For all you folks who are against conspiracy theories, how do you explain these two Irishmen conspiring to run away? If these two knuckleheads could pull off a conspiracy, don’t you think powerful internationalists might also be able to succeed in duplicitous plots?
August 29, 1771
The Pennsylvania Gazette
FIVE POUNDS Reward.
RUN away from the subscribers, living in Carnarvon township, Lancaster county, two Irish servant men,
one named James Sheehy, about 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high, dark complexion, short black curled hair;
had on, and took with him, a brown saggathy coat, with mohair buttons, striped silk lappelled waistcoat, light coloured knit breeches, white cotton stockings, 2 pair of pumps, and 1 pair of shoes, with square silver buckles, 2 fine shirts, 1 coarse ditto, a beaver hat, and white trowsers.
The other, named John Glashien, about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high, thick made, and pockmarked;
had on a blue coat, white linen waistcoat, leather breeches, grey ribbed stockings, white linen waistcoat, leather breeches, a coarse home made linen shirt: [1]
Both native Irishmen, and speak with the brogue; they lately came from Waterford, in Ireland, with Captain Curtis. [2]
Whoever takes up said servants, and secures them in any goal within this province, or brings them to the subscribers, shall receive Three Pounds for Sheehy, and Forty Shillings for the other, with reasonable charges.
DAVID MORGAN, JOSEPH JENKINS.
Notes
1. As John is barefoot, perhaps one of the two pair of pumps he carried off is to be used to shoe his fellow runaway.
2. A ship’s captain would own, and conduct a sale of indentures, redemptioners, convicts, kidnapping victims and just ordinary servants. The only thinking certain about this listing is that neither of these men was an indenture or a convict, which would be noted as these were categories of forced labor whose condition was aggressively backed by the state.
Into Wicked Company
