Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-04
HORRIBLE ADVENTURE.
Thrilling story OF Early Pioneer Life In
Crawford County, Pa.

Crawford County, Pa.
There has lately moved TO this place,
writes a Cory Pa. correspondent to the
Cleveland Ledder, an old lady who has a
remarkable history and whose life is con-
Dected with one of the great tragedies of
half a century ago. She is an estimable
Old lady, and Familiarity called Aunt Katy
Laferty. she came from Rome town
ship, Crawford county, and lives here
with her daughter, Mrs. Yeager, and is
considerably over 90 years old.
In the year 1850 her father came to this
part Of the country and settled in Rome
township, being one of the pioneer
settlers in Eastern Crawford. They lived
there until Aunt Katy became young
woman, when she married Hugh FitZ-
patrick, and they settled on land between
here and Spartansburg. There way very
little cleared land in this section at that
time and DO frame houses. They lived in
a log house on the farm now occupied by
Dan Atkins, and it was there that the ter
rible tragedy with which she is connected
took place.
On Feb. 6, 1917, a man named Van
Holland came to their house in the even
ing and wanted to stay all night. They
thought he looked like a suspicious
character and did not want to keep him,
but he said he was tired and cold and
would sleep on the floor, and so they let
him stay, occupying place on the floor
IN front Of the fireplace. The husband
and wife agreed that one Of them should
not sleep while the other did, and so be
on tie safe side. Before retiring FitZpat-
rick put an ak under his bed for use il
case it was needed. Sleep finally over
came them both. The stranger, intent on
Mo nd no al
seized the ak, and gave Fitzpatrick a
violent blow en- the head, crushing his
skull and killing him instantly. He then
ordered the wife to 90 and get the money.
She had to obey, but there was little
money 20 get. The murderer then ordered
her to go out and catch the horses and
get ready to 90 with HIM. She went to
the yard where they were and let them
out and frightened them off, and then
went bacl. and told Van Holland that she
could not catch them, and that he must 90
and get the horses. He went out, ard
while away. she bundled up her siX-weeks-
Old baby and started down path to
spring. In going she had to step over the
body of her husband that Van Holland
had carried out and thrown over the
fence. She went down to a creek and
then fled up the creek on the ice until she
came to where there was a log of root
herself under it. She had been there but
a short time VIXEN the murderer came
along searching for her. He stopped on
the root, missing the trail and stood
directly over her. swearing that if he
found her he would serve her as he had
her husband. With her was a small dog,
and the rascal, knowing this, whlstled
and called the dog, clnningly supposing
the creature would disclose the where
n IA 10 Of ~ &c ctr ~
fact that the more one brute Whistled the
closer the other brute nestled to the baby
and the quieter he kept. Finally van
Holland lett, and after while Aunt Katy
thought it safe to venture out, for she
was becoming very cold and there was no
house nearer than two miles through the
woods and the snow was very deep. The
entire two miles she Waded through the
snow III places two feet deep and carried
her baby TO the house of James Windsor,
now known as the Stranahan place, where
she told what had happened. The news
spread rapidly over the sparsely settled
region, and what few people there were
were soon hunting the murderer, all
armed with their old fint-lOck muskets.
Two days after they found him in a camp
in the woods. When he saw the pursuers
he jumped for his gun, but seeing half-a-
dozen muskets leveled at him, he sur
ICHuCIGus ne Was UOUEu s6CuIBl1s anu
taken to Meadville, and put in jail for a
fair and legal trial. The following
August, after being duly convicted, he
was hanged at Meadyille. When upon
the scaffold about to be executed, he
pushed the hangman off the scatfOld and
jumped down upon HIM with such force
that the man died afterward from the in
juries.
Several years afterward Aunt Katy
married Converse White, a worthless
fellow, who abused her. They lived on
the banks of the Brokenstraw and reared
a large family. She became widow a
second time and then married Hugh LAT
ferty. He died several years ago, ana she
has now come here to live with her
daughter. This daughter is the baby
that she carried in her arms in that fear
ful fight from death through the snow
and trackless wilderness siXty-eight
years ago. Her daughter gives her the
kindest care, and her few remaining uays
will be peaceful and comfortable. She
retains her faculties wonderfully, and
remembers all the incidents of that
awful tragedy with great Yividness.