On 3 November 1860 at a Tavern on the corner of 2nd Street and Dickinson Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, William Simmons was pulling beer and serving whiskey as he usually did on a Saturday afternoon. The election was only 3 days away and slavery and rights of individual states were a huge issue. The candidates running were Constitutional Union Party nominee John Bell,
Southern Democratic Party nominee John Breckinridge, Democratic Party nominee Senator Stephen Douglas, and Republican nominee Abraham Lincoln. Noah Mick had been drinking and wrestling. William Golcher, who had been drinking with shipmates for the better part of the day had started up a lively conversation regarding politics which then turned to wrestling as Abraham Lincoln was an accomplished wrestler. It was at about this point that the conversation got a wee bit heated. Noah noticed that William was agitated and said to William "I believe you have a spite against me". William made no reply but sat in silence. Noah got up and started to leave the bar.
On 25 June 1866 William Golcher was standing at trial for the murder of Noah Mick.
According to witnesses for William, he entered the Tavern with a group of shipmates and they were drinking "freely". They claimed that Noah had been wrestling with another man when he invited William to wrestle him. William turned him down. Both men became angry about William's refusal to wrestle but then had a drink together to mend the rift. Witnesses for William said that Noah got up to leave when William asked him if he considered him an enemy still. Noah replied yes. William became angrier and punched Noah saying "Take that, Damn you!" and then kicked Noah as he lay on the ground. Noah did not move. William became frightened and ran out the back door of the Tavern. Witnesses say that Noah was dead.
William's attorney went on about what a brave sailor he was having served valiantly in the last war, he had been a sailor for 16 years, he was noble, and gallant. Witnesses for his character who claimed to have known him since he was a boy claimed they never saw anything he did or said to be questionable. His shipmates said he was gallant and always exhibited good behavior, he had favor and the good opinion of his superiors and quickly made rank to Chief Engineer of the gunboat Commodore.
Now apparently after William killed Noah he made his way back to his ship and continued his duties on board his ship which had left Philadelphia and it was not until the ship returned to port in Philadelphia that William sent his father to fetch a justice so he could turn himself in.
Witnesses for William claimed that Noah had been a bully and tormented William for quite some time during the course of events. They claim that William punched Noah in self defense. That Noah had raised his arms as though to punch him first. They claimed that Noah was a dangerous character and had great strength and William feared fir his life and so for the safety of his person punched and then kicked the motionless Noah.
The coroner gave witness that he could not say for sure that the punch or kick delivered by William was the actual cause of death and it could have been from something that had happened during an earlier wrestling match.
According to William Simmons, the owner of the Tavern, who was a witness, says that he was reading a newspaper when the brawl started but when he looked up Noah was on the ground not moving and William Golcher kicked him 3 times in the head. Other witnesses concurred with this. William Golcher was heard telling Noah that he could "lick him and his friend too." Noah had abrasions and contusions on his jaw, a contusion in his temporal region, blood spewing from his nose, an opening in his cranium with an effusion of blood earning a compression at the base of the brain sufficient to cause death. The jury returned with a verdict of guilty, that the cause of death were the result of the injuries caused by William Golcher.
Noah Mick was my Great Uncle. He was 30 at the time of the murder. He was the son of George W. Mick and wife Elizabeth (Park) Mick, was born in New Jersey on 11 February 1830. He was one of 12 children. Noah was a Moulder like his father and several of his brothers. He was married to Elizabeth Van Holt and had three children, Noah, Sarah and Delilah.
John J. Easley, Master Mason at Fredonia Lodge No. 247. The Lodge meets on Fridays that fall before a full moon or on a Friday that is a full moon. It was chartered in August of 1852 and William C. Love was the first Master. A Master Mason is a degree of Freemasonry.
John was born in Virginia in 1826 to William A. Easley and Tabitha Hoskins (Stone) Easley. He had 5 brothers and 1 sister. His father made him and his younger brother William P Easley co-executors of his will. John was a farmer and lived in Lyon County, Kentucky.
June 1863 John, William and Thomas Easley are recorded in the Civil War Draft Registration in Caldwell County, Kentucky.
On 8 November 1863 he married the lovely Elizabeth Allen at Charles Miller's in Livingston, Kentucky. They had 2 children John N. Easley and Charles Easley. Before the year 1870 Elizabeth, John's wife has died. He is living in Fredonia, Caldwell County, Kentucky not far from his 2 brothers, Thomas and William.
In 1872 John, his brother William and several other men get together and decide to create the Princeton, Marion and Ohio River Railroad Company. The purpose was for Real Estate for a railroad and telegraph lines.
In 1880 John and his sons live in Eddyville in Lyon County, Kentucky. Eddyville was settled in 1798 and in 1799 became the county seat for Livingston County, Kentucky. In 1809 Caldwell County, Kentucky was formed and Eddyville became the county seat there. Eddyville once again changed county when Lyon County was established in 1854. The original Eddyville was relocated in 1959 after the Barkley Dam was constructed and the original town flooded with what became Lake Barkley.
In April 1892 John passes away.
This is a Trace of Florence Emaline Probert McCrorie. Shall we see what we can uncover?
Florence was born 31 May 1877 in Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England. Her parents are William Henry Probert and Sarah (Curtis) Probert. She claims to have arrived in America in 1883 and was also known as Flora and Florrie.
On 26 October 1879 while she still an infant, Jacob Curtis, her Grandfather died and left in his will for Flora £5o. The money was given, by her 2 Aunts who were the executrix of his estates, to their Brother-in-law, John Allen. John took the money and left for America with the promise to put it in account for Flora but never did. A lawsuit soon followed.
In 1907 Flora worked as a Stenographer at Schwarzenbach & Son a clothing store for men and boys. She lived at 19 Fulton Street where she rented a room from Mrs. Schlemmer.
She marries William McCrorie on 12 June 1911 in Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia where they both claim they live. Two years after the marriage Florence Margaret McCrorie was born.
In 1919 Flora's Aunt, Mary Ann Probert Hadley made Flora the executrix of her will. This added to the soap opera style drama that was unfolding around Flora, her Aunt Mary Ann's son Harry Hadley, and Aunt Esther Probert Dodds (Mary Ann's sister).
In 1920 the family is living on Lanvale Street in Baltimore. In 1921 they are living on Spruce Street and they have a son named William Curtis McCrorie. North Centre St. in Cumberland, Maryland is where we find Flore, her son and daughter living in 1930. Her husband William is not living in the home. Flora works as an inspector at the Celanese Plant in Cumberland.
The Celanese Plant was actually The American Cellulose and Chemical Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and was founded in 1918 to make cheap fabric for airplane manufacturing. They manufactured cellulose acetate as an alternative to silk. In 1927 the company was renamed Celanese Corporation of America. There was a massive labor strike in 1936 at the plant as the workers tried to Unionize. For photos taken during the strike click the strike link. Flora was still employed there and she may be in one of the photos. The facility in Cumberland is now gone and on the site is a State Prison.
In 1939 Flora is a reeler, she operated the machine that wound the yarn onto the bobbin, and lives on Marion Street in Cumberland. Flora and her son live Goethe St. in Cumberland by 1940 where she is an inspector at Celanese Corporation of America. Linden Street is her next address in a home with her son and his wife. She is 65 and she still works at the Textile Manufacturer.
At the age of 86 in November of 1968 Flora passes away. She is buried in Frostburg Memorial Park.
