Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-07-21

resumed our seats to discuss over again
these details; while the Squire sent off /;
messenger summoning Hinch and the Reg
uIators TO be on the ground early in the
morning
J Before sunrise in the morning, Hinch
arrived with six men. was walked by
hIs loud clustering and swearing. He was
raVing, as ! afterwards understood, about
Henry; calling his story about the meet
ing with the remarkable personage-alI
humbug-and asserting his belief that if a
murder had been committed, Henry was
its author.
Our host quieted him in some way, and
when we came out to join them he greeted
US with snarIiug sort Of civIity. He was
thick set, broad shouldered, buTIy looking
wretch, with blood shot eyes, and face
bearing all the marks of rlotous debauchery
Our search was for several hours entirely
unsuccessful, until Henry by accident found
the place he had encountered the Bearded
Ghost as some one christened him. Here
one Cf the keen eyed hunters found the
traces of a large moccasned foot. These
were pursued for several miles and lost,
but on spreading our line and continuing
the same general course for some distance
farther, We at last found indeed the body of
Stonerl 1t had been 50 much mutilaied
by the wolves and ravens that Little exami-
nation was made of the bones. We gath.
cred them together to carry them home to
his family, and in doing this noticed the
fracture OF bullet through The back of the
skull. 1t had been stripped bare Of flesh,
and both eyes pucked out by the birds,
and was too shocking an object for close
examination. But what puzzled all parties
most was the discovery, short distance
off, of the trail of a shod horse. Now,
there was perhaps not horse in Shelby
county that wore shoes, and certainly not
Que in ourparty. Shoeing snever thought
OF, being unnecessary where there are no
stones. This was as perfect pozer as
even Henry's story. and threw yet great.
er air Of inexpIicabilty around the affair
1t was thought this track might be traced
TO any distance-but after worrying about
1t for several days, it was given up in des-
pair and the Regulators, fatigued and dis.
heartened, scattered for their respective
homes.
But one Of their number never reached
his. Being missed for two days, there
was general turnout to look for hIm and
as had been the case with Stoner, his
body was found torn to pieces by the
wolves. The report was, that he too was
shot through the back of the head
These murders, and the singular circum-
stance accompanying them, created great
sensation. iilnch and his troops secured
the county in every direction, auesting and
lynchlng suspicious persons as they called
them. One poor inolfensive fellow they
hung and cut down four or five times, TO
make him confess but nothing was elected;
and they left hm with barely spark of
life.
That evening, as they were returning
to their head quarters al the store, one Of
them named Winter, missed portion of
his horse furniture which had become ac-
cidentaIly detached. He said he had OBJ.
served 1t IN its place mile bsck.-that he
would return to get it, and rejoln them at
the store, by the lime they should be rea.
dy TO commence the spree they had deter.
mined IN going into that night. He left
them and never returned. They soon got
drunk and did not particularly notice his ab
sence until some tIme the next day when
his family, alarmed by the horse returning
with an empty saddle, sent to inquire af-
ter him. This sort Of inquiries had come
10 be so significant Of late, that they
were Instantly sobered, and mounting rode
back on their trail. Very soon swarm
OF buzzard5 and wolves, near "a line of
thlcket ahead, designated The whereabouts
OF the object OF their search; and there
they found his fieshless bones scattered on
every side. They were appalled,. The
Teddest. bloaled cheek among them blanch-
ed. 1t was terrible They seemed to be
doomed Three of their number dead and !
torn to pieces within ten days. and yet not |
the slightest clue to the relentless and in
visible foe, but that ghostly story of Hen. |
ry's, and the tracks which only served to
tantaize them 1t must be some dread |
supernatural visitation Of their hldeOus |
crimes They shvered while the great |
without looking for any trail, or even
gathering up the bones, they started back |
at full speed, spreading the alarm every
where. The excitemen! now became uni.
versal and tremendous. Nearly the
whole country turned out for the purpose
Of unraVelIng this Alarming mystery, and |
the superstitous frenzy was in no small
degree heightened by the report, that this
man had been shot in The same way as the |
the back of the head
These incidents were all so unaccOunta. |
Die, that / own | fell no little sympathy |
with tne popular associations of super
natural agency in their perpetratlon.-
Henry laughed at all this, but insisted
that il was maniac; and to account for
the peculiar dexterity OF his escapes and
whole management. related many anec.