Friday, January 9, 2009
You Black Son of a Bitch
According to Time, William Zantzinger was sentenced in Hagerstown at the Circuit Court house, a half block down from my office. The incident he was charged for occured in Baltimore, but Zantzinger won a change in venue possibly due to unfavorable media coverage. William Zantzinger died this week after over forty years of being scorned in the song, "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll." 
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8 comments:
Huh! I had no idea... that is pretty cool. My mom's dad, Charles Price, was the sheriff of Hagerstown around that time and she and the rest of her family lived in a house attached to the city jail. I sent her an email this morning to find out if grandpa would have ever had occasion to cross paths with the old son of a bitch.
OMG! William Zantzinger was like BFFs with my grandparents! Thanks, Luke, for posting this today. I'm getting in touch with roots. From mom's email:
"Here's something you'll be surprised to know, I'm sure. Yes, William Zantzinger served his sentence at the Washington County Jail. In fact, when I saw in the name in my GroupWise inbox, for a second I thought he was sending me an email and I thought, "Huh. Is he still alive? He's got to be elderly. Would he remember me, and why is he emailing me?"
He worked in the jail kitchen while incarcerated, and as you know I ate dinner in the jail dining room quite often. I had personal contact with him almost daily. I remember him as a handsome and mannered man. Sadly, while intoxicated he did a horrid thing. The times being what they were in the Cambridge or Easton area, as I remember, he had to be tried in Hagerstownm, and he served his time under your grandfather's care. Your grandmother can tell you more about him. I'm sure she and your grandfather had many discussions about him and the situation.
One thing I do remember is that at Christmas he was up in the apartment where we lived helping to put together some Christmas toys that needed to be assembled. I think it a doll house or toy kitchen things for Cathy, but I'm not sure. Your grandmother will know. I'll share the article with her. If you have a minute sometime, you might give her a call and ask her about it. I know she'd love to hear from you and tell you what she remembers."
Might as well copy and paste this from my mom's email as well, while I'm copying and pasting:
"Dad and I know the words to White Winter Hymnal now from listening to it over and over, so thanks for introducing us to Fleet Foxes."
wow! thanks for looking into that ryan **** i think fleet foxes' music along with the other indie/folk groups of the fleet foxes ilk appeals to older generations, (especially women) possibly because of the lovely singing and relaxing down home atmosphere that you don't get from popular modern rock, it's the kind of music that you and your mother and even grandmother can all enjoy together, like elvis p.
HAHAHA, i love this!!! You guys are great. I always relish the times anyone reference Maryland, especially now being away for so long.
"I was ridin' in a buggy with Miss Mary Jane, Miss Mary Jane she got a house in Baltimore."
We've got that Fleet Foxes record too.
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=47133&messages=132&page=1
Truly an amazing story, Ryan. I'll never listen to that song the same way.
an attorney down the block from my office claims to have the cane http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ob.zantzinger10jan10,0,7002389.story
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