Page 6

History of Orange County

Town of Warwick

Page 6

Dutch Reformed Church.-This originally was a Presbyterian Church, and organized in 1764 or '5 and so remained till 1804 or '5, when it was changed to its present denomination. A large proportion of the congregation were Dutch families, and to gratify their partialities changed it. The change took place when the Rev. Mr. Hardenburgh was pastor. The names of the several pastors and the order of time in which they preached were as follows: Parkhurst, Joline, Hardenburgh, John I. Chester from 1812 to 1833, Van Keuren till 1836, then Stewart, then the Rev. Ferdinand H. Vandeveer, its present pastor.

BAPTIST Church.-This was organized in 1766, and James Benedict ordained its first pastor. The first Church was built in 1774, till which time the meetings were held at the houses of the members of the congregation, but chiefly at the dwelling of Daniel Burt, the first settler. Thomas B. Montague was ordained its pastor in 1788, Thomas Stephens in 1802, then Libeus L. Lathrop, who continued fourteen years-then Philander D. Jillett for six or seven years, then John C. Murphy for three or four years, then Richard Pickard for eleven years, then the Rev. Philander Hartwell, the present pastor. The services in this Church have been very regular since its organization, for when there was no settled minister they employed supplies.

1820.	Ananias Wilson,	Second best Farm,	$10
	Alanson Austin,	Best Wheat,	10
	James Burt,	Best Oats,	5
	Ananias Wilson,	Best Potatoes,	10
	Jonas Seely,	Second best working Oxen,	10
	James Burt,	Best Diaper,	6
1821.	Ananias Wilson,	Best improved Farm--100 acres,	20
	Benj. Bloomer,	Best winter Wheat,	20
	Edward L. Welling,	Greatest quantity of Barley,	5
	Betsey Hough,	Best Cheese, not less than 20 pounds,	5
	Jedediah Sayre,	Best four Hogs,	10
	do do	Best four Pigs,	5
	Ananias Wilson,	Second best six Calves,	6
	Jonas Seely,	Second best fatted Cattle,	8
	Samuel Jacks,	Best grass Hat,	10
	Jeffrey Wisner,	Second best piece of Linen,	4
1822.	Widow Austin,	Best Farm in town,	10
	T. & E. L. Welling,	Best corn. Corn drilled in rows, 122 bushels to the acre.	10
	George H. Jackson,	Best Hemp,	10
	do do	Second best stud Horse,	8
	Jonas Seely,	Second best working Oxen,	5
1823.	Ananias Wilson,	Best Bull,	5
	do do	Third best,	3
	John Sutton,	Best four Hogs,	4
	George H. Jackson,	Second best Clover Seed,	5
	Jonas Seely,	Second best pair working Oxen,	5
1824.	do do	Best improved Farm,	15
	George H. Jackson,	Best Hemp from four acres,	10

INCIDENTS EXTRACTED PROM OLD NEWSPAPERS.

William Armstrong, Esq., died on the 11th of March, 1805, in the 83d year of his age. Through the whole of his life he bore an unexceptionable character, and was esteemed by all who knew him and his death universally regretted. Apostle's injunction--"Be not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

Richard Jennings of the town of Goshen was missing from his house on the 21st of Feb., 1818, and on the 28th was found on his farm dead. He appeared to have been shot and then dreadfully beaten with the musket. It seemed that he had some litigation with his neighbor David Conkling, who formed a conspiracy and employed a negro, Jack Hodges, for a reward of $500 to take the life of Jennings. After Jack perpetrated the act, he absconded but was taken, and with Conkling, Teed and Dunning, committed to prison.

Murder Trials.-On Thursday last the Court of Oyer and Terminer, which commenced its session on the 23d ult. adjourned after performing the most laborious and painful duties. This Court was ordered for the purpose of trying the several persons accused of the murder of Richard Jennings.- These unfortunate men have been tried, found guilty and received the sentence due to the enormity of their crime-a punishment demanded by the offended laws of our country! David Conklin, James Teed, Jack Hodges and David Dunning are to he EXECUTED on Friday the 16th day of April next, between the hours of 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and Hannah, the wife of James Teed, in consideration of her sex and peculiar situation, &c. has had the hand of mercy extended towards her. She is only to be imprisoned, in the county jail, for 30 days. The evidence against the prisoners was of both a positive and circumstantial nature. Jack, the black man, after his Conviction, was admitted as an evidence on the part of the people.

It appeared, from Hodges' testimony, that he was brought up to the sea- came to this county about eighteen years since, has lived with various per sons, and for the last two years in the employ of David Conkling, one of the prisoners-that Conkling and Teed had for a long time been engaged in litigation with the late Mr. Jennings--that at the last Circuit a suit was decided in favor of Jennings which blasted the hopes of Conkling and Teed. Fired with revenge, and unwilling that their opponent should triumph over them by enjoying the property which was about to be put into his possession, they determined to carry into operation what they had for a long time in contemplation; accordingly Jack and Dunning were sounded on the subject. One thousand dollars was what they were to receive for the perpetration of this horrid act. After frequent importunities, Jack partook of the fiend-like spirit of these two men; in an evil moment, and in a slate of intoxication, he determined upon the destruction of Mr. Jennings. Conkling loaded the gun-gave him whiskey-directed him to repair to the house Teed in the evening, where Dunning also resided, and to watch their opportunity for the perpetration of this shocking crime. This was on Saturday; on the Monday following Mr. Jennings was seen by Dunning passing the house-Jack was at breakfast when Dunning informed him that Jennings had gone by--Jack arose from the table, seized his musket, and said to Mrs. Teed,” shall I commit the deed?" She replied, “Yes! its time the old savage was out of the world!" and gave him a drink of whiskey. An arrangement had been previously made that Dunning should decoy the old man into an adjoining piece of wood land, and that Jack should come up and shoot him. When Jack left Teed's, Dunning and Jennings were walking abreast of each other about forty rods ahead-he followed on and came up to them in the woods---presented the gun-” is it loaded,” said Jennings-No! was the reply, and Jack fired, which brought his victim to the ground!! He was not dead. Jack, to use his own expression, was “shocked,” and turned away from the horrid scene. The better feelings of his nature recoiled from the base deed. This was a critical moment; there was no going back-for

--------------------“They were in blood

Steep'd in so far, that, should they wade no more,

To return would be as dangerous as go o'er.”

Dunning seized the musket from Jack, and in the most brutal manner, with the butt of it, beat the old man about the head and breast till he was dead. They both returned, by separate ways, to Teed's house. Jack remained there all night, making free use of whiskey, which Mrs. Teed placed at his disposal. In the morning he repaired to Conkling's---gave him the broken pieces of the gun, and informed him of the murder-was going on to particularize, when Conkling stopped him, and said he did not wish to hear any more. Jack went to bed. He remained around Conkling's for some days, during which he was repeatedly urged by Conkling and Teed to go away. After the neighborhood began to make search for Jennings, they repeated their wish more urgently for Jack to go off-gave him ten dollars, and a paper directed to a Mr. Rodair of New York, in which he was recommended as faithful and honest-and a request that he would assist in getting him to sea. Conkling promised to meet Jack in New York, when he would pay him his wages, and reward for the murder. Teed followed Jack to Newburgh for the purpose of urging his departure-met him there, and saw him safe on board the ferry boat.

The above are the leading features of the testimony to which Jack swore, accompanied with a thousand other circumstances relative to the transaction. His evidence was candid, clear and consistent throughout-it carried conviction to the minds of all the hearers. No one, however intelligent, could invent and assert a falsehood and not be detected by the severe cross examinations under which Jack went. But armed, as he was, with the power and majesty of truth, he defied the ingenuity of counsel-he baffled all attempts to entrap him in a falsehood. In addition to Jack's positive testimony, it was proved by other Witnesses that both Conkling and Teed, had, on various occasions, made use of expressions such as “I wish old Jennings was dead”-” it would be no more harm to kill him than it would be to kill a grey squirrel!“-“I will give five hundred dollars to any man that will kill him,” &c. Much more circumstantial evidence was adduced, but our limits prevent its insertion. Jack's statement, where it was susceptible of corroboration, was substantiated by other witnesses. On the trial of Dunning, the wretched men, Conkling and Teed, after their conviction, were brought forward to disprove Jack's testimony, but which we understand had a contrary effect. Their story, although the result of an understanding, was evidently inconsistent. They, however, admitted the most material parts in lack's testimony, which made them accessories after the fact. When brought to receive sentence, Conkling and Teed were very much distressed, in which feelings the whole audience and Court participated. It was truly an affecting moment! Four fellow creatures were about receiving sentence of death-wives were to be made widows-children orphans, and a vast connection, most of whom respectable, were about enshrouding themselves with misery and sorrow-nay, perhaps disgrace.! It was an awful moment-a period calculated to awaken all the tender sensibilities of the heart-all the finer feelings of our nature! But "the wages of sin is death.” His honor Judge Van Ness, after passing the sentence of the law, advised them as friends to prepare to meet their God admonished them not to let a false hope of pardon divert their attention from the paramount duties which ensure a safety of their souls-to meet their fate as christians! His address did honor to him as a man--he exercised the sternness of a magistrate, but never lost sight of the great duties which our religion inculcates.

The black man's body, agreeably to the sentence, is to be handed over to the president of the Medical Society for dissection. The authority under which the judges exercise this part of the sentence, should be blotted from our statute books-it is a relic of barbarism, and disgraceful to a civilized community. -Republican, March 15, 1819