The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-28

time he located in the Quaker City, as he
expresses regret for it aud at the deception
he practiced on ''the young girl"
| After few daring rObberies in Phila-
| delphla and several raids into Chester and
| Delaware counties, Lewis was compelled to
again shift his quarters His name had now
| become connected with that OF Conley and
some others, and the eastern part of the
state became too warm for a settled resi-
I dence. lie could not take his little family
with him, so he abandoned them for the
/ time being and transferred the scene of his
operations 10 the counties of the center,
south and southwest of the state, the city
Of Baltimore aud as far south as Virginia,
where another branch Of the Lewis family
lived.
Many OF the fairy tales connected with
his name date from his removal from Phila-
delDhia and are identified with the counties
OF York, Dauphin, Lebanon, Huntingdon,
Northumberland, Center and others, his
operations often taking him 70 the York
state line.
Among the rough but tender-hearted set
tiers Of the wiids of Pennsylvania Lewis
had hosts of warm friends and partisans
who were always on the alert, ready to give
him timely warning Of danger. 1t Is among
the descendants of these pioneers that his
virtues are remembered and his vices for
gotten. Here, too, the widest stories are
told, often with enough of the supernatural
IN them TO cause a cold chill to run down
ones back even in front of the cosiest fire.
Years ago in the cabins of the charcoal
burners OF Huntington, Center, Blair and
Mltfiin the memory of Lewis was kept fresh
by race of men now fast disappearing,
but almost as unique in their characters as
Lewis himself
How the deserted wife in Philadelphia
managed to struggle along and support her
two children does not appear, but there is
no doubt that Lewis out of his ''ill-gotten
gains" furnished her with what she
needed as long as he lived. Indeed, he made
stealthy trips to the east and visited his
family, always leaving a momento of his
presence in some daring robbery or absurd
practical joke
Lewis fund of good humor was inexhaust-
IDLE. and his keen appreciation of the ridic-
ulous more than once entailed suffering and
danger upon him by putting the "blood
hounds of the law" on his track. If an
ironmaster was held up on the road, as in
the case OF DIR. Shoenberger, Of Gen. Irwin
and others, the courtesy and extreme cool
ness with which it was done showed the
master hand, and Lewis presence in the
nelghborhood was Immediately known.
The death of Lewis and Conley was
tragic, and perhaps fitting termination to
life of violence. Sheriff Butler, who had,
with posse, been on the trail of the rob-
pers Tor week, came upon them as they
were shooting at a mark on the Sinuima-
honing creek one hot day in August. The
sheriff and his men opened fire on them
them without warning. Conley was shot
IN the abdomen, the ball taking a course
around the front so that his bowls pro-
truded. Gathering them up with his hands
over the terrible wound he ran about hun
dred yards and dropped dead. Lewis had
his arm shattered. and before he could es-
cape was bound hand and foot.
That day the sheriff started down the
river IN boat, with his prisoner living
bound on the broad of his back and ex-
posed TO the heat of an August sun. 1t was
three days before they reached Great Island
now Lock Haven, and in all that time no
effort was made to secure medical aid He
was lodged in the Jail at Bellefonte where
every effort on the part of friends and citi-
zens of the town was made to save his
life Blood-poisoning set in and death re-
suited.
His story was told to a prominent man of
the town, who reduced it to writing. Occa-
sionally abstracts from this story appear in
local papers throughout the country. and
the name of the great highwaymen is kept
alive. he was buried in the little old grave
yard in the village of Miesburg, where
the bones of his father, mother and sister
lie.
strange tradition floats through some
parts of Center, Lycomiug and other coun-
ties where Lewis had his partisans, that his
slayers would never prosper and that ven
gence would be visited on them and their
families. GAN of the men," says my ven
cradle historian, filled diShonored graves,
dying paupers, while their families came to
naught."
From David Lewis, through one of his
daughters, is descended one of our most
popular actors, well known all over the
country, but whether the fact is known to
him or not l cannot say. The descendants
of his two daughters still reside in Phila-
delphia, or did some years ago. 1t may be
that the young wife kept her secret from
her young daughters, but the story is
known to others, who have guarded it as
jealousy.
q n rr