I have to admit that I'm somewhat addicted to reading old newspaper
articles, continually amazed at some of the stories that are found in
old papers. My latest fascination started with this article, from the
Philadelphia Inquirer on Jan 1, 1921:
West Chester "Crank" in Phila.; Bound West
Police Glad To Have Him Leave Home Town After Siege
Police
in all parts of the city kept a watchful eye on the merrymakers, in an
effort to single out Elliot Penrose Jones, the demented "Blond Giant" of
West Chester, who left his home armed with two automatic pistols and
took the train for West Philadelphia yesterday afternoon. Up to a late
hour, they failed to find him.
Jones had held
the police and several hundred citizens at bay with an array of firearms
for several days, when they attempted to lure him from the home of his
mother, Mrs. Anna Ralston Jones, on North Walnut St.
Leaving
the house shortly after noon and carrying a handbag, Jones walked out
of the rear door and announced that he was going on a trip. He refused
to tell his relatives where he was going, although he had promised
earlier in the day that he would go to the Pennsylvania Hospital for the
Insane. This promise was qualified with the understanding that he was
to be accompanied by a physician or attorney.
Boarding
the train he rode to Frazer and then changed to an express for this
city. Meanwhile neighbors telephoned to the West Chester police that he
was headed for the station, but the police arrived there too late.
The
mother issued a statement last night that she and her family would
leave West Chester as soon as possible and locate elsewhere because of
the notoriety caused by her son's actions.
My eye was caught by his mother's name, as the Ralston name is connected
to some of my own lives, but this Ralston does not appear to be related
to mine. While looking for more information about her, I found this
article, from a few years earlier, also from the Inquirer:
1916-02-02
Will Fight On in West Chester
West
Chester, Feb 1. In the courts of this county today, Mrs. Anna Mary
Ralston Jones, daughter of the late Mrs. Francis Hooton, through her
counsel, presented a petition to have the will of her mother set aside,
the claim being that the mother was unduly influenced by her husband and
her daughter, now of New York. The petition also sets forth that Mrs.
Hooton was of feeble mind at the time of her making the will, in which
she disposes of all her estate, which is considerable, to Mrs. Guilford,
Excepting $5, which is left to Mrs. Jones.
As it turns out, Anna Ralston's mother, Anna Rowan Penrose, married
Colonel Hooton after Mr. Ralston passed away and she and the Colonel had
a daughter together, Mary Penrose Hooton, the Mrs. Guilford mentioned
in the article above.
Mrs. Hooton had passed away the previous New Year's Eve and though the
article does not mention where she was buried, it was probably Oaklands
as the Colonel was buried there when he died in 1904.
Just to make the whole story even more fun, the Colonel managed to create quite a stir himself:
Philadelphia Inquirer 3/9/1893
Charged With Contempt
West
Chester, March 8. Colonel F .C. Hooton, a leading lawyer of this place
and ex-chairman of the Republican state central committee, was arrested
today by a Philadelphia court officer and taken to that city on a charge
of contempt of court in not paying a claim held by Anna Jones, of
Philadelphia. The trouble grew out of the estate of James Neely,
deceased, of which Colonel Hooton was executor.
The Anna Jones mentioned in the story does not appear to be of any
connection to the Colonel's step-daughter Anna, though it is certainly
an intriguing coincidence. Months later,in August of 1893, the Colonel
was sent to prison as the contempt of court had not been resolved:
Baltimore Sun, 8/2/1893
An Executor Imprisoned
Col.
Francis C. Hooton, executor of the estate of James S. Neely, deceased,
was today committed to Moyamensing Prison by Judge Hanna, of the Orphans
Court. Colonel Hooton was ordered some time ago to pay $4,730(?) to
Anna Jones, one of Neely's heirs. He failed to do so and was committed
to jail for contempt of court. He cannot get out until he purges himself
of the contempt by paying the money.
This soon becomes a bigger issue:
Philadelphia Inquirer. 8/9/1893
West
Chester, Aug 8. There is likely to be trouble resulting from the
Sheriff's sale tomorrow of the property of Colonel Francis Hooton, who
is now in prison in Philadelphia for contempt of court. Hooton had a
farm in Honeybrook township on which the sheriff levied on an exception
issued by the Farmer's National Bank of West Chester. The tax collector
levied on the personal property for taxes and sold some of it. Edward
Brinton and Isaac Cochran then issued executions against Hooton and the
question now arises, who has the right to the disposal of the property?
Mrs. Hooton, the Colonel's wife, got a deed from the sheriff for a part
of the property, and today she adds to the complications by exhibiting
this. The consequence will be that every one will be afraid to bid
tomorrow for fear of being mixed up in the most complicated case the
county has ever had.
One can only assume that the Colonel managed to clear up some of the
issues before he died in 1904. I would also be interested in finding out
if Anna Ralston Jones ever managed to have her mother's will set aside
and whether the other Anna ever got her inheritance. And did they ever
capture Elliott? What a convoluted family this one is! Next time I get
to Oaklands, I'll have to try to locate the Colonel's grave.
