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

Faith in Their Boys.
Anthony Nicely, the father Of the men
convicted Of the Umberger murder, lives
three or four miles back Of Ligonier.
He is a straight, white-haired old gentle
man, with kindly intelligent face. For
the past two years lie has walked with
his eyes constantly turned towards the
ground and his head inclines forward as
though in deep meditation. His wife IS
delicate. small-featured woman, and |
has suffered unspeakable anguish since !
her BOYS were charged with murder.
Until the murder both parents we're hap
py in the enjoyment of the society OF
their children and and grandchildren,
and we're in comfortable circumstances.
Mr.. Nicely is we'll known througout West
mcreland county and is highly esteemed
by his neighbors and friends.
Since the conviction of his boys he
has not spent much of his time at home
He basibeen going here and there, seek
ing for new evidence or for clemency for
has sons. He has been a frequent visitor
in Somerset during the last two years,
generally driving here from his home
over the mountains Mr.. Nicely thinks
his sons should never have been tried
in Somerset county. Every one was
against them and the jury was afraid"
he said few weeks ago. Over in
Somerset they say that have Umber-
gers money. Before this trouble own
ed nv farm cleer Of debt and / had
money in bank. have spent all / had
and judgments for several thousand dol
lars have been entered up against me at
Greensburg. ! am not sure that so much
money Was stolen from [ Umberger. |
think it will yet be found that the sum
was considerably less It's a very mys-
terious case, and will never rest until l
get to the bottom of it. Ny boys would
never commit such a crime They were
both industrious Dave could not work
AT very hard labor, but he used TO help
me and make shoes for the neighbors.
Joe worked in sawmills when there was
nothing else to do, and then he taught
singing school in the evening.
ave testified in court that joe ate
supper with Us on the night Of the muir
der, and they did not believe us because
we are his relatives If we had testified
against him they would have believed
us If We were not telling the truth why
did We not say that Dave was here, too,
Who is there to testify where Joe was, if
not US? Out here in the country it
would be hard to find witnesses for an
alibi outside Of the family. There are hun
dreds and hundreds Of nights when there
is no one here but ourselves. But other
people saw Joe and Dave and knew that
thev could not have been ct Jennertown.
There was large reward offered for the
conviction Of the murderers, and some
body had TO be found guilty. have not
given up hope yet. If We can get an ex-
tension of time from the Governor / be-
lieve l can prove the innocence of my
sons. 1t is going very hard with the
boys wives. Joe's wife is breaking
down, and so is Dawes wife. Joe has
seven children. His Oldest boy, Lorenza,
is teaching school this winter. Dave has
three little ones. Joe has a good little
farm and l had bought one for Dave.
lie was to take possession of it the
month after the murder. Joe belongs TO
the Evangelical church,
A MOTHERS FAITH IN HER boys
GLOW can they say my Joe committed /
that murder" said Mrs Nicely. Joe 1
never gave me a moments anxiety in his
life, and he never gave his father saucy
word in his life. Joe never disobeyed
his father, and would not to-day. Ny |
boys never did that murder. They could
not do it. David was too sick to walk
that far, and Joe was here that night TO
supper. They say they traced them by /
their footprints. There was a soft snow
on that day-why did they not track
them home? They brought the pocket
book, oyercoat, handkerchief, hat and
oyeralls as evidence against them. The
pocketbook brought into court was not
the one Dave sent 10 his wife; the hat
had no hole in it when It was taken
away, and the handkerchief and over
alls are just the same style and pattern
that everyone wears around here. There
must be thousands of them in the two
counties. Both Of my boys were indust-
rious and they had money. They did
not need to murder and rob-"
Old man Nicely has spent a great deal
of time looking for John Beach, the self
confessed murderer of Umberger. The
alleged confession never produced much
effect in the case and was always regard
ed by Commonwealth attorneys and
the public as unimportant, as it was be-
lieved 10 have been prepared for the pur
pose of causing doubt in the minds of
the Pardon Board as TO the guilt of the
Nicely boys. A witness named Burk-
holder, residing in Lower Turkeyfoot
testified that he had known q
man named Beach in Kansas and travel
ed with him as described in the confes-
sion that he had photograph Of Beach
at his home, in the vicinity Of Squire
Kings, and had frequently shown it to
neighbors and told them Of Beach's mys-
.erious dasappearancer No Witnesses,
excepting Squire King, could be found
Who had ever seen Beach. Anthony
Nicely scrutinized the photograph close
Y and ever since has been trying 70 find
he face il portrays.
When his boys were 6rst arrested for
be murder Of farmer Umberger old maR {