The wife of a
chicken theft was found dead, reported the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer On
This Day in 1881. The deceased was the wife of William Watson. She was found by
Eli Dunlap.
The article
states:
The body of the
wife of William Watson, colored, serving a term in the county jail for chicken
stealing, was found on Thursday, by Eli Dunlap, in an old cedar firld on the Welsh Mountain.
It was almost totally covered with water. Deputy Coroner Weaver, of East Earl,
held an inquest. The verdict was “death from exposure.” Mrs. Watson has been
more or less deranged ever since her husband and his son were convicted for
chicken stealing and sentenced to terms of imprisonment in the Lancaster jail. She was very much respected
as a colored woman by her neighbors, and it was thought by the people of this
neighborhood that she did all she could to prevent her husband and son from
leading the life they did. But since their conviction she has led a harmless
life wandering about among her people and the last seen of her was just one
week before she was found dead. There had been no search made as it was
supposed that she was with some of her friends. The supposition is that she wandered
about the hill, lost her reckoning, and as night came on hand and a blinding
snow storm was raging, she lay down in this hollow to shelter herself from the
storm and perished from the exposure. She will be buried at the county’s
expense.
Source:
Lancaster daily intelligencer. (Lancaster, Pa.),
14 March 1881. Chronicling America:
Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
On
This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.
©
Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015
