Last time I wrote about Thomas Chaples, a mysterious early 1700s settler at Cape Newagen. In the 1770s his daughters Mercy and Ruth married Cornelius Horn and Abraham Decker, engendering a clan, the “Horn-Deckers,” that would have century-long notoriety.

An 1803 Horn-Decker Reunion at the Wiscasset Jail 

The Wiscasset jail records identify spring 1803 as the first joint Horn-Decker visit to jail. It was a big family affair—eight in all—incarcerated together and all charged with assault: father Cornelius Horn (age 46) and mother Mercy Chaples Horn (age 45), and children Joseph, Stephen, Cornelius Jr., and Sarah Horn; also mother Ruth Chaples Decker (age 48) and son Abraham Decker Jr. Trouble mounted when Joseph and Stephen Horn made a jail break, though their breakout pales beside those of Lemuel Lewis of Boothbay who broke out of the Wiscasset jail four times between 1803 and 1805.

Jail records are great because they are the only source that gives a person's height. Though Mercy Chaples Horn was described by Greene as nearly "a giantess," the jail records show she was 5'6", while her sister Ruth was 5'8"—tall but not shockingly so. Additionally, the jail records provide ages, filling that gap to some extent. Those families that shunned authority, like the Horns and Abraham Decker branch, often didn't record births and deaths, figuring the less people knew about them, the better off they were.

Hot-tempered and Light-fingered

What caused the wholesale Horn-Decker jailing? Perhaps the sheriff came to arrest a Horn, but was prevented from doing so by the suspect's friends and family rallying around to drive off the law, the law then returning with reinforcements. Another possible cause might be a family riot at the jail.

Joseph Horn was committed to debtors' jail April 14, 1803, was released April 22, but was retaken and locked up in a regular cell that same day, perhaps enraging his family. The first group of Horn-Deckers may have arrived at the jail a few days later to find out why Joseph hadn't gotten home, since four of them were jailed on April 27. On May 3 the rest were charged with assault and jailed. They were all released May 13, 1803, except the two who had broken out and been recaptured, and Abraham Decker Jr. who took his turn in a debtors' cell. 1803 closed with Cornelius Horn Sr. and his children Sarah and Joseph back in jail for assault.

The earliest indication I've found that the Horn-Deckers were becoming notorious dates to 1806. Ebenezer Preble bought, in 1789, some of the original Chaples land at Cape Newagen, including some harbor islands. In October of 1806 Preble renewed Silas Piper's lease of a Great (Cape) Island store. Written in the deed was the explicit provision that Silas Piper was not to have any dealings with the Horn-Deckers.

As the decades rolled by, the Horn-Deckers made repeated visits to the jail. Between 1810 and 1835, at least 35 Cape Newagen Island Horn-Deckers were incarcerated, many arrested multiple times. The average was three jail terms, and the usual offense was assault or theft; ordinarily the women weren't arrested. On two occasions, family members ended up in state prison. For instance, in 1825 Thomas Decker, James Decker, and Joseph Horn were sent there to serve their sentences for larceny. Thomas Decker barely got out of state prison when he was jailed again at Wiscasset in July 1828. His uncle Thomas Horn was in the Wiscasset jail too, but due to marry Sarah Wooten, one of four Wootens who married Horn-Deckers between 1811 and 1828. Thomas Horn and Sarah took their vows in the jail. Thomas's wives had it tough—his first wife Betsy died while he was jailed in 1821.

As an example of their activities, Thomas Decker was accused of breaking into Samuel Alley's Dresden store, stealing cloth, shoes, vests, and ten combs. He was sentenced to two years' hard labor. In 1818 James Decker broke into Ebenezer Decker's warehouse, stealing 19 pounds of tea, a barrel of ship bread, and 50 pounds of sugar. He also broke into Benjamin Emmons' Georgetown store and was accused of stealing jackets, pepper, and fishing supplies. He was found innocent of taking the fishing supplies but guilty of the rest of the charges. He served three years' hard labor. In 1819 John Horn was found not guilty of assaulting Abraham Decker. Evidently, their own family members, such as Ebenezer and Abraham Decker, could be victims of their crimes.

More on the Horn-Deckers next time