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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY 173
Capt. Atwood, in the city of Sandusky and remained one day. It was
scarcely a city then—though we have but a faint recollection of its appearance.
We believe, however, that much of the ground where the
wharves and docks noAV are Avas yet a part of the bay, and Water street
was much nearer, if not pretty much under the water. Indeed, we
remember of seeing,neither docks nor warehouses, but remember climbing
up a steep bank from the steamboat landing to reach the public house."
"On the arrival of a steamboat at the Sandusky wharf there was a
general rush to the landing. On one of these occasions Henry Victor,
who kept a hotel where fie later erected the ToAvnsend House, was approached
by a young man with a bundle under his arm, inquiring for a
tavern. Victor started to escort him to his hotel. Before reaching the
hotel the young man asked if they had milk, and on entering called for
a quart, Avhich Avas produced. He then opened his bundle and proceeded
to crumb his bread into the milk, when he suddenly asked how much do
you charge for this milk. He AA'as told a sixpence. He replied 'My
mother has given aAvay pans and pans full of milk and never charged a
cent. Dad said you Avas a set of sharpers up here and to look out for you.
I Avon't have the milk.' And taking his hands he scooped out the saturated
bread from the boAvl of milk and Avalked off with it in his bundle.''
—Register, September 14, 1868.
In a careful article Avritten by Hon. T. M. Sloane, now judge of the
Probate Court, the author says, concerning the courthouses and jails of
Sandusky:
"The Ogontz Seminary, AA'hich had only been recently completed,
was donated by the citizens to the county for a court house and served
that purpose many years. It stood just west of the present High School
Building.
'' The first jail in Sandusky Avas at the corner of Jackson Street and
Washington Square, about on the site of the Lutheran Church Avhich Avas
torn down some years ago. It was a stone structure, sides and roof,
Avith a double board door and padlock. It had one room. One man by
the name of Moekabee Avas so often incarcerated there and Avas almost
the only occupant that it came to be known as Fort Moekabee.
'' The next jail was on East Market space, and though once destroyed
by fire a portion of the Avails are still intact and form part of a two-story
tenement UOAV standing there and in use. It Avas in this jail that Evans,
the only man ever legally hung in this county, Avas confined before his
execution. He had killed a man named Ritter. Evans, though a onelegged
man, escaped from the jail and got aAvay as far as Pipe Creek
before he Avas recaptured.
'' The next jail Avas a stone building noAV standing on the south side
of Jefferson Street, just east of Franklin, and is used noAV as a dwelling.
'.' The next one was on Jackson Street Avhere the residence of Capt.
Brown and the house north of it IIOAV stands, and was torn aAvay to make
room for them when the present jail Avas constructed."
The folloAving item from the Sandusky Register of March 20, 1873,
Avill convince the believing that the inhabitants of the struggling little