The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-04-02
The Nicely Boys.

rnustsci,o ornamcrtei his upper hp nls
clothes were of fashionable cut and well
fitting.
Joe Nicely had peculiarly striking VOICE
never TO be forgotten afier once heard. II
was oftbe high tenor order, bat careful tram
ing had not eliminated she peculiar tones
that impressed the hearer. Joe used toteach
singing. and during fhe first year Of BIS
imprisonment lac made the walls Of The old
iail resound with the music Of his voice He
showed a great partiality for sacred music.
and persons passing by the jail without
knowing the character of the building might
have thought that a well conducted prayer
meeting was being held inside every evening
in the week For the last year he has
not sung a note.
Joe was always popular with the inmates
of the Jail. who seemed 10 recognize him as
a superior man. All appeared to have been
subject 10 his will and were ever ready to
assist him to escape.
Although q little under size, Joe Nicely
was an athiese and at the time Of his arrest
possessed remarkable strength. On one oc-
casion when told that his father had been
arrested for completely in the murder Of
Umborger, he began TO cry. Suddenly dry
ing his tears, be exclaimed, Jesse James
once said the law can drive men to commit
crime and grabbing the bars Of his cell
door, he shook them until the old build
ing rocked. He was fond Of boasting Of his
feats Of strength. and, in conjunction with
other inmates Of the old jail, had a sand-bag
suspended from the ceiling and daily e1er-
ciscd bis muscles.
Notwithstanding Joe's repeated assertions
that be had never been in Somerset county
but once. he admitted shortly after be was
brought here and confronted with gentle
man acquainted with the facts that be had
visited somerset in the seventies for the pur-
pose Of playing poker, and had leit large
sum Of money with local sports
Joseph has had a very checkered career,
and his versatile attainments have led him
TO commit all manners Of crimes. He was
imprisoned in Ohio for impesonating a
T.. S. detective and il Is said he was wanted
in that State 70 answer for burning barns Of
well-to-ao farmers. He was generally feared
by the inhabitants Of the Ligonier valley,
where lac lived, and was regarded as a bad
man. Nearly every theft that was committed
among the good farmers Of that region was
laid al the door OF the Nicely boys. No
matter whether IL was the robbing Of
chicken coop or the more serious crime Of
-,ft.t.iro lor.I- erfaory ,c -. ..,,,,.-- a. -
brothers were suspected A feeling Of relief
wss enjoyed by their neiehbors when they
were arrested for the murder Of farmer I'm
berger, and since then all the residents of the
Ligonier valley have felt more secure. They
have been compelled to employ new butch
ers bar tenders, caoir masters, and iacls-of-
all-trades over there.
Recently, when speaking Of the attempts
made by his brother and himself to escape,
Joe said. we are not guilty, and we know
our innocence viii be proven il time. We
hoped TO get away from this part Of the
country and live in secl1son until the truth
Of the imbergcr murder came out the &C.
tual criminals discovered and our reputation
cleared. Then we would come back again
II was not near the umbereer farm on the
day Of the murder ] was at my home, Il
miles away. and that was provenai the trial
was never in Somerset county but once
and ] did not know L mberger nor anyone
else around Jennerown.
u always had money. I owned httlt
farm and worked for my father and the
neighbors. I used to do all the butcherinr
for the neighbors. ! never was without q
few dollars, and owed no one was happy
and contented and coveted no ones wealth
Yes indeed have good wife. Ny
eldest boy is teaching school this winter
three miles away from home but be walk,
TO and from school every day that be may
be al home at night 20 comfort bis mother
he is smart and GOOD
For the last three months Joe has shown
signs OF weakening He had grown thin
and paid very little attention TO his personal
appearance The injuries he sustained early
in December, when the attempt Of himself
and brother TO escape from the new
Jail iailed so disastrousely, were con.
slant source Of trouble to him. In fact
he had not entirely recovered the use OF
his injured foot. He evidently had no, de
SPARED Of making his escape, however. from
the fact that thirteen saws were found by
Sheriff Good in the cells of the doomed BOYS
only three weeks ago.
Dave Nicely has proved a conundrum that
not even his friends or counsel have been
able to solve. He always lived near the old
homestead in the Ligonier valley, and ap-
pears TO have worked at nearly everything.
He was suspected by his neighbors Of hav-
ing committed many petty thefls, and it is
stated that on one occasion he was impris.
oned in a neighbor's hen coop over night.
The neighbors wife having seen him steal
his way into the coop barred the door, and
refused TO release him until the following
morning.
Since he has been confined in the Somer-
set county jail Dave has kept his tongue well
bridled and rarely ever talked without con-
sulting bis brother. He appeared to have
been entirely under the influence ofJo and
depended upon him to do the talking.
The waichmen at the jail Felt satisfied
that he would make confession after depu-
" sheriff NcMiilen was shot and when he
proposed to make a confession none Of them
were surprised. But when he destroyed the
written propositions be had made they we're
convinced that Joe had learned of his inten-
ton TO confess and persuaded him to aban-
donit Dave talked very wellwhen be talked
at all, aud has won the esteem Of all the jail
officials. lie always enioyed a joke with
them and occasionally repeated story. One
story that he was fond OF repeating was told
him By " Rev. Amos Sell at the time that
unworthy shepherd was an inmate Of the
Jail. His Reverence vonched for the
truth Of the Narrative, which was ss follows
knew an old farmer who lived in the
county Of -, o. He was very profane and
one bright morning in June was engaged in
hoeing corn. The corn was not very prom
Using. and the old farmer was very much
discouraged. Hating near the middle Of a
TOW he raised his hoe TO heaven and cursed
the Almighty for not causing the stalks to
flourish as his neighbors His blasphemy
was interrupted by an invisible hand, and
the venerable tilleT OF the soil was paralyz-
ed on the spot He is still 10 be seen stand
ing there in the uncultyated field holding
bis hoe alofi, and no power has been able to
remove him. ! hayeseen him very frequent
ly in passing, and he win remain there until
the end Of time