The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-03-29
Testers Expected Reprieyc.


he ground that the other two might posi- +,
oly exculpato him at the last moment. II
was also based on dispatch reported to :
have come from Peoria, Illinois, which II !
true, proved Hester's innocence. That dis :
patch says that few days since coal mi
aer in that city, whose name is suppressed at
his own request, on his returning home was
shown by his wife a copy of n pictorial pa
per of the date of February, 1873. This
sheet contained portait of Hester, Rea and
Kelly and Hester's tavern at Locust Gap
Junction, Pa. The miner Immediately re-
cognized the pictures of Hester and Kelly
and the cut of the tavern, Himself and wife
formerly resided in that place. He knew the
parties, and on Monday morning last he
went to the law office of Mr.. l.. Harmau and
made the following statement under oath
II am thirty.two years of age and now re.
side in Peoria. ] have been a coal miner
for fifteen years. In 1871 | was working in
PENNSYLVANIA ~ a miner in Conner's coliery |
ediacent to the town of Girardville, Schuyl- |
kill county. In 1870 | was married to my |
wife, who was formerly a resident of Locust
Gap, Pa. One evening about five O'Clock
in the latter part of August, 1871, returned
home and went across the street to wash
myself in little shed that was used as a
wash house. While / was busy the door
opened and in came Dan Kelly. Before
| went over my wife and neighboring
woman told me "Dan" had been inquiring
for me that afternoon that he was dan
gerous man, and taat he had sworn by his
| God if was not the right kind of Far
down" he kelly would kill or put a head
on me- When Kelly came into the shed
I was a little startled, remembering what
the woman had said. Kelly said "Hal-
loo, old fellow, how do you do ?" l said,
Good evening SIR Then he asked if had
been in Locust Gap lately. 1 said l was.
of him. I said l thought he was
perfect gentleman. Then Kelly said,
The poor old man. he is accused of good
deal of things that he is not guilty of. He
got into heap of trouble about the killing
of that man Rra, but he had nothing to do
with it at all I asked him to help me do
that job, and Hester's reply was that he
want, that thing stopped that Rea had
, been his friend. Kelly, then said | told
him to give me your revolver and will try
to get along without you, but the old man
r wouldn't even give me that, but said he
) wanted that thing stopped right there and
he wouldn't have anything more to do with
, it, that Rea had helped to build him Hes.
, teri up, and he wouldn't have any person tO
| harm him. Then Hester said, Let's all
take drink and hear M more about it
= That man Rea is my friend. Kelly pauset
g a moment and then added, we did it al
It the same but avowed that Hester was limo
@ cent; that the plot was carried on and exc
l. cuted without Hester's knowing anything
e about it. This news filled ME with horror
v l took Kelly across the street and treatet
ir him twice to get rid of him /; Kelly wa
slightly drunk when he came to see me
Dr. was at loss to know why he confded thi
,e to me; but as soon as / returned home i
At the evening my wife told that she had know
Kelly before she was married, while sh
Y. lived in Locust Gap that he was despe
Y, ate and a bad character; one day she sa
er him rob coal mine in broad daylight; /
ut had been guilty of attacking other peopl'
to and that his real name was McEanus Kul
~ and that in consequence of these crimes |
ir had run away and changed his name, an
IN the reason he called on me now was so th
IN my wife would not tell on him, and that
she did he would gather some scoundre
like himself and beat me to death. did n
know at the time that Hester had been a
cused of this crime, or that snch a man
Rea ha1 teen murdered, and only learned
- afterward from my wife. l never spoke
Hester, nor am in any way interested
~ him, nor am l Mollie Mcguire. kne
;c, nothing of these subsequent events until II
~ wife came in with that illustrated pap'
49, l only do this to save a man, whom l b
lieve to be innocent As soon as Mr. Hs
man heard this statement he took the. mine
-, affidavit and sent dispatch to Mrs. Hest
and to the Secretary of Pennsylvania
answer was received at once and the affid
Wit was ordered to be forwarded, but did n
reach here in time.
1t might look like undue haste to hang
man who was stoutly denying his guilt, al
with such an affidavit as the above in |
favor but
Hester and McIlugh Admitted their Gull
Both Hester and McHugh up to Sund
insisted upon their innocence, the form
saying that at the last moment he wou
proclaim his innocence before God and ma
They did not know that Tully had confesst
ac- On Sunday night they were told that the
NJ. was no longer any use in denying their gu
that Tuly had made a statement and the
WHOLE TRUTH
was known. McHugh received the intel
gence in his Indifferent manner, but the 1
nouncement struck Hester like thund
bolt For few moments he was speechl'
an but at length they both
dc. Admitted Their Guilt
the Hester saying while he did not plot
, of murder, he was with the party and KIN
in what was going to be done. This accou
pti- for his sudden change of mind. and for
In failure to deny his guilt on the scatiold as
res said he woul do.
min Incidents.
teo One hour after the execution the Coll
but BIAN had an extra on the streets, conti
min ing a history of the case and Tully's con
ton sion, This confession was read over to FL
er Koch in 1ully's presence at about
o'clock, so that the priest could see if Il
was anything in it that ought not to be P
lished. The omissions were made at
suggestion, and the changes thus made
essary in the type caused delay, OF
row. wise the paper would have been on
:. 1t streets Immediately after the drop fell.