Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-08
HUGH GILFILLIN's DIsAP.
POINTMENT.
Returning From California With
q Fortune and Finding HIS
Friend Long Since Dead.

LAcKAwAxEN, PENN, October 81.
In 1913 laborers employed in COM
structing the New York and Erie
railroad were working in this part Of
the Delaware valley, They were
principally Irishmen. In that year
John A. Roebling was building the
famous suspension aqueduct which
carries the Delaware and Hudson ca
nal across the Delaware river at this
place. Among his employees we're sew
eral English carpenters. Between
hese workmon and tho Irish railroad
laborers a bitter hatred existed, due
to the national causes, and serious
narsonal collisions we're OF almost
daily occurrence. The carpenters
boarded at raitsman's tavern, and
the laborera lived at the company's
boarding shanty. II any Of the Eng.
lishmen ventured near the shanty they
we're certain to be attacked BY the
freshmen, and the appearance Of an
lrlshmen at the tavern was the imme.
date signal for fight there.
Among the lAborers was a large.
robust, young lrishman, Andrew Cal
bingham. On December ID, l848. he
" tn a number OF comrades went to
the tavern and seated themselves In
the bar room, which was in the base |
ment Of the house. This was at noon,
as the carpenters were going to dins
ner, and when the latter found their
Toes present, George Reyes, a young
Englishman. made the remark that II
the lTishmen were not out of the
house when he came down to dinner
he would throw them out As they
were still there when he came down.
Reyes proceeded at once to carry ont
his threat. In the fight that ensued
Callinghan stabbed Keyes and killed
him. The murderer was arrested and
lodged in Milford jail, and at the fol,
lowing February term Of the Pike
CountyCourt was convicted of murder
IN the first degree and sentenced 10
be hanged. A new trial was refused
The then Governor of PENNSYLVANIA
was 10 the last year Of his term, aud il
expired without his having signed
Callinghan's death warrant. The in.
coming Governor refused to take up
the matter and Callinghan lay il ial
nearly four years, awaiting the execu
tion OF his sentence. His suspense
preyed on him so that he became re.
duced almost to a skeleton, and it is
said by persons who remember visit
ing him in his cell that he frequently
begged to be taken out and hanged, or
that some one might kill him and end
his misery Finally, in November,
1852, Chief Justice Jeremiah s Black
OF the Supreme Court, issued writ
Of error in Callinghan's case, and il
was reviewed, resulting in his being
released, dying man, from his long
and painful confinement. He lived |
but short time, dying somewhere in
Orange county, New York. Calling.
han came from ireland in l847 and
was accompanied by another Young
lrishman, Hugh Gilfllin. The latter
worked with Callinghan until about |
the first Of Decembar, 1848, when he
went to Ohio to engage in farming.
On Sunday last an old man aliEhted
from an Erie train from the West at |
this place. BE gave his name as
Hugh Gil6llin, and wanted to obtain
some information of Andrew Calling.
han. None of the present generation
remembered Callinghan, or had ever
heard Of his career. Gilfllin was re- |
ferred to an old resident Of the place
who was able to give him the sad |
story Of the young Irishman, Gilfllin |
said that he had made fortune as
contractor in California, and had come
East on purpose to hunt up his friend
Of forty years ago, from whom be had
heard nothing since he left him in
1913. 1t had been his intention, he
said, to go back to Ireland, and he
could not carry back such news Of
Callinghan's career to his friends, and
would, therefore, return to the West
and spend his days. He started for
California last night.