Phillip Jacobus

     Phillip Jacobus was born on 14 October 1832 at Germany.^3,2 He was the son of Phillip Jacobus and Martha Thress.^3,2 Phillip Jacobus married, at age 22, Agnes Sauter, age 18, daughter of Johan Martin Sauter and Regina Dorothea Scholderer, on Saturday, 6 January 1855 at Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts.^1,3,2 Phillip Jacobus died on 6 November 1881 at Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, at age 49 years and 23 days.^3,2 He was buried in the Green River Cemetery, located in Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts.²
     He and Agnes Sauter appeared on the census of 20 July 1870 at Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts. The following article about Phillip was published on 7 October 1872 in the The Greenfield Gazette and Courier, printed in Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts. This article stated:

     Turners Falls - Phelps, Miller and others did a lively business over to the new city on Fri., seizing contraband fluids as follows: From Richard Griessback, one keg of beer; Gotleib Pfeffle, 12 kegs of beer; John G. Fritz, 4 kegs of beer; Philip Jacobis, 6 kegs of beer; Julius Milke [i.e. Milkey], 7 kegs of beer; Patrick O'Sullivan, a gallon of whiskey.³ The following article about Phillip was published on 28 October 1872 Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts. This article stated:

     Turners Falls - The Crocker National Bank of Turners Falls, capital $150,000, was on Sat., authorized by the Comptroller of the Currency at Washington to commence business. Philip Jacobus and Gotlieb Pfeffle were brought before Justice Davis of Greenfield to answer to a complaint for selling beer and keeping with intent. They both claimed that their "fluid" was the kind known as "shank beer" and not intoxicating, but witnesses swore that they had been made drunk on the beverage. They were fined $50 and costs each, on the first complaint, and $10 and costs on the second, from which they appealed and furnished sureties of $400 for appearance at the Superior Court.³ The following article about Phillip was published on 25 November 1872 Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts. This article stated:

     Court record - The following cases were tried in the Superior Court last week: Commonwealth vs. Philip Jacobis of Turners Falls - Two liquor cases; one for illegal keeping and one for being a common seller. The defendant admitted that he kept and sold about a keg a day of what is known as Schenck beer, but denied that he sold lager bier [sic]. He claimed that his schenck beer was not intoxicating and that it did not contain over 1 1/2 per ct. of alcohol. A large number of Germans made oath that they had drunk fabulous quantities at a time with no intoxicating effects - from 20 to 50 half pint glasses would seem from their evidence to be an ordinary Dutch dram, and not a man ever got drunk or saw a man drunk on it. The state constables seized several kegs of the Schenck beer and had some of it analyzed by the State Assayer Hayes, who found about 6% alcohol in it. He said beer was intoxicating when it had 3%; that lager beer contained 4 to 7%; that what was usually called schenck beer usually held about the same amount as lager; that in fact it was another name for the same thing. The jury found def't. guilty in both cases and the court sentenced him to pay a fine of $10 and $13.65 costs in one case and $50 and costs $17.70 in the other. Total $120.35....... Com. vs. Gotleib Pfeffle of Turners Falls - Complaints for illegal keeping and for being common seller of beer. This was a schenck beer case, and after the sad fate of the Jacobis case above stated, this defendant was defaulted and was sentenced to pay a fine in one case of $10 and costs - $8.43 more, and in the other case a fine of $50 and costs - $40.68 more.³ The following article about Phillip was published on 6 July 1874 Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts. This article stated:

     Turners Falls - The dedication of Colle Hall Wednesday evening was a very fine affair, and was enjoyed by all who had the good fortune to be present. An extra train from Greenfield brought a large party. The Greenfield Amateur Orchestra, William Wunsch, director, furnished excellent music, and the floor of the splendid hall was covered with gay devotees of Terpsichore, while a goodly number of spectators admired the scene from the gallery. The building, which stands on Avenue and Third Street, is the finest block in town, the Farren House excepted. It is 3 stories and basement, with a front elevation of 42 feet, and the ground plan is 48 x 90 ft. The building is divided into a hall with ante-rooms, two suites of rooms for offices, two tenements, two ground stores, and two basement stores. The hall is 46 x 74 ft., with 8 ft. studding, lighted by 25 large windows, and has a seating capacity of 1000; there are ante-rooms on either side, landing at the head of the stairs, four ladies and gents' rooms (each room is 16 x 19 ft.), over which is a gallery 16 x46 ft. The large hall is lighted by 5 large chandeliers - one in the center and the other 4 properly disposed at fitting distance from each other. On the middle floor are two suites of room for offices, facing Avenue A, and two tenements and the water works. The last are quite an item of interest, by the way, and the invention of the builder, a tank, capable of holding 20 barrels, supplied by a force pump, fills the space over the wash closets, which are situated at the extreme end of the building. The arrangement is absolutely complete. The walls on this floor are 12 ft. studding. The ground floor is given up to 3 fine stores, two on Avenue A and one on Third Street. The stores on Avenue A are 19 x 60 ft., and studs 13 ft; the one on Third Street 26 x 40 and studs 14 ft. Beneath these are two finished basements. The front one is 19 x 65 ft., and is occupied by PHILIP JACOBUS, who has fitted it up with much taste, and has a metropolitan air about it. The other is 20 x 46 ft., and is not let. Around the building is a brick pavement, 12 ft. wide in front, and 10 ft. on the street side. Large cellars for the stores and tenements fill the space under the north store. The entrance to Colle Hall is from the avenue center of the building, by a splendid broad stairway, 6 ft. wide, to the landing on the 2nd floor, where it widens to 12 ft., with passages to the stairs where it leads to the hall above. The finish is black walnut, carved. In the large hall there is to be immediately erected a 24 ft. extension stage. The walls are handsomely tinted and bordered, and the stucco work on the ceiling is chased.³ He and Agnes Sauter appeared on the census of 3 June 1880 at Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts.