The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-09-05
GaIcs, gkettbts, 9nctOOtes, 1T.
mysterious Persons in History.

The records of the past furnish US with
half dozen historical characters that seem
10 have had mysterious existence after
the public have been informed of their trag-
icaI deaths. To such an extent has the
belief of post-existepce been carried that
one could says with great propriety, in the
language of Sir William Jones:
1.-The block may soak their gore,
Their heads may sodden in the sun, their
limbs
Be strung 10 city gates and castle walls;
But still their spirits walk abroad"
And these spirits seem generally to be
encased in tangible earthly bodies, if we
may credit the tales of travellers. This
young republic has not been slow in max
ing startling history, and one that has all
the romantic pages of century-old Europe.
For have we not
J. WILKES BOOTH,
who, like that phantom ship, the Flying
Dutchman, is, from time to time, reported
to have baen seen nI proprad persona in
various parts of the world the latest story
being that he now is the captain of pi-
seas. At intervals, the press informs the
public that some reliable correspondents
have seen the notorious assassin IN Europe.
One time he has been seen playing rouge
ct NOR at Baden Baden another at the
opera in Vienna. One positively swears
that he saw him driving in the Bois de
Boulogne, at Paris. And another is
equally confident that he beheld him visit
ing ST. Peters at Rome. One fact is Ger
tain, in regard to the disposal of the corpse
Of Booth, that it's resting place is known
to but few, and the public at large are in
doubt as 70 whether il now moulders in a
secluded and unknown grave, or whether
the dark waters Of thc Potomac received
his manged remains. Booth, indeed,
may be said to be the only really mystic
rious parsonage we have had in our annals,
although, perhaps, for the few years we
have been an independent republic, no
nation ever made It's history so fast. One
of the local traditions OF New York, tina.
has caused much wondcrmcnt, is the
case Of
john G. COLT,
brother OF Samuel Co6, inventor of the
Colt revolver. lie murdered IN 1912 a
man named Adams, to whom he owed an
amount of money, and who had dogged
Colt considerably. Adams called at the
office of Colt, on the corner of Broadway
and Chambers streets, when scuffle en-
sued, and Colt seizing hatchet lying near,
dispatched his creditor. He then went
out, closed the door, and while walking
in the park resolved to return, cut the
body up and send it to New Orleans but
in the meantime Adams was missed, and
having been last seen going into Colts
office, that gentleman WAS suspected, an d
it was ascertained from car-man that
box had left the office This box WAS
found at the bottom of the vessel Colt
was tried and convicted, but his counsel
(who confessed to it on his dying bed } in
trodHced Il knife into the prison with which
Colt committed suicide on the morning of
his execution. Several mysterious cir
cumstances were attached to this murder
and suicide, for the evening before the
execution man in disguise called upon
the Sheriff and offered him 81 900 to af-
ford facilities for the escape of the crimi-
nal, which proposition was not entertained,
and in an hour or two before Colt was to
have been hanged the bel-tow of the
Iombs took fire and great deal of con-
fusion ensued. Although an inquest was
held on the body, it was almost universal
ly believed that Colt had escaped. Even
now reports come from various parts of
the world that he has been seen alive, and
"a
articles appeared, purPorting that he had
escaped and was still living.
''rHE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY
Whether or not the person who bears
this pseudonym was the subject of clev-
erly concocted fable or not, it is at least a
singular case. The person who is said to
have borne this title was Philip Nolan,
notice of whose death appeared last year
IN New York journal. 1t ran thus:
"Dled on board United States corvette.
Levant, on the lth of May, Philip No
Ian" The story is as follows: When
Aaron Burr made his first dashing expe-
dition down to New Orleans, in 1905, he
met lieutenant named z hilip Nolan, be-
longing to the Legion of the West The
young officer became fascinated with the
brilliant statesman, who enlisted him in
his reasonable schemes. The authorities
suspected Nolan as being an accomplicc
of Burs, and on the court martial the i'm
petuous youth cried out, in fit of frenzy,
''D-n the United States wish may
never hear of the United States again"
These words shocked the revolutionary
officers that formed the courtmartial, and
Nolan was condemned to be sent on board
a vessel, where he was never again to
hear the words United States, and the
inst rnnt ntls- -rnceiNed ruara ~ E,Ilnn.s