1841 Philadelphia Letter Teen Estate Fraud Canton Mayor William Bryce Haly Ohio For Sale

1841 PHILADELPHIA TO CANTON, OHIO STAMPLESS LEGAL LETTER — TEENAGE WILLIAM H. WEST ALLEGES FAMILY ROBBED — SENT TO CANTON MAYOR WILLIAM BRYCE — PHILADELPHIA ATTORNEY WILLIAM WORTHINGTON HALY — A. F. OSTERLOH CONNECTION

Original November 29, 1841 folded stampless letter sent from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to William Bryce, Esqr., Canton, Stark County, Ohio, who was serving as Mayor of Canton in 1841–1842.

An unusually personal piece of early American legal and social history, the letter was written by William H. West, a young man not yet eighteen years old. West describes an ongoing dispute involving his dying father\'s business property and a man named Snider, whom West bluntly accuses of having “robbed and cheated us.”

West explains that he and his fifteen-year-old brother had effectively been left to fend for themselves, writing the extraordinary line that because of Snider\'s “rascalities” the two brothers had been:

“thrown out upon the wide world to seek a living.”

The letter discusses creditors, an assignment of the father\'s goods, promissory notes, witness testimony, correspondence that might be used as evidence, Snider\'s financial condition upon arriving in Ohio, and the allegation that West\'s younger brother heard Snider opening their father\'s private desk while their father was “about dying.”

West asks Bryce to aggressively pursue the matter and directs him to prominent Philadelphia attorney William Worthington Haly. He also asks Bryce to contact his uncle, A. F. Osterloh of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for additional information.

The reverse retains a highly desirable contemporary docket identifying the writer:

“William H. West
Philadelphia Pa
Nov. 27 & Dec. 3d 1841
18¾”

The 18¾ notation is particularly interesting from a postal-history standpoint, as 18¾ cents was a recognized stampless-period postal rate.

FULL TRANSCRIPTION

Philada Nov 29. 1841

Mr Bryce

Dear Sir — I have deferred writing until this time in order to gain as much information about that trial as would be of some service. I saw Mr Wallace, and he is willing to give his evidence any time when called upon, he requested me to ask you, if a correspondence between him and Snider would be of any use, he showed me several letters written by Snider, which would go to prove that Snider was not worth a cent when he came to Ohio, if you want to take his evidence you will be so kind as to write to Lawyer Hally in Sixth Street between Chestnut and Walnut, and he will attend to it; —

I can prove or swear, that I had to pay one Dollar for his stage fare from New Lisbon to New Lancaster [possibly New Garden], and that my Father in selling out to Snider merely made an assignment of his goods in order to save himself from his Creditors until he collected in his debts to pay them — as for him paying them notes, he could not because he was not able, and if he did pay them where or what became of the money, My Brother heard him opening the Private Desk of my Father, when he was about dying, but did not see him do it — Snider has robbed and cheated us, And there must and will be some satisfaction had.

I want you to push this matter as much as possible, If I could but afford it I would come out there myself, there is but two of us, and on account of Sniders rascalities we are thrown out upon the wide world to seek a living, my Brother is but fifteen years old and I not yet eighteen so you see we are young to be in a City of Strangers.

I would like you very much to write to my Uncle in Lancaster — A. F. Osterloh, he would be able to give you some Knowledge how matters and things go on. these I should have put but one l in Mr Halys name, yours &c &c

William H. West
51 Chestnut St.

Please dont forget the direction

Lawyer Haly
Sixth Street
between Chestnut and Walnut

he is Mr Wallace’s Lawyer and transacts all his business —

If you write to my Uncle direct to

A. F. H. WEST — AUTHOR

The writer identifies himself as William H. West, residing at 51 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. The contemporary docket on the reverse independently gives his name as “William H. West.”

West states that he was not yet eighteen years old, placing his birth approximately in 1824. His unnamed younger brother was only fifteen.

The letter provides a remarkable firsthand description of the brothers\' circumstances. Their father had been in serious financial difficulty and had assigned his goods to Snider, according to William, while attempting to collect outstanding debts and satisfy creditors. The father was apparently gravely ill during the events described.

West alleges that his brother heard Snider opening their father\'s private desk while the father was “about dying,” although West carefully acknowledges that his brother did not actually see Snider open it.

Whatever the ultimate facts of the dispute, William clearly believed the brothers had been financially devastated. He tells Bryce that Snider “has robbed and cheated us” and that the two young men had been “thrown out upon the wide world to seek a living.”

The letter therefore provides an unusually intimate firsthand account of the vulnerability of two teenage brothers caught in the aftermath of an early American business failure and family crisis.

WILLIAM BRYCE — RECIPIENT & MAYOR OF CANTON

The recipient, William Bryce, was an important early civic figure in Canton and Stark County, Ohio.

Bryce served as Stark County Recorder from 1831 to 1833, and county records identify him as the county\'s first elected Recorder.

More importantly for this letter, official City of Canton records list William Bryce as Mayor of Canton from 1841 to 1842.

Thus, when this letter was mailed on November 29, 1841, William H. West was writing directly to the sitting Mayor of Canton, asking him to “push this matter as much as possible.”

Bryce\'s exact legal capacity in the West/Snider dispute remains a subject for further research, but the correspondence clearly shows that West regarded him as someone capable of advancing the matter in Ohio.

WILLIAM WORTHINGTON HALY — “LAWYER HALY”

The “Lawyer Haly” identified by West can be associated with prominent Philadelphia attorney William Worthington Haly, an Irish-born lawyer who became a distinguished member of the Philadelphia bar.

The identification is particularly compelling because West gives Haly\'s location as:

“Sixth Street between Chestnut and Walnut.”

Haly was associated with the Sixth and Chestnut area and ultimately died in 1851 following a fire at his office at Sixth and Chestnut Streets.

West initially spells the attorney\'s name “Hally,” but then actually corrects himself in the letter, noting that he “should have put but one l in Mr Halys name.” In the postscript he correctly writes “Lawyer Haly.”

Haly was far more than a neighborhood attorney. He was a significant Pennsylvania legal author and co-authored works with Francis J. Troubat, including an 1830 digest of Pennsylvania statutes and the influential The Practice in Civil Actions and Proceedings.

Haly also served in Philadelphia civic life and represented Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

In this letter Haly is identified as Mr. Wallace\'s attorney, and West tells Bryce that Haly can arrange Wallace\'s testimony and “transacts all his business.”

MR. WALLACE — WITNESS

Mr. Wallace was apparently an important Philadelphia witness in the dispute.

West states that Wallace was willing to give evidence whenever called upon and possessed several letters written by Snider. West believed those letters could demonstrate that Snider “was not worth a cent when he came to Ohio.”

Wallace therefore appears to have possessed potentially important documentary evidence concerning Snider\'s finances and prior activities.

His full identity remains undetermined, but the letter establishes that William Worthington Haly was his attorney.

SNIDER — ACCUSED PARTY

Snider is the central adverse figure in West\'s account, although his first name remains unidentified.

According to West\'s allegations, Snider received the elder West\'s goods through an assignment made while the father was attempting to deal with his creditors and collect outstanding debts.

West also states that he personally paid one dollar for Snider\'s stage fare from New Lisbon to a destination whose name is difficult to read, possibly New Lancaster or New Garden.

West believed Wallace\'s correspondence could prove that Snider possessed virtually nothing when he arrived in Ohio.

Most dramatically, West states that his fifteen-year-old brother heard Snider opening their father\'s private desk while their father was “about dying,” though he explicitly acknowledges that his brother did not actually see Snider doing so.

West concludes unequivocally:

“Snider has robbed and cheated us.”

These are the accusations of William H. West and should be understood as allegations contained in the historical letter rather than independently established facts.

A. F. OSTERLOH — WEST\'S UNCLE

West specifically identifies A. F. Osterloh of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as:

“my Uncle.”

Research points to Albert F. Osterloh, a Lancaster-area publisher, businessman and entrepreneur active during this period.

Osterloh was associated with several unusual early American publishing and manufacturing ventures.

In 1840, Osterloh and Horace T. Tidd were associated with publication of The Revolving Interest Table, a circular calculating device designed to facilitate rapid financial-interest calculations. Surviving examples are represented in institutional collections.

Earlier, Osterloh was associated with publisher Peter Reed Jr. in connection with the 1832 Life and Confession of Daniel Shaeffer, a crime/confession publication of interest for its descriptions of early Pennsylvania German culture and customs.

Osterloh was later associated with inventor Jacob Lownds in the firm Lownds & Osterloh, connected with the manufacture of early mechanical or “ever-pointed” pencils and writing instruments. Contemporary research records the dissolution of the Lownds & Osterloh partnership in August 1847.

Family research also identifies Osterloh as the father of John C. Osterloh, born at Lancaster in 1834 and later a Union Army officer during the Civil War.

Osterloh\'s presence in this letter is particularly intriguing because West tells Bryce that his uncle could provide additional knowledge concerning “how matters and things go on.” His precise relationship to the West family remains an avenue for further genealogical research.

LOWNDS & OSTERLOH

The later firm of Lownds & Osterloh joined A. F. Osterloh with inventor and writing-instrument maker Jacob Lownds.

Lownds was involved in the development and manufacture of early American mechanical or “ever-pointed” pencils. The partnership was dissolved in 1847.

Although the company postdates this 1841 letter, it provides useful biographical context for the uncle whom young West regarded as an important source of information and assistance.

POSSIBLE WILLIAM WEST JR. / PHILADELPHIA COAL CONNECTION

Period Philadelphia advertising also identifies a William West, Jr., Agent, conducting a Schuylkill coal business from 57 South Third Street, with an entrance in Carter\'s Alley opposite Girard Bank.

One advertisement offered:

“SCHUYLKILL COAL, by the Cargo or Ton”

and announced that Miners\' Bank notes would be taken at par.

This is intriguing because the William H. West of the present letter lived at 51 Chestnut Street, in the same central Philadelphia commercial district, and his letter repeatedly discusses his father\'s goods, creditors, debts, notes and collections.

However, no conclusive evidence presently establishes that the coal agent William West Jr. was the teenage author, his father, or another relative. This should therefore be regarded as a research lead rather than a confirmed identification.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE

This letter combines several collecting areas:

• Early Philadelphia and Ohio postal history
• Canton, Ohio history
• Sitting Mayor William Bryce
• Early American legal history
• Philadelphia attorney William Worthington Haly
• Debt, insolvency and assignments for creditors
• Estate and family financial disputes
• Early American childhood and orphan/family hardship
• A. F. Osterloh and Lancaster publishing/manufacturing history
• Potential Philadelphia coal-trade connections
• Original eyewitness-era allegations of financial misconduct
• Stampless postal markings and an 18¾ notation

What makes the document especially compelling is the writer\'s age. Rather than a detached lawyer describing a commercial disagreement, this is a teenager personally attempting to recover his family\'s assets.

His appeal to Bryce is striking:

“If I could but afford it I would come out there myself.”

And his description of himself and his fifteen-year-old brother provides an unusually powerful piece of early American social history:

“there is but two of us, and on account of Sniders rascalities we are thrown out upon the wide world to seek a living, my Brother is but fifteen years old and I not yet eighteen so you see we are young to be in a City of Strangers.”

POSTAL / PHYSICAL DETAILS

Original folded stampless letter with integral address leaf.

Addressed:

William Bryce Esqr
Canton
Stark Co.
Ohio

Philadelphia November 29 postmark.

Contemporary docket on reverse identifies William H. West / Philadelphia Pa and includes the dates Nov. 27 & Dec. 3d 1841 together with 18¾.

Remnants/evidence of the original wax seal remain. Expected folds, toning, edge/fold wear and minor losses consistent with an original letter that traveled through the mails more than 180 years ago. Old mounting tabs/hinges are present on the reverse. Please examine photographs carefully for exact condition.

An exceptional research-worthy piece of 1841 American legal, postal, business and family history, connecting Philadelphia with Canton, Ohio, and documenting two teenage brothers\' attempt to recover from the collapse of their father\'s affairs.