Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-07-31
A NIurderer's Prediction.

MurdererS PREDICTION.
Greensburg pa Argus.
A curious story in which Thomas
Donnelly, the lately deceased president
of the Fourth National Bank, of Pitts
burg, figures prominently, has been re-
vived. The circumstances are no doubt
fresh in the minds of the older residents
of this county, but the revival Of the in
cident, now that the last actor in the
tragedy (Mr. Donnelly) has just passed
away, may be regarded as appropriate,
besides being of absorbing interest to
the present generation. In the spring
of 1927 large force of men was at work
constructing the Pennsylvania Canal,
near Bairdstown, Westmoreland county,
on the Kiskiminetas River The gang
of workmen was made up largely of
Irish. Joseph Evans was cook. One
evening, while the men were waiting for
their supper, Evans began whistling
"Boyne Water" This angered some Of
the Irishmen, and after trying unsuc-
cessfrlly to make Evans stop, they gath
cred around him end threatened him bod
lily harm. Evans picked up shovel and
kept swinging it in circle about him,
in order to keep away the angry men, at
the same time continuing to whistle the
song that was giving SO much offense.
One of the men named George Cissner
made leap at Evans, was struck by the
shovel, and koocked down. He fell on
the edge of large camp kettle and
broke his neck, dying almost instantly.
There was great excitement over the az
fair, and the dead mans friends charged
Evans with murder and demanded his
arrest. The warrant was placed in the
hands of George Doty, the constable in
Bairdstown, and he asked Thomas Don
nelly, who then kept small store in the
village, to go with him and help arrest
Evans. He did so, and Evans was taken
to Greensburg. His trial came up few
months afterward, at which Donnelly,
George Doty, the constable, Thomas
Ball, Lindsay Bigelow, Frank Meyran
and others testified. Evans was con-
victed.
When called up for sentence the Judge,
as is the custom, asked him if he had
anything to say before the sentence was
delivered. Evans arose and protested his
innocence, saying that he had been SIM
ply defending himself, and that Cissner
had leaped at him from the midst of
crowd Unexpectedly, and would not have
been hurt had he not fallen on the kettle.
Cissner's friends had testified that the as
sault had been unprovoked. He said
that Cissnsr's friends had sworn falsely,
and that the only man who had told the
truth was Thomas Donnelly. "God will
punish Them" he said, turning to the
witnesses. George Doty, you will die
a timeless death; Thomas Ball, you will
die on the scafold; Lindsey Bigelow,
you will become q law-breaker and die
alone and friendIess, End Frank Meyran,
a terrible death awaits you. Thomas
Donnely is the only man who told the
truth, and he win prosper in all that he
undertakes, and will become rich and
respected" The speech was at first
considered only by an outburst Of anger
from q man whose fate had been sealed.
and had the effect of leesening the SYM
pathy of the people.
A short time afterward Evans was
hanged in Greensburg before the gaze of
the people from the entire vicinity. He
wes the first man ever hanged in West
moreland county, and everything per-
tanning to the trial became the subject
Of gossip for many years afterward. The
true accounts Of the quarrel which led to
the killing of Cissner gradually became
known, and Evans unfortunate end was
talked over around every Preside in con-
nection with what he had said would be
the fate of those who had sworn his life
away. In less than one year after the
execution George Doty was thrown from
a runaway horse in front of Thomas Don
nelly's store in Bairdstown, and was in
stantly killed. Frank Meyran was killed
while working on the old Portage road
near there. Thomas Ball left tie state