The Hangman's Ropemaker: Escape Artist: Eli Sheets

“ He made the rope that hung Eli Sheets, the only murderer ever hung in Beaver county.”

~ Line from the untitled death notice of Jacob Bupp, as in was printed in The Black Hills Union (Rapid City, South Dakota), 27 July 1900, page 7

Another documented hanging for which Jacob Bupp made a rope was for the hanging of Eli F. Sheets in Beaver, Pennsylvania.

*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*

Eli F. Sheets was described in local newspapers as being of solid build and a dark complexion with fair hair and a mark underneath his left eye, which looked “as if he had been struck”. He was an unsavory type of character, and was known as a troublemaker in his neighborhood of South Beaver Township. Sheets had been in trouble with the law numerous times, having been charged with burning barns, horse-thievery, and a number of other heinous acts. In 1862, he was only twenty years of age, so one might suggest he was merely a rebellious youth.

On 21 March 1862, John Ansley was brutally and coldly murdered in South Beaver Township near Darlington in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Ansley, when last seen alive, was asking for directions to Eli Sheets' house, as Sheets had traded Ansley a horse that was found to be stolen and Ansley was trying to confront him in regards to the stolen horse. As one can guess, the confrontation did not go well.

Ansley’s horse was apparently found first, lying dead in the road. Ansley’s dead body was found nearby, having been shot a total of six times; twice in the head, three times in the back and once through his right arm. It was the dead body of the horse that lead investigators back to the stable of Sheets and put Sheets under the suspicion of committing the crime.

Sheets was called to appear and testify before the coroner's jury at the time of the inquest into Ansley's death and failed to appear. He was then arrested on suspicion of murder, but managed to escape the officers assigned to arrest him while being taken to jail. A reward of 100 dollars was offered for information leading to his arrest and a massive manhunt was launched in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. He was arrested on 5 April 1862 while trying to cross the Ohio River at Wellsville, Ohio and brought back to Beaver under strong guard.

About 15 September 1862, Sheets was tried for murder in the Beaver County Courthouse in Beaver, Pennsylvania. His lawyers tried to prove an alibi, but the alibi was not strong. Sheets was found guilty of first degree murder. A motion was made for a new trial with four grounds:

1. Two horse shoes not given in evidence were without the knowledge or consent of the defendant sent out with the jury when they retired to form verdict 
2. Verdict not sustained by law and evidence 
3. The discovery of new and material evidence 
4. James C Ferguson juror while in the box was asleep

Source: A. Warner, History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania: Including Its Early Settlement, Its Erection Into a Separate County, Its Subsequent Growth and Development, Sketches of Its Boroughs, Villages and Townships (Chicago: Donohue and Henneberry, 1888), 186; electronic book, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=mdUwAQAAMAAJ&dq : accessed 9 January 2018).

It should be noted that this motion was thrown out by the court, thus validating the verdict of the jury.

In late October, Sheets managed to escape from the Beaver County jail by using a case knife to pry off his irons. At first, it was thought that Confederate spies had assisted him in escaping his cell and a reward of $500 was quickly offered. Another massive manhunt was launched. However, it was later discovered that he had help from the jailor, Daniel Dunbarington, and was found hiding in a house in the town, having never left the area. The house was owned by Mrs. Eliza Barker, the widow of a local doctor, and was near the river bank. Sheets was hiding under a bed.

Daniel Dunbarington was charged with aiding and abetting a criminal, but because he assisted in the recapture of Sheets the charges were dropped. Eliza Barker was charged with aiding and abetting for her role in harboring Sheets, but the charges were later thrown out, as it was determined she had no knowledge he was even in her home.

On 13 November 1862, the death sentence was issued for the first time in Beaver County when Eli Sheets was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of John Ansley. When asked if he had anything to say, Sheets responded that he was innocent of the murder. As he was being taken back to the jail after sentencing, he managed to escape his handcuffs and captors and ran a few hundred yards before being captured again.

At Christmastime 1862 into the new year of 1863, Eli Sheets refused to eat, going on a hunger strike. A newspaper article that ran in syndication across the county stated that officials were worried he would die from starvation and a physician was called in to assess his health. He maintained he was innocent of the murder of John Ansley and insisted he knew who did commit the murder, but refused to name the culprit.  His refusal to name who did kill John Ansley (if it really was not him) cast a great deal of doubt on his innocence.

On 10 April 1863, Eli Sheets was finally hanged in the jail yard at Beaver, Pennsylvania becoming the first ever person executed in that county. Forty people were witness to the execution, and over two hundred gathered outside the jailhouse to hear the news.

While Jacob Bupp was not listed as the manufacturer of the rope that hanged Eli Sheets in any of the papers at the time of the hanging, a later news account does list him as the rope’s maker.

Sources Used and Referenced:

“Barker Case Closed,” Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 28 November 1863, page 3, online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : Accessed 10 January 2018).

Bergner, George. The Legislative Record: Containing the Debates and Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Legislature for the Session of 1863 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Telegraph Steam Book and Job Office, 1863), 199; online images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=Jb06AQAAMAAJ&pg : accessed 20 March 2019).

"The Beaver County Murder," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 7 April 1862, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 January 2018).

"The Beaver County Murder: Conviction of Eli F. Sheets," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 25 September 1862, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 January 2018).

"Discovery of Sheets the Murderer - Treachery of the Jailor," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 30 October 1862, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 January 2018).

“The Execution of Eli F. Sheets at Beaver, Pa.” The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 11 April 1863, page 3, online images, (www.newspapers.com : Accessed 28 October 2017).

“Four Days Without Food,” Newbern Weekly Progress (New Bern, North Carolina), 04 February 1863, page 1, online images, Newspapers.com, (www.newspapers.com : accessed 10 January 2018).

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

"Murderer Sentenced," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 17 November 1862, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 January 2018).

"Untitled," The Black Hills Union (Rapid City, South Dakota), 27 July 1900, page 7; online images, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 21 September 2017), Historic American Newspapers; citing South Dakota State Historical Society-State Archives.

"Untitled," The Star and Enterprise (Newville, Pennsylvania), 3 April 1862, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 January 2017).

 Warner, A. History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania: Including Its Early Settlement, Its Erection Into a Separate County, Its Subsequent Growth and Development, Sketches of Its Boroughs, Villages and Townships (Chicago: Donohue and Henneberry, 1888), 186-187

The Hangman's Ropemaker: Charlotte Jones and Henry Fife, the Inhumane Murderers

"Among the first ones I made were those for Charlotte Jones and Henry Fife, who were executed together for murdering her uncle at McKeesport. They were the first ropes I made for Allegheny county. I think Sheriff John S. Steward hung them."

~ Source: Jacob J. Bupp in an interview given  in the syndicated news story, "Hangmen's Hemp"... the particular wording for this one comes from The Argus (Rock Island, Illinois), 9 August 1886, page 2.

The first documented ropes Jacob Bupp made were for a double hanging that took place on 12 February 1858 in the city jail yard at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

*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*

Source: Headline from "Execution of Henry Fife and Charlotte Jones for the Murders of George Wilson and Elizabeth M'Masters," The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, West Virginia), 13 February 1858, page 3, found on Newspapers.com

The criminals hanged that day were Charlotte Jones and Henry Fife. Jones and Fife were sentenced to death by hanging for the murders of George Wilson and Elizabeth Wilson McMasters, who were the uncle and aunt of Charlotte Jones.

George Wilson was a man with a tight-fisted reputation and a stash of coins and money.  Elizabeth Wilson McMasters was his sister who lived with him in his home in Elizabeth Township, just outside McKeesport.   The home a little cabin in a hollow, near Gamble's Landing on the bank of the Monongahela River.  They had lived in the house for years.  George worked as a laborer, making wooden pins for coal boats.  Elizabeth, having been widowed, kept house for him.  Both were in their seventies.

Charlotte Jones was born 5 June 1831 in Elizabeth Township to William Jones and Sarah Wilson, making George Wilson and Elizabeth Wilson McMasters her maternal uncle and aunt.  She moved around, living with various family members, and was known to have had loose morals, having taken up with several men before meeting Henry Fife.

Henry Fife was born on 4 March 1836 to Thomas Fife and Elizabeth Fullon in Montreal, Canada.  His parents hailed from Longford, Ireland.  He was a drifter and a shoemaker and had met Charlotte Jones the year before the murders.  The two of them had claimed they had been married, though they later admitted they were not.

There had been some suspicion that the couple was involved in the murder of Samuel H. White, who was killed in March 1857 in Hickory, Pennsylvania (a murder that apparently was never solved).  This happened while the couple was living with members of Charlotte's family.  It was around the time of that murder that Charlotte's brother, William told Charlotte that their uncle had upwards of $1000 saved up in his cabin near McKeesport.  Hearing this, a plan was hatched to rob the couple.  Jones and Fife intended to elope with the money, using it to finally make their common-law union a legal marriage.

Charlotte went to visit her aunt and uncle, under the guise of staying with them while Fife looked for work.  She admitted in her confession that she detested her aunt for reasons not given, but had little to say about her uncle. The plan was to poison the couple, but Jones could not find a druggist that would give her the poison.

Sometime overnight 30 April to 1 May 1857 the elderly brother and sister were killed. George had been stabbed multiple times, while Elizabeth had been beaten to death with a poker.  A report regarding the scene stated as follows:

"The body of the old man lay upon the back, near the front door. Three deadly stabs penetrated the breast.  The old woman lay upon her face, near her own bed and close to the back door - there being but one room in the house.  Her head had been broken in, and part of the brains had oozed out from the skull.  There was evidence of a fearful struggle. One hand was terribly hacked, and it still grasped the blade of one of her own case-knives, which had evidently been snapped from the handle in the death-struggle.  An iron poker, containing upon one end gray hairs matted with blood and brains, was found upon the floor."

~ Source: Lives and Confessions of Henry Fife and Charlotte Jones: Under Sentence of Death for the Murder of Geo. Wilson and Elizabeth M'Masters : Together With a History of the Case, and the Statement of Monroe Stewart (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Hunt and Milner, 1857), 8; online images, University of Pittsburgh, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 March 2019).

 Amongst the carnage was found a chest that had been broken into.  It was this chest that had held the wealth George Wilson had amassed.  After breakfasting the next morning with Jones, Fife buried the gold and money on the banks of the Youghiogheny River, intending to retrieve it at a later date.

Some accounts state that Jones was the first to report the murders.  Other accounts state a neighboring girl, sent on an errand to the Wilson cabin stumbled upon the gruesome scene and alerted authorities.  Whichever account is true,it was soon determined that Charlotte Jones was one of the perpetrators in the crime, having acted in such a way that the authorities deemed suspicious.  Suspicion was then cast upon Fife, as Charlotte claimed he was her husband.

A third man, Monroe Stewart, was also implicated in the crimes, having been seen in Fife's company shortly before the crimes were allegedly taking place.  Stewart was a shoemaker, and had been both a friend and roommate of Fife’s.  He had apparently had urged Fife to cut Jones loose, believing that Jones would bring Fife to ruin.

Henry Fife, Charlotte Jones and Monroe Stewart
Source: engraving on the first page of the Lives and Confessions of Henry Fife and Charlotte Jones: Under Sentence of Death for the Murder of Geo. Wilson and Elizabeth M'Masters : Together With a History of the Case, and the Statement of Monroe Stewart (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Hunt and Milner, 1857), found online at Historic Pittsburgh

The three were taken to Pittsburgh by rail, and all three were interrogated.  Neither man gave any statement, but Jones stated that her brother William and his friend had committed the murders, which lead to their brief incarceration.

The next day, Jones gave a confession which had implicated her lover and Stewart.  Because Stewart had been urging Fife to cast Charlotte aside (and that made her spiteful), Jones incriminated him, saying Stewart had forced her to take part in the crime.  She stated she was fearful for her life and for the lives of her aunt and uncle, whose lives she stated she was trying to save.  She also amended the statement she had given the day before, saying her brother and his friend were innocent, although she did admit her brother had told her how rich their uncle was.

After a sensational eleven day trial, Henry Fife, Charlotte Jones, and Monroe Stewart were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death by hanging on 11 July 1857.  Death warrants for the three were signed on 14 December 1857 by Gov. James Pollock.

According to Henry Fife's confession given just before his hanging, Monroe Stewart was innocent.  He also testified that while it was originally Jones' plan to do away with her aunt and uncle, she had tried to persuade him not to go through with it the night of the murders.   Charlotte Jones also gave a confession exonerating Stewart in the deaths, claiming she was angry with him for trying to split her and Henry Fife up.  Stewart was later pardoned by the governor of Pennsylvania.

Charlotte Jones and Henry Fife both expired 14 February 1858 in the city jail yard in Pittsburgh. The night before the execution, it was said that Fife was quite calm, expressing a weariness to get on with the end his life.  Jones spent the night weeping and praying. At 2 o'clock, the couple ascended the gallows for their execution.  They were prayed over by Jones' minister, allowed shots of liquor, and kissed each other fervently for the last time before the hoods of calico were donned and the ropes were put about their necks.  According to accounts, it took a bit for them to finally die.  Their bodies were taken charge of by Charlotte's sister, Mrs. Wolf.  Per a request made by Charlotte, the couple was buried together somewhere in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Monroe Stewart was pardoned by the governor, but contracted smallpox before being released from prison and died in the prison hospital.

While Jacob Bupp was not mentioned as the maker of the hanging ropes in the news accounts of the day, later interviews that he gave with newspaper reporters mentioned the fact that he made the ropes with which the two were hanged.  In fact, the only mention at the time of the hangings about the ropes was the following:

"This instrument of death was completely and artistically (and therefore mercifully) constructed. The ropes were made to run on pullies. The drop was drawn by a falling lever placed about fifteen feet to the rear of the scaffold, and connected with it by ropes."

~ Source: "The Execution of Henry Fife and Charlotte Jones," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 13 February 1858, page 2

The money that had been buried by Fife on the banks of the Youghiogheny River in McKeesport was unearthed by a pair of young boys digging caves in 1880. The story made the paper, not only because of the discovery, but also because the money was then stolen by a tramp with red hair.

Sources Used or Referenced

Ancestry.com, "1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 March 2019), Entry for George WIlson and household, Year: 1850, Census Place: Reserve Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M432_744, Page: 277B, and Image: 561.

"The Execution of Henry Fife and Charlotte Jones," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 13 February 1858, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 September 2017).

"Execution of Henry Fife and Charlotte Jones for the Murders of George Wilson and Elizabeth M'Masters," The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, West Virginia), 13 February 1858, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 September 2017).

"Hangmen's Hemp," syndicated news story, The Argus (Rock Island, Illinois), 9 August 1886, page 2; online images, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 21 September 2017), Historic American Newspapers; citing University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL.

"Horrible Murder in Elizabeth Township," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania),2 May 1857, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 17 October 2017).

Lofquist, Bill. "Henry Fife, Charlotte Jones, and Monroe Stewart." State Killings in the Steel City: The History of the Death Penalty in Pittsburgh, 2 February 2018. https://state-killings-in-the-steel-city.org/2018/02/02/henry-fife-charlotte-jones-and-monroe-stewart/ : 2019.

“Murderers’ Booty,” The Sun (New York, New York),  19 June 1880, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 Dec 2017)

"The Pardon of Monroe Stewart," The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), 1 March 1858, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 October 2017).

Segrave, Kerry. Women and Capital Punishment in America, 1840–1899: Death Sentences and Executions in the United States and Canada. Jefferson, North Carolina: Mcfarland and Company, 2008. 31-32.

Uher, Richard. Glassdoor Development. Glassport, Pennsylvania: Hollows, Creeks, and Coal Mines. 24 August 2008. http://www.glassportdevelopmentcorp.org/historyweb/glassHollows.htm : 2019.

The Hangman's Rope Maker: Jacob Bupp's Young Adulthood (Part Two: Allegheny County and Fatherhood)

“Mr. Bupp was found to be a very genial individual, and he took great pleasure in explaining how, and of what, a hangman's rope is made."

~"Making Nine Ropes," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 31 March 1890, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016). This interview was syndicated and ran in multiple newspapers, sometimes with slight variations, around the country in 1890.

*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*

Little is known about Jacob Bupp between the time his father went bankrupt and 1850.  It could be surmised that the family relied on friends and family in the area, as mother Susan died in York in 1850, but nothing is certain at this point until further research is able to find something.

It is unclear when Jacob moved from York to Allegheny County, or if he resided in any other counties on his westward trek, but by 1850, he had established himself as a rope maker in what was then the Spring Garden Valley area of Reserve Township, just north of what was then Allegheny City. 

The Spring Garden Valley was settled predominately by German immigrants, though some of the early settlers were Swiss as well. A creek ran through the valley and was called Butcher’s Run. The area was known for manufacturing, and an 1851 map of the area showed a ropewalk, or a rope manufacturing warehouse, along Spring Garden Road. It is possible that Jacob worked for this ropewalk, though it is not known for certain.

A very interesting article on rope making and the only traditional ropewalk still in existence today can be found at "How rope is made at the only traditional working ropewalk in the world."

Ropemaking in the nineteenth century was hard work.  The machine used to make rope then was a kind of a spinning wheel from which the rope maker had to walk backwards carrying the spun material.  The ropemaker had to first spin the yarns, or plies, which would make up the rope, and then make the rope itself by twisting the yarns together on the same machine.  To make a rope that was one inch in diameter and about 100 yards, the rope maker had to walk a mile or more backwards.  It was backbreaking and physically exhausting work.

Jacob lived in Spring Garden with his young bride Caroline. Enumerated as sharing the dwelling was the family of John May or Huey, born in Germany. It is not clear if they were just merely lodging in the same building, or if John May/Huey is perhaps related in some way to Caroline, as his age and the age of his presumed wife Catherine indicate they are old enough to be Caroline’s parents.

Caroline Huy was born about February 1829. Her European origin and her parentage are both unclear, although most documents point to her birthplace being somewhere in the Rhine region, possibly in Alsace, or maybe Baden. Her middle name may have been Elizabeth, however the only document in which this is listed is her son-in-law’s biography, so it is possible that it was concocted, as biographies from late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were often embellished and exaggerated. 

According to the 1900 census, she immigrated to the United States in the year 1833, but further research has not been able to verify or disprove that fact. Even the spelling of her surname is not precise, as some documents, mainly those for the couple’s children, list her surname as Huey or Hooey as well. How or when Jacob and Caroline met is also a mystery.

What is known for certain is that the couple married at First German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania on 4 July 1849, as there was an affidavit proving marriage included in the Civil War pension file of Jacob Bupp. The minister who married them was Rev. C. G. Friedrich. 

Affidavit of Marriage Record for Jacob Bupp and Caroline Huy from First German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church filed 15 April 1898; Photocopy provided by NARA in the pension file for Jacob Bupp.

The First German Evangelical Lutheran St. John’s Church was the first German Lutheran church established in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania and was at the corner of Chestnut Street and Carpenter Alley at the time the couple was married. While for awhile in the latter part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century and the church was one of the most successful German Lutheran churches in the greater Pittsburgh area, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church no longer exists, having merged in 1972 with another local Lutheran Church to become Brighton Heights Lutheran Church.

A year after Jacob and Caroline married, their first child, William Henry Bupp, was born. Because the couple was enumerated in Reserve Township just three months prior, it is highly probable that William was born there on 7 July 1850. The family lived on Spring Garden Road for several years and it is possible that there may have been either a few children who died young or a few miscarriages. A child, Alice, is named in a son-in-law’s biography in 1915, so it is possible she was born during this time frame. The couple’s next child to survive to adulthood, a daughter, Emma Sarah, was added to their family in Allegheny County on 27 December 1855, five years after William’s birth. Another daughter, Elizabeth H., was born 8 July 1857, though it is not known what the H. in her name stood for.

On 23 March 1856, Jacob was elected as a judge in Reserve Township, but it is not known how long he served as judge or what his duties were. The fact that he was elected as judge does demonstrate that he was well-known in the community and likely had some sort of social standing.

In the 1860 Federal Census, the family of Jacob Bupp was enumerated as living in the post office area of Perrysville in Ross Township, but the family actually continued to live on Spring Garden Road, which was roughly five miles southeast of Perrysville and almost in Reserve Township. Other families enumerated near them on the census also show up on an 1862 map of Allegheny County in this same area. According to the census, the family did not own property, but Jacob was listed as a ropemaker by trade, likely still working in the ropewalk along Spring Garden Road in Reserve Township, and William had attended school in the previous year. All of Jacob and Caroline’s children were accounted for up to this point, as daughter Catherine was born on 17 September 1859, just nine months before the enumeration.

Jacob likely became well known because of his rope making. He stated in a syndicated newspaper interview later in his life that his first hanging rope was made in 1840 for the hanging of William Miller in Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, but there is little evidence to either support or refute this statement. Some newspaper accounts from the syndication even state that the hanging was done to a “Mrs. William Miller,” though the “Mrs.” could be an embellishment or a typo. Further research will need to be done to determine if this hanging even did exist.

Two different versions of the SAME syndicated article that ran from 1886-1887 nation and world-wide
Top source (darker text): "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).
Bottom source (lighter text):  "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).

Interestingly enough, Jacob Bupp is listed in the Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1862-1863 as a laborer instead of a rope maker, though most directories that he is listed in for the time period do state that he was indeed a rope maker.

The next blog will focus on his first documented hanging, a sensational murder of a elderly couple.

Sources Used or Referenced:

"1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 August 2016), entry for Jacob Bupp, Year: 1850, Census Place: Reserve Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M432_744, Page: 277B, and Image: 561.

"1860 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 August 2016), Year: 1860, Census Place: Ross Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M653_1064, Page: 653, Image: 194, and Family History Library Film: 805064.

"1900 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 August 2016), entry for George W. Wasson and family, Year: 1900, Census Place: Allegheny Ward 11 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1357, Page: 1B, Enumeration District: 0089, and FHL microfilm: 1241357.

Affidavit of Marriage Record for Jacob Bupp and Caroline Huy from First German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church filed 15 April 1898; 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.

The Allegheny City Society. Images of America: Allegheny City 1840-1907. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2007.

Beers, F.W. and Beers, S. N. Map of Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania : from actual surveys (Philadelphia: Smith, Gallupp and Hewitt, 1862); digital image, Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division (https://www.loc.gov/item/2012592151/ : accessed 23 November 2017)

Cushing, Thomas. History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: including its early settlement and progress to the present time; a description of its historic and interesting localities ; its cities, towns and villages ; religious, educational, social and military history ; mining manufacturing and commercial interests ; improvements, resources, statistics, etc. Also portraits of its prominent men, and biographies of many of its representative citizens, vol. 1 (Chicago, IL: A. Warner & Co., 1889), 282-283, (https://archive.org/details/historyofalleghe1889cush : accessed November 16, 2017).

Directory for 1856-1857 of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities: Birmingham, East Birmingham, south & west Pittsburgh, Temperanceville, Manchester, Duquesne and Lawrenceville boroughs, East Liberty, and parts of Pitt and Collins Township (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: George H. Thurston, 1856), 171, "Bopp Jacob, ropemaker, Spring Garden Road"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://digital.library.pitt.edu : accessed 16 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1862-1863 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1862), 38; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org/collection/historic-pittsburgh-city-directories : accessed 16 August 2016).

Floyd, Charlie. "How rope is made at the only traditional working ropewalk in the world." Insider. 16 November 2018. Online. https://www.thisisinsider.com : 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).

Horn, Alyse. "Spring Garden, A Historic Northside Neighborhood," The Northside Chronicle (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 29 December 2016; online archives (http://www.thenorthsidechronicle.com : accessed 5 January 2018).

Jordan, John W. Genealogical and personal history of western Pennsylvania, Volume 3 (New York, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), page 1661; online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/genealogicalpers03jord : accessed 16 November 2017.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 August 2016), Entry for Catherine Happstein, died 7 Feb 1943, certificate number 20001; Date of birth on certificate is one year off, as she was born in 1859 according to census; 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 20 August 2016), Entry for Elizabeth H Farley, died 18 Dec 1943, certificate number 119132. 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 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.

Prem, Al.  “History - St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church.” Allegheny River Family Archives. (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njm1/03stjohnhistory.htm ; accessed 21 October 2017)

Rooney, Dan and Peterson, Carol, Allegheny City: A History of Pittsburgh’s North Side, (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2013)

"Rural Elections," Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 March 1856, page 3, online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 September 2017).

Sidney, J., Neff, J., and McRea, S, Map of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, with the names of property-holders : from actual surveys (Philadelphia and Allegheny City: S. Moody, 1851); digital image, Library of Congress (http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3823a.la000699 : accessed 5 January 2018).

The Hangman’s Rope-Maker: The Story of Jacob Bupp (Part One: His Beginnings)

“A hangman's rope is made of four parts, one of which is used as the heart and the other three are twisted around it.  When it is finished it is perfectly round and smooth and is about 9-16 of an inch in thickness. These ropes are usually made from 25 to 30 feet in length. It requires 21 feet to perform the execution properly, and the surplus is always in case of accident resulting in a break. The knot is tied by the man who makes the rope, so that the executioner has nothing to do but slip the loop over the culprit’s head.”

~ Jacob Bupp, in an interview, "Making Nine Ropes," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 31 March 1890, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016). This interview was syndicated and ran in multiple newspapers, sometimes with slight variations, around the country in 1890.

All men are mortals, but some become legends, even if it is only to their descendants. There are many characters in my family tree, but few have ever fascinated me as my great-great-great grandfather Jacob Bupp has.  You see, Jacob Bupp was a maker of ropes, and he was quite proud that he specialized in making ropes for hangmen.

The very idea that he was the creator of so many instruments of death has always made me wonder what kind of man what he, what kind of grit and determination did he have to be able to look so many men in the face, knowing he was the maker of their demise?

*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*

Beginnings

Every legend starts with a beginning, and Jacob Bupp’s beginning is no different.  He was born in York, Pennsylvania on or about 23 December 1823 and was christened 18 March 1824 at Christ Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania.  Because spelling of his surname often varied, he was referred to as Jacob Bopp on a number of differing documents, and on one document as Jacob Bobb.  

Jacob’s father, John Bopp, was a brickmaker by trade.  According to a deed from York County, John was from Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Because of his last name, and the fact that he spoke German, it is distinctly possible that the Bopp family was Pennsylvania German in origin, and likely Mennonite by religious affiliation.  This theory is supported by the fact that John Bopp had a few advertisements in a German language newspaper and late nineteenth century newspaper accounts of Jacob Bupp being a German.

However, since the borough of Mount Joy was founded by protestant Scots-Irish settlers before the American Revolution, there is a possibility of that heritage as well, though it may be diluted.  Research has not determined John Bopp’s parentage although there are a few possibilities to explore, as there are a few Bopp/Bobb families in the area surrounding Mount Joy around the time of his estimated birth.

Susan Pentz or Bentz, Jacob’s mother, was the daughter of Elizabeth King, though her father’s name is not known, nor is the spelling of her surname absolutely certain.  Little is known about her early life, although what is known is that she had a brother, Daniel, and a sister, Elizabeth, who later married John Crone.

Elizabeth King, Jacob’s maternal grandmother, was a sister of Dr. Adam King, a well known medical doctor and Congressman from the borough of York.  She was born 10 August 1773 and baptized 7 September 1773 at Trinity Reformed Church in York, Pennsylvania.  She was one of several children born to Phillip Jacob King and his wife Catharina. While not much is known about Elizabeth’s life, there is a great deal known about Adam King.

Family Legacy: Dr. Adam King

Dr. Adam King was the maternal grand-uncle of Jacob Bupp, and was the son of Philip Jacob King (Koenig in German) and Catharina.  He was born as Johann Adam King on 20 January 1783 and baptized 10 September 1783 at Trinity Reformed Church in York, Pennsylvania, the same church as his elder sister.  

Johann Adam King was known as Adam, as he followed the German tradition of a Rufname (everyday name) as a middle name. He grew up in York, but studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, presumably right before the War of 1812.  He took up practicing medicine in and around the borough of York.

There is a  high probability that he served briefly during the War of 1812 as a corporal in Captain Michael Spangler’s regiment of the Pennsylvania Militia, as a militiaman by that name was indeed listed on the roster for that company from York County, Pennsylvania, but it is not certain if it is indeed the same Adam King, though a veteran’s burial card for him exists on Ancestry.com.

In 1818, Adam King became one of the editors of The York Gazette, a German and English newspaper in York, Pennsylvania.  For a time, he worked with a man by the name of Walsh, but in April 1829, an announcement ran in another newspaper that that editorial partnership was dissolved and Adam King went into business with George A. Barnitz.  According to several sources, he remained the editor of the paper until his death in 1835.

Because he was probably well known, and thus likely well liked in the area, he ran for United States Congress representing the district of York, Pennsylvania in October 1826 as a Jacksonian Democrat. An untitled article in The National Gazette states that he was a friend of General Andrew Jackson, although it is not known if that meant they were actual friends, or if it was meant to indicate that the two men were in the same political party.  Adam King was re-elected to his seat in 1828, and then again in October 1830 by a total of 2947 votes, defeating William McIlvain, who had 2080 votes.  In early 1832, he voted against rechartering the Bank of the United States in 1832, which cost him re-election that year, as the National Bank’s charter was a popular issue.  Charles A. Barnitz succeeded him as Congressman from York County.

Adam King returned to his home in York, Pennsylvania and resumed the practice of medicine for the remainder of his life. For reasons unknown, however, he committed suicide by hanging on 6 May 1835.  One of his obituaries read:

“'The motive of this melancholy act remains a mystery. He was rich, respected, and had before him a career of usefulness and honor. It is not alleged that he was suffering under temporary derangement, and no cause is assigned which can explain this act of fatal desperation.”

~ Source: "Suicide," The Liberator (Boston, Massachusetts), 23 May 1835, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 December 2017).

Because he had no heirs, his property was divided amongst his siblings and their heirs, including Elizabeth King’s surviving children, Elizabeth, Daniel and Susan Bentz.  He was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, Pennsylvania

Early Life of Jacob Bupp

John Bopp and Susan Pentz or Bentz married at Christ Lutheran Church in York on 18 January 1821.  Six children were born to the couple, according to transcribed records readily available at FamilySearch; Elizabeth, Rebecca, Jacob, William, Helena, Sarah and Elnora.  Whether or not other children were born to the family as well remains to be seen.  Jacob was born the eldest known son and the third oldest known child.

One thing known for certain is that John Bopp briefly owned a tract of land in the borough of York.  He bought the land from Eli Lewis in 1829 for $1000, or roughly $23000 in the market of 2016. At this tract of land, the family was enumerated in the 1830 census, with young Jacob being one of two free white males ages five to nine.  Jacob’s younger brother William was presumably the other one listed.

However, the land did not stay in the possession of the family for long.  John Bopp incurred an amount of debts to a number of persons, and in November of 1832 all of his properties, except those allowed to insolvent debtors, had been deeded over to Jacob Hantz (or Haus) for the price of $1 as per a judgement entered into the Court of the Common Pleas entered 1 November 1832.  Because a number of people owed John Bopp money, presumably from his brickmaking business, an advertisement was taken out in the local paper, York Gazette, which translated from German read:

The books of John Bopp, brick maker, have been given into the hands of the final officer, by Assignee Major Jacob Hantz, for collection. All those who are guilty in said books are requested to pay before the first of January, thereby saving expenses.

~ Source: “Anzeige”  announcement, York Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), 29 November 1833, page 3; online archive, Newspapers.com, (www.newspapers.com: accessed 2 November 2017). German to English translation done by Ron Hochstetler.

The money that Susan Bentz Bopp inherited from her uncle Adam King’s estate was also transferred to Jacob Hantz to help pay for the debt of the family, as indicated by a deed from York County.  This injustice was due to the way Pennsylvania law was before 1848, in that it allowed that a wife’s property could be taken to settle her husband’s debts. This event had to have been devastating to the family, and to ten year old Jacob in particular, this was likely a very strong memory and turning point in his young life.

There is little information to suggest what happened to Jacob Bupp or his family after the bankruptcy of his father.  The family has not yet been located on the 1840 census, though there are some listings for Bupps in the area.

Susan is listed in the registers of Trinity United Church of Christ in York, Pennsylvania as having attended church there from Easter 1845 until 1847.  She died in May of 1850 in the South Ward of York, Pennsylvania, and on the mortality schedule for the 1850 census, on which she is listed, she is listed as being a widow, so the presumption is John Bopp died sometime before May 1850.  No death records have been located for him, however, as death certificates were not often used before the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania made them mandatory in 1906.

The next installment will discuss Jacob's life in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Sources and References:

"1830 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 October 2017), entry for John Bopp and household, 1830, Census Place: York York, Pennsylvania, Series: M19, Roll: 160, Page: 369, and Family History Library Film: 0020634.

"Editorial Changes," Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), 15 April 1829, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 December 2017).

Frey, J., "Johann Adam King," Strine & Yessler Families of York County, PA, (http://jsfecmd.info/strineweb-p/p489.htm : accessed November 13, 2017)

“History” Mount Joy Borough, 2015, (http://mountjoyborough.com/about/history/ : accessed 7 November 2017)

O'Brian, Charles. "The Growth in Pennsylvania of the Property Rights of Married Women." University of Pennsylvania Law Review 49 (3). Online archive. University of Pennsylvania Law School Legal Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/penn_law_review

“Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Dec 2017). Entry for Elizabeth Koenig, baptized 7 September 1773, Transcribed records of Trinity Reformed Church, York, York, Pennsylvania, transcription done by Henry James Young 1935.

“Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Dec 2017). Entry for Johann Adam Koenig, baptized 10 September 1783, Transcribed records of Trinity Reformed Church, York, York, Pennsylvania, transcription done by Henry James Young 1935

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com, Entry for Susan Bopp in the church attendance records of Trinity United Church of Christ, 1845-1847, York, Pennsylvania; reel 700 of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's records. image 224 of 502.

"Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2J9-LXH : accessed 9 December 2014), entry for Jacob Bobb, 18 Mar 1824; Christening, citing Christ Lutheran Church, York, York, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm Q974.841 Y1 V2Y V5-6.

"Pennsylvania Marriages, 1709-1940," database online, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 13 August 2016), Entry for John Bopp and Susan Benns Or Bentz, 1821; citing Christ Lutheran Church,York,York,Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm 1,320,516.

"Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 4 November 2017), York > Orphans' Court dockets 1849-1852 vol X > pages 593-594 (images 342 and 343), entry for Adam King; citing county courthouses in Pennsylvania.

“Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012” database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 December 2017), Entry for Adam King, died 7 May 1835; citing Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1929-1990; Series Number: Series 1.

"To the Editors," letter to the editor, Newbern Spectator (New Bern, North Carolina), 19 October 1832, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 December 2017).

"Untitled article, The National Gazette (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 16 October 1826, page 2, online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 10 December 2017).

"U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885," database, Ancestry.com, entry for Susan Bupp; National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Non-Population Census Schedules for Pennsylvania, 1850-1880: Mortality; Archive Collection: M1838; Archive Roll Number: 2; Census Year: 1850; Census Place: York South Ward, York, Pennsylvania; Page: 947.

"Wahl Bericht von York County," election report, York Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), 22 October 1830, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 December 2017).

“War of 1812 Service Record Index,” database online, Fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 06 Dec 2017), Entry for Corporal Adam King, 1st Pennsylvania Militia; citing “Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the War of 1812, compiled 1899 - 1927, documenting the period 1812 - 1815. Microfilm publication number M602. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.

Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume 1607-1896 (Chicago, Illinois: Marquis - Who's Who, Incorporated, 1963). 294, Entry for Adam King

York County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 3K: 279-280, Eli Lewis and Rebekah his wife to John Bopp, 6 March 1829; FHL microfilm 22122.

York County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 3M; Page 90, John Bopp to Jacob Hantz, 30 November 1832; FHL microfilm 22123.

York County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 3N: page 413, John Bupp and Susan his wife to Jacob Hantz, 13 May 1835; FHL microfilm 22123.