This is a "Chasing the Elusive" in that I don't know what happened to my third-great-grandfather, but it is also a story that has been passed down through the family.
This blog post is on the first Burris Doudney Wood in the family. He named a son Burris Doudney, and he also had a nephew named for him.... the nephew became the famous steamboat captain Burris D. Wood who died in 1902. Burris' son, Burris Doudney Jr. also disappeared mysteriously and is a "Chasing the Elusive" in his own right.
Anyway, I should start at the beginning.
Burris Doudney Wood was the ninth child and second son born to Abinah Belford Wood and Susannah Humphreys, and their last child to be born in New Jersey. He was born 9 November 1815, probably in Cumberland County, as Abinah did own land in Greenwich Township there, but it is not known for sure. What is known is Burris made his way to Franklin, Fayette County, Pennsylvania with the family, and was enumerated on a federal census there in 1820 as the free white son under the age of ten in the household of "Biney Woods."
By 1830, the family was living in Saint Clair Township, just south of Pittsburgh, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Burris was again enumerated in the household of Abinah Wood (Ancestry has him listed as Anich) as one of two males aged 10-14 in the household. (Burris' brother David was listed as the other one).
*Side note here - until 1850, the only people listed on the Census Enumerations were the heads of the households.... everyone else was tallied as a person living in the household, so it makes for interesting research sometimes.*
Burris married Miss Julia Blackford (or Blachford) on 1 May 1838 likely in Allegheny County, as he was living there, but the couple could have been in the neighboring Washington County, where Julia was supposedly born. No records exist to prove this date as the marriage except for what I like to call "the Wood Book" in my research - it's actual title is History and Genealogy of the Descendants of Abinah wood and Susannah Humphreys. The family is listed as "Wood Family III" for those interested. Julia was born sometime between 1815 and 1817 in the aforementioned Washington County according to family stories,though not much is known about her parentage. She may have been the daughter of a John Blackford but that is just hypothetical at this point, so I don't have parentage listed for her.
At any rate, the couple lived in Mifflin Township, Allegheny County, according to the household enumeration done in 1840 for the federal census. Mifflin Township was south and slightly east of what is now present day Pittsburgh. It was east of Saint Clair Township at the time Burris lived there and most of the people who lived in the area were shipbuilders (Family stories suggest Burris got his start as a shipbuilder). Burris was enumerated directly after his brother-in-law John Arehart (who married Emma Wood), which suggests that they were neighbors. Enumerated in his household was himself, Julia, and their infant daughter, Eliza (or Elizabeth).
In 1842, the couple moved their small family, which by this time also had a son, John Devender (born 23 April 1841) to Lower Saint Clair Township, as Burris had bought property on Brownsville Plank Road. The land he purchased was bought from Alfred Verner for $150 on 2 Jul 1842, and it is assumed the family lived here for a time. Brother David ought land that bordered it. However, Burris (and David) apparently went into debt with Verner in 1846, as the land was seized and sold in a sheriff's sale. Burris was able to buy the land back in 1847, but had also bought two other properties that year, a parcel of land at the corner of Carson Street and Joseph Street as well as a parcel of land at Clifton and Joseph Street, both in East Birmingham, Allegheny County. It is not known exactly which property the family lived at.
By 1850, when the family was enumerated again on the federal census living in East Birmingham and where Burris was listed in the local directory as a Justice of the Peace on Joseph Street, the couple had nearly completed their family with the births of their next four children. Reumah Anne was born 14 Jan 1843. Margaret M. was born 18 June 1844. William W. was born sometime in 1847 and the aforementioned son Burris Doudney was born 27 May 1849. All six children (including Eliza and John) were enumerated along with Burris and Julia on the census.
Also in 1850 Burris purchased one more property, having sold off the rest of his properties. This parcel of land was situated on Wharton Street and Joseph Street in East Birmingham. He only owned this land for a little over a year, selling it in June 1851. It is not know where the family moved, though it is likely the remained in East Birmingham and rented.
In 1852, just after the birth of the couple's final son, George W Wood (born 1 April 1852), Burris had to deal with a legal issue. He and one Francis Sellers were plaintiffs in a case against William C. Aughinbaugh and James Moore. There was an action of trespass on the case for the recovery of $200 for work and labor done by Burris and Sellers. The case went to the jury on 6 May 1852 and Wood and Sellers received $101.06.
For one reason or another, Burris decided that life in Allegheny County no longer suited his family. Because this was the heyday of the steamships, and he had connections to shipbuilding, he decided he was going to pack up his family and moved to Saint Louis, Missouri, which was a hub of activity. Sometime in the spring of 1854, he traveled via boat to Saint Louis, intent on finding a place for his family to live. On 10 May 1854 he sent a telegram back to East Birmingham instructing his wife and children, who were packing for the move, to stay in East Birmingham until he sent for them.
It was the last message the family ever received.
Theories as to what happened to him abound. Family members who were interviewed after the fact were adamant that he did not abandon his family and that he had to have been murdered. He did have the family's fortune on him, and apparently was involved somehow in another lawsuit, though nothing has come to light in regards to any other legal matters. Nothing has ever been proven as to what happened to him after 10 May 1854, which has been listed as his death date ever since.
I have been searching fruitlessly ever since discovering this story early in my research. So far, while certain clues have emerged, nothing can cement any theory. I did search the Deed record index in St. Louis, Missouri to see if there was any record of property bought there, but nothing was recorded. Burris' name was used in connection with an advertisement for Genuine Holland Bitters, which ran in local area newspapers as late as 1858 and beyond. These refer to him as "Mr. B. D. Wood late Justice of the Peace, East Birmingham, P[ennsylvani]a." Perhaps something was amiss?
Julia, back in East Birmingham, was left with seven children under the age of 15. Family stories gathered through the years suggest that after Burris mysteriously disappeared in 1854, Julia was penniless. She was also left to raise her family by herself and ended up making ends meet by working small odd jobs, such as cleaning and laundry, until her children were old enough to support her. She resided in a boarding house on Washington near Main in Birmingham in 1857 listed as a widow, but had moved to Temperanceville by 1860, likely to be closer to Burris' sisters Susannah Wood Ainsworth and Elizabeth Wood Shaffer, as both of them were living there already.
As was contemporary for the time, Julia relied on her sons to survive, residing with John, William, Burris and George at one point or another throughout the rest of her life. What is fascinating is that she was listed as "Mrs. Woods", a widow living by herself on the 1880 census enumeration.
For the final three weeks of her life, she did live with daughter Reumah at 40 South Diamond Street in Allegheny City. She died there on 25 October 1885 from bronchial pneumonia. One of her obituaries lists that she died at son John's home, but the death registration itself gives Reumah's address as where she died. After a funeral at son John's home four days later, she was buried in section B, lot number 73, grave number 3 at Highwood Cemetery in what is now Pittsburgh.
Sources Used:
"1820 United States Federal Census," online database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 July 2016), Entry for Biney Woods and household, 1820 U S Census, Census Place: Franklin Fayette, Pennsylvania, Page: 147, NARA Roll: M33_103, and Image: 155; citing Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
"1830 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 July 2016), Entry for Abinah Wood (indexed as Anich), Year: 1830, Census Place: St Clair Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Series: M19, Roll: 144, Page: 208, and Family History Library Film: 0020618; citing Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
"1840 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 July 2016), Entry for Burris Woods and family, Year: 1840, Census Place: Mifflin Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 439, Page: 150, Image: 309, and Family History Library Film: 0020536; citing Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
"1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 July 2016), Entry for Burris D. Wood and family, Year: 1850, Census Place: East Birmingham Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M432_748, Page: 37B, and Image: 80; citing Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
"1860 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 July 2016), Entry for Julia Wood and family, Year: 1860, Census Place: Temperanceville Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M653_1062, Page: 535, Image: 542, and Family History Library Film: 805062; citing 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2016), Entry for Julian Woods and Household, Year: 1870, Census Place: McClure Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M593_1294, Page: 111A, Image: 335422, and Family History Library Film: 552793; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
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 19 July 2016), Entry for Mrs. Woods, Year: 1880, Census Place: Allegheny Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1088, Family History Film: 1255088, Page: 102A, Enumeration District: 028, and Image: 0202 (enumerated as Mrs. Woods); 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.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 70: 490, Alfred Verner and wife to Burris D. Wood, recorded 10 June 1845; FHL microfilm 8091683.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 77: 384-385, Oliver Ormsby and wife to Burris D. Wood, recorded 11 August 1847; FHL microfilm 1497890.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 79: 79-80, William Phillips to Burris D. Wood, recorded 1 Nov 1847; FHL microfilm 1497891.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 81: 653-655, Elijah Trovillo, sheriff, to William Phillips on behalf of Burris D. Wood, recorder 23 August 1848; FHL microfilm 8091688.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 83: 200-201, Burris and Julianne Wood to John Gilbraith, recorded 20 Nov 1848; FHL microfilm 1497892.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 86: 281-282, George Duncan and Wife to Burris D. Wood, recorded 30 May 1849; FHL microfilm 8091679.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 88: 150-151, Burris D and Juliana Wood to George Hoezel, recorded 12 October 1849; FHL microfilm 1497894.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 88: 607-608, Burris D. (B.D.) and Julian Wood to Thomas Elmore, recorded 12 Feb 1850; FHL microfilm 1497943.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 93: 337-338, Thomas Elmore and wife to Burris D. Wood, recorded 16 Nov 1850; FHL microfilm 1497944.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 96: 400-401, Burris D. and Julian Wood to Theodore Steinike, recorded 20 July 1851; FHL microfilm 1497946.
Atlas of the cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs (Philadlephia, Pennsylvania: G.M. Hopkins, 1876); digital images, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 April 2018), Plate 110, Temperanceville and part of Chartiers, viewed Elliot Street and the Rolling Mill.
Atlas of the vicinity of the cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny, Penna. : from official records, private plans and actual surveys. (Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins Company, 1886); digital image, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 3 April 2018), Plate 29, viewed the area of McClure and Ashton.
"A Wonderful Remedy - Mr. B. D. Woods," advertisement, Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 28 June 1855, Page 2, "Mr. B.D. Woods, late Justice of the Peace, East Birmingham, Pa."; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 10 July 2016); advertisement for Genuine Holland Bitters.
"A Wonderful Remedy - Mr. B. D. Woods," advertisement, Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, Virginia [West Virginia]), 5 April 1858, page 2; online images, Virginia Chronicle : Library of Virginia (https://virginiachronicle.com/ : accessed 15 March 2020), The Virginia Newspaper Project.
"Died," death notices, Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennylvania), 27 October 1888, Page 7 "Julia Wood"; online images, Google News Archives (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 20 July 2016).
Directory of Pittsburgh & vicinity for, 1857-1858 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: George H. Thurston, 1857), 229, "Woods Julia A, widow of Horace, BH Washington N. Main"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://digital.library.pitt.edu : accessed 3 April 2018).
Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1861-1862 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1861), 338, "Wood Julia Ann, widow Burrows, above Steubenville pike n Wood, T(emperanceville)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 July 2016).
Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1862-1863 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1862), 334, "Woods Julia A., wid Burris D., Elliott, T(emperanceville)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 July 2016).
Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1863-1864 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1863), 367, "Woods, Julia Ann, wid Burris, Elliott n Wood, T(emperanceville)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 July 2016).
Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1864-1865 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1864), 348, "Woods Julia Ann, wid Barris, Elliott n Wood's mill, T(emperance)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digitial Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 July 2016).
Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1866/1867 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1866), 410, "Woods Julia A, wid Burris, Elliott n Rolling Mill, T(emperanceville)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 July 2016).
Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1867/1868 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1868), 455, "Wood Julia Ann, wid Barris, Elliot n rolling mill T(emperanceville)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 July 2016).
Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1868/1869 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1868), 432, "Wood Julia, wid Burns, Virgin ay, T(emperanceville)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 6 July 2016).
Fahnestock's Pittsburgh directory for 1850: containing the names of the inhabitants of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, & vicinity : their occupation, places of business and dwelling houses : also, a list of the public offices, banks, &c, 1850 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Geo. Parkin & Co, 1850), 105, "Woods B.D. justice peace, Joseph, E Bir"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://digital.library.pitt.edu : accessed 6 July 2016).
Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 August 2016), memorial page for Julia Ann Blanchford sp? Wood, Find A Grave Memorial # 19490418, citing Highwood Cemetery (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), memorial created by William Bozic, photograph by William Bozic.
"The Grim Messenger," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 1 January 1889, page 8; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 31 March 2018).
"History Overview," Mifflin Township History, 2012 (www.mifflintownshiphistory.wordpress.com : accessed 28 March 2018).
"Home Matters," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 5 May 1852, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 3 April 2018).
"Home Matters," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 6 May 1852, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 3 May 2018).
J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1882/1883 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1882), 804, "Woods Julia, wid ________, 8 Howards Row, Beaver av, Allegheny"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 19 July 2016).
J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1883/1884 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1883), 844, "Woods Julia A, wid Veris B, 203 Cass av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digitall Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 19 July 2016).
J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1885/1886 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1885), 953, "Woods Julia A, wid Berris, Ashland av, n McClure av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 19 July 2016).
J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1886/1887 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1886), 991, "Woods Julia A, wid Burris, Ashland av, n McClure av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 19 July 2016).
J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1887/1888 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1887), 1008, "Woods Julia A, wid Burris, r Shady av, n Eckert, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 20 July 2016).
Jordan, Sarah Strickler. niece of Burris D. Wood, written statement by P.A. Wood, no date recorded; transcribed copy of written statement, privately held by Kelley Wood-Davis, Norwalk, Iowa, 2016. Transcribed by Florence Wood Wolcott and copied by Martha Wood Scudder, who mailed a photocopy to Kelley Wood-Davis in 2001.
Julia Wood entry, Registration of deaths in the city of Allegheny, 1876-1907, volume 3: page 333, Allegheny County City County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
McIlvain, Josephine. "Twelve Blocks: A Study of One Segment of Pittsburgh’s South Side, 1880-1915." The Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine, Volume 60, No. 4 (October 1977): 351-370.
"Sheriff's Sales," notice of sale of debtor's property, Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 22 May 1846, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 22 March 2018).
Sidney, J.; J. Neff; S. McRea, 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 26 March 2018), viewed Lower Saint Clair Township and the area in which the land was located.
St. Louis (City and County), Missouri, Inverted index, W 1804-1891: Year 1854, Negative search; FHL microfilm 8193896.
"Work of the Grim reaper," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 27 October 1888, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 31 March 2018).
Wood, B.D. (St. Louis, Missouri) to Julia Ann Wood, telegram, 10 May 1854; privately held by Kelley Wood-Davis. Norwalk, Iowa, 2016. transcribed copy of a telegram. Telegram sent to Percy A. Wood in 1903 by Harry W. Wood, grandson of B.D. Wood. Transcription date and creator unknown. Photocopy of transcription was mailed by Martha Wood Scudder to Kelley Wood-Davis in 2001.
Wood, J. H.; T. R. Wood; P. A. Wood; and G. E. Wood. History and Genealogy of the Descendants of Abinah Wood and Susannah Humphreys. Andover, Ohio: Press of the Citizen, 1903.
Wood, William Walker. grandfather of Percy A. Wood, not recorded, statement by Percy A. Wood, no date recorded; transcribed copy of statement made by W. W. Wood regarding the disappearance of his brother, Burris D. Wood, privately held by Kelley Wood-Davis, Norwalk, Iowa, 2016. Transcribed by Florence Wood Wolcott and copied by Martha Wood Scudder, who mailed a photocopy of transcription to Kelley Wood-Davis in 2001.
Showing posts with label missouri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missouri. Show all posts
12 February 2020
The Curious Case of Frederick E. Carlton, the Modern Bluebeard of New York
*Warning: This blog post is a very long one. I intended to put this as a series of posts on my hub on HubPages, but the format there wasn't suitable for his very long story, so it has been moved here. More posts will probably follow on his life as I uncover more research on this man.*
Upon hearing that Schaub had been sent a check for $700 from the trust, Frederick Carlton hatched upon a scheme. He represented to Harry Schaub that he had insider information on a huge property sale that was going to take place, but needed some cash to make it happen. Carlton intimated that both he and Schaub could become rich very quickly by acting on this information and convinced Schaub to turn over the cash to him.
Nothing became of the money, and Schaub became infuriated. He bugged Carlton to give him back his money, but Carlton had another idea. He had Schaub meet him at the Hotel Saint George in Brooklyn on 6 July 1905, explaining there was some paperwork needed to seal the deal. Schaub met with Carlton there, where Carlton plied him with whiskey and cigars that may or may not have been laced with drugs. When Schaub awoke the next morning, Carlton had absconded with the cash and he knew he'd been swindled.
Instead of feeling sheepish and letting go of the money, Schaub decided to get even. He went immediately to the police and made a complaint. Frederick Carlton was arrested at his mistress' hoarding house on a vagrancy charge, but soon the charge was changed to grand larceny.
But you see, that was just the tip of the iceberg of the crimes of Frederick Edward Carlton.......
An Alias
When searching his room at Mrs. Shultz's boarding house on 14 July 1905, police found numerous trunks, including one that contained several nude photographs of his mistress, Eleanor Vandeventer (which caused her to be arrested under Comstockery laws) as well as countless letters.
From those letters, it was soon determined that Frederick Carlton had been operating under several different aliases and corresponding with multiple women. It was also soon determined that even Frederick Edward Carlton was an alias.
What led them to discover this was a letter from a man in Saint Louis, who had seen Carlton's photograph in the paper, and knew him to be a local troublemaker by the name of J. E. McCandless.
In fact, there was a great deal more to be known about Carlton than just his real name.....
As a young man, McCandless wandered around Missouri, getting arrested in connection to a robbery theft in Clayton and being sentenced to thirty days for loitering in Saint Louis. After getting out of jail, he enlisted as a private in Company D of the Sixth Infantry of the United States Army, being sworn in by one Captain Morgan on 1 November 1888. With his regiment he was shipped to Fort Lewis in Colorado and then to Fort Riley in Kansas. It was here at Fort Riley that he he deserted on 8 April 1890. He received a dishonorable discharge from the Army on 27 Apr 1891 and was sentenced to two years at Fort Leavenworth.
The year was 1905. The place was New York City, New York. The character of this piece had just completed another one of his daring charades and was almost sure he wouldn't get caught. But for Frederick E. Carlton, his time was soon running out. This is his story.
Grand Larceny
In early summer of 1905, Henry J. B. "Harry" Schaub was a machinist in the United States Navy and worked on the submarine the USS Porpoise in the New York Navy Yard. He had also recently come into some money from a trust set up by the Newport Trust Company of Newport, Rhode Island.
He was roommates with another Navy man, Frederick Edward Carlton. The two lived in a boarding house at 198 Sands Street. The home was run by one Mrs. Shultz, and the two men were good friends.
In early summer of 1905, Henry J. B. "Harry" Schaub was a machinist in the United States Navy and worked on the submarine the USS Porpoise in the New York Navy Yard. He had also recently come into some money from a trust set up by the Newport Trust Company of Newport, Rhode Island.
He was roommates with another Navy man, Frederick Edward Carlton. The two lived in a boarding house at 198 Sands Street. The home was run by one Mrs. Shultz, and the two men were good friends.
Upon hearing that Schaub had been sent a check for $700 from the trust, Frederick Carlton hatched upon a scheme. He represented to Harry Schaub that he had insider information on a huge property sale that was going to take place, but needed some cash to make it happen. Carlton intimated that both he and Schaub could become rich very quickly by acting on this information and convinced Schaub to turn over the cash to him.
Nothing became of the money, and Schaub became infuriated. He bugged Carlton to give him back his money, but Carlton had another idea. He had Schaub meet him at the Hotel Saint George in Brooklyn on 6 July 1905, explaining there was some paperwork needed to seal the deal. Schaub met with Carlton there, where Carlton plied him with whiskey and cigars that may or may not have been laced with drugs. When Schaub awoke the next morning, Carlton had absconded with the cash and he knew he'd been swindled.
Instead of feeling sheepish and letting go of the money, Schaub decided to get even. He went immediately to the police and made a complaint. Frederick Carlton was arrested at his mistress' hoarding house on a vagrancy charge, but soon the charge was changed to grand larceny.
But you see, that was just the tip of the iceberg of the crimes of Frederick Edward Carlton.......
 |
| Frederick Carlton, as depicted on page 4 of The Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia), 1 August 1905 on Chronicling America |
It was soon discovered that Frederick Edward Carlton wasn't who he said he was......
When searching his room at Mrs. Shultz's boarding house on 14 July 1905, police found numerous trunks, including one that contained several nude photographs of his mistress, Eleanor Vandeventer (which caused her to be arrested under Comstockery laws) as well as countless letters.
From those letters, it was soon determined that Frederick Carlton had been operating under several different aliases and corresponding with multiple women. It was also soon determined that even Frederick Edward Carlton was an alias.
What led them to discover this was a letter from a man in Saint Louis, who had seen Carlton's photograph in the paper, and knew him to be a local troublemaker by the name of J. E. McCandless.
In fact, there was a great deal more to be known about Carlton than just his real name.....
A Missouri Man
James Edward McCandless was born 23 April 1868 as the eldest child of Alexander McCandless and Anna Law in Louisiana, Pike County, Missouri. The family relocated to Moberly, Randolph County, Missouri, where James grew up in. It is said he began his life of crime as a schoolboy, and by the time he was a young man, he was well known in the area for being reckless and wayward.
As a young man, McCandless wandered around Missouri, getting arrested in connection to a robbery theft in Clayton and being sentenced to thirty days for loitering in Saint Louis. After getting out of jail, he enlisted as a private in Company D of the Sixth Infantry of the United States Army, being sworn in by one Captain Morgan on 1 November 1888. With his regiment he was shipped to Fort Lewis in Colorado and then to Fort Riley in Kansas. It was here at Fort Riley that he he deserted on 8 April 1890. He received a dishonorable discharge from the Army on 27 Apr 1891 and was sentenced to two years at Fort Leavenworth.
After this, James Edward McCandless seemed to have disappeared from radar, or so most people thought.
Women Scorned
In addition to being identified as James Edward McCandless as a result of his photograph, Frederick Carlton soon found himself being accused of bigamy, as many women wrote to claim that he was their husband.
As stated before, the police found many letters in one of the chests amongst Carlton's belongings. These letters were of a more personal nature, addressed to many different women, under many different names. It seemed Frederick Carlton fancied himself as a lady's man, and had women all over the country.
All of the stories were eerily similar..... Each woman had accumulated some sort of nest egg in the form of savings, inheritance, or jewels. Each woman found herself being wooed by a handsome, often younger, man who claimed he was rich himself, but needed to "borrow" her money to get something done. Then after being convinced to tie the knot, each of these women suddenly found themselves deserted and their nest eggs gone, and their husbands never to be seen again.
Carlton had this to say about the accusations being thrown at him:
Women Scorned
In addition to being identified as James Edward McCandless as a result of his photograph, Frederick Carlton soon found himself being accused of bigamy, as many women wrote to claim that he was their husband.
As stated before, the police found many letters in one of the chests amongst Carlton's belongings. These letters were of a more personal nature, addressed to many different women, under many different names. It seemed Frederick Carlton fancied himself as a lady's man, and had women all over the country.
All of the stories were eerily similar..... Each woman had accumulated some sort of nest egg in the form of savings, inheritance, or jewels. Each woman found herself being wooed by a handsome, often younger, man who claimed he was rich himself, but needed to "borrow" her money to get something done. Then after being convinced to tie the knot, each of these women suddenly found themselves deserted and their nest eggs gone, and their husbands never to be seen again.
Carlton had this to say about the accusations being thrown at him:
"I will say that I expect to be identified by every woman whose husband is missing. It is said she identified a photograph of me. You know that an identification by photograph cuts no ice. The courts have so held repeatedly. By the way, one woman picked me out my photograph and sent her brother to this jail to look me over. The moment he saw me he said I was not the man. Within two days eight persons have been brought here for the purpose of having them identify me, but they failed." ~Times Union (Brooklyn, New York), 28 July 1905, page 2Many women came forward to see if Carlton was the man who deserted them after taking their money, but ultimately the number of women fleeced was narrowed by police to twelve women. These are the twelve, in the order he likely fleeced them:
- Helen Murray from Nebraska, whom McCandless married under either his own name or as John McCandless, probably in 1890. Research cannot locate a marriage certificate for this couple as of yet.
- Jennie Andrew from Yankton, South Dakota, whom he married under the name of Fred Carlton. Like Helen Murray, research has not uncovered evidence to support or deny this
- Rose Cercier or Cherrier from Saint Louis, Missouri, whom McCandless was engaged to under the name of Carl Martin. Newspaper accounts vary as to if they wed, and no conclusive evidence can support a marriage record as of yet.
- Mrs. Lucia Mitchell from Kentucky, whom he married under the name of James Martinez. Research has not proven this marriage as of yet.
- Wiletta S. Bird, whom he legally married 26 Apr 1894 in Manhattan, New York under his real name. This was the first of his marriages that can be proven.
- Mildred "Millie" Peterson, whom he met while under the name James Edward Cartier and didn't marry, but stole from anyway in 1895.
- Mrs. Etta Kingery, a widow in Gordon, Alabama, whom he married 18 Oct 1897 under the name of Edward James Martinez and had a daughter. This marriage can also be proven.
- Mrs. Lulu Kettering, whom he married 20 Dec 1897 in Rochester, New York under the name of William DeRodriques. This marriage does have an existing record.
- Jane Maria "Jennie" Smyth, whom he married 28 Aug 1903 in Brooklyn, New York under the name of Frederick Carlton. This marriage can be proven.
- Mary P. "Mamie" Gorman, whom he married 14 Aug 1904 in Brooklyn under the name of Frederick Carlton. This marriage can also be proven.
- Eleanor Vandeventer,who he didn't marry, but lived with off and on as Frederick Carlton. She was arrested as an accomplice to his crime.
- Frederica "Rickie" Pfeiffer, whom he married 23 Jun 1905 as James Carter Richards. (This is where my connection lies with him, as she was a relative.) While it is not conclusively proven that she was swindled by Frederick Carlton, as she never identified him as her husband, the timing of the crime fits neatly into his saga, and the alias he used is similar to all of his other ones.
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| Graphic of Frederick Carlton and two of his women, as it appeared in a number of newspapers across the US, including Barbour County Index (Medicine Lodge, Kansas), from which this was clipped. Source: Chronicling America |
Interestingly enough, Carlton claimed that he was innocent of all of these crimes. In late July and early August 1905, he was declaring that his "double" was actually responsible for the crimes and that his lawyer was looking for the man. He claimed the man was related to him as a cousin and "was so like him in manner of speech, facial aspect and disposition" but that because they were related though the man's mother, he didn't want to cause the relative any scandal, so kept the identity of his "cousin" a secret. Soon enough though, that story was proved to be just another tall tale told by the con artist.
The Known Wives
Wiletta S. Bird was Carlton's first wife (chronologically) that was proved to be legally married to him, and from who the charges of bigamy were found against later wives. While newspaper accounts reported that Carlton first married Wiletta under the name of Charles R. Farley in May of 1893, this marriage cannot be found. It was also stated they wed first in Eastwood, Bergen County, New Jersey, but Eastwood did not exist in 1893. What is known is, like with his other wives, he took off with Wiletta's savings after the marriage. According to Willetta, when she found him in 1894, Carlton informed her the marriage was not legal because the minister was bogus. He also admitted he was using an alias. The couple was then legally wed a second time (Carlton used his actual name of James McCandless) on 26 April 1894. The minister for this marriage was Rev. Eli Quick, and the couple were married at his home at 725 Greenwich in Manhattan, with a friend and a sister of the bride as witnesses. However, this marriage was not happy for long, as once again Carlton deserted her, but not before trying to poison her with a lethal dose of morphine powders. Thankfully a friend stopped Wiletta from taking the powders. (In a typo, some newspaper accounts in 1905 state this marriage didn't take place until 1904....)
Bluebeard
Two of his bigamous victims, Jennie Smyth and Mamie Gorman, died from tetanus poisoning shortly after they married Carlton, and just under a year apart. Both women were in good health, aside from the suspicious manners in which they each were caused to gain the affliction.The Known Wives
Wiletta S. Bird was Carlton's first wife (chronologically) that was proved to be legally married to him, and from who the charges of bigamy were found against later wives. While newspaper accounts reported that Carlton first married Wiletta under the name of Charles R. Farley in May of 1893, this marriage cannot be found. It was also stated they wed first in Eastwood, Bergen County, New Jersey, but Eastwood did not exist in 1893. What is known is, like with his other wives, he took off with Wiletta's savings after the marriage. According to Willetta, when she found him in 1894, Carlton informed her the marriage was not legal because the minister was bogus. He also admitted he was using an alias. The couple was then legally wed a second time (Carlton used his actual name of James McCandless) on 26 April 1894. The minister for this marriage was Rev. Eli Quick, and the couple were married at his home at 725 Greenwich in Manhattan, with a friend and a sister of the bride as witnesses. However, this marriage was not happy for long, as once again Carlton deserted her, but not before trying to poison her with a lethal dose of morphine powders. Thankfully a friend stopped Wiletta from taking the powders. (In a typo, some newspaper accounts in 1905 state this marriage didn't take place until 1904....)
Mary Etta Bowdon Kingry was a rich widow with a young son living in Gordon, Alabama. On 18 October 1897, she married Carlton in Gordon under the name James Edward (or Edward James) Martinez. He worked under the guise of a physician in Gordon, according to accounts, and wooed Etta. The couple were married by a justice of the peace named F. F. Peet. They had a daughter named Eulia, who was born 1 January 1899, but like the other women, he took her money and ran
Lulu Ritz Kettering was also a young rich widow with a young son. She was living at 50 Lewis Street in Rochester, New York when Carlton wooed her under the guise of a Brazilian coffee plantation owner by the name of William DeRodriques. Lulu's family objected to the couple being wed, as Lulu had some money after her first husband had passed away, but they finally relented, and the couple was wed 20 December 1897 at Christ Church in Rochester. Just ten days later, after securing all of her jewelry, Carlton left Lulu. By the time he was caught in 1905, she had gone back to her first husband's surname of Kettering.
Jane Maria "Jennie" Smyth married Frederick E. Carlton at St. Clement's Church in Brooklyn, New York on 28 August 1903. Carlton was in the Navy at the time as a commissary agent aboard the ship the Dolphin, and was sent to Washington, DC with his unit. Jennie followed him there, and the couple took up residence in a boarding house at 500 D Street. One morning, while putting on her slippers, Jennie pricked her foot with a sewing needle that had supposedly fallen into them. As a result of the wound, she contracted tetanus and died from it on 15 May 1904. Her body was shipped back to Brooklyn, where she was buried on 20 May 1904.
The "grieving" widower wasted little time moving on. While in Brooklyn on leave because of the funeral, he met Mary P. "Mamie" Gorman and began to pursue her. While her family had serious misgivings about him moving on so quickly after his first wife's death and didn't want to see him and Mamie together, he persisted and somehow won them over. The couple wed 14 August 1904 at St. James Pro Cathedral in Brooklyn, just three months after Jennie's death. Like her predecessor, Mamie also mysteriously contracted tetanus, which took her life on 10 March 1905 at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn. According to Edward, Mamie was supposed to have become infected by a cat scratch, though he practically refused to let anyone treat her until it was too late.
After Mamie's death, Jennie Smyth's father and Mamie Gorman's brother both became suspicious. Their suspicions were heightened when it was discovered that life insurance policies had been taken out on both women by their husband. Jennie was insured for $2000 and Mamie was insured for $3000, and Frederick Carlton was paid out for both deaths. Both families called for Carlton to be tried for murdering his wives.
It was because of these two mysterious deaths that Frederick Carlton was given the nickname "The Modern Bluebeard". He was nicknamed such after the French folktale character of the same name who was a wealthy nobleman who married a number of women in succession, having killed off each one before marrying again.
Maie Gorman's body was exhumed on on 19 July 1905 to be tested for poison, but tests were inconclusive, and Frederick Carlton was never tried for the murder of either wife due to lack of evidence. However, many believed him to be guilty of both deaths, as he was purported to have knowledge of poisons and medicines.
After Mamie's death, Jennie Smyth's father and Mamie Gorman's brother both became suspicious. Their suspicions were heightened when it was discovered that life insurance policies had been taken out on both women by their husband. Jennie was insured for $2000 and Mamie was insured for $3000, and Frederick Carlton was paid out for both deaths. Both families called for Carlton to be tried for murdering his wives.
It was because of these two mysterious deaths that Frederick Carlton was given the nickname "The Modern Bluebeard". He was nicknamed such after the French folktale character of the same name who was a wealthy nobleman who married a number of women in succession, having killed off each one before marrying again.
Maie Gorman's body was exhumed on on 19 July 1905 to be tested for poison, but tests were inconclusive, and Frederick Carlton was never tried for the murder of either wife due to lack of evidence. However, many believed him to be guilty of both deaths, as he was purported to have knowledge of poisons and medicines.
Conviction
Ultimately, on 18 September 1905, Frederick Carlton was indicted for grand larceny. After all, according to one inflation calculator, he managed to fleece his friend out of $700, which is equivalent to over $20000 today!
The same day, he was also indicted for three counts of bigamy, as only the New York marriages were entered into evidence. (My theory as to why he was never officially linked to my great-great-grandaunt Ricka was that she went back to Pittsburgh after being fleeced and either didn't connect her deserter to Carlton or just didn't want to have to deal with him). His marriage to Wiletta Bird was considered his first marriage, subsequently making the marriages to Lulu Ritz Kettering, Jennie Smyth, and Mamie Gorman all bigamous in the eyes of the law.
The same day, he was also indicted for three counts of bigamy, as only the New York marriages were entered into evidence. (My theory as to why he was never officially linked to my great-great-grandaunt Ricka was that she went back to Pittsburgh after being fleeced and either didn't connect her deserter to Carlton or just didn't want to have to deal with him). His marriage to Wiletta Bird was considered his first marriage, subsequently making the marriages to Lulu Ritz Kettering, Jennie Smyth, and Mamie Gorman all bigamous in the eyes of the law.
A week later, on 25 September 1905, in Kings County Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, Frederick Carlton was tried. His lawyer was John S. Bennett and the prosecutor in the case was District Attorney Clarke. One newspaper commented that Carlton never left his seat, and was found guilty on all charges that the court was seeking prosecution of.
The trial for the first bigamy charge took an hour, with the jury out only long enough to place a ballot of guilty. Wiletta Bird proved that she was still married to Carlton as James McCandless by producing the marriage certificate. The pastor that married them, Rev. Eli Quick, and all of the witnesses present were in the courtroom and were prepared to testify. Lulu Kettering was also in the courtroom, as were family members of both Jennie Smyth and Mamie Gormon. Several other women were also present in the courtroom. It is assumed they were other women that McCandless swindled under his aliases, and they appeared to be hopeful to give their testimony. However, due to the swiftness of the trial, and the fact that defense seemed to give no objections to any testimony, they were not needed, much to their disappointment. After the jury found Carlton guilty of the first count of bigamy, he changed his plea to guilty for the other bigamy charges.
On 2 October 1905, Judge Joseph Aspinwall sentenced Carlton to nineteen years of hard labor at Sing Sing Prison for his crimes. At the sentencing, Judge Aspinwall was quoted as saying:
Superintendent of Industries John P. Powers, who oversaw Sing Sing, was hiring convicts to do work they weren't supposed to do, and Carlton appeared to be one of those convicts. He helped the State of New York get Powers fired from his position as Superintendent of Industries at Sing Sing. In exchange, Frederick Carlton was pardoned just six years into his nineteen year sentence by Governor Dix for being a model citizen. The pardon came as a surprise to those who had convicted him.
As of this blog post, it is not entirely known what happened to Carlton after his release, though there is some speculation he may have taken the alias Ted Hall and married and had several children. It is possible that he went back to his con artist ways, and hopefully one day that story may be told. In the meantime, there were other crimes he was charged with, though those charges appeared to not come to fruition. Another post in the future will deal with these charges.
Sources Used
"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 January 2020), Entry for Alex McCandless and family, Year: 1870, Census Place: Louisiana Pike, Missouri, Roll: M593_798, Page: 239A, and Family History Library Film: 552297; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
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 21 January 2020), Entry for Alex. McCandless and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Moberly Randolph, Missouri, Roll: 712, Page: 54B, and Enumeration District: 106; 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.
"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 February 2020), Entry for Mrs. Etta Martinig ("Martinez") and household, Year: 1910, Census Place: Montgomery Ward 6 Montgomery, Alabama, Roll: T624_29, Page: 4A, Enumeration District: 0098, and FHL microfilm: 1374042; 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.
"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 January 2020), Entry for Frederick E. Carlton, Year: 1910, Census Place: Ossining Westchester, New York, Roll: T624_1089, Page: 3A, Enumeration District: 0103, and FHL microfilm: 1375102; 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.
"Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930," index online, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 February 2020), Etta Martinez in entry for MM9.1.1/W6ZS-2W2M:, 1 Jan 1899, FHL microfilm 007620926; citing multiple county Probate Judges, Alabama.
"Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 21 January 2020), Entry for E.J. Martinez and Etta Kingry, 18 Oct 1897, referencing Henry County marriages, vol G, p 130, cn 258; citing various probate courts, Alabama.
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Court Records 2773 Jan 1913 Docket A, Petition of Fredericka Richards, Femme Sole Trader, Petition and Affidavit for Fredericka Pfieffer Richards, 31 December 1912; Department of Court Records, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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The trial for the first bigamy charge took an hour, with the jury out only long enough to place a ballot of guilty. Wiletta Bird proved that she was still married to Carlton as James McCandless by producing the marriage certificate. The pastor that married them, Rev. Eli Quick, and all of the witnesses present were in the courtroom and were prepared to testify. Lulu Kettering was also in the courtroom, as were family members of both Jennie Smyth and Mamie Gormon. Several other women were also present in the courtroom. It is assumed they were other women that McCandless swindled under his aliases, and they appeared to be hopeful to give their testimony. However, due to the swiftness of the trial, and the fact that defense seemed to give no objections to any testimony, they were not needed, much to their disappointment. After the jury found Carlton guilty of the first count of bigamy, he changed his plea to guilty for the other bigamy charges.
On 2 October 1905, Judge Joseph Aspinwall sentenced Carlton to nineteen years of hard labor at Sing Sing Prison for his crimes. At the sentencing, Judge Aspinwall was quoted as saying:
"You are at heart a villain, murder, swindler and thief, and I am sorry I cannot send you the electric chair. You are one of the most dangerous men in the country." ~ "Carlton Given Nineteen Years," Morning Press (Santa Barbara, California), 3 October 1905, page 1While a prisoner, Carlton was enumerated as a tinsmith in the 1900 Federal Census (in which he was also enumerated as having been married eight times), but newspaper accounts of his release also stated that he was employed in office work.
Superintendent of Industries John P. Powers, who oversaw Sing Sing, was hiring convicts to do work they weren't supposed to do, and Carlton appeared to be one of those convicts. He helped the State of New York get Powers fired from his position as Superintendent of Industries at Sing Sing. In exchange, Frederick Carlton was pardoned just six years into his nineteen year sentence by Governor Dix for being a model citizen. The pardon came as a surprise to those who had convicted him.
As of this blog post, it is not entirely known what happened to Carlton after his release, though there is some speculation he may have taken the alias Ted Hall and married and had several children. It is possible that he went back to his con artist ways, and hopefully one day that story may be told. In the meantime, there were other crimes he was charged with, though those charges appeared to not come to fruition. Another post in the future will deal with these charges.
Sources Used
"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 January 2020), Entry for Alex McCandless and family, Year: 1870, Census Place: Louisiana Pike, Missouri, Roll: M593_798, Page: 239A, and Family History Library Film: 552297; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
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 21 January 2020), Entry for Alex. McCandless and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Moberly Randolph, Missouri, Roll: 712, Page: 54B, and Enumeration District: 106; 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.
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"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 January 2020), Entry for Frederick E. Carlton, Year: 1910, Census Place: Ossining Westchester, New York, Roll: T624_1089, Page: 3A, Enumeration District: 0103, and FHL microfilm: 1375102; 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.
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Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Court Records 2773 Jan 1913 Docket A, Petition of Fredericka Richards, Femme Sole Trader, Petition and Affidavit for Fredericka Pfieffer Richards, 31 December 1912; Department of Court Records, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
"Back to Her Old Job With Her Money Gone," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 July 1905, page 6; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 10 August 2016).
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Billion Graves, database and images (billiongraves.com : accessed 10 February 2020), memorial page for Mary T Carlton (Gorman), Billion Graves Memorial #4036352, citing Calvary Cemetery (Third) (Woodside, Queens, New York),transcribed by chearl, photograph by MichaelCassara.
"Career Began in Moberly," The Steelville Ledger (Steelville, Missouri), 3 August 1905, page 6; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 28 January 2020).
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25 March 2012
Adventures in substitute teaching : The "Thingy"
This conversation is not made up in any way shape or form. It is too weird!
A few weeks ago, I subbed in a class that was doing a project where they had to plan out trips on the computer with a budget.
A young lady raised her hand and I went over to help her.
Girl: "What's the 'thingy' in Missouri?"
Me: "There's a lot of 'thingies' in Missouri. Which one?"
Girl: (sighs) "You know, the 'thingy'!"
Me: (Trying to be helpful) Where in Missouri are you researching? Maybe that will help me find the 'thingy' you are searching for."
Girl: (by this time she's clearly annoyed I have no idea what she's talking about) "You know, that thingy in Missouri! Oh, nevermind."
She turns and begins furiously pounding on her notebook's keys.
I still have no idea what "thingy" she was looking up.
Just goes to show, teachers are expected to be mind readers (j/k)
A few weeks ago, I subbed in a class that was doing a project where they had to plan out trips on the computer with a budget.
A young lady raised her hand and I went over to help her.
Girl: "What's the 'thingy' in Missouri?"
Me: "There's a lot of 'thingies' in Missouri. Which one?"
Girl: (sighs) "You know, the 'thingy'!"
Me: (Trying to be helpful) Where in Missouri are you researching? Maybe that will help me find the 'thingy' you are searching for."
Girl: (by this time she's clearly annoyed I have no idea what she's talking about) "You know, that thingy in Missouri! Oh, nevermind."
She turns and begins furiously pounding on her notebook's keys.
I still have no idea what "thingy" she was looking up.
Just goes to show, teachers are expected to be mind readers (j/k)
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