This case log of Peter Mottice (here and here) in which he recorded the facts and findings of his job as Justice of the Peace in Stark County is one of the most interesting documents about the Mottices still in existence.
Much of its interest stems from the fact that it is old -- dating as early as 1837-38, and therefore probably is the oldest surviving original document I have. But it is also interesting for several inferences that can be drawn about the times. Right now I only have less than 20 pages uploaded, and there are several times this number yet to be examined. So these inferences are very preliminary and limited in scope.
The first thing that strikes me is how good Peter Mottice's handwriting is. He certainly has his share of indecipherable words on these pages. But compared to the handwriting of some of the complainants or those providing bail, it is excellent. Moreover, there seems to be a significant number of people who sign by making their mark ("X") rather than a signature. When I observe the combination of Peter's handwriting skills with the fact that he was county commissioner and church elder, I'm led to think that he had a better than normal education. If so, perhaps there is a record of it. But where? New Jersey? Pennsylvania? Another trail to follow . . .
Another observation is that, within the first 20 pages of his log, certain names appear with frequency. That is, it appears to be a small subset of the Sandy Valley community that causes a large portion of the discord. What's more, they play multiple roles in these pages. David Baer is the complainant in one case and the defendant in another. Gist Sickafoose is the defendant in one case and the constable in another! Still others are either complainants or defendants one time, and perhaps a bail bondsman another. There must be something about the institutional arrangement within which the justice of the peace process worked at the time to produce these peculiar inter-relationships.
Finally, one of the bail bondsmen was named David Sibert. Peter Mottice at this time was married to Mary Sibert. Was David her father or brother? Perhaps he was a son by a previous marriage? At minimum it is another name to begin exploring.