The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-05-15
AN EARLY HANGING.
An Entertaining Romance of the Early
Days of Somerset County, Pa.

ed mound in the old graveyard on the
hill. 1t was the last part of the place
to fill up with graves, as if the people
who laid their dead down there Stunned
leaving them close to the murderer's
last resting place. 1t was pointed out
to strangers and children with the
words: THE Frenchman lies buried
there, the first man ever hung in Somer-
set County.
One day in December, 1915, when the
snow lay several feet deep upon the
ground and the pines bent under their
heavy white load, at long, low, wooden
tavern in the summit of the Alleghe-
MES there stopped sleigh containing
two gentlemen, who alighted, went In
and asked refreshments for themselves
and their horse. They spoke very bro
ken English, said they had not long
been in this country and were travelling
for pleasure. The countrymen loung-
ing aLout stared at them, because they
did not often see such guests at Statler's
tavern. They were handsomely 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, intellectual in appearance,
with large, soft, brown eyes and chest
nut hair.
Among the crowd of idlers and drink.
ers 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 returning with his money in his
pocket. The drover rode away on his
white horse a little while before dusk
for his home, some miles off. The
Frenchmen soon after inquired where
the next good stopping place was to be
found ordered their horse and sleigh
and drove in the track of the drover,
saying they were in haste to reach a
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 drover's body was found
next morning stiff and stark, with a
bullet through his brain, shot from be-
hind, The neighborhood was reused.
The Frenchmen were at once suspected
and pursued. They were found at a
public house some distance on, sitting
quietly in a room in the second story.
When they suddenly became aware that
there was an excited mob of country
men after them they were too much ex-
cited and frightened to use the little
English they knew, and could only ges-
ticulate and chatter in their native
tongue, which was all lost on the Doors
of Somerset County.
At length, being too hard pressed, one
of them jumped from the back window
of the room. 1t was the big one. The
little one tried to follow, but was caught
by the clothes by burly Dutchman and
held for moment, suspended outside.
Some one was going to shoot him from
below, but the Dutchman said that he
would attend to the little one and that
those below should look after the big
one. He was answered by rifle shot,
and the big one, who had been trying
to run through the deep snow, fell dead
The little one was taken to Somerset
tried and found guilty of the drover't
murder. The money which the droveI
had carried upon his person was never
found 1t was supposed by many thai
the Frenchmen had thrown it into thu
fire when they found they were goine
to be mobbed. The pale young gentle
man protested his innocence, said b,
had influential friends and family in hi
own country, to whom the authorities
here would have to answer for thei
treatment of him. He persisted to tn,
last in the declaration that he and hi
dead compagnon de>voyage had passe,
the brewer on the road and parted will
him in a quiet and friendly manner. H
demonstrated violently when the off
Gals came to put him into cart with
rude pine coffin and take him out to b
hanged, and tried to break the coffin t.
pieces He wore about him a minia
ture, set with pearls, of a lovely girl
He gave his name IS Noel Huguel.
Many wondered if the girl did no
wait and watch and pine in France fo
her beautiful lower. who was hanged b.
the neck until he was dead in the far
off mountains of Pennsylvania. Man
thought him victim of circumstantia
evidence, that the drover's murdere
escaped scot free with the money an
that Noel Huguel was an innocent man
his mysterious disappearance never &C
counted for to his friends in France
He was refused the privilege of writin
to them after he was arrested.
Many years after the hanging a part
of Young men were discussing Mo-
Huguel and there was some disput
about where he was buried The
and there, at the dead hour of Ii
night, they went to the graveyard, du
him up and found his bones. One
the young men aforesaid was Jeremia
S. Black Philadelphia Times.