Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-05-23
iGIIT OF
r PROVED THE DOWNFALL OF NEG
LEY AND HIS PALS.

a Thrilling Incident of Life In the City
of Pittsburg Early In the Present Gem
fury, Related by a Wonan-Presence OF
Mind Alone Saved Her.
Tho following incident, which, at the
time, caused much talk, and is still
told by the children Of old settlers who
heard it from their parents, has never,
to my knowledge, appeared in print,
and the only object in telling it now is
hat so many people are interested in
anything Of an historical nature pertain
ing to the days Of u gTandfathers.
My ancestors wCrc among the first
settlers of western Pennsylvania, my
grandfather being one Of the garrison Of
old Fort Pitt, dying there during the
Revolutionary war. The incident rcfor-
red to was told me by my mother, who
WI attending a school in Pittsburg at
the time, and my grandmother Culbcr-
son, who was a resident Of the city fer
many years and who died there in 1864
at the age Of 50 years.
About the first of this century a nam
named Negley built a house five miles
east of Pittsburg on a road running cast
and west, midway between the Ale
ghany and Monongahcla rivers. 1t WIS
a tavern and farmhouse combined.
Transfers, drovcrs and travellers stopped
on their way to and from the ely to get
a meal or stay overnight,
These waysido inns We're numerous in
early days, and are still found i'll many
parts of tho country. They are generally
pleasant places to stopat After Ncglcy
had occupied his tavern a number Of
years the place was named Nellcyvillc,
afterward Rising Sun and later East
Liberty.
Negley was as bloodthi-sty q villain
as could havo been found on the from
tier and lad associated with lin a
number of men as bad us himself, who
made his tavern their headquarters, and
whose business was to rob and murder
unfortunate travellers who might stop
there. The undoing Of these mon was
brought about in this way:
A Door woman with her two small
children started afoot from some point
east of Liberty to walk to Pittsburs. In
the evening she reached Ncgley's tav-
ern, and as her children We're too tired
to go farther she put up for the night.
Soon after entering the house she began
to feel uneasy, as there was something
mysterious about the actions Ct the in
mates. Before she retired to rest a tray
eler rode up and dismounted, and after
seeing his horse cared for entered the
house, He seemed to be a drover return
ing from the city after dispcsing Of
some cattle.
Conccaling her alarm, she followed
the landlady, Il coarse, Dra"ny woman,
to o. room Up stairs, Wh0se door was
without f~astenings and which contained
only a bed and stool. Retiring with her
children, she was unable to sleep. An
hour or so later she heard the traveller
being escorted to all adjoining room ana
heard him complain that his door could
not be secured, and the landlord assured
him that he was as safe as he would be
in his own house, an assertion the tHav-
elcr evidently believed, IS his heavy
breathing soon told that h. was asleep.
Near midnight the woman, who was
still awake, heard stcalthy steps pass
her door and several persons enter the
adjoining room. In q ( W minutes there
was a hcavy blow, followed by Il low
CRY and then . short struggle. A little
aftcr the murdcrcrs carlo ito her room,
but seeing that she seemed to be asleep
left her, and she heard thea carry the
dead man through the h1'l au;l down
stairs.
In tho morning they were very po-
lite, inquiring how sho rested, etc,
stating that the drover had cot UP carly
and gone on.
After breakfast she and tho children
started for the city, but were soon met
by IL man coming from there, who stop
ped her, inQuiring who she WAS and
where she was going, where she had
staid the night before, etc. Believing
him to be ono Of the band, she answered
truthfully, but told him that the people
at the tavern were very nice people and
had treated her very we'll. He passed
on. but she met another coming from
the city who made the same inquiries,
and still another; but she told the same
story, and they, believing that she knew
nothing, let her go.
On her arrival at Pittsburg sllo in
formed the authorities and tho place
was broken up, but whether amy CT thom
were brought to justice l am unable to
say.-Sarah p. Farmer in Pittsburg
Dispatch.