Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-06-30
A NIGHT OF TERROR.
IT PROVED THE DOWNFALL OF NEG.
LEY AND HIS PALS.

LEY ANU f1lS fAI0.
A Thrilling Incident of Life In the City
Of Pittsburg Early In the Present Gem
tury, Related by a 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 it 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 school in Pittsburg at
the time, and my grandmother Culber
son, who was q resident of the city for
many years and who died there in 1864
at the age of SO years
About the first Of this century a man
named Negley built house five miles
east Of Pittsburg on road running east
and west, midway between the Ale
ghany and Monongahela rivers It was
a tavern and farmhouse combined.
Teamsters, drovers and travellers stopped
on their way to and from the city to get
meal or stay overnight
These wayside inns were numerous in
early days, and 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 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
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 landlady, a coarse, brawny woman,
to room up stairs, whose door was
without fastenings and which contained
only bed and stool. Retiring with her
children, she was unable to sleep. An
hour or SO later she heard the traveller
being escorted to an adjoining room and
not be secured, and the landlord assured
him that he was as safe as he would be
in his own house, an assertion the trav-
eler evidently believed, as his heavy
breathing soon told that he was asleep
Near midnight the woman, who was
still awake, heard stealthy steps pass
her door and several persons enter the
adjoining room. In few minutes there
was heavy blow, followed by low
cry and then short struggle. A little
after the murderers came into her room,
but seeing that she seemed to be asleep
left her, and she heard them carry the
dead man through the hall and down
stairs.
In the morning they were very po-
hte inquiring how she rested, ETC.,
stating that the drover had got up early
and gone on.
After breakfast she and the children
started for the city, but were soon met
by 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 one Of the band, she answered
truthfully, but told him that the people
at the tavern were very nice people and
had treated her very well. 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 she in
formed the authorities and the place
was broken up, but whether any Of them
were brought to justice I am unable to
say.-Sarah P. Farmer in Pittsburg
Disnatch