Terrible Crime in Port Richmond - 1862

Doing a little research in the NY Times' on-line archives, I came across the sad story of a murder in Port Richmond over a hundred years ago. Done for nothing more than "paltry robbery", Alabamus Harrison, brother of Dr. John Harrison, was strangled with his own necktie. Without doing way more research than I'm capable of on my laptop, I can only suspect that John and Alabamus were the sons of the famous Dr. John T. Harrison and whose elm tree was the reason for Elm Park's name.   The following are excerpts from the various NY Times articles covering the crime, the investigation and the trial.

November 21, 1862

The murder of ALABAMUS HARRISON, at Port Richmond, Staten Island, is yet undergoing investigation by Coroner DEMPSEY. The affair is still enveloped in painful mystery to the good people of that village and the law officers, but it is thought that certain suspicions arising from the drift of the evidence, may yet lead to some tangible proof as to who committed the murder. The funeral of the victim takes place to-day.

November 23, 1862

Coroner DEMPSEY and a jury are yet investigating the murder of ALABAMUS HARRISON, at Port Richmond. Staten Island, assisted by Justice GROSHON and Dr. WM. G. EADIE, who take a devoted interest in unraveling the mystery of the tragedy. Lengthy sittings are held and numerous witnesses examined, and, as the inquest progresses, the prospect of fixing upon who committed the murder grows better. The inquest began on last Wednesday morning. On Friday, the evidence warranted the arrest and imprisonment of JAMES MOORE, an Irishman, who was the first witness, on suspicion; and yesterday morning, SAMUEL SNEEDEN, one of the jurors, was committed to prison on still stronger suspicion. SNEEDEN is a young man, a widower, and a ship-carpenter by trade, who has hitherto borne a passable character. MOORE's antecedents are rather unfavorable. These worthies, it is now suspected, are accomplices in the murder; and a married woman, named MARY DUFF, is thought to be an accomplice after it not before the fact. Paltry robbery alone appears to have been the incentive to the terrible crime.

November 26, 1862

The inquest at Port Richmond, Staten Island, on the murder of ALABAMUS HARRISON, is yet in progress. From the testimony of Drs. EADIR and HARRISON, (the latter a brother of the victim,) it would seem that the murder was committed in doors, and the body left in the street afterward, as the underclothes were not at all wet, although a heavy rain fall during the night. From sickness in infancy the deceased was partially demented, and being incapable of following any kind of employment, he was supported by his relatives. His habits were irregular, but harmless. He frequented the liquor-saloons, and on the night of the murder visited two of the worst of the "lager-bier" saloons, which are resorted to by the abandoned of both sexes. Their vile character was never fully known till revealed by this inquest. The citizens are now highly incensed at finding that such places exist in the village, and threats are quite openly made of tearing down the buildings. JAMES MOORE, one of the parties under arrest on suspicion, is not an Irishman, as heretofore stated, but claims to be a native of Rochester.

February 22, 1863

THE MURDER AT PORT RICHMOND. -- SNEEDIN and MOORE, the men who were committed by Coroner JAMES DEMPSEY, for the murder of ALABAMUS HARRISON, at Port Richmond, Staten Island, have been indicted by the Grand Jury of Richmond County, and will be tried in April next. The only witness permitted to go upon personal recognizance was Mrs. HOUSMAN, who recently left Port Richmond without notice to the Coroner of her removal. Coroner DEMPSEY therefore, sought to arrest her, and after several days' search, he found her in New York, took her back to Staten Island, and put her in the County jail to await the time of the trial. She denied any intention of flight, but the circumstance of her change of residence without notice decided the Coroner's mind on that point, and he acted as he believed it was his plain duty to do in the matter.

   I wish there were more detail about the case. I'd like to know where the lager-bier saloon was and where poor Alabamus' body was found. Port Richmond in 1862 was a pretty small town. Where was there a lager-bier saloon that everybody didn't know about it already? A century and a half after the fact, are there any descendants of the Harrison family? If so are they still on the Island? It's a thoroughly depressing piece of history with little larger significance. But what it is is a reminder of human frailty and how easy it is to slip into somewhere horrible.

The Gardiner-Tyler House

   Somehow I've never posted pictures of this Golden Age remnant before now.  The Gardiner-Tyler House was built in 1837 (according to an article in the NY Times {paywall}).  I figure it's a nice way to try to get back to posting.  I've been occupied with my swords & sorcery blog and getting things done around the house.  I'd like to see this blog moving along again so here's hoping.

   From 1868 to 1874, Juliana Tyler, the widow of President John Tyler, lived in that house.  According to the NY Times article, her daughter, also Juliana, lived there during the Civil War and advocated for the South.  The Times seemed surprised but I recall reading before that Staten Island was a hotbed of Southern sympathy during the war.

   Once the house stood at the center of a large estate.  Over time it was whittled away leaving it crowded in and cramped.
 

   In 1874 the house sat amidst 11.75 acres of green Staten Island hillside.

By 1935 there's residential development going on all over the place.  The Gardiner-Tyler House's lot has been subdivided.

Today the open spaces are gone.  Unless you count the expansion of St. Peters Cemetery.  I mean it's kind of open I guess.

Detroit

   So Detroit's dying.  Michigan's governor filed for bankruptcy to get the city out from under its massive debt.  A judge may have thwarted that but the money to pay those debts doesn't exist.  Detroit's been a disaster for decades with no present prospects of improving.  As much as Michael Moore wants to blame big business for Detroit's death, it's way more complicated than that, involving post-war suburbanization, white flight, US deindustrialization, one-party rule and massive, massive municipal corruption.
   In the past I made a couple of posts about Detroit and three years ago the luminous Mrs. V and I took a detour through the city on our way to Glacier National Park.  There's really no way to convey the vast devastation of the place but here's a few pictures anyway.

 Michigan Central Station 

Mark Twain Public Library 

This beautiful building, though money was explicitly raised to renovate it, was demolished in 2011

Todt Hill's Projects

Portfolio: Todt Hill Houses

   

   I was shown this site by my wife the other day. There look to be some amazing collections on its pages.  As I find cool things I'll post them.

   The luminous Mrs. V grew up in these one time models of municipal housing.  Until recently they were among the best projects in the city.  Changing times and attitudes have led to a slow downhill trending in quality of life for the place.  So it goes.

Banksapalooza! Part Two - Richmond County Savings Bank

   Standing at the corner of Castleton Avenue and Taylor Street, this 1930 picture gives us so much more than just a great shot of the Richmond County Savings Bank.  There are several little details worth examining.  

In the window at the center left of the picture is a sign advertising the law offices of Francis F. Leman.  I couldn't find much information about him, but in 1920 he had an office at 1619 Richmond Terrace (which was right next door to the Richmond County Savings Bank's office).  According to the American Lawyer he was was from Mariners' Harbor and admitted to the bar in 1894.  I'm sort of 

   At the top of the building with Leman's offices it reads Richmond Insurance Company of NY.  Again, I don't have many specifics concerning the institution, but it was chartered in Illinois.

   Finally, there is the Richmond County Savings Bank.  The bank was found in 1886 just a few blocks away in the Odd Fellows Hall at Broadway and Richmond Terrace.  Today it's one of several divisons of the New York Community Bank.

From the New York Times - October 21, 1886

   The fact that such an impressive neo-classical design is parked on such a grubby commerical strip is a testimony ot how much that part of West New Brighton's changed over the last eighty years.  Once upon a time there were nice department stores, bakeries and movie theaters.  Today, it's not quite the same.

   The bank itself is stripped some of its old architectural charm.  The entrance lamps are gone.  The beautiful clock is now replaced with an ugly light up plastic sign.  It's a rare building on the Island from so long ago that seems able to hold on to the little exterior frills that help make it special.

   So there's another bit of old time Staten Island for you.  Someday I need to get pictures from inside these institutions.  This and the Stapleton SI Bank & Trust are beautiful inside.  So, I guess I got to work on that.

We Have A Winner.

   There's no exclamation point because, while we have a winner, we really didn't have much participation.  It makes me a little sad.

   The very cool astronaut statue sits outside PS 57 over in Park Hill at the junction of Park Hill Avenue and Palma Drive.  If you're not sure where that is it's a block east of the homedepot, just beyond the Lopez Playground.
   I can't figure out exactly why there's an astronaut outside a school named for a vice president not seemingly known for a lot of involvement in the space program.  I might be wrong and I'm always looking for corrections.  If you know something let me know.

   So, Rey Garcia wins, by default.  He said intermediate school and it's not, but it's good enough for this site.

CONTEST! - Guess Something Right and Win a Prize!

   That's my shelf of Staten Island history books.  It's not perfect but I'm pretty proud of it.  The highlight is the complete set of Leng & Davis.  Another gem is "Staten Island 1524 - 1898" by Henry G. Steinmeyer.

   It's a 1987 re-print of a book originally published in 1950.  Steinmeyer was one of the founders of the Richmondtown Restoration Project.  It's a decent history of the Island's discovery, settlement and development by Europeans.  Better yet it's got great pictures.  I've used them for several posts on this site over the years.

   Now here's the thing.  I've got two copies: one good one and one worn one.  So I'm giving the worn one away to one lucky winner!

   

All you have to do is guess correctly where this statue is.

   I discovered this statue in the mid-nineties.  It's one of the coolest and strangest things I've ever seen on the Island.  I can't really figure out why it is where it is but look at it.  Who really cares?  I mean it's an astronaut in Zero-G!

   So, here's the rules.  Guess where it is and let me know, either on facebook or in the comments section of the block.  Then, next Wednesday I'll choose randomly a correct answer and send that lucky person the book.  Or if I know you I can just hand it to you.  Good luck!