The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-08-11
A NIGHT OF TERROR.
IT PROVED THE DOWNFALL OF NEG
LEY ANo HIS PALS.

A Thrilling Incident OF Life In the City
of Pittsburg Early In the Present Cen
tury, Related by n woman-Presence Of
Mind Alone Saved Her.
The 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 1t now is
that so many people are interested in
anything of an historical nature pertain.
ing to the days Of our grandfathers
My ancestors were 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 refer
red to was told me by my mother, who
was attending a school in Pittsburg at
the time, and my grandmother Culber-
son, who was resident of the city for
many years and who died there in 1864
at the age Of 80 years.
About the first Of this century man
named Negley built house five miles
east of Pittsburg ON q road running east
and west, midway between the Alle-
ghany and Monongahela rivers. 1t was
O tavern and farmhouse combined.
Teamsters, drovers and travellers stopped
ON their way to and from the city to get
q meal or stay overnight.
These wayside inns were numerous in
early days. aud are still found in many
parts of the country They are generally
pleasant places to stop at After Negley
had occupied his tavern a number of
years the place was named Negleyville,
afterward Rising Sun and later East
Liberty.
Negley was as bloodthirsty a villain
as could have been found on the from
tier and had associated with him q
number of men as bad as 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 men was
brought about In this way:
A poor woman with her two small
children started afoot from some point
east of Liberty to walk to Pittsburg. In
the evening she reached Negley's tav-
ern, and as her children were 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 Of the in
mates Before she retired TO rest trav-
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 disposing Of
some CATTLE
Concealing her alarm, she followed
the lPndlady, coarse, brawny woman
to room up stairs, whose door wal
without fastenings and which contained
only bed and stool Retiring with hel
children, she was unable to sleep. Al
hour or 80 later she heard the travelel
being escorted 60 an adjoining room anC
heard him complain that his door coulC
not be secured, and the landlord assured
him that he was as safe as he would b.
in his own house, an assertion the trav
eler evidently believed, as his heav.
breathing soon told that he was asleep
Near midnight the woman, who wa'
still awake, heard stealthy steps pas
her door and several persons enter tn
adjoining room. In few minutes ther
was O heavy blow, followed by Low
cry and then short struggle. A littl
after the murderers came into her room
but seeing that she seemed to be aslee,
left her, and she heard them carry tn
dead man through the hall and dow
stairs
In the morning they were very pc
lite, inquiring how she rested, etc.
stating that the drover had got up earl.
and gone on.
After breakfast she and the childre
started for the city, but were soon me
by man coming from there, who stoI
ped her, inquiring who she was an
where she was going, where she ha
staid the night before, ETC. Believin
him to be one Of the band, she answere
truthfully, but told him that the peopl
at the tavern were very nice people an
had treated her very we'll He passe
on, but she met another coming froI
the city who made the same inquiries
and still another; but she told the sam
story, and they, believing that she kneN
nothing, let her go
On her arrival at Pittsburg she il
formed the authorities and the plaC
was broken up, but whether any Of theI
were brought to justice l am unable
say. Sarah p. Farmer in Pittsbur
Dispatch.