Voting box, nailed butt joint construction, pine, original varnish finish, in gold lettering, "Post 118 / GAR / Swamp Angel" Box fitted with bracket to hold miniature wooden cannon barrel with original gold paint decoration, Canon swivels on bracket and has an extension that acts as a stopper for the hole where balls are placed into drawer to vote.
Set of dark wooden candlesticks. "These candlesticks Mr. William Mellor who was then superintendent of the Thaddeus Stevens Industrial School Lanc. Pa. - Presented to Judge Charles I. Landis March 4, 1921 ["I give both to the Lancaster Historical Society J(?) Landis"] The Mahoganey is from handrail of stairs in home of The Honorable Thaddeus Stevens ["4th"] South Queen St.
Card with attached silk bag, "Birthday Social of the Ladies Aid Society, Rawlinsville, Pa / May 20th 1924" Handrwitten at bottom, "E. Clayre Winters / Holtwood / RND# 2 PA"
Architectural fragment. Anchor bolt from the Pennsylvannia Railroad Station 1869-1930, in Lancaster, PA. at the northeast corner of N. Queen St. and E. Chestnut St. Mounted on wood plaque with photograph
Executioner's hood, or cap, of "black Albert twill serge", was made by John C. Dinan and mentioned twice in the June 29 New Era article "MURDERERS PAY PENALTY." It was worn by Lee Furman, convicted murderer, for his hanging on June 29, 1905.
Hood is form-fitted to a round head shape, with a protrusion at the middle of side (for nose?). Hood narrows at the neck and flares strongly out to shoulders and extends to mid-chest in length. Vertical flap extends from bottom to perhaps jaw line, where there is a small, circular opening, likely to accomodate the rope. Flap is secured by 3 cloth-covered buttons. Expertly sewn, likely by a local seamstress or tailor.
Also included with gift is a postal card postmarked Sept. 9, 1905 from H.S. Eckels & Co. in Philadelphia to Mr. J. Fred. Fisher at 128 N. Duke St., Lancaster, PA. message is handwritten in black ink: "Hood use(d) on Lee Furman Hung Thursday June 29, 1905 for the killing of Samuel Ressler "Toll gate Keeper" July 1, 1904." See NOTES on Fisher.
Provenance
Hood was purchased by Mayor Smithgall for $100 from a woman whose father reportedly had acquired it from the mortician. Postal card is unexplained (J. Frederick Fisher was a clerk for the P.R.R. and boarded at 504 N. Queen St. according to the 1890 Directory.
Keys to Shober Hotel. Set of three related large bronze keys (A, B, C), each with oval handle and heart-shaped cutout. Long hollow barrels shafts are lathe-turned, with decorative turned detail near handle. Each shaft has slight tapering, increasing in diameter from handle to opposite end. Ends have a flat rectangular "tooth" cut and shaped into similar but varying configurations.
