Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-03
NOW NE TURNS UP IN PITTSBURGH,

Our readers will remember old E1ihu
Gregg, the Preston county incendiary,
who was confined in our Jail for a number
of years His trial his sentence of death,
his escape, his wanderings, his subsequent
recapture and incarceration, and his pardon
by Governor Jackson some months ago are
still fresh in the minds of all Since his
! departure from this city, however, nothing
has been heard from him. He, il appears
from the following interview published in
Yesterdays Dispdtch, is residing with a
daughter in PittSburg, and his story rs re-
lated is full of interest:
THE trouble that ended in my being
charged with the burning of the court
house in Kingwood. Preston county, W.
Va, began Us fur back rs forty years ago or
more, when my father, Simrod Gregg,
died and left me large lot of land, some
nine hundred acres, there was foster
brother, man my father had raised, nam
ed Reuben Morris, whom my father had
left nothing, and the jealousies and predju-
dices arising from that helped to bring on
the troubles of after years. There were
three persons, Tom Gregg, q cousin OF mine,
Reuben Morris and Smith Crane. all re-
lated, who for years tried to break me up
aud run me out of the county. This Smith
Crane has been, and is now, clerk OF the
courts in Preston county, and has held the
office for years. IL vaS an old teud, ana
the Judge that sat on my first trial, Judge
Dillcy, was the son-in-law of lawyer
named Tom Brown, who was my blttereSt
enemy for years.
The court house at KingwoOd had been
built and insured for 81 900, in two COM
panics, $1,000 in each. had had couple
of land suits at court there, and feeling ran
high. This was in 1859. Suits for dam
ages were brought by loyal citizens to recover
from the rebels for damages, and was, ana
had been, staunch Union man. one
night in the latter part OF February, or hrst
of March. the court house was burned 10
the ground. At that time my family were
living in Greene county, Pennsylvania, and
was working at a small town twenty-five
or thirty miles from kingvOOd. About 81
weeks after the fire / was arrested Tor the
crime by o detective named Andrew -
Manear. The insurance companies had
each offered 81, 600 reward, and the citizens
OF Klngwood hdd added 500 more.
The court house burning 80 soon alter II
had been built was the cause of their suS-
piCions being aroused, and this Manear,
after warrants for two others had been Is
sued. arrested me, and as | afterward learn
ed received 800 for his work. The evil
dence mt the trial was all their own way. l
was in their hands. Witnesses on my side
we're excluded, and at the June term was
convicted and sentenced to death Tor burn
ing the Kingwood Court House. The case
wns taken to the Supreme Court, who re
yersed il and ordered new trial but II
amounted TO nothing While under death
sentence / was confined in the Jail, stone
building Itwas then that determined to
ESCAPE! worked for eight days. | first
,l,tI 80 hurl sil n a
raised wide plank and got below the floor.
Then began to excayate, and dug down
till reached the stone wall of the building,
three feet thick / worked hole through
this, stone by stone. until reached the out
side earth. During this time there was an
other man in jail with me- for stealing goods
from store. He watched while worked.
II WAS IA cold frosty night somewhere about
the lst 81 November, 1863, that We escaped.
had stockings on over my boots, and made
the other man take Off his shoes and walk IN
his stocking feet, so that there would be no
noise Of footsteps on the frozen earth. We
hurried on all night over the hard ground on
the turnpike to MorgantOwn, but before we
reached that place | made my companion
leave me. lie did not want to 60, and cried
hard 10 be allowed to go with me. Finally
he babe me good bye and we parted"
Did they recapturc him. inquired the
exporter.
laugh. they never caught him. | heard
from him since. but wrote back, and told
him never to cross the Ohio river
II stayed OF cousins for night or 50
until ! got rested up, my feet were sore.
Then travelled on To Greene county, and
stayed for several weeks around my friends,
but did not dare to go home. My daugh'
ter went down to the store and the officers
followed her They arrived six hours
ahead OF me, but | did not venture out
there. went home and collected some
rents due me, and then travelled on tn
Washington county, To Beallsville, thence
down the Greenfield, below California. i
wrote home letters from there, and then
went buck home and attended to some
business. and made arrangements to leave.
| started to CanOuSburg, stayed over
night nj that place and then went
to MCDonald'1 station, on the Tan
handle railroad, aud took the train west.
1t was eight years before / returned, anu
during that time was i'll Ohio. Missouri
snd other parts Of the West | never
changed nay name, shaved or dyed my
whiskerS in al that time. and wrote home
often.
My family had been writing for me u
come home, which / did in -. The rest is
, known. How | was retak"n, inrarcerated
again and awaited execution. After a time
this was committed {" imprisonment ioI
life, but refused il. either wanted my
liberty or death. l. was innocent and SUIT
fcrcd enough. by case was taken i'll hand
by Governur JACKSON, who spent -four
: days looking over the papers, M the end OE
/ which time, on the eth of last April. ] was
! released, the Governor. in his finding on
/ tkC.caSe, stated that there was nothing
! ulon which 10 convict me. Two days after
l Came up 10 Pittsburgh and went out Il
! BrushtOn station, where my daughter had
; been living. but she had moved down here
| Since that time, April9. have been in the
! city
, During the recital of the latter part OF his
history, MT Gregg's daughter, with whom
/ lie and his wife are now living, had entered
! the parlor, and following her fstbsr's re
marks. gave some statements nj the man
ne- in which he had Zen convicted of tho
! crime OF burning the Preston county cour
house. How witnesses had been suhorned
and others prevented from testifyinG; al
! of which she attributed to the bitter ell
I nifty Of their foes. who hoped TO obtain
/ control of their property.
| This case has become widely known from
! the age of the principal, whom the papers
, denOminated rs the preston county fire
q bug" the severity Of his sentence and sub
seQuent escape, and freedom for eight
Z years Now that Mr. Gregg, after eight
! years Of suspense, is liberated, he is left al
old man, bowed down with care and the
I weight of past sutforings, all of which he
, attributes to feud that. uncOnsCiOuSly tC
! him, originated nearly half century ago
~
Last Excursion to Atlanta.
Once mora and for the last TINA the