The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-11-23

tone. "No, ] came part OF the
way yesterday evening and the
rest this morning, and am not
at all tired" said the veteran. -
He related Incidents connected
with his service under Decatur,
and at a pause in the conversation
the Governor remarked to me,
owe seem to be standing in the
actual presence of a time long
past" There were people there
who had known the veteran for a
long time and no part of his story
could be doubted. | observed
him closely and sawnothingabout
him that indicated such extreme
age except his eyes. These were
flattened to Il remarkable extent,
but he said he could see very well.
My t1rSt trip to Bedford was
made in lS45. in the stage, which,
stopped at Ottinger's. In the of
flee | noticed an active young man,
with round and pleasant face, who
was making himself useful in u
very agreeable manner. / did
not hear his name and never saw
him again, and there was nothing
to fix him on my mind except his
pleasant face and the attention he
bestowed upon every person or
thingin need of attention. Years
rolled by and | became Pardon
and Appointment Clerk in the At
torney Generals Office during
Buchanan administration. One
day there came into my hands,
from Il northwestern State, an ap-
plication for the pardon of a post
master who had been convicted of
stealing from the mails and SEN
fenced to the penitentiary. The
family name given was one that
l was familiar with, and on exam
ming the papers | found that the
prisoner belonged to Franklin
county family well known to me.
| remembered the father and the
mother; (the former dead but the
latter still living at that time, }
and was well acquainted with two
of their sons, but this one | had
never heard of. Among the pa
pers was a letter from the moth
er, setting forth the suffering she
was undergoing on account of her
erring son. Among other strik-
ing things she said "my flesh is
consuming off my bones" L
wrote to the son with whom the
mother was then living, and assur-
ed him that | would endeavor to
have his brother pardoned. |
then made up the case in the us
ual way, wrote Il letter of my own
to President Buchanan, stating
what | knew of the family and
asking to quench the fire which
was consuming the flesh off the
bones of the good old mother, who
was then over 80 years of age
Judge Black took the case to the
President, and / was directed to
draw up the form for the pardon.
Of course | sent the glad tidings
at once to the son with whom the
mother was living, nor did l lose
any time in drawing up the par
don.
About dozen years afterward,
in conversation with Mr.. George
Megraw, (since deceased, of the
Juniata Crossings, referred to
my first trip up the turnpike to
Bedford, and to the active and
pleasant-faced young man at the
stage hotel in that place, whose
name had learned. Mr.. Megraw
said he knew him well, that he
had at one time been engaged at
the Crossings, that his name was
--, that hewas from Frank
lin county, that he had taken to
drinking. This was the man
whose prison doors | had opened
away upin the northwest. l hope
he never went astray again.
Considering all that / have writ
ten about the old Turnpike run