Introduction
Saturday, July 14, 1900 marks the date when Scipio became the scene of riot and destruction. The hamlet of Scipio Center seems an unlikely place for a riot from our perspective 122 years later, when on occasion we are bombarded by 24-hour news of riots that engulf portions of major cities. Perhaps it's all a matter of scale because Scipio's riot largely was the work of six men, and their victims comprised a single household and outbuildings, about the right size of riot for a rural crossroads community. As is sometimes the case, alcohol seems to have lubricated the whole enterprise.
Cast of Characters
Perpetrators
John T. Conran was the son of William and Elizabeth Conran of Wyckoff Road in the Town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York. John was about 21 years of age in 1900.
Clarence Elwood Main was the son of Ephraim B. Main and Caroline Sharp of East Scipio. Clarence was a 29-year-old married man with several children, his wife being Alice J. Carter.
Fred Bross was a Farm Laborer with a large family. He was about 36 years old, and appears to have resided near the intersection of the Sherwood Road and present-day Wyckoff Road.
John Miller, Jr. was 22 years of age, unmarried, and a Servant in the employ of the Wattles Hotel in Scipio Center.
George Coulson boarded in the household of Edward and Elizabeth Hunter. He was an unmarried Painter, about 33 years of age.
John Shaw was a 25-year-old, unmarried Farm Laborer living on the Thomas Costello farm in the vicinity of present-day Hunter Road northeast of Scipio Center.
Victims
Alvin Seeley had been a Farmer and subsequently became a Harness Maker, having a shop near his house on the northeast corner of the intersection of present-day Center Road and State Route 34 in Scipio Center. Owner of this parcel is marked as Mrs. J. L. Coulson on a 1904 map of Scipio Center. Alvin was about 69 years of age in 1900. His wife, the former Elnora Fordyce, was living apart from him in the household of their son-in-law, William Coulson at that time.
Elizabeth Cook was the widow of Henry Cook of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York, 58 years of age, and working as a Housework Day Laborer near Scipio Center in 1900. Alvin Seeley apparently made an arrangement for Elizabeth to reside in his household as a Housekeeper shortly before the Scipio Riot. Alvin was to pay Elizabeth $3 per week in return for table board, cleaning, washing, and mending.
The Law
James Benton Hitchcock was a Justice of the Peace for the Town of Scipio. James was a veteran of the Civil War and resided north of Scipioville on present-day State Route 34B.
Constable Wallace Anthony was 52 years of age, a Veterinarian by profession, who resided in Scipioville.
Harry Thomas Dayton was the District Attorney for Cayuga Co., New York. He hailed from New Jersey and was 31 years of age in 1900.
The Plot
Hamlets are places with related families and no secrets, possibly a double-edged sword when relationship difficulties spill over into the community. Elnora Fordyce Seeley, wife of Alvin Seeley, had started living apart from her husband some time after 1892 and was residing nearby with her daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Seeley Coulson and William Coulson, Jr.. This might have been accepted by the community had not Alvin employed Mrs. Elizabeth Cook, a widow, as his housekeeper, to which certain people took offense. Mind you, these were not spring chickens! Alvin was 69 and apparently in poor health. Elizabeth was 58 and caring for a 2-year-old grandchild. From this perspective 122 years later, torrid romance seems a bit far-fetched. Nevertheless, appearances still counted for something in rural America at the turn of the 20th century. Moral approbation, at least by certain individuals, was the result.
Elizabeth Cook moved to Alvin Seeley's house not long before mid-July 1900. Before long, several young men, suspecting immoral activity within Alvin's house, thought that they should organize a "horning" for the residents therein. You might recall that a "horning" or "shivaree" was a tradition usually applied to newlyweds to disrupt their wedding night, usually applied in a good-natured fashion as described here. The Scipio Center version of a horning would turn into rather the reverse of tradition when applied to Alvin and Elizabeth.
Testimony of one of the perpetrators of the Seeley horning revealed that plans were afoot by midday on Saturday, 14 July 1900. John Miller, the servant in the employ of the Wattles Hotel in Scipio Center, disclosed to Fred Bross, the local farm laborer, that the horning would occur that evening. Bross, presumably after finishing his assigned farm chores, set out for Scipio Center in early evening. There, at the Wattles Hotel, Bross met up with John Miller, joined by Clarence Main, who like Bross probably should have been home with his wife and children, and Egbert Elliott "Bert" Wattles, 16-year-old son of William L. Wattles, proprietor of the Hotel.
Miller and Bross went to the hotel's wagon house where Miller gathered up a number of eggs from a crate. A meeting place for the assembling group of participants seems to have been behind a barn behind the Wattles Hotel where a party was in progress consuming beer that had appeared previously. Bross returned to the Hotel although he may have sampled the beer behind the barn before doing so.
By 10:30 in the evening a crowd of people had assembled at Snyder's Store, a short distance from the Seeley residence. Among them was John T. Conran. Someone had a basket of eggs, presumably in addition to the eggs earlier secured by John Miller. Bert Wattles and John Miller were there and had added their shotguns to the mix. A galvanized tin boiler, which would turn out to contain tar and a ladle, also had made an appearance in the gathering mob, which soon set off for the Seeley residence.
Later testimony would show that most of the horning party would exercise a modicum of restraint. They remained across the road from Seeley's house, firing guns and making as much noise as possible. Others, however, threw eggs and stones at the house, tarred some of the clapboards, cracked or broke other clapboards, daubed red paint and egg shells on the house, and broke windows. John Miller, John Conran, and Clarence Main went to work on Seeley's harness shop. More broken boards and windows were the result, badly damaging the building. At some point, Mr. Seeley's smokehouse and outhouse were toppled, as well.
By this time, Mr. Seeley had emerged and remonstrated with the vandals, questioning what he had ever done to earn their ire. Elizabeth Cook's 2-year-old grandchild apparently had suffered convulsions during the disturbance, but this did not deter the perpetrators. Bross, Miller, and Conran went back to Snyder's store but Miller and Conran shortly returned to Seeley's place, followed by the sounds of broken glass and noise. John Shaw, a farm laborer, was present in the yard. Alvin Seeley tried to get Shaw to tell him who the vandals were, but Shaw would not reveal their names.
Justice Done
Alvin Seeley wanted to see justice done for the damage to his property. He went before Justice of the Peace James B. Hitchcock of Scipioville on the Monday following the destruction of his property, accompanied by Mrs. Elizabeth Cook. There they made depositions upon which a warrant for the arrest of John Shaw was based. John Shaw, to whom Alvin had spoken, apparently was the only perpetrator that he could identify. The warrant was for the charge of Riot, accounting for the incident in question being called the Scipio Riot.
Justice Hitchcock passed the warrant to Constable Wallace Anthony who undertook to arrest John Shaw. Shaw appeared before Justice Hitchcock for arraignment on Tuesday, 17 July 1900, where he pleaded not guilty before undergoing an examination by the Justice. This examination failed to yield sufficient evidence to hold Mr. Shaw, who was therefore discharged.
More than a month passed before two more riot participants were identified following investigation. Fred Bross and John Miller, both being described as of intemperate habits (i.e., heavy drinkers), were arrested in Scipio on Wednesday, 29 August 1900, and hauled before Justice Hitchcock where they entered pleas of not guilty on the charge of Riot and were remanded to the Cayuga County Jail for a further hearing scheduled for Friday, 31 August 1900. Before this hearing was held, an arrest was made on John T. Conran, who had been out of town at the State Fair when Bross and Miller were apprehended. Justice Hitchcock had all three alleged rioters brought to Scipioville for further examination, after which he ordered that they be held for the Grand Jury on $500 bail each.
Meanwhile, it became suspected among the public that a warrant had been issued for George Coulson, who had not been seen for some days and was thought to have fled to Canada. George's freedom came to an end when he was arrested on Monday, 10 September 1900. Justice Hitchcock examined Coulson two days later at Scipioville, with lawyers for both Coulson and Mr. Seeley participating in the proceedings. The evidence showed that George Coulson was the rioter who had a bucket of tar, and that the tar had ended up on the siding of the Seeley residence. Despite Coalson's lawyer requesting dismissal of the charge of rioting, Justice Hitchcock ordered George held for the Grand Jury on a continuance of his $500 bail.
Wednesday, 12 September 1900, saw the arrest of Clarence Main who had been implicated in the vandalism of Mr. Seeley's property. Clarence made bail of $500 for a scheduled reappearance before Justice Hitchcock at Scipioville on the following Saturday. Sureties for Clarence's bond were his older brother, Ephraim Main, Jr., and an older sister, Emma Main Devonshire. Justice Hitchcock ordered Clarence Main held on bail for the Grand Jury.
The Grand Jury convened on or about Monday, 1 October 1900 at Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York, with 26 cases to be heard during the ensuing term of Supreme Court, among which were those involving the charges of riot against Clarence Main, John Conran, John Miller, Fred Bross, and George Coulson. All five were indicted by the Grand Jury when the jurors concluded their deliberations on Saturday, 6 October 1900. Main, Miller, and Coulson were present and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their bail was renewed pending trial.
John Miller's case was the first scheduled to be heard. He appeared before Judge Underwood on Tuesday, 11 December 1900 and pleaded guilty, receiving two months in jail. Miller had never been able to raise bail since his arrest and so had been incarcerated for nearly four months already, but received a sentence of two additional months in jail.
Next up for trial was John T. Conran, with proceedings opening on Thursday, 13 December 1900. District Attorney Harry Thomas Dayton and his assistant Robert J. Barrett were to prosecute the remaining cases of the Scipio rioters, assisted by Mr. Seeley's attorney, Frank M. Leary. By the time that Conran's case was heard, co-rioter Fred Bross had determined to plead guilty and had turned State's evidence in anticipation of a lenient sentence. Conran's defense attorneys, Danforth H. Lewis and Frank E. Cady, intended to impugn Mr. Seeley's character as a major part of their defense, the old game of "blame the victim" if all else fails. This defense strategy was blocked, however, by the prosecution's repeated objections, which the judge readily sustained. Bross's testimony described the movements and actions of the rioters on the night of July 14, and Mr. Seeley and Mrs. Cook described the damage to Mr. Seeley's property. In the end, the jury took only 20 minutes to deliver a verdict of guilty late on Friday afternoon. Judge Underwood sentenced John Conran to three months in the County Jail.
Fred Bross filed a new bail bond of $500 with the Cayuga County Clerk on Wednesday, 2 January 1901. No more can be found on the outcome of his planned guilty plea and sentence. Likewise, we find nothing more on the cases against Clarence Main and George Coulson. Perhaps they plead out after the unsuccessful defense put up in the Conran case because a later news item mentioned that John T. Conran was the only Scipio rioter to go to trial.
One additional riot-related case not previously mentioned was a charge of Riot against Willard Wattles, owner of the Wattles Hotel in Scipio Center. The level of Willard's participation in the riot isn't easily known, but it is unlikely that an older man of jovial character (as Willard has been described) would have been part of the vandalism. Willard's role in lubricating the assemblage of horners may have been suspect, however. Willard also was charged with violating State excise laws. These cases were heard by the Grand Jury at Auburn on Thursday, 10 January 1901. Indictments may not have been forthcoming because no more has been found regarding the outcome of these cases.
John T. Conran apparently hadn't completely learned his lesson after being convicted in the Scipio riot case because less than two years later he was arrested for grand larceny for stealing $33.75 at the farm of Dr. M. M. Frye of Owasco, Cayuga Co., New York. John pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of petit larceny and spent another 90 days in the County Jail.
Alvin Seeley's Demise and Probate Conflicts
Alvin Seeley died less that a year and one half following the Scipio Riot of 1900, passing away on New Year's Day 1902. His obituary is laudatory, praising his hard work to improve his lot and expressing the fact that he was a good neighbor. Alvin is buried with his wife, Elnora, in Scipio Rural Cemetery.
Alvin and Elnora's daughter, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Coulson became Administratrix of Alvin's estate. In this role, Lizzie took possession of the contents of her late father's property as part of his estate. Mrs. Elizabeth Cook apparently was still living at Alvin's residence when this occurred. Mrs. Cook subsequently brought suit against Lizzie Coulson claiming ownership of 32 chickens, 3 tons of coal, 14 bushels of potatoes, and 1 cider barrel. In addition, Mrs. Cook claimed that Alvin Seeley was to pay her $3 per week for housekeeping, cooking, washing, and cleaning from 21 April 1900 until 26 October 1901, but these sums had never been paid, and Lizzie as Administratrix had refused to pay, as well. Mrs. Cook sought $234 with interest from 26 October 1901 and $48.75 with interest from 1 April 1902. The trial commenced on Monday, 11 January 1904 and concluded with the jury's verdict reported the following morning. Mrs. Cook was awarded $137.
Sources
The following news items can be found using the search function at Old Fulton New York Post Cards.
"SHAW WAS DISCHARGED. . . ."
-- Auburn Weekly Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Tuesday, 24 July 1900
"A gang of hoodlums visited the home of Alvin Seeley. . . ."
-- The Advertiser, Union Springs, Springport, Cayuga Co., NY, Thursday, 26 July 1900
"CHARGED WITH RIOT. - A Scipio Affair Results in the Arrest of Two More Young Men. . . ."
-- Auburn Weekly Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 31 August 1900
"Held for the Grand Jury. Fred Bross, John Miller and John T. Conran. . . . --Bulletin"
-- The Genoa Tribune, Genoa, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 7 September 1900
"HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY. . . . George Colson [Coulson] "
-- Auburn Weekly Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 14 September 1900
"AND STILL ANOTHER. . . . Clarence Main. . . ."
-- Auburn Democrat-Argus, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Tuesday, 18 September 1900
"George Colson [Coulson] and Clarence Main. . . ."
-- The Advertiser, Union Springs, Springport, Cayuga Co., NY, Thursday, 20 September 1900
"MAIN ALSO HELD. . . ."
-- The Genoa Tribune, Genoa, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 23 September 1900
"THE GRAND JURY'S GRIST. Twenty-six Cases To Be Considered, Many of Them of Importance. . . ."
-- The Auburn Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Monday, 1 October 1900
"Close of Supreme Court Session. . . . Clarence Main, John Conran, John Miller, Fred Bross and George Coulson. . . . "
-- The Register, Fair Haven, Sterling, Cayuga Co., NY, Thursday, 11 October 1900
"The Grand Jury. . . . Clarence Main, John Conran, John Miller, Fred Bross and George Coulson. . . ."
-- The Genoa Tribune, Genoa, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 12 October 1900
"Scipio Rioters Next. . . . John Miller. . . ."
-- Auburn Weekly Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 7 December 1900
"THE SCIPIO RIOTERS. The Case of John Conran Called - The Story of the Alleged Crime. . . ."
-- The Auburn Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Thursday, 13 December 1900
"TURNED STATE'S EVIDENCE. Fred Bross, Indicted for Riot, Testified Against John Conran. . . ."
Auburn Democrat-Argus, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Tuesday, 18 December 1900
"Conran Goes to Jail. . . ."
-- Auburn Democrat-Argus, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Tuesday, 18 December 1900
"BROSS' NEW BOND. . . ."
-- Auburn Democrat-Argus, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 4 January 1901
"THE GRAND JURY'S WORK. . . . Willard Wattles. . . ."
-- Auburn Weekly Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 11 January 1901
"GRAND JURY'S WORK. . . . Willard Wattles. . . ."
-- Auburn Weekly Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 11 January 1901
"Alvin Seeley died New Year's morning. . . ."
-- The Genoa Tribune, Genoa, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 17 January 1902
"CONRAN PLEADED GUILTY. . . ."
-- The Auburn Bulletin, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Wednesday, 22 October 1902
"AUBURN. AUBURN, Oct. 29. . . . John Conran. . . ."
-- The Genoa Tribune, Genoa, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 31 October 1902
"JURY FOUND FOR THE DEFENDANT. . . . Scipio Riot Cases Recalled by the Trial of the Action brought by Cook Against Coalson [Coulson]. . . ."
-- Auburn Democrat-Argus, Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 15 January 1904
"News Of [Auburn?] - AUBURN, Jan. 12. . . . Elizabeth Cook. . . ."
-- The Genoa Tribune, Genoa, Cayuga Co., NY, Friday, 15 January 1904
