Crime takes but a moment, but justice an eternity-- unknown
She wears a blindfold. Some say it helps her be objective. Innocence or guilt should be determined without bias or prejudice, but the law isn’t always justice. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Sometimes you need a good strong look to see the right or wrong of a situation, and sometimes Justice might as well be blind.
It’s blurry when it comes to the Molly Maguires. The “Mollies” were an alleged secret society of Irish mineworkers in the mid-1800s. Among the few jobs available to the Irish was dangerous work in the coal mines. Owned and controlled by old enemies, the Welsh and English.
The mining companies owned everything. They owned the towns where the miners lived, even their shacks. They owned the stores where the miners were forced to buy overpriced goods. By the time the company deducted rent, groceries, and equipment from a miner’s pay, he might have nothing left. It was damn near slavery, and grudges and vendettas flourished.
When wages were cut, threats, assaults, and sabotage exploded. Bitterness between Irish and English/Welsh factions escalated and people were brutally murdered on both sides. The Pinkerton Detective Agency was paid to infiltrate. Testimony of an agent sent over twenty men to the gallows, and the Mollies were eliminated.
On June 21, 1877--known as “The Day of the Rope”—ten Mollies were hanged. Before his death, Alexander Campbell placed his hand against the cell wall, declared his innocence, and claimed the print would remain there forever as proof. Attempts have been made to paint and plaster over the print, but it remains today. I’ve seen it myself.
Pennsylvania may have been settled by peaceful Quakers, but it’s a state with a violent past. America’s first school shooting took place around Greencastle, Pennsylvania in 1764. It was shortly after the French and Indian War, and tensions were still high.
Three Lenni Lenape braves raided a log cabin schoolhouse, shot and scalped the teacher, and all eleven children. Only one survived. Archie McCullough crawled away and was found by local settlers. The braves were admonished by elders for cowardice and killing children, but were never brought to justice.
The countryside may appear idyllic, but The Crime Buff’s Guide to Outlaw Pennsylvania by Ron Franscell and Karen B. Valentine reveals Pennsylvania’s darker side and secrets. Do you want to visit the birthplace of outlaws?* The scenes of horrific crimes? How about the graves of the innocent, and the guilty?
With the magic of GPS, you can stand in precise historical locations, or as close as imagination and modern technology can get you. This book can get you within inches of the past. Remember, many of these sites are private property. Don’t be an outlaw. Get permission.
Pennsylvania is so full of history that you can’t go outside without stepping on it. Slow down and take a look around at the places and events—good and bad—that have helped shape America, and get in touch with the past…
*John “Doc” Holiday was born in Philadelphia. Elliot Ness died in Coudersport Pennsylvania.
Outlaws? Or In-laws? Drop me an email at from_my_shelf@yahoo.com and let me know. Miss a column? It’s not a crime. Just go to http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com when you have the time. Keep the streets safe, and keep a writer off them. Buy a book and save a life. It just may be your own…
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