El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-06
A Storu Of CattarduQuS.

While waiting for train at a railway
station a boy asked me for a drink Of
water. AS he took it 1 noticed an unusual
deformity of his hands.
Whose child is that?'' I inquired of
the station agent.
"Oh, he don't belong around here" said
that official. "His folks live over at The
Breakers, a wild, mountainous section
along the Cattaraugus creek. His moth
er is visiting Jim CrandalFs folks up here
on the hill, and she brought him here
with her"
spoke about the peculiar deformity of
the chld's hands, and the station agent
replied:
Yes, very strange, very strange, and
there's a story around here about his
folks, which most of the country people
believe, though 1 can't say whether it's
true or not"
Let me hear the story" said L. Hand
ing him a cigar and lighting one for my
SELF we settled back in our chairs, and
he began:
You see. many years ago, before this
road was built, people didn't do much
travelling, but staid at home and did
their trading with peddlers, who were
found it profitable pursuit. One of the
most popular of these wandering mer
chants a man named Israel Good
man, who usually carried a select assert
ment of cheap laces, ribbons, jewelry,
table linen, etc, and whose arrival at a
farmhouse was hailed with delight by
the feminine members of the family.
Goodman, who did a thriving bust
ness, was supposed to carry quite a sum
of money with him and was frequently
advised by the farmers to carry some
weapon with which to defend himself in
case of attack. To these repeated warn
ings he would invariably answer:
'Nein, nein! 1 will nefer carry a gun.
hat a shtrong arm, a goot shtick. und
am not afraidt.
Zone afternoon late in November
Goodman was seen upon the road lead
ing to c.. Snow was falling. and the
wind, which had been blowing ferceIy
all day, increased in severity, until by
nightfall it had become perfect bliz-
card.
The road, lonely one through an al
most unbroken forest, became drifted
and clogged by the falling snow, and
Goodman, who was still five miles from
his destination, sought shelter in a rude
log cabin inha bited by a family named
Kelley, whose reputation for honesty
was none of the best and whose source
of income was peeling bark for the tan
neries and selling whisky to the Indians
of the Cattaraugus reservation. The
traveller was received with apparent cor
diality by the members of the family,
which consisted of the father, four sons
and two daughters. and upon Goodman's
entrance the elder Kelley proceeded to
illuminate the room by lighting two tai
low candles and sticking them into the
necks of bottles placed at either end of
the table for that purpose.
presently supper was announced, and
the guest was hidden to be seated in the
high backed, rush bottomed chair of In
dian manufacture, the best the establish
ment afforded. During the progress of
the meal frequent inquiries were made
by the elder Kelley about the condition
Of trade along the road, and he cast re-
peated glances at the travellers pack,
which had been deposited in a corner of
the room. Supper over, bottle of whis- |
" was produced and passed around. |
each one, women included, taking a long |
pull at the bottle.
apparent the old man became quarrel |
'ome and finally demanded that the pack !
De opened and its contents distributed |
among the members of the family. To |
his proposition, of course, the traveller |
objected, and. thinking the best way out |
# the difficulty would be to pay for his
accommodation and venture forth again
lpon his journey, he drew out his purse
md offered some money to the old man,
Who at the sight of the money sprang ND
md grappled with the peddler, attempt
ng to get his purse away from him. In
his he was joined by his eldest son and,
the peddler fought desperately,
e was no match for his two opponents,
Who beat and kicked him numerically
nd soon had him PROSTATE upon the
DOR.
"As he still refused to give up his mon
Y, the father and son dragged him to a
orner of the room. where there was a
rapdoor opening into the cellar, and up
n the peddler'S second refusal to share
is property the father shouted to some
ne below to pull the bolt, which was
one, and instantly the trap swung down |.
yard, the body of the unfortunate trav-
er falling with it, but not entirely disap-
earring from view, for in his fall the man
lutched the sides of the opening in the
DOR and made frantic efforts to pull him
elf back again, whereupon the old man
eized an ak and, swinging it high above
is head, brought down its keen blade
18th crushing force upon the hands of
lie struggling unfortunate. who, with |
1riek, fell back into the cellar, cursing
is murderers and calling down on them |
he vengeance of heaven, until his cries
ere stilled by the blows of the confeder-
ties who had sprung the trap.
"a quarrel arising out of the division
the peddler's articles, one of the wom-
/ informed the authorities, who institut-
a search of the place, and the wom-
MS story was confirmed by finding the
eddler's body, with that of several hui
AN skeletons which had been buried in
lie cellar. Kelley and his two older sons I
ad disappeared, however, and, although
ligent search was made for them, they
ere never captured.
1.-THE strangest part of the story is that
Il of the descendants of the family, of |
hOm the how Eau noficad ono haro l.