Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-05-21
CLAUDIUS SMITHS BOOTS.
Haunted, Folks Said, After Their
Owner Was Hanged.


mo one in the Schunnemunk noun
tains will ever forget the story OF
Brainard Persons haunted boots"
said Christy Lord OF that historic part
Of Orange county. "The story dates
back good ways, but it's always new
and fresh along the old Schunnemunk.
"Brainard Persons boots, so the
story goes, were the very boots that
Claudius Smith kicked off his feet just
before he was hanged Mt Goshen in the
revolutionary times. Claudius Smith
was the bloody Tory cowboy who, with
his following OF cutthroats and robbers,
terrorized the Schunnemunk and sur
rounding country for years. His moth
er was pious woman, who lived near
the Ramapo Pass, and when she found
she couldn't turn Claudius from his
evil ways, she exclaimed one day:
"Oh, my poor son! You will die with
your shoes on, like troopers horse.
"After the patriots had at last
captured the desperate, and he was
taken to the gallows at Goshen, he
kicked his boots off as the rope was
placed about his neck, and exclaimed:
"'My mother said would die like q
troopers horse, with my shoes on. l
will make her out liar
"1'hose were Claudius Smiths last
words. His boots, through some man
ner of succession, at last fell into the
possession OF Brainard Pierson years
after the cowboy was hanged. I've
often heard my father say that when
folks heard that Brainard had got
Claudius Smiths boots they went 10
him and said:
"'But Of course you amt going to
wear 'em. Brainard%
ITO which Bralnard replied:
".Aint 70 WelI Int I am tboucb
most surely!'
mrber ne NV fother rsed IN toll folks
said to Brainard;
"'Woe to you, Brainard Person, II
vou weor those hootsl Not for all the
traasura Clopd;ns Smith buried in old
scburremurl, would ye weor tbosa
boots, There's blood on ,em,
Sand Won must know thatwas savinp
n cood deal for Claudius Smith bid in
tbescbunnemunk maintains thousands
unon thousands ri dollars' worth NJ
traasuro which be md b;s oopr s{o,o
from tbe potr;ots and ;t,s tbere vet
II nos mt avn, en- srrn that olthourb
tho monn,oirs have been dro over from
IN, 10 hottom and end IN end M ana
bas avsr h,.or able IA find thot treasure
81 NJ course IL mist Iva there vet
Well when folks warned Rrainard
ooa;n.t ,ye,r;ra tbe Torv cnttbroot,s
boots and told him there was blood IN
'em be answered hocE ca INV fotber
said TINT he hadn't noticed onv hlood
an ,em
".And even if there is proinord soid
T'll walk IL of to-morrow for Tn,
co;no IA drive coma oa+tle down Terso,,
wav I couldn't Get n nair q boots ike
thesa for tba nrice n the hest cr;tter
I've cot"
$50 Rrojnard mt IN the boots md
strrttod oround IN ,em nroud ne noo.
coeL Pint FOLKS sbool their beads and
s.id.
..vot for all ,hot C,,ud;us Smith MA
IN old scburneuunl, wonla wa wo,r
bis boots,
"pra;rord p;erson l,uobed md nav,
DIV stor,od with b;s co,tle dovr Iorso,.
wa, y,oor;rr tbe dood Tor,,s hoots
somawhere down neor the pamar,
paas ,aon oo,n;na th;s Vow MAJ ,
drovo ~ cattle Tbev went IN Nv
ord tho man not;osd tbat M droyor ,,s g
heb;rd them ue wont IN ITe Ind oone
onortor ~ milo or co when be nj.
moe, s,,,nhloa ovor n man lyirr in .ho
- y 20 " "