Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-07

Occupied this cave -+fVeaf- while All was:
wilderness nrogEd him He died in l>s,:
aged 20 years
But very little is known of the life of
Hewitt The old settlers now living have no
very distinct recollection OF him, except that |
he occupied the cave above described for a
plumber of years aud paid no attention 10 the |
other settlers One pioneer, however, told |
me that he knew Hewitt when he first came |
TO that part of the country and before he |
built the cave. He said that Hewitt had such |
peculiar demeanOr that he was inclined to |
regard him suspciously, but aiterward |
found him much OF a man. |
FLED WITH THE BRAND OF CAIN.
Hewitt, it was thought, was Nirginian
and married early in life into family of
much respectability. He murdered his wife
for uufaithfulness and fled to the wilder
ness, never again to return or associate with
mankind. Eventually settling in the Scoto
valley, he built this cave, where he passed a
lite OF absolute solitude, his rifle furnishing
him with food and clothing. The latter con-
sisted Of skins as varied as JOseph's coat,
giving him an extremely odd appearance.
As the country gradually filled up and civili-
zation began to intrude on the solitude of his
surroundings he became All object of curi.
osity to the settlers, who, in spite of his reti
cence and evasions, urged association with
him. Occasionally he visited Chillicothe to
exchange skins and turs for ammunition
His singular appearance attracted much at
tention aud made him the unpleasant subject
| of remark. He was large, muscular man
his beard was long ana unshayen, and his
eyes wild and piercing.
In passing from his cave to Chllicothe he
| always took outot-the-way routes to avoid
encountering any of his fellow men. 1t is
! said OF him that while trading in ChillicOthe
| one day he crawled into large box, which
was standing in front OF one OF the trading
posts, in order to avoid meeting a number OF
| persons who were passing along the street.
| A physician passing that way one day in
| November, lhsi, stopped at the hermi's
| cave out OF curiosity, and pushing open the
| door found him lying on the ground dead.
THE ROBBERS RETREAT.
Near Rocky Fork, about four miles from
| cambridge, is another cave, which, though
a natural one, has history more interesting
than that of the hermit Few newspaper
readers have forgotten the thrilling accounts
of the daring and desperate deeds committed
| by Bob Mckinney, the notorious Western
| desperate and murderer, and his capture
near Rocky Fork some years ago. Nick i'm
mey used all the natural recesses of Rocky
Fork as places of refuge when the detectives
| were on his trail. The cave to whIch | have
referred bears the name of Nc immey's cave,
| 1t is reached by climbing down the precipi-
| tous sides of the clit i'll beautiful and rO-
| mantle portion OF the grove. When point
% feet below the summit OF the cliff is reached
| huge rock Is seen; turning the corner of
| this rock abruptly, amid waving evergreens,
| moss and ferns, a small hole in the rocks
opens its dark throat to the sun. Entering,
| a small chamber in the living rocks is dis
| covered, to pass through which it is necessary
| for one to humble himself on his hands and
| knees. adjoining this is a second and pitch.
dark chamber. In this chamber il small
| natural shelf in the rocky side of the cavern,
| near the root. Here man can hold an army
at bay with the simplest weapon. The
| wretched Mckinney il said to have lain
| here for lnnrs Whiin bia
| searching every foot OF ground in the vicinity
| for him. The rude utensils with which Nc.
| KINNEY cooked his coarse food are still
| shown. He was member of one of the most
| daring bands Of robbers which ever infested
| ohio, with Allen Grandstaff, leader of the
| band. These desperadOes were terror to "A
wide community, and many ghastly tale of
| their deeds Is related with a shudder by the
side oi the quiet hreplaces in the lionel V cabins
| in the mountains on winter nights. OF Nc
| kimmey's final capture former postmaster
of Bsinbridge gives the following account
| THE CAREER OF A BRIGAND.
| "Mckimmey was raised in this vicinity, ~
said he, shut he committed no crimes until
he went West to Wyoming and Colorado.
While there he became one of the most mur.
derous and daring outlaws in the whole West:
MS deeds were on every tongue his murders
made every one shudder at the mention o,
his name. When he returned to Ohio he
| came back to the hdunts OF his bOvhood and
| lost no time in joining a band of cut-throat,
here. Many hundred dollars that ganl
choked out OF the farmers in this vicinity
| Their deeds finally became so notorious anC
bold that something had to be done. Detec
tive Norris, OF Springfield, undertook tn,
| job OF breaking up the gang lie worked uJ
the case in mastery style and finally com
PEELED MCKINNEY to leave the caves. | re-
member his capture well. One Thank sgiy
| ing day the word went around from farm
| house to farm house in the mountains tha
MCKINNEY was in Allen Grandstatl7 cabin
lonely and desOlate little log house in ;
clearing in the hills. Nearly two hundred
: farmers grabbed their guns and made up ,
party 10 capture him. Armed with ever,
conceivable weapon, the members of thI
party formed great circle around the c2biI
, and gradually closed in on it. When the,
had completely surrounded it McKimmeV
showed himself at the door.
HIS BOLD ATTEMPT To ESCAPE.
one OF the party, young man name,
, Jones, who was intimately acquainted will
MCKINNEY, volunteered to go and tell hiu
: how desperately small were his chances O
: escape. All held their breath as the yount
man entered the cabin. When he had 90
iairly inside, Mckinney, with one OF thos
| intuitions, one of those flashes of genlu
which criminals often have in critical emer
, gencies suddenly seized him with "A grip q
iron and held him close to his own bod v
lie then calmly walked out OF the door, hold
ing fast to Jones and secure, in the TACT tina
no one would shoot tor fear OF hitting Jones
He walked in this way slowly toward tn
| woods The army OF pursuers followed. Ii
the course of a walk through the woods
| giant oak was reached. As Mckinney an,
Jones reached this tree, q number saw the /
} chance for shot. Just as Mckinney wa
walking behind the tree and while Jone
was protected by its trunk, number OF rifle
NnK Ka..... tzIl