The Hangman's Ropemaker: Homewood

"Jacob Bupp, who has made more hangmen's ropes than any other man in the United States, died last week at the home of his daughter in Homewood, Beaver county, Pa.".

~"Bupp's Ropes Famous," The Iola Daily Record (Iola, Kansas), 10 June 1899, page 4

*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*

After retiring from rope-making finally in 1892 after the hanging of Patrick Fitzpatrick, Jacob spent at least a part of his remaining years at the home of his daughter, Emma Bupp McClurg, just outside Homewood, a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Theories abound as to why he made the move:

1. He may have relocated to Homewood after the embarrassment of the trial he sustained due to his illegal actions as an alderman.  This is just a theory, but due to the timing of his move, it is possible.  
2. Also, there was also the controversy surrounding the breakage of the rope used to hang William West and the stretching of the cord used to hang David Nicely.  That embarrassment may also have caused him to want to move
3. There is evidence in his pension papers to support the theory that this was around the time that his mind began to slip as well.  Perhaps his wife Caroline was no longer able to care for him in the capacity that he needed, while Emma may have been able to.

Whatever the reason, for at least a year he lived in Homewood with Emma and her family.

A little history on Emma first......

Emma Sarah Bupp was the eldest surviving daughter of Jacob and Caroline.  She was born 27 December 1855, as stated in a previous blog, likely in the home the family lived in on Spring Garden Road in Reserve Township.  She is listed with Jacob and the rest of the family in the 1860 and 1870 census enumerations, living in Ross Township in 1860 and McClure Township in 1870. Sometime in 1874 or 1875, she married William Wallace McClurg, the son of Irish immigrants James McClurg and Catherine Hunter.  As he was born in Allegheny County and listed in the 1876 city directory as living with his father at 174 Washington Avenue in Allegheny City, the couple very likely married there as well, though a date of marriage AND location both have not been located as of yet.  By 1880, the couple was living on a farm in Big Beaver Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, just outside Homewood, and continued to live there until both of their deaths.  William died in 1915 and Emma died in 1944.

Emma and William had seven children that survived to adulthood, though there is evidence that nine children were born to the couple and that the other two had passed away at young ages (although their deaths were not registered in the "Beaver County Registration of deaths, 1893-1907" digitized on FamilySearch, which likely means they died in the period before such record keeping). The seven children were John Edward, Mary J, Katherine, Elizabeth Salina, James Harrison, George B and Emma Sarah.

Jacob Bupp lived with the couple during the period just after grandson George had been born, but before Emma had completed the family.

Jacob filed for an increase in pension that was dated 29 October 1892 and listed his post office address as Homewood, Pennsylvania.  William McClurg, his son-in-law, was listed as one of the two witnesses to the affidavit (the other was A. M. Gray, who is believed to be Alice M. Gray, though no connection is known between her and Jacob as of yet).  That same affidavit stated "It would be convenient for claimant to go to New Castle to be examined, it being only 10 miles distant."  This clue leads to the belief that while the post office address of the McClurgs was indeed Homewood, they lived just outside the borough in Big Beaver Township, as the census enumerations suggest.  Since William McClurg was a farmer, it is very likely that while their post office address was Homewood, they had to travel quite a way to pick up their mail.

An examination was done in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and was filed on 29 March 1893 by Dr. D. M. Kinney, Dr. Silas Stevenson and Dr. W. L. Smith, who were the heads of the board of examining surgeons for Lawrence County .  Jacob Bupp's claim of disability was listed as follows:

Surgeon's Certificate in the case of Jacob Bupp, Co. G, 6th Reg't, PA HA, Applicant for Increase, Certificate number 752533, examined March 29, 1893; Photocopy provided by NARA in the pension file for Jacob Bupp

The doctors that examined Jacob at New Castle did find some evidence of both an injury to his leg and rheumatism, but concluded that most of his disabilities came from plain old age and the wears and tears that came from that.  (Note here: He was also likely arthritic from the physical toils of the labor he did as a ropemaker.)  He was granted a pension increase as a result of $2 per month, bringing his pension to $12 each month.  This pension increase was reported in a newspaper account from Philadelphia in February of 1894.

There is conflicting information in regards to how long Jacob Bupp lived with Emma and William McClurg in Beaver County.  A newspaper account that ran in syndication across several newspapers that told of his death stated that he died at his daughter's home near Homewood in 1899 (which will be disproved in another blog).  It is possible that the evidence points to the fact that he remained with Emma until he moved to the Soldier's Home in Dayton, Ohio in July of 1898. Another of Jacob's numerous newspaper obituaries even goes so far as to state that "On Tuesday his relatives in this city had received a letter from Mrs. McClurg that her father was enjoying good health and late Wednesday evening came a message announcing his death." ("Jacob Bupp," obituary, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 February 1899, page 4).  There is still mystery surrounding why exactly some of his obituaries stated he died in Homewood.

However, other evidence points to him returning to Allegheny City sometime after the pension increased in February of 1894.  The 1896 to 1898 city directories for Pittsburgh and Allegheny City list him as living at 325 Shady Lane in Allegheny City with no occupation.  This home was the home of son William Bupp, and Caroline and  Jacob likely lived with him for a time.  A small blurb in a York paper in 1896 stated that Jacob Bupp "of Pittsburg" was visiting the city (More on this visit in a future blog, I promise).  While not solid evidence, these do suggest he only remained in Big Beaver Township for a few short years, which adds to the theory that he moved to get away from the embarrassment he may have caused his family.

Because the paper trail for this part of his life is sparse, there is a great deal of conjecture and assumptions that can be made.  It may never be known for certain why and how Jacob came to be living in Beaver County or for how long.  But these are questions that will continue to keep the research going.

Sources Used and Referenced
"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 August 2019), Entry for William Mcclurg and family, Year: 1900, Census Place: Big Beaver Beaver, Pennsylvania, Page: 10, Enumeration District: 0018, and FHL microfilm: 1241374; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 August 2019), Entry for William McClurg and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Big Beaver Beaver, Pennsylvania, Roll: T624_1310, Page: 14B, Enumeration District: 0016, and FHL microfilm: 1375323; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

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 29 August 2019), Entry for William McCleary and household, Year: 1880, Census Place: Big Beaver Beaver, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1097, Page: 79D, and Enumeration District: 177; citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Bupp's Ropes Famous," The Iola Daily Record (Iola, Kansas), 10 June 1899, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 September 2019).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1876-1877 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1876), 486, "McClurg, Wm Wallace, lab, 174 Washington av, A(llegheny)" Also living at this same residence was a James McClurg, laborer. Assumption made that James was William's father; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 31 August 2019).

"Jacob Bupp," obituary, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 February 1899, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1896/1897 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1896), 207, "Bupp Jacob, 325 Shady av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1897/1898 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1897), 208, "Bupp Jacob, 325 Shady av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, Unversity of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Original Invalid Pension Claim for Jacob Bupp, Private, Company G, 6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery; Photocopy provided by NARA in the pension file for Jacob Bupp; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 August 2016), Entry for Emma Sarah McClurg; died 15 January 1944; Certificate number: 991; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 August 2019), Entry for William W. McClurg, died 7 Jan 1915, cn 3988; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 August 2019), Entry for William McClurg; probate date 22 Sept 1914; Will Books, Vol R-U, 1911-1917; Probate Records, 1803-1917; Index to Register's Office, 1803-1965; Author: Beaver County (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Beaver, Pennsylvania; citing Pennsylvania County District and Probate Courts.

"Pension Certificates Issued," The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 3 March 1894, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 September 2019).

"Random Comment," syndicated news column, Cleveland Leader (Cleveland, Ohio), 4 April 1899, page 4; online images, Genealogy Bank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 21 September 2017), Newspaper Archive.

Register's docket for probate of William W. McClurg (1915), Probate records, 1803-1917; index to register's office, 1803-1965: volume 11, page 288; Beaver County Court, Beaver, Pennsylvania.

Surgeon's Certificate in the case of Jacob Bupp, Co. G, 6th Reg't, Pa HA, Applicant for Increase, Certificate number 752533, examined March 29, 1893; Photocopy provided by NARA in the pension file for Jacob Bupp; citing Pension application files based upon service in the Civil War and Spanish-American War ("Civil War and Later"); Records Relating to Pension and Bounty-Land Claims 1773-1942, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15; 2,807 rolls, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Untitled," syndicated news column, The McCook Tribune (McCook, Nebraska), 5 May 1899, page 7; online images, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 21 September 2017), Historic American Newspapers; citing the University of Nebraska-Lincon Libraries, Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Hangman's Ropemaker: Patrick Fitzpatrick, the Last Hanging

"The County Controller yesterday issued a warrant for $25 to Alderman Jacob Bopp. It was in payment for the rope made with which to hang Patrick Fitzpatrick, the condemned murderer, who was to have been executed March 1. The Sheriff has not yet received official notice of the respite for 90 days granted Fitzpatrick."

~"Court Proceedings Condensed," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 26 February 1892, page 8

*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*

For the past five months, I have been researching every single hanging that Jacob Bupp was purported to have made the ropes for.  My research has taken me all over the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and even to Chicago and Washington, D.C. (figuratively).  I have spent hours pouring over news accounts and legal documents from various trials, and read countless stories about how murder affected the lives of so many in the nineteenth century.  This is the final hanging that Jacob Bupp made as a hangman's ropemaker.  (Don't worry though, there's still more blog posts to come, as he was alive until 1899 and still did a few things after this!)

A Fight Started It All

Samuel Early was a fifty year old roller employed at one of Carnegie's steel mills in Homestead. He had come into Pittsburgh and had spent the day of 2 September 1891 at  James Mulvihill's bar at the Phoenix Hotel on Eleventh Street in Downtown.  That night he had a quarrel with a man by the name of Patrick Fitzpatrick that he had never met before.  Witness could not say why the fight started, but it ended with the powerfully built native Englishman striking Fitzpatrick with his fist.  Fitzpatrick was escorted out of the bar by a couple of other patrons, and Early was handed his hat and ordered to leave by the barkeeper.  When he left the bar, Fitzpatrick was waiting in ambush and stabbed him in the groin with a knife.  The knife severed the femoral artery, which caused Early to bleed out in less than three minutes.

Patrick Fitzpatrick's likeness, as it appeared in the account of his hanging on the first page of the 24 May 1892 edition of  The Pittsburgh Press, found on Google News Archives

Fitzpatrick was immediately arrested.  He tried to assert it was self defense at first, but witnesses to the fight and aftermath later compelled him to admit that the self-defense story was a lie.  While Fitzpatrick had been drinking, police determined he was in full use of his senses.  He was described in papers as a medium sized Irishman of about 38 years old at the time of the incident and a known tramp.

His trial took place on 28 September 1891.  Eyewitnesses testified that they were present for the fight, and one saw Fitzpatrick strike Early but could not see the knife from his vantage point. Fitzpatrick's only defense was that he was too drunk to remember what had happened, but this was refuted by several eyewitnesses who stated he had his wits about him when he was apprehended.  Testimony was done by the end of the day and all that was left when court adjourned that night was for the jury to make their verdict, which they did the next morning.  Fitzpatrick was found guilty of second degree murder.

A motion for a new trial was made that day, but was overruled on 24 October 1891 and he was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of Samuel Early.  On 4 January 1892, Governor Pattison signed the death warrant for Patrick Fitzpatrick, fixing the hanging date on 1 March 1892.

In early February 1892, Jacob Bupp was given the contact to make the rope for the hanging.  Even though he was no longer Alderman for the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City, he was listed as such in an article giving details of Fitzpatrick's fate:

"The rope is being made by Alderman Bupp, of McClure avenue, Allegheny, who has been awarded contracts of the kind for many years, and is an adept in the manufacture of the hangman's rope." ("Fitzpatrick's Fate," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 18 February 1892, page 1)

Patrick Fitzpatrick's lawyers did not give up on the defense that he was too intoxicated to have committed first degree murder, so they appealed to the Pardon Board.  As a result, he was given a respite of ninety days so that the Pardon Board could have a hearing on the matter on 23 Feb 1892.  Even though he was respited, Allegheny County continued to make the arrangements for his hanging, and paid the $25 owed to Jacob for the rope.  It was his scaffold that was being erected that led the three Hungarian men, Andrew Toth, Michael Sabol and George Rusnock, to freak out while in jail in February 1892, thinking they were being hanged even as their sentences were being commuted.

While incarcerated and waiting for his death, Fitzpatrick suggested he was guilty of other crimes throughout the state. He also was reported to have stated that the fight started as a result of the old animosities between Ireland and England

On 14 May 1892, word was received by Fitzpatrick's lawyer that the Board of Pardons refused the application for commutation of the sentence, and an appeal was filed to the Supreme Court.  The Pittsburgh Dispatch reported that it was an "unusual move" since most cases appealed to the Supreme Court before the Board of Pardons.  The Supreme Court refused to intervene and the hanging was set for 24 May 1892.

Fitzpatrick was the first man to be hanged in the new city jail yard in Pittsburgh and the first man to be hanged in Allegheny County since Martin Weinberger eight years prior.  Very few people witnessed the execution, as Sheriff McCleary only issued about 45 passes. Fitzpatrick wore a suit of black, although he had requested a suit of Irish green, in honor of his native country.  At eleven in the morning he was escorted to the scaffold, and two priests prayed the litany of death for him.  It took eighteen minutes for Fitzpatrick to be pronounced dead.  He was buried afterwards in Calvary Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

This was Jacob Bupp's last hangman's rope, though he was listed as being occupied as a ropemaker in the 1893 directory for Pittsburgh and Allegheny City (which was beginning to be processed around the time of the hanging).  After Fitzpatrick's  hanging, Allegheny County decided to find a new ropemaker.  For the next hanging in the county, of Dennis Cloony in 1893,  they chose W. H. Robinson, the foreman for William Kerr's Sons, who constructed both the scaffold and the rope for the hanging.  In the same article that reported the new contract, this was stated:

"This is a departure from an old custom, 'Squire Jacob Bopp of Allegheny having made all the ropes for hanging people that have been used in this country for over 30 years. His last was that made for Patrick Fitzpatrick, who was hanged last summer. The change was made by Sheriff McCleary." ("Preparing the Scaffold," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 21 March 1893, page 2).

It was interesting to note that while hangings were still being used as a mode of execution as late as 1902 (keep in mind electrocution was beginning to come into use), the material used in them was changed from hemp to linen.  As The Pittsburgh Press reported in 1902 while discussing the hangings of Henry Taylor and Charles Davis:

"In this connection it is interesting to know that the ropes used in executions are not made of hemp. The old expression, "stretching hemp," is no longer literally correct. The old handspun hempen ropes are no longer manufactured in Allegheny county, and when Jacob Bopp, of McClure avenue, Allegheny, died, the use of that kind of ropes was done away with. Bopp was formerly a well known character. He made all the ropes used for executions in this and all other counties in Western Pennsylvania." ("Two Murderers Will Soon Hang," 22 June 1902, page 12)

Jacob Bupp's retirement marked an end of an era in ropemaking, and began a new chapter in his life.  Stay tuned for that!

Sources Used and Referenced
"A Murderous Knife," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 3 September 1891, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 August 2019).

"Another Hope Gone," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 15 May 1892, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 August 2019).

"Court Proceedings Condensed," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 26 February 1892, page 8; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 October 2017).

"Fitzpatrick Guilty," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 30 September 1891, page 10; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 August 2019).

"Fitzpatrick Respited," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 February 1892, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 August 2019).

"Fitzpatrick's Fate," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 18 February 1892, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 31 July 2019).

"Fixed for March," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 5 January 1892, 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 August 2019).

"Four Very Happy Murderers," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 26 February 1892, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : 28 october 2017 ).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1893/1894 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1893), 190, "Bupp Jacob, rope mkr, Shady ay, 11th wd, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

"Life for a Life," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 May 1892, page 1; online images, Google News (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 2 August 2019).

Loftquist, Bill. "Patrick Fitzpatrick," 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 2 August 2019).

"Murder by a Tramp," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 29 September 1891, page 8; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 August 2019).

"Murderer Sentences," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 October 1891, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 August 1892).

"Preparing the Scaffold," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 21 March 1893, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 October 2017).

"Two Murderers Will Soon Hang," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 22 June 1902, page 12; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 September 2017).