Criminal. He was one of the 19 Molly Maguires condemenned to death by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the years 1877 and 1878 and portrayed in the 1970s movie starring Sean Connery. Hester was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, on April 4, 1826. He emigrated to the United States in 1846, settling at Minersville, Pennsylvania. He later moved to Locust Gap Junction, where he opened a hotel and tavern, called the Junction House. Active in local Democratic politics, he served in the positions of school director and tax collector in Northumberland County. He was also the county's most prominent Ancient Order Of Hibernians (AOH) leader. He was one of four men arrested for the murder of Alexander Rea who was the Superintendent of the Locust Mountain Coal And Iron Company, killed near Centralia, Pennsylvania on October 17, 1868. After failing to win guilty verdicts against three of the men, the District Attorney decided to forego the prosecution of Hester. Nearly 10 years later, during the height of the Molly Maguire trials, one Daniel Kelly admitted a role in the murder and turned States evidence, prompting a new trial for the murder in February, 1877. Patrick Hester was charged, once again, along with two new defendents. Patrick Hester was found guilty and hung from a gallows in the Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania jail yard on March 25, 1878. He, along with the other two Mollies, were the only executions in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, history.
Criminal. He was one of the 19 Molly Maguires condemenned to death by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the years 1877 and 1878 and portrayed in the 1970s movie starring Sean Connery. Hester was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, on April 4, 1826. He emigrated to the United States in 1846, settling at Minersville, Pennsylvania. He later moved to Locust Gap Junction, where he opened a hotel and tavern, called the Junction House. Active in local Democratic politics, he served in the positions of school director and tax collector in Northumberland County. He was also the county's most prominent Ancient Order Of Hibernians (AOH) leader. He was one of four men arrested for the murder of Alexander Rea who was the Superintendent of the Locust Mountain Coal And Iron Company, killed near Centralia, Pennsylvania on October 17, 1868. After failing to win guilty verdicts against three of the men, the District Attorney decided to forego the prosecution of Hester. Nearly 10 years later, during the height of the Molly Maguire trials, one Daniel Kelly admitted a role in the murder and turned States evidence, prompting a new trial for the murder in February, 1877. Patrick Hester was charged, once again, along with two new defendents. Patrick Hester was found guilty and hung from a gallows in the Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania jail yard on March 25, 1878. He, along with the other two Mollies, were the only executions in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, history.
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A NATIVE
OF THE PARISH
OF BALLYBRAUGHAN
COUNTY ROSCOMMON
IRELAND
AGE 52 YEARS 10 MOS. 21 DYS.
Family Members
Parents
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