The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-11-21

of John Mcf'ate, both by his relatives
and by parties who know him well.
TWAS further stated that the deceased
could not have had sum exceeding a
few dollars on his person. and that he
was murdered in the belief that he was
the MCFate who had sold farm and had
received for the same q large sum OF
money From what could be learned,
the murderers secured q sum not exceed.
ing two or three dollars. 1t further ap.
peared that about the time the murder
occurred some parties in the houses on
the east side of the creek heard the
sound of pistol Shots but as this was of
ordinary occurrence after nightfall no
attention was paid to It.
The place where the murder occurred
scarcely exceeded stones throw from
the nearest house, and was in full sight
of the lights of the town. A public
meeting of the citizens to devise means
for insurng the common safety was con-
vened in the old Reynolds Hall ut 1
o. clock on Wednesday. At this Burgess
NJ. l.. Bagg presided. A committee of
public safety and one to solicit subscrip-
tions for reward to be offered for the
arrest and conviction of the parties who
murdered McFate, were appointed. The
meeting then adjourned until evening
to hear the reports of the committees.
At the meeting held in the evening the
committee on subscriptions reported that
the sum of $4,000 had been pledged and
was subject to their order whenever re-
CURED. The committee on public safety,
in view of the lack of protection afforded
by the law, advised the immediate forma-
ton of vigilance committee. The
chairman of the meeting was authorized
to appoint at his will an executive COM
mittee of ten, who, with secretary,
should have the general charge of the
public safety. Further, every resident
citizen was asked to consider himself a
member of the organization and obey the
orders of its head. None but the chair
man of the meeting ever knew who the
parties selected for the executive COM
mittee were, and the members of the
same were pledged to preserve their
identity inviolate, and the pledge has
been kept to this date.
The committee lost no time. Patrols
were organized to patrol the town every
night, and to be ready for duty in the
daytime when occasion required. Word
was given out that all persons without
visible business or employment, or those
who could not give satisfactory account
of themselves, should vacate the oil
country as speedily as possible. Each
night the patrols in their rounds stopped
at the hotels, examined the registers,
and, when any suspicious-looking parties
who could not give very straight reason
for their being here were found, they
were requested in unmistakabe terms to
leave forthwith, and were accompanied
outside of the town limits. The unde-
sirable class of sojourners needed no
other warning than this. Willing or
otherwise, they knew they had to 60,
and by scores they took their welcome
departure.
By this timely action on the part of the
old pioneers, safety to life and property
was speedily assured, and, so far as Oil
City is concerned, this desirable state OF
affairs has continued to the present date.
The executive committee and the organ
ization was tlisbanded after the object
for which they were formed was fully
assured. Such of them as read these
lines will be pleasantly reminded of the
stern duty they so well performed, and
of the thrilling experiences they passed
through in that period.
Notwithstanding the large sum offered,
no tangible results rewarded the search
made for the murderer or murderers of
poor John McFate. Whether time will
cast any further light upon this one of
the many murder mysteries remains yet
to be seen. After awaiting due time,
the parties in charge Of the subscription
paper returned the cash sums that had
been offered for the reward, destroying
all the papers, and so passes into record
one of the most notable events in early
Oil City history.