PREACHER MURDERS IN CHURCH! FRONTIER & PIONEER HISTORY!

The preacher leapt from his pulpit and murdered one of the leading elders of the church! He viciously stabbed him twice in the ribs and quickly made his escape out of the door. Imagine the shock of the congregation! And like many conflicts, it involves a woman. Stay here and I’ll tell you this wild, and tragic story of the Pennsylvania frontier in 1794.

While building a family tree for a client I found this wild story about his 7th Great-Grandfather Jacob B. Glessner. The more that I discovered about him, the more I knew that I wanted to share his story with all of you. 

First, I’ll tell you about our client’s grandfather, Jacob Glessner who was born 21 September 1733, in Germany. Jacob emigrated in the 1750s and by the mid 1770s was living on the frontier in a mostly German community of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The community is known even today as “Brother’s Valley”, being named for Jacob and his brothers Heinrich and Peter who first settled the area. In 1777, Jacob was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, in Brother’s Valley Company of the Bedford County Militia, and he served with his unit on the frontier during the Revolutionary War. He became one of the founding members of the Berlin Reformed Church and was a leading elder.

Now we will shift over to the infamous preacher, Reverend Cyrianus Spangenberg. To be honest, I’m not totally sure how to pronounce Cyrianus, so if I’m butchering it, get it “butchering” it, I’m truly sorry. Spangenberg found his way to America as a Hessian mercenary who was hired by the British to fight the rebellious Colonists. Like many Hessian troops, Spangenberg decided to stay in the new United States, and soon felt that he was called to be a minister. He made several attempts to be ordained by the Reformed Church but was repeatedly denied because it was said that his demeanor was more like a soldier than a minister. He eventually received a letter of recommendation and ordination from a preacher named Philip Jacob Michael. 

Spangenberg began preaching in various communities and soon he met a young lady, and they became engaged to be married. The day before the wedding, some ladies came across an incriminating letter addressed to Spangenberg. How convenient, the day before the wedding. Just a thought, I wonder if one of these ladies knew about the letter for a while but when they weren’t the one chosen by Spangenberg, they brought the letter into the light. Some ladies can be vicious. Back to the story.

The letter that brought forth was written to Spangenberg from his wife who was still living in Germany. Now obviously everyone, especially a preacher knows that you can’t be married to two women at the same time, so he was run out of town. He tried to settle in more communities but each time his past was quickly found out. Some versions of the story say that he eventually married the local woman. 

Spangenberg’s story spread all over well populated Eastern Pennsylvania, so he was forced to head to the frontier, over the Alleghenies, and into Bedford County. After a few months he became the pastor of the Berlin Reformed Church. His behavior often concerned his congregation and after some time his reputation and the stories caught up with him yet again. 

On Wednesday, 19 March 1794, the congregation gathered to hear accusations and to discuss Reverend Spangenberg. The preacher was present and sat silent for this meeting, imagine having to sit and listen to that? 

At the end of the discussion the congregation decided to put it to a vote as to if Spangenberg would be relieved of his position. Just before the vote was conducted, Elder Glessner stood and made a short speech against their minister and stated that he hoped that the congregation would vote him out. This speech put Spangenberg in a rage, and he leapt from the pulpit and withdrew a knife and stabbed Glessner in the chest twice and ran out of the church. 

Glessner laid on the floor of the church mortally wounded but he didn’t die immediately. The next day he was of enough sound mind to have his will written, in which he gave his 220-acre plantation to his son Peter. The following day, two days after his attack, Jacob Glessner passed away. The shocked community mourned the loss of one of their most cherished citizens and patriots. He is buried in the cemetery outside of the church where he was murdered. 

Soon after the stabbing Spangenberg was arrested, and the next day he was brought before the Justice of the Peace Adam Miller, Esquire. The reverend was formerly charged after he plead guilty saying that he was moved and seduced by the devil. He was held in jail until his trial. On 11 September 1795, Spangenberg was found guilty and was hanged from the top of the County Courthouse. How’s that for a statement? He was the first person to be executed in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. 

Wow, now we know the story of the murder of Jacob Glessner, by his preacher no less! What are your thoughts? Were you shocked by this story? How would it affect you if you discovered a story like this about one of your ancestors? I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments below. 

When we discover stories about our ancestors, especially like this one, history becomes tremendously more real. The events and locations that we read about or drive by, begin to have a different impact on us and we are bestowed with a deeper enlightened understanding. Discovering and preserving stories like this is a passion of ours and we are proud to discover this one and share it with their descendants, and all of you.

The artwork in this article and video below is used by permission of artist writer Patrick M. Reynolds. www.redrosestudio.com

Be sure to see our video below about this story.

-Col. Russ Carson, Jr., Founder, Family Tree Nuts