Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-09-24
A STRANGE STORY.
"Reminiscences Suggested by . Poke-stalk
Growing on . Grave.

Strolling about town to-day I found
myself at the gate Of the Gallatin
Cemetery. At the suggestion of .
friend who was with me we entered
In meandering around my friend
pointed out the grave of Charles
Lewis, better known as pete"
Lewis. Said he: "At the head Of
this grave comes up every year large
poke stalk" Thinking there was
nothing strange that such q thing
should happen. remarked "Well,
what of itP" "Now," said he, II am
not superstitious, but this is a rather .
remarkable coincidence, as you will
learn when l tell you that Mr.. Lewis
once killed man about poke stalk"
Continuing his story, he said
''In 1874, now forty-two years ago,
during the great political canvass be-
tween the Wing and Democratic
parties, Isaac Goodall, of Smith
County, came to Gallatin and was the
guest and intimate friend of MIR.
Lewis. During the day Lewis and
Goodall were playing the violin to-
gether (both were good performers)
and indulging freely in drinks. In the
evening they were down town, and were
returning arm in arm singing one of
their favorite songs. Coming up the
street to the hotel kept by Lewis they
found on the street an OK wagon loaded
with crockery ware, with large poke
stalk standing in the wagon. Lewis
was Democrat, and the poke stalk
being emblematic of his faith in the
Democratic party. championed then by
James X. Polk. Mr.. Lewis invited
the owner of the wagon to take
a drink to the success of the
Democratic party. Goodall was
strong Wing, and remarked that if the
driver left his wagon he would drive
the oxen away, at the same time pick
ing up a stone. Mr.. Lewis was in
censed at the conduct of his friend,
and. said: 'Goodall. if you do l will
shoot you,' at the same moment draw
ing pistol. Goodall Immediately
dropped the stone and asked Lewis
what he had in his hand, and before
replying Lewis fired the shot, killing
Goodall almost instantly. Goodall, as
1 he fell, said: oh. Pete, what made
you do thatp'
=
ran into the house and up to the garnet.
Great excitement followed. the news
:. spread rapidly and the street was
thronged with friends of both parties.
The sheriff summoned twenty men to
> assist in arresting Lewis. Mrs. Lewis
t came to the sheriff and told him that
4 Lewis was in the garnet intoxicated and
= heavily armed, and that it would be
l. 30 III
leading to the hiding place of her hus-
band, but if he (the sheriff) would
wait till he Uewis) sobered she would
q bring him down. After dark, the time
appointed for her to carry out the pur-
L pose of the sheriff, she piloted the sher-
J. if and his deputies up the staircase
h where the ladder was standing. Here
she requested the gentlemen to step
'' into a room while she assembled the
y ladder. Once in the room she made
: them prisoners by locking them in, and
II fastening Mr.. Lewis down the ladder,
r. down the stairway and out through the
>, backway and into the garden, he was
= free. Every light in the house was put
y out. according to the plans of Mrs.
y Lewis. just as the alarm was given
D that Lewis was out, negro named
"a Bob, belonging to Mrs. Lewis fired q
le pistol, and, calling out, Here he goes, v
- ran in an opposite direction to that
II taken by Mr.. Lewis, thus throwing the
~ guards off his track. Escaping that
~ night on.a magnificent horse, procured
d from Esquire Thomas &. Moss, which
u was hitched in the back garden for thai
purpose, he went to Louisiana, anC
u from there to Cuba.
detectives were employed to worl
. up the case, and two were employed tt
,, shadow Mrs. Lewis, who it was though
IL would join her husband, but tn,
Is woman's ingenuity was too much fol
n them. She would leave for visit t.
SO Louisville, Nashville or Cincinnati, ant
e. a detective would follow. She thu
~ threw them off their guard. visited he
Vi husband in Louisiana, and from Their,
70 went to Cuba. Tired of exile, aftel
lie ten years wandering, Lewis returned
ne and gave himself up to the sheriff H,
n was arraigned, tried and acquitted by
the courts.
III "Mr. Lewis lived here until after tht
10 war, making a good and useful citizen
-" He died and was buried in his own gar
e den where, | am told, poke-stals
{; came up every year at the head of his
al grave. A few years ago his remain,
were transferred to their present loca
y ton, and, as was told, the poke-stall
y still comes up annually. His wife
pc Mrs. Mary Lewis (Aunt Polly, lies by
rs his side, heroic, true, devoted
70 woman. During her life she never
,h faltered in her love and devotion to hel
no husband in his troubles. 1t would be
waste of words to offer a tribute to tn,
consistency and devotion of Mrs. Lewis
not only to her husband, but to any on,
RI who could claim her friend. Sh,
- died about two years ago at the resi-
- dence of her nephew, DR.. w. r
oy Tomkins, at the age of seventy eigh
re years. = Gallatin Cor. Nashville Ban
a ner.
~ i Ihirns Xo.I Cka..ld Ma..a~ n