The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-08-13
A Murdercr's Predictions.

"NASii VIZ
A Murdercr's Predictions.
Greenburg (Pa) Argus.
A curious story in which Thomas
Donnelly, the lately diseased pres ident
OF the Fourth National Bank of Pitts.
| burg, figures prominently, has been re.
| vived. The circumstances are nc
doubt fresh in the minds of the Older
residents of this county, but the re.
| vlval OF the incident, now that the last
actor OF the tragedy has Just passed
away, may be regarded as appropri
ate, besides being OF fabsorbing interest
| to the present generation In the
spring OF 1927 large force OF men
were at work constructing the Penn.
sylvania 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 wait.
ing for their supper, Evans began
whistling "Boyne Water" This an
gered some of the Irishmen, and, after
trying unsuccessfully to make Evans
stop, they gathered around him and
threatened him bodily harm Evans
picked up shovel and kept swinging
| it in a 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 oifense. One
of the men named George Cissner made
a leap at Evans, was struck by the
shovel, and knocked down. Hefell on
the edge of q large camp kettle and
| broke his neck, dying almost in
stantiy. There was great excitement
over the affair, 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
| DonnelIy, who then kept a small store
in the village, to 60 with him and help
arrest Evans. He did so, and Evans
was taken to Greensburg. His trial
came up few months atterward, at
which Donnelly, George Doty, the con-
stable, Thomas Ball, Lindsay Bige.
low, Frank Meyran and others testi-
fed. Evans was convicted.
When called for sentence the Judge,
as is the custom. asked him it he had
anything to say before the sentence
was delivered Evans arose and pro-
tested his innocence, saying that he
had been simply defending himself,
and that Cissner had leaped at
him from the midst OF a
crowd unexpectedly, and would not
have been hurt had he not fallen on
the kettle, Cissner' friends had testif-
ed that the assault had been unprovok-
ed. He said that Cissners 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 scatfold, Lindsey Bigelow, you will
become q law breaker and die alone
and friendless, and Frank Meyran, a
terrible death awaits you. Thomas
Dounelly is the only man who told
the truth, and he will prosper in all
that he undertakes, and will become
rich and respected" The speech was
at first considered only an outburst OF
anger from n nan whose fate had been
sealed, and had the effect of lessening
| VIC sS III )abpy VI tHe people.
A short time afterward Evans was
hanged at Greensburg, before the gaze
OF the people from the entire vicinity.
He was the first man ever hanged in
Westm oreland county, and every thing
| pretaining to the trial become thes sub
t lect OF gossip Tor many years after
ward. The true accounts OF thequar-
rel which led to the killing OF Cissner
gradually became known, and Evans
/ unfortunate end was talked over
around every freside in connection
with what he had said would be the
fate of those who swore his life
away. In less than one year af-
ter the execution, George Doty
was thrown from a runaway horse in
front OF Thomas Donnelly's store
IN Bairdstown, and was instantly
killed. Frank Meyran was killed while
wol king on the old Portage road near
there. Thomas Ball left the state and
went to Ohio. While in a quarrel
! there he killed Il man and was hanged
Lindsey Bigelow stabbed fellow.
workman during q quarrel. He was
first taken to Greensburg and was
kept in the same room in which Evans
had been confined, and he was bound
with the same irons. He was after.
ward taken to the eastern peniten-
tlary and died during his term OF i'm.
| prisonment.
Thomas Donnelly few years after
ward moved to place near Freeport,
and for many years operated
a salt we'll. He was very sue
cessful, and became the wealthiest
man in that section. He
was respected for his straightforward
methods of conducting his business,
and gained reputation for fairness
and honesty that became a byword.
He studied law in Pittsburgh, but
never practiced. Formore than thirty
years he was engaged in the banking
business, and was the president and
leading stockholder OF the Fourth Ma
tional Bank up to the time OF his
death. His personal estate has been
valued at almost 100000, and in
addition he owned large amount OF
valuable real estate that swel!ed his
fortune to million.
The untimely fate OF Evans and the
singular correctness of his predictions
as to the future lives of five men have
become part OF the traditions o.
| NV,,+