The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-11-09


manners. The various roles Inc
assumed and his success in them
would require a man of consider
able ability, one who had knowl
edge of the usages of society, a
certain air of refinement, self.
poise and possession and a ready
and pleasing address. His OBJ
servations on political questions
and criticism on the prevalent
corruption and extOrtion of Office
holders, his advocacy of the free
school sytem to prevent litter
acy, to which he attributed the
source of much crime; and his
opinions and views ON many of
the current questions of the day
would indicate that he had some
educational advantages before he
started on his career of crime.
At the age of seventeen Lewis
states that he ceased to work for
the neighboring farmers and
trying several occupations finally
enlisted in the United States
Army. He committed some petty
offence and as the sergeant want
ed him "Cobbed for it" he de-
cided to "Jump the service. "
Some months afterwards he en-
listed in Capt. VIM. Irvine's Com
pany of United States Light Ar
tillery, at Carlisle, with the OBJ
iect in view Of getting the bounty
and again deserving. He had
tasted of the pleasures of sin and
dissipation and wanted the mon
ey to crafty his vicious appetite.
This was his first step in crime
and had he but stopped on the
threshold looked over the abyss
and have seen the end the course
of life he had entered upon would
bring him to-ignominy and
death IN q felon's cell he might
have hesitated for
"We are not worst at once; the course
of evil
Begins so slowly, and from such slight
source
An infants hand might stem the breach
with clay.
But let the stream grow wider, and
philosophy,
Age, and religion too, may strive in
vain
To stem the headlong current"
But Lewis was thwarted in his
purposes and firing of the ser
vice, he concluded to try the
"quirks and quibbles of law, T"
and gain his discharge by reason
of his being minor. The "quirks
and bubbles of law" played him
a sorry prank, however, for it not
only refused to release him but
discovered his identify and the
fact that he was a deserter. A
general court martial was order
ed at the Carlisle Barracks to try
him on the charges of desertion
and double enlistment. He was
found guilty and his first offense
came near being his last for he
was sentenced to be shot. Ap-
parently he did not much relish
the sentence or receive it with
perfect equanimity for in his con
fession he says 'young in years
and young in crime, the sentence
of death was not communicated
to me without producing the most
agonizing sensations, arising out
of fear of an awful hereafter
and the love of life. Besides |
had an aged mother, to whom |
was fondly attached by the ties
of natural affection and it panied
me to the soul to think that the
ignominious death of a beloved
son must embitter the evening of
her life and bring down her gray
hairs with sorrow to the grave"
His mother came on to Carlisle
from Center county, Judge Walk
er having loaned her his horse
and written letters to some Of his
friends in Carlisle to interest
themselves in the case Of Lewis.
Eventually after much effort, he
was reprieved and his sentence
committed to Imprisonment. He
was then thrown into the guard |
house, fettered and chained. AT |
ter the end of week the irons
were all taken off save a heavy