Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-03-20
A 6toru Of (aEtarauQuS.

While waiting for a train at a railway
station a boy asked me for a drink of
water. As he took it | noticed an unusual
deformity of his hands.
"Whose child is that?" l 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 Crandalls folks up here
on the hill, and she brought him here
with her"
spoke about the peculiar derormity Of
the child'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 l can't say whether it's
true or not
Let me hear the story" said |. Hand
Ing him a cigar and lighting one for my
self, we settled back in our chairs, and
be began:
oSSS AAohy JCoLo oSos OCkOAC SAlH
road was built, people didn't do much
travelling, but staid at home and did
their trading with peddlers, who were
quite numerous about here and who
found it a profitable pursuit. One of the
most popular OF these wandering mer-
chants was a man named Israel Good
man. who usually carried a select assort-
ment of cheap laces. ribbons, jewelry,
table linen. ETC., and whose arrival at q
farmhouse was hailed with delight by
the feminine members of the family.
Goodman, who did II 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. 10 these repeated warn
ings he would invariably swe
"'Nein, nein! | will nefer carry a gun.
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 6ercely
all day, increased in severity. until by
nightfall it had become Il perfect blix-
card.
"The road, a lonely one through an al
most unbroken forest, became drifted
aud clogged by the falling snow, and
Goodman. who was still five miles from
his destination, sought shelter in a rude
log cabin inhabited by n family named
Kelley, whose reputation for honesty
was lone 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, a bottle of whis-
ky was produced and passed around,
each one, women included, taking a long
pull at the bottle.
las the effect of the whisky became
apparent the old man became quarrel
some and finally demanded that the pack
be opened and its contents distributed
among the members Of the family. To
this proposition, of course, the traveller
objected, and, thinking the best way out
OF the difficulty would be to pay for his
accommodation and venture forth again
upon his journey, he drew out his purse
and offered some money to the old man,
who at the sight of the money sprang up
and grappled with the peddler, attempt
ing to get his purse away from him. In
this he was Joined by his eldest son and,
although the peddler fought desperately,
he was no match for his two opponents,
who beat and kicked him numerically
and soon had him PROSTATE upon the
floor.
"As he still refused to give up his non
ey, the father and son dragged him to a
corner Of the room, where there was a
trapdoor opening into the cellar, and up
on the peddler's second refusal to share
his property the father shouted to soma
n below to pull the bolt. which was
done, and instantly the trap swung down
ward, the body Of the unfortunate trav-
eler falling with it, but not entirely disap-
pearing from view, for In his fall the man
clutched the sides of the opening in the
floor and made frantic efforts to pull him
self back again, whereupon the old man
seized an ak and, swinging it high above
his head, brought down its keen blade
with crushing force upon the hands Of
the struggling unfortunate, who, with a
shrek, fell back into the cellar, cursing
his murderers and calling down on them
the vengeance of heaven, until his cries
were stilled by the blows of the confeder-
ates who had sprung the trap.
"A quarrel arising out Of the division
of the peddler's articles, one of the wom-
en- informed the authorities, who institut-
ed a search Of the place, and the wom-
ans story was confirmed by finding the
peddler's body, with that Of several hu-
man skeletons which had been buried In
the cellar. Kelley and his two older 0
had disappeared, however, and, although
diligent search was made for them, they
were never captured.
"The ~strangest part Of the story Is that
all Of the descendants of the family, of
whom the boy you noticed is one, have
been born without fingers, and the coun-
try people believe the Almighty hearken-
ed to the voice Of tie dying peddler and
in this manner visited his judgment upon
the descendants Of his murderers."-
Pittsburg Press.
Their Error.
WI have no SymDathY wild q strike"