Saturday, July 9, 1887 - on
Friday, July 1, 1887, a little child of William
Clabaugh, who lives on the mountain several miles from
Emmitsburg, was lost in a manner altogether
inexplicable, and no trace of it has yet been found.
The child, less than two years
old, followed its father on his leaving home,
accompanied by an older sister, and the mother not
perceiving its absence, knew nothing of the matter until
the father returned and inquired for the child. As it
was less than two years old, and in its bare feet, it
seemed quite impossible that it could have gone very far
over the rough, stony ground, but when search in the
immediate vicinity of the house failed to trace the
little one, an alarm was sounded in the neighborhood,
and a band of forty or fifty mountaineers started to
scour the woods, whilst the frantic mother left to the
care of the sympathizing women, refused to be comforted.
All night long the unavailing
search went on, and in the morning one of the men was
sent to Gettysburg to consult an old colored woman who,
it seems, is believed by the mountaineers and a good
many sensible, intelligent people besides, to possess
the mysterious power of seeing and knowing things hidden
from mortal eyes, unless assisted by the devil or some
other evil spirit.
The old woman reported that the
child was living and in the possession of a neighbor,
whose person and dwelling she described. when this
information was carried to the excited hunters they
immediately surrounded the house and demanded it (the
child). The inmates declared that they knew nothing of
it, and though a thorough search was made and failed to
reveal any trace of the lost child's presence, they
continued to keep guard around the premises, threatening
to shoot or hang the inmates, and of course growing more
and more excited as the hours went by.
Another deputation was sent to
the Gettysburg Witch, who insisted that her first
statement was correct, but that the old woman who had
the child was also a Witch, and made use of some charm
to prevent their finding it. She then gave them a
counter charm, which they were to manipulate in a
certain way till the child's stealer's charm was broken,
then they would get possession of it. The opposing
charms are still working against one another, nothing
has transpired, and the poor little innocent is still
missing." In the next two paragraphs the editor
gives his opinion of the belief and in the use of
witchcraft. Needless to say his dissertation is not
complimentary.
Saturday, July
23, 1887
"The Body
Found - An Inquest - The Verdict - Story of the lost
Child"
On Saturday morning, July 16,
1887, information was lodged before Henry Stokes, Esq.,
Justice of the Peace, that the body of the child of
William Clabaugh, that mysteriously disappeared on July
1, 1887, had been found near the top of the mountain,
near what is called Sheeps Rock.
The Squire thereupon
commissioned Constable W. H. Ashbaugh to summon a jury
of inquest. The jury was composed as follows:- Henry
Stokes, coroner, Francis A. Maxell, J. Henry Stokes,
Michael Hoke, Joshua S. Motter, George P. Beam, Daniel
Lawrence, Albert Smith, William H. Hoke, James M.
Kerrigan, Walter D. Willson, Singleton Dorsey, Jacob L.
Topper, and
Dr. Robert L. Annan, physician.
The jury repaired to the place
where the remains were found, and having viewed them and
their surroundings, carefully removed them to the home
of William Clabaugh, where the inquisition was held.
Thirteen witnesses were closely examined, and the
following verdict was rendered:- 'That on the first day
of July, in the year 1887, at the home of her parents,
the said Emma Clabaugh, wandered away from home and
perished from exposure or some other cause unknown to
the jury.
The facts of the case may be
summed up as follows - that about ten o'clock in the
morning of July 1, 1887, William Clabaugh went to a
neighbor's to get some butter. His oldest child, a
daughter about four years of age, and Amey E. (known as
Emma in the family), aged about 22 months, about half an
hour afterwards started to follow him, and their mother
very soon missed them, after they left the house. The
other child met the father at Bensell's, wither he had
gone, but all she could tell him of her sister was 'she
went up the road'.
On his return home his wife
inquired about the child, Emma, and he knew nothing
regarding her whereabouts. Shortly after William
Clabaugh and his wife started to search for the child
and returning to the house he (William Clabaugh) went
forth and secured the aid of some neighbors. in the
course of time others volunteered their services, until
large bodies were on the search through the night, and
for days succeeding without finding any trace of the
missing one.
About one and one half miles
from the Clabaugh home, near the top of the mountain, is
a very rough region and not far from some heavy rocks
overhanging, the body of the child was discovered on
Saturday last. About ten paces from it - at the roots of
a tree - the skull, destitute of any integuments without
or within and yet perfect in form - was found. it had
evidently rolled down the declivity on being detached
from the body. The feet and parts of the legs were the
only discernable members. one arm was missing and a
couple of ribs; the most of the skin remained in a dried
state.
The child's clothing, greatly
soiled and torn, was the only basis of identification.
The verdict of the jury leads to the conclusion that the
child, hearty and vigorous for her age, must have
wondered to the place where the remains were found, and
dying of exposure and starvation, became the prey of the
buzzards, whose breeding grounds are in the vicinity.
The remains of Amey Emma Clabaugh were interred in the
Winebrenarian churchyard, in Friends Creek Valley, on
Saturday afternoon."
Some five years later - the
following obituary appeared in the 'Chronicle' under the
date of Friday, March 11, 1892 - "Died, March 7,
1892, near this place, Mrs. Angeline J. Clabaugh, wife
of William C. Clabaugh, aged 26 years, I month, and 27
days. Burial in the Friends Creek Cemetery with the Rev.
Mr. Engler of the Winebrennarian Church
officiating."
Angeline Shriner Clabaugh was
buried beside her daughter. According to neighborhood
tradition she never recovered from that effects of the
tragedy. William Clabaugh, the husband and father, never
married. He died, some years later, at the home of his
daughter, in Baltimore, MD. His body was returned to the
Friends Creek Valley and the little churchyard. His
grave is not marked.