupp was listed as the man who made the rope that was used to hang Moore, and sold it to Sheriff Bonacker (or Bottacker) on 16 November 1872 for $20.  The rope was described as being twenty feet long and three-eighths of an inch thick.  It was made of hemp and was said to be strong and pliable.

Michael Moore was hanged on 27 November 18721 in the city jail yard at Ebensburg.  After being given last rites and prayer by a Catholic priest, Father Christy, Michael Moore was led to the gallows.  His only words before his death were a request of prayers and for the Lord to have mercy on his soul.  He died almost instantly.

The ghost of Michael Moore was said to still inhabit the jail of Ebensburg, according to a small blurb on page 2 of the 03 March 1881 edition of the The Altoona Tribune:
"The 'spook' of Michael Moore, hanged for wife murder in Ebensburg on November 22, 1872, is alleged to wander at odd times in the jail of that mountain town and the blood spot made on the stone floor of the prison by a trickling pistol shot wound, inflicted on said Moore by an arresting officer, becomes deeper as time flies, though sand paper and soap suds have been repeatedly used to exorcise it."

Sources Referenced

"A Bloody Deed!," The Cambria Freeman (Ebensburg, Pennsylvania), 9 March 1872, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 April 2019).

"A Wife Murderer Hanged," Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 28 November 1872, page 7; online images, Fold 3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 8 May 2019).

"Brevities," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 1 August 1872, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 May 2019).

"Ebensburg: Execution of Michael Moore," Altoona Tribune (Altoona, Pennsylvania), 5 December 1872, page 3; online archives with images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 October 2017).

Geary, John W. Message of His Excellency J. W. Geary to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, January 8, 1873 (Harrisburg: Benjamin Singerly, 1873), 78.

"In the Shadow of the Scaffold," The Cambria Freeman (Ebensburg, Pennsylvania), 8 June 1872, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 April 2019).

"In the Shadow of the Scaffold," The Cambria Freeman (Ebensburg, Pennsylvania), 15 June 1872, pages 1-3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 May 2019).

"Michael Moore - His Death Warrant Signed," Huntingdon Journal (Huntingdon, Pennsylvania), 30 October 1872, page 3; online images, NewspaperArchive (https://huntingdondailynews.newspaperarchive.com/huntingdon-journal/1872-10-30/page-3/ : accessed 8 May 2019).

"Sentance of Michael Moore," Altoona Tribune (Altoona, Pennsylvania), 12 September 1872, page 3; online archives with images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 May 2019).

"Shorts," The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania), 28 November 1872, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 September 2017).

"Untitled," Altoona Tribune (Altoona, Pennsylvania), 3 March 1881, page 2; online archives with images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 October 2017).