The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-07-09

especially 50 when Il is intended to subvert
the ends of justice
In connection with my confession, / viii
say shat started east in the fall of lssG rom
Gaylord, Kansas, in company with four 9TH
er men We expressed our valises to Scott
dale. Westmoreland county. Pa. and star
ted to beat our way through We all went
together as far as Atchison, Kansas. There
two of them left the crowd and the other
two and went together 10 Kansas City.
One Of their names was William Burkholder
and the other Sipe. forgot the other mems
names. They were all from Fayette and
Westmoreland counties and well acquainted
with each other When we got to Kansas
City. was to get boat. and we were all to
90 down the river as far as the mouth of the
Missouri. left Burkholder and Sipe at a
certain place in the evening. until ] would
get the boat. got caught in getting the
boat and was locked up for ninety days and
could not meet my partners. Here chang
ed my name and have kept my new name
the papers or that John Beech was caught
stealing boat. / stayed in Kansas City un-
Ill the next June and then started east after
my partners / got as far as st. Louis
stayed there till next summer, then started
east, got as far as Cincinnati, Ohio, and
stayed there about six months. Ny next
move was to Pittsburg, aad from there got
on freight train, TO stop at Greensburg, but
it did not stop until il got to Johnstown.
There was plenty of WORK Of all kinds and I
liked the place and gave up hunting Burk-
holder and Sipe After ] was there about
four or live months got acquainted with
man by the name of Miller He worked
about town and done odd Jobs, dug cut eel
lars and cleaned wells and did errands for
boarding house men, After ! was ac-
quainted with Miller some time. we started
west again to Michigan; was in Detroit and
other places; fiom there to Wheeling West
Virginia from there we went to Cumeer-
land from there we started through the
country to Johnstown. On our way we met
with one Of Miller's old chums He was
book agent and looking out for something,
as he called il, and said be had some good
ones spotted in Somerset County. He gave
us the names OF several farmers. One was
Bernard Miller, near Garret, and JmbergeT,
near Jennersown, and Others. We appoint
ed place to meet at and after several meet
ings and about a years time, We concluded
on Umberger. Miller and went in, the
book agent and his man stayed out. When
We got the money there was big scuiile.
Miller shot three or four times with bis re
volver Mine was p seven shot. l lost
ray big revolver when / shipped my valise
east with Burkholder and Sipe. There was
no need Of the shooting. When we got out
Of the house we all started toward Latrobe.
We all went together for several miles until
we came to the forks of road. Here we
divided the money and throwed the one
pocketbook away and parted, Miller and me
taking one road and the other another way.
We kept the other pockeibook until we got
TO small stream and throwed it in. We
then went to the railroad. We eat our
lunch and hid our money and APPOINTED
place to meet at, and begged our way.
After the Nicely boys were arrested we
went and got our money and started west,
to Kansas City, and Miller went to Cuniber-
land. I got several letters from Miller while
he was in Cumberland In his last letter he
said the Nicelys were in Jail yet. and he was
going back to Johnstown and rent a billiard
hail and go into business. in about a week
heard of the JOhnstown flood and never
heard anything of Miller since, so / came
east to Johnstown to look after Miller. !
suppose he was lost in the flood Here on
the train heard stranger say the lady in
black is the mother Of the Nicely boys. /
looked at her She had the saddest face
ever saw, and ] will never forget that sad
look to. my last hour, and which 7 can al
ways see before my eyes and have putoff
this statement as long as could. with her
looks before my face, and trouble of the
Nicely family, and the two boys in Jail,
waiting to be hung, innocent. If they can
find Burkholder and Sipe, they will tell you
of MY intention OF coming east.
JOHS BEECH.
! ask the justice Of the peace to take
copy of this and send it to the Nicelys fam
lily and keep a copy oft.
June s, 1880, Somerset County, Pa.
Personally appeared before me, a justice of
the peace in and for said county and state.
John Beech, who, after being sworn accord
ing TO law, deposes and says that the above
statement is correct and true, and further
says il is just
T.. P. KING. Justice of the Peace.