Notizen zu dieser Person
The following is quoted en toto from NHGR, 7:105-106: Eliphaz Dow was a husbandman in what is now South Seabrook, but whichduring his lifetime was part of Hampton Falls. In the 1742 list ofratable estates (supra) he is listed, but there is no mention of ahouse, cleared land, or stock, as there is for his brothers. On 21August 1752 the Selectmen of Hampton Falls swore out a warrant againstEliphaz Dow claiming that he was "an Idle and Disorderly Person thatNeglects his Calling Mispends his time and takes no Care to providefor his Support." Three days later he was brought before Meshech Weareof Hampton Falls, Justice of the Peace, who presumably admonished himfor his idleness (Weare Papers [manuscript], N.H. Division of RecordsManagement and Archives, Concord, 13:88), while on another occasionwhen the Selectmen complained of his loitering, Eliphaz asked "to havetime to Produce Persons as Witness to make it appear he has Laboured"(ibid., 12:18)! However, on 12 December 1754, at the home of Noah Dow nearby, anunfortunate incident occurred. Peter Clough of Hampton Falls, afisherman or mariner, who had apparently been an enemy of Eliphaz Dowfor a long time, came to the house just before dark and accusedEliphaz of killing Clough's cow. Clough challenged Eliphaz to gooutside, whereupon Noah tried to calm them down, saying he would haveno fighting in his house. Noah went outside, and asked them to follow.Words were exchanged and Eliphaz picked up Noah's hoe, which had beenstanding in the doorway of the house. Eliphaz struck Clough with oneblow of the hoe, hitting him in the head. Clough fell to the groundand appeared dead. Noah summoned his brother, Judah, and theydetermined Clough was dead. More people were called. An order toapprehend Eliphaz and bring him before Meshech Weare, Justice of thePeace, was signed on 14 December 1754 by Mr. Weare, and Eliphaz wasbrought to Mr. Weare two days later by Edward Gove, Constable ofHampton Falls. Noah Dow deposed and told what happened, adding that hehad heard Eliphaz say more than once during the preceding summer thathe would kill Clough for he feared Clough would kill him. RichardSmith deposed that he had heard Eliphaz say he would either killClough or bum him out and run to Canada (ibid., 14:9-10, 79). Eliphazwas sent to the Portsmouth jail. Originally sentenced to be hanged on 20 March 1755, he had tworeprieves from the Governor, but the sentence was finally carried outon 8 May 1755, and Eliphaz was buried in an unmarked grave in theroad, known as the "south road," on the side of a hill near the poundwhere the gallows had been erected, opposite where Samuel Tucker Jr.'shouse stood in 1825 (Adams' Annals, 194). The Boston Post had this tosay: "He died as he had Lived, a stupid and hardened creature. MrLangdon preached an excellent sermon, but he would not hear it, norhas ever been to meeting till last Sabbath, and then was even forcedto it. Near ten Thousand People were at the Gallows."
Karl-Heinz
Böttcher
