The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-04-21

The Philadelphia Times tells how,
in 1915. two Frsnchmen in a sleigh
stopped at Statleris tavern, a long,
low wooden structure on the surn-
NIT OF the Alleghenies, IL Somerset
county, and asked for refreshments
They spoke very broken English,
said they had not long been in this
country, and were travelling for
pleasure. The counirymen loung-
ing about stared at them, because
they did not often see such guests 1t
Statler's tavern. They were hand
somely dressed in the fashion of the
day. The elder was tall. large, fine
looking, with Jet black hair and eyes,
The younger was pale, slight, intel
lectual in appearance, with large,
soft brown eyes and light chestnut
hair.
Among the crowd Of idlers and
drinkers at the tavern was drover
who took a drop too much, and
Dragged Of the fine sales he had
made of his cattle in Cumberland,
from where he was just now return
ing with the money in his pocket.
The droyer rode away on his white
horse little while before dusk for
his home, some miles Off The
Frenchmen then inquired where the
next good stopping place was,
ordered their horse and sleigh, and
drove in the track of the drover, say
ing they were in haste to reach 4
certain place by the next day. That
night the drover's waiting wife saw
his horse come home without his
master, with his white coat spotted
with blood stains. The drovers
body was fouGd next morning, stiff
and stark, with bullet through his
brain.
The Frenchmea were suspected
and pursued. They we're found at
a house some miles on. the larger
one started TO run away, when he
was shot dead. The little one was
taken to Somerset, tried, aud found
guilty of the drover's murder. The
money which the drover bad carried
upon his person was never found.
Il was supposed by many that the
Frenchmeu had thrown it in the fire
when they found they were going to
be mobbed. The pale young gen.
tleman protested bis innocence, said
he had Influential! friends and fam
lily in his own country, to whom the
authorities here would have to ans
swer for their treatment Of him. He
persisted to the last that he and bis
companion had passed the drover
OF the road and parted with him in
a quiet and friendly manner he
demonstrated violently when the Of
ficials came to put him into q cart
with rude pine coffin, and tried to
break the coffin to pieces. He wore
about him a miniature, set with
pearls, of a lovely girl. He gave his
name as Noel Huguel.
Many wondered if that girl did
not wait and watch and pine in
France for her beautiful lover, who
was hanged by the neck until he
was dead in the far-off mountains OF
Pennsylvania. Many thought him
a victim of circumstantial evidence
that the droyer's murderer escaped
SEQ. free with the money, and that
Noel Huguel was an innocent man,
his mysterious disappearance never
was accounted for TO his friends in
EdIope. He was refused the privilege
Of writing to them after he was ar
rested.
Many years after the hanging a
party of young men were discussing
Noel Huguel, and there was some
dispute as to where be was buried.
Then and there, at the dead hour of
night, they went to the graveyard,
dug, him up, and found his bones.
One Of the young men aforesaid was
jeremiah 5. Black.