Peter J. Rumberger was born in Porter Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, January 18, 1832, the son of John Romberger (1784-1840) and Eva Hand (1794-1848).
During the Civil War, Peter served in the 78th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, from October 12, 1861, through honorable discharge on November 4, 1864. The regiment was recruited in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. On February 21, 1882, he applied for a disability pension for his war service. He received the pension and collected it until his death in 1910, whereupon his widow, Pauline [Mink] Rumberger applied and received the benefits.
Peter J. Rumberger died on March 25, 1910, in Harrisburg. His occupation was given as “dealer in patent medicines.” The cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage. He is buried in the East Harrisburg Cemetery.
In 1900 and 1901, two charges of abortion were brought against him, plus one charge for “action in trespass” was brought in 1904.
The two charges of abortion, 1900 and 1901, plus one charge for “action in trespass” in 1904 are described below from the available news articles. No article has been found indicating that Peter J. Rumbarger was ever convicted on any of the charges, that any woman actually had an abortion, or that any woman died.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, January 26, 1900:
ARRESTED ON SERIOUS CHARGE
P. J. Rumberger, of the east end, a vendor of patent medicines, and P. P. Roland, of Columbia, have been arrested on charges preferred by Joseph Schlegelmilch, of Columbia. The arrests were made on warrants issued by Alderman Jackson, of the Ninth Ward. This afternoon at 2 o’clock was fixed as the time of hearing the cases but, owing to the sickness of an important witness the hearing was continued until next Wednesday.
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From the Harrisburg Patriot, January 27, 1900:
PETER RUMBERGER ARRESTED
Peter Rumberger and P. P. Roland were given a hearing before Alderman Jackson yesterday afternoon on a serious charge, preferred by Joseph Schlegemilch, of Columbia. The mentioned defendant is a resident of this city, and the latter is a music dealer in Columbia. As sickness presented the appearance of one of the most important witnesses, the hearing was continued until next Friday afternoon, and the defendants were committed to jail without bail.
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From the Harrisburg Patriot, February 2, 1900:
HEARING BEFORE JACKSON
Peter Rumberger, of this city, and P. P. Roland, of Columbia, will be given a hearing this afternoon at 2 o’clock in the office of Alderman Jackson of the 9th Ward. The men are now in jail where they were committed without bail at a preliminary hearing last week. The charge was preferred against the defendants by Joseph Schlegelmilch, of Columbia.
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From the Lancaster New Era, August 17, 1900:
[Court Docket] Monday, September 3:
Peter P. Roland, attempted abortion….
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From the Lancaster Examiner, November 21, 1900:
AN INDICTMENT QUASHED
Judge Landis handed down an opinion quashing the indictment in the case of the Commonwealth vs. P. P. Roland, charged with attempting to procure an abortion.
This is the case in which Lizzie Schlegemilch refused to testify before the grand jury as to her knowledge of the alleged attempted abortion.
Note: Nothing is mentioned in the above two articles about Peter J. Rumberger, who was previously charged in the same incident.
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From the Harrisburg Patriot, July 1, 1901:
SERIOUSLY CHARGED
Peter J. Rumberger, a dealer in patent medicines, was arrested by Constable Johnson and arraigned in the court of Alderman Landis, on a charge of attempting to perform a criminal operation on Frances Sample, a young colored girl of the West End. W. H. Thompson, a young colored man, recently graduated from the local high school, was arrested as an accomplice.
The case was heard in the court of Alderman Landis and the two were held under bail for court.
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From the Harrisburg Patriot, July 27, 1944:
NEWS OF THE COURT HOUSE
An action in trespass was yesterday brought by W. Justin Carter, as counsel for Mrs. May M. Freise, against Peter Rumberger, of this city, to obtain redress from the latter because he is claimed to have deprived the plaintiff of the services of her minor daughter, Lydia P. Freise. The mother alleges that her daughter assisted her in performing the duties of her household until rendered unfit for service by reasons of the criminal actions of the defendant. For the loss of her daughter’s aid and the mental anguish which she has been obliged to endure as the result of the actions of the defendant, Mrs. Freise asks $5,000.
Note: Nothing further is known about the disposition of this case.
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News articles from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia; and Newspapers.com. Death certificate from Ancestry.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.