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Author: meekernj
Surnames:
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.castner/187.1.1.1.1.2.1.1/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Hello Sue:
I do not know whether there were gravestones as such. There was a stone wall around the
gravesites. So everybody at the time and later knew where the two men were buried (in
walnut coffins). I have a picture of that wall taken in the early 1900's.
I am not aware of any images of Abraham, John or Maria, or anyone else involved in the
case. Photography had barely been invented at that time and was certainly not in use in
Warren Co. NJ. None of the newspaper articles I have ever seen had any sketches. We did
find one sketch of the gallows made by a reporter from Newark. And one newspaper had a
crudely drawn map of the area. There were physical descriptions of Joe Carter and Peter
Parke in some newspaper articles.
John Parke was definitely not poor. You are correct that John Parke did own the farm in
Changewater. However, John Castner did not live off his "charity." John
Castner did all the physical farm work, as John Parke was too old an infirm to do it
himself. So I certainly think that Castner earned his keep there!
John Parke also owned the "meeting house farm" which was located near the old
Mansfield Meeting house (now gone) at the edge of the Mansfield Cemetery. The farm ran
down along Springtown road toward Anderson-Asbury Road. There is now a golf course, etc.
on part of it. On one part of the golf course close to Springtown road you can see an old
lime kiln. Joe Carter rented the farm from John Parke and lived there when the murder
occurred. He worked that lime kiln in the winter time.
John Parke left his sister Sarah a life-right to the meeting house farm. So the farm
didn't pass out of Parke's estate until Victor's "maiden aunt" died
in 1885. At that time the farm was sold and the proceeds divided amongst John Parke's
heirs. His heirs included the children of both Peter Parke and Joe Carter, the men who
were hanged for the murders.
Victor had kept in touch with many of the heirs over the years and knew where most of them
had located in the midwest.
Sharon
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