The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-12-12

| meetlng one WnOm he supposed 10 be
the fellow who had betrayed them,
fell upon and gave him drubbing,
the unfortunate Frenchman crying
"murder,n when Hunt and Clark
coming up, told him he had beaten
the wrong man.
Each prisoner was placed in calash
and with driver, also with guard,
were started back to Point Levi The
one having Lieu. Gillis in charge was
the same Frenchman he had beaten,
and on the way, at every stopping
place, he amused the populace by tell
ing how he had been mistaken and
whipped for the betraycr, saying that
if he looked like the treacherous pilot
he deserved whipping. The party
return trip to Quebec, and arriving
there were put in Jail for safe-keeping,
the fall fleet having sailed for England.
After three days they were taken be-
fore Il magistrate and arraigned on the
charge of having stolen His Majesty's
long boat, and the penalty for stealing
was death. Our prisoners employed
a yankee lawyer named Cuthbert,
formerly of Boston,, to defend them,
and he shrewdly took the position
that the British having taken them
from their parole, they were at The
time of the alleged stealing, lawful
enemies of His Majesty, the King,
and added that if the prisoners had de-
stroyed the entire fleet, they would
have been justified by the laws of war.
This plea saved them and they were
acquitted, when they were put OH board
a brig and sent as regular prisoners of
war to the prison. Oh Melville Island,
prisoners. There they were confined in
a building composed of stalls, in each of
which We're swung ~ hammocks.
While in that building they again at
tempted to escape, but were foiled by
the cowardice of one of the night
guards, whom they had bribed, and
who at the last moment, betrayed
them. For this attempt one of their
number, a sailor, was put into dun
geon for ten days, and given only
bread and water but his comrades
managed to supply him plentifully
with rum and rations SO that he Jared
very well. Here they were kept about
four weeks and then again paroled at
Dartmouth, opposite Halifax, where
they remained until April, when
peace having been concluded, they
were sent to Salem, Mass At Salem
they were royalty entertained by one
Crowninshield Il resident, who was
with them at Melville, and who was,
the Judge thinks, the brother of the
Secretary of the Navy under jefferson
or Madison.
Thus ended our townsman's military
chapter in his life
In 1918 Mr.. Gillis made journey
to Michigan territory, on horseback,
being in Detroit when there was only
oiiS pliNh lioUsC tlltt DuU lew VI any
other sort in the place. There he met
the celebrated Lord Selllirls, of Scot
land, who having located colony at
Manitoba, was then on his way to
Montreal, to attend suit brought
against him for trespass by the Hud-
sons Bay Company, having come to
Detroit in a conveyance drawn by
dogs. Mr. Gillis accompanied Sell;irll
us far as Ancaster at the head of Lake
Ontario. The Judge describes him as
a thin visaged. tough, sharp Scotch
man. Not until four years ago, during
a cruise with his son on Lake Superb
or, did he learn what particular tres
pass Selllirk haG committed, when he
fell in with a Mr. McLaren, in the
employ of the Hudson's Bay Company
who gave him the particulars The
Company had agreed to furnish Sci
kirk and his colonists transportation
from TT. Chippewa, but on their az
rival there refused tc' comply with
their agreement. This was great
disappointment to Selkirk, and he
determined to obtain by strategy
what was denied HIM. Accordingly
he invited the officers and other occu,
pants of the Fort to dine with him,
and succeeding in making the entire
party drunk, while they were under
the influence of his rum, Lord Selkirk
helped himself to boats and whatever
was necessary, and put out for his des-
tination. Hence the suit.
In 1922 Mr.. Gillis left New York
State and moved into Jefferson county
Pennsylvania, then sparsely settled
region, his nearest neighbors being re-
spectively 16and "A miles distant. He
there was appointed Associate Judge
of the county, by Gov. Porter, serving
two terms. He also represented tina
county III the legislature, was frs
, elected in 1910, and served three year.
in the House and three in the Senate
of that State. In 1856 he was chosel
; to represent his district in Congress
serving one term. He made his frs
visit to Iowa in 1851, coming out in
l buggy, and when'he returned hom
, found that his Democratic friends wer
again running him for legislature. IL
again came to Iowa in 1862, locating il
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