Valley Girl Views: The Christmas Eve Murder in Allenwood PA

The Methodist Church in Allenwood Pennsylvania was the scene of a murder on Christmas Eve, 1908.

On December 24th 1907, in front of the Methodist church during the Christmas eve service in Allenwood PA, Robert Shaffer was beaten to death by 3 local men.

There are several versions of exactly what happened that night, but no matter the exact course of events, it was clearly a drunken brawl, and it, along with many other less severe incidents in the surrounding years, gives context for the Temperance Movement in our area. As the Lewisburg Chronicle reported, "The entire case was saturated in liquor"

Born January 20th 1867, Robert Shaffer was one about a dozen children born to George Washington & Mary Jane (Dunn) Shaffer.

He married Emma Bailey in 1890, and in 1907 the couple had one child, Prudence E. Shaffer, born in 1892. She married William Bomen Confer. After Roberts death, Emma went to Milton to live with her daughter.

A blacksmith by trade, 40 year old Shaffer was described as a big, strong, man. But on the night of Christmas eve 1908, he was beaten severely by three young men, all roughly half his age. His injuries graphically described, repeatedly, in local papers, included: ""left leg broken in two places, eye bruised almost to jelly, and he received a concussion of the brain"

He retained consciousness for four days, then became so delirious and violent that it took four men to hold him down. He died on December 29th 1907.

Three men, Frank Jamison, Charles Raish and Warren Burrows, were arrested that same evening (Christmas eve) and according to the Danville Morning News, "whiskey was bought on the way to the jail, but they deny that they had been drinking before the fight." The various stories of what exactly occurred that evening change frequently in the newspapers, and again in the trial - but there is little doubt that much alcohol was involved.

The defense strenuously insisted that Shaffer did not die from injuries received in the brawl, but rather of "acute alcoholism.". The coroner disagreed, as did the jury.

The trial, held in March of 1908, lasted for a full week in Lewisburg. At exact midnight on Saturday March 21, after less than 4 hours of deliberation, the jury rendered a verdict of guilty of man-slaughter.

According to a January 3rd article in the Lewisburg Journal, Frank Jamison entered the church in Allenwood during during "an elaborate program that had attracted visitors from the surrounding country."

Among the features of the program were many gifts, hanging from a large tree, for children and members of the Sunday School.

Jamison, who was described as "visibly under the influence of liquor", insisted on placing something on the tree. He was informed that if he wanted to contribute his gift would be cheerfully hung on the tree - by someone else. He would not be permitted to approach, in his current state. Jamison remained in the church for a short time, and then left.

Later that evening, he was joined by Raisch and Burrows. While the Christmas entertainment was in progress, the three men were outside near the main door, creating a disturbance and "acting in a disorderly manner".

Robert Shaffer lived directly across from the church. Noticing the boys conduct, he came outside and asked them to leave, and not annoy the service inside. "While he was standing with the boys he was struck by a vicious blow from Jamison, which caused him to reel and fall. He grabbed his assailant as he went down, and fell on top of him." It was at this point that Burrows and Raish reportedly "entered the melee", kicking and beating Shaffer.

Thomas Johnson testified at trial that he was in the church, attending the entertainment, when he heard the disturbance outside. He said he did not see the fight, but helped to carry the injured man to his home. He stayed with Shaffer, who was badly injured, all that night, and was also with him on the night he died. He testified that Shaffer was delirious most of the time.

George Breon, "the aged mail carrier at Allenwood", testified that he head the fight, and heard someone yell "For God's sake don't kill me!". Grabbing a lantern, he ran to the scene and found Shaffer lying on the group, with Jamison, Raisch, and Burrows standing some distance away. According to Breon's testimony, as he approached them one of the boys said "If you come down here, Dad, we'll brain you."

A reporter from the Lewisburg Journal visited the three boys at the jail, where they awaited trial. He reported that all three were repentant. The reporter wrote that Jamison was confined in a cell by himself, and upon the table was an open Bible, the contents of which he was evidently absorbing. He refused to make any statement or talk about the affair, but readily submitted to having a flash-light photo taken of himself in the jail corridors, as did Raisch and Burrows.

Charles Alfred Raisch was born in January 14 1889, the son of Gotlieb & Clara (Burrows) Reisch, of Dewart. In 1910, Charlie was back home in Dewart, working as a plumbers apprentice. Clara Alice Burrows married Gotlieb Conrad Raisch in 1888. When Gotlieb , a track walker, was killed by an express train in 1904, Clara then married married his brother, Karl Gustav Reisch. Thus, the children are listed as "step children" of their uncle in the 1910 census, and also in Carl's obituary.

In 1920, Charles was living in Williamsport with his wife Emma, and 3 children ages 5, 3 & 2.

In the March trial, Raisch testified that he met Shaffer at the Allenwood hotel on Christmas eve, and that Shaffer invited him and Burrows to take a drink. He claims that Shaffer was at that time intoxicated.

Then Raish said that the three men went to the church where they met Jamison, and that Shaffer grabbed Jamison and threw him down. Raish claims to have tried to separate Jamison and Shaffer, and that right then Burrows came out of the church vestibule and Shaffer "struck at him". He did not deny that the three of them beat Shaffer, merely claimed that Shaffer had instigated the brawl, and that they kept striking him because they were afraid of the blacksmith.

Jamison testified that he was at the church with Burrows and Raish when Shaffer grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

Frank Jamison, born in the fall of 1883, was the son of Daniel & Margaret Jamison, "of the mountain back of Allenwood."

Frank's brother Sherman Jamison was a fugitive, having murdered railway workers in a series of robberies, and then murdering a constable from Renovo who was in the process of arresting him in 1904.

Frank Jamison was thought to be a participant in many local fights and riots, including "the fracas at the Milton Fair " in October of 1907 another fight that had resulted in murder. Jamison denied having been "in the crowd of Jamison's who indulged in the rows", and said that although eh was at the Milton Fair Grounds, he was not among the "toughs who attacked the Merry-go-round owners".

Sentenced to 10 years in the Eastern State Penitentiary, Frank was back in the area in 1920, living in a boarding house in Lycoming County. He died in July of 1941 and is buried in the Allenwood cemetery.

Warren Joseph Burrows, listed as "Harry" in the local papers, was the son of the son of Wilson & Sarah (Bower) Burrows.. He was the younger brother of Clara (Burrows) Raisch, and therefor the uncle of Charles Raisch.

Burrows admitted they all struck Shaffer, but like Raisch and Jamison, claimed Shaffer instigated the fight.

Burrows had "some weeks ago been employed by Braddock, but was unemployed at the time of the affray"

Before 1916, Burrows went to New York State, where he spelled his name Burroughs. He married May Ford, and they had several children, all using the spelling of Burroughs.

The Defense

The defense did spend much time arguing self defense. At the end of the trial, the judge instructed the jury that if the defendants instigated the fight, they could not then claim self defense. The attorney for the defense instead attempted to convince the jury that Shaffers death was not due to his injuries, but rather to "acute alcoholism".

Several physicians testified for the defense. Dr Persing, however, who treated Shaffer following the incident, detailed the injuries and clearly, adamantly, stated that Shaffer's death was due to those injuries. The coroner agreed with Persing.

Lewis Watson testified that he had often seen Shaffer intoxicated.

The Rev. Carl Darke, pastor of the Methodist church testified that he had at times seen Shaffer under the influence of alcohol. He also testified that on the night of the "affray, there was no disturbance inside of the church."

On March 21 1908, the Lewisburg Chronicle summarized the trial, stating that the defense was lamentably weak, and the jury was justified in their conclusion that the men were guilty.

They reported that the attack on the character and reputation of George Breon, witness for the commonwealth, was "wanton and brutal, and has called forth the righteous indignation of the public"

"Attorney Leiser, in his closing, shattered the theater of chronic alcoholism and "pinioned the defense practically with their own evidence."

As the chronicle said, "The entire case was saturated in liquor"

Jamison was sentenced to 10 year in the Eastern Penitentiary defense made a strong plea for leniency for Burrows and Raisch, "both of whom are under age". Those two men were sent to Huntington Reformatory.

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For More Stories & History Of Allenwood:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/12/allenwood-pennsylvania.html

For More Stories & Histories from Local Towns:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

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Gottleib Reisch, killed in 1904

A Trackwalker was a railroad employee whose job entailed walking along 5 miles of track daily looking for any issues along the rail line and fixing them as they appeared. ... They were only allowed to call for assistance from other employees for major projects, such as destroyed bridges or severely damaged tracks.

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