The following short bits of unusual news were collected from newspapers printed in 1800. Each short article is distinct for its time, giving readers a touch of understanding of what life was like in 1800.
Three Cents Reward. – Run away on the evening of the 28th, a bound servant girl, named Elizabeth Howell, had on and took with her three different changes of garment and money, proud, bold and impudent, a noted liar. Any person apprehending her shall be entitled to the above reward. (1800)
At Reims, a woman, at the age of 102; having had nine husbands, and bred up 27 children; she was attended to the grave by 153 sons, grandson, and great grandsons; many of the former going upon crutches, or led along blind, and born down with age. She had herself eight brothers and fourteen sisters, all of whom made good use of their time, so that the old woman was aunt to upwards of a thousand people. (1800)
Some weeks since, a young person who had the appearance of a boy, solicited to be brought on board his Majesty’s ship, the Actaeon, at Liverpool, and continued in the ship upwards of seven weeks, performing the duty of his station the same as other boys, when by means of a letter sent to some friends, it was discovered that this pretended boy was a fine girl, about 18 years of age. The loss of a mother and the neglect of a father was the only reason she would ever acknowledge for such a step. During the time she was on board the Actaeon, she conducted herself with the greatest propriety, that no one had the least suspicion of her sex. She was sent on shore again, dressed in proper clothes, with a handsome collection made for her by the officers ad ship’s company. (1800)
On Monday morning a man by the name of Collins, living near the state prison in N.Y., put a period to his existence by discharging the contents of a loaded pistol through his body. What led to this rash and horrid act we have not been able to ascertain. (1800)
On Friday last a Carter was convicted by a verdict of the jury of the Municipal Court in this town of cruelly beating and killing a horse in Bowdoin’s Square to the injury of the humane feelings of all the citizens there inhabiting and passing. He was sentenced to pay a fine of ten dollars with costs of prosecution. (1800)
On the Fourth of July, Captain N. Chapman had his hand blown off by the charge of a cannon, at Edenton. (1800)
The widow Newhall yesterday left this town for Boston in order to procure the release of her son from the merciless fangs and cruel tyranny of a British ship of war, the St. Albans – where he has been confined a number of years, and where he has been, we learn, most cruelly and repeatedly beaten for endeavoring to make his escape. (1800)
