The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-11-13
FULTON COUNTY NEWS.
THE CONFESSION
OF
DAVID LEWIS
THE NOTED
HICHWAYMAN AND C0UNTERPEITER.

liu uhlCOlUOCiJ yum III uliCdbcO
my determination to Malinda,
and she received the intelligence
with evident marks of regret and
disappointment. She was pleas.
ed with her situation in Pearl
street, and having formed an in
timacy with a few females in the
neighborhood whose society she
liked, she was unwilling to leave
New York, or at least wished to
remain there for some time for
private reasons. She was affect
ed on this occasion even to tears,
but her tears were like an April
shower, through which the cheer
full sun soon broke and dissipated
every cloud of discomfort that
hung upon her brow. Our house
hold affairs did not require much
time to prepare the necessary ar
rangements previous to remov-
nj. In less than twelve hours our
little stock of furniture was Ell
ther packed up ready for trans
portation or disposed of at pri-
vate sales or given away as pres
ents or small keepsakes to our
kind neighbors. In the evening
we crossed the river and pro-
ceeded for New Brunswick in the
state Of New Jersey, which had
selected as the place of our tenn
porary residence. | could not
help remarking the contrast be-
tween the feelings of Malinda on
this occasion and my conduct
she was so seriously distressed
on leaving the place that contain
ed companions who were equally
worthy of one anothe. that she
was afraid tG trust herself with
taking a formal leave, and came
off without exchanging the part
ing kiss or farewell salutation !:
whilst | was all anxiety to remove
from the same town that contain
ed companions with whom | had
associated from selfish views of
interest and gain, but whose So
ciety I hated and whose conduct
in many instances secretly alb
horred and openly disapproved
of. The whole lumber of bandit
ii to which | belonged consisted
of twenty-one including myself,
and, for the designation of our
persons when we held our secret
meetings, it was agreed that each
should assume some fictitious
name or appellation. The name
appropriated to my accuser was
Bob Birthstone, while that ap-
piled to me was Harry Hurricane
and every one of US had some
strange appellation affixed to him,
just as fancy, blasphemy or some
leading trait of character sug-
gested. Bob was one of the most
bold, daring and bloodthirsty vii.
lains l ever met with. Although
| cannot say l was one of those
who look upon human nature as
so very depraved as to admit at
all times and under all circum-
stances every species of vice, cru
city and crime in it's most de.
formed shape, and exclude from
the same bosom, or eXtinguish in
it, every spark of humanity or
generous feeling, yet truth oblig-
cd me to declare that this unhap-
py individual had less of the man
and more of the monster than
any of the human family [ ever
knew. Villainy had marked him
as it's own, and it is to be feared
there is not vice or crime that
he had not perpetrated at some
period of his life. | was particu
larly shocked at his brutal con.
duct on an occasion which came
within my own knowledge, and
ior which, on account of my agen
cy in preventing his horrible pur
pose, he swore one Of the mos
terrible oaths of revenge that ev
er fell from the impious lips o
blasphemy. 1t had been custom
airy with the band to give theil
attendance at the theatre every
night OF performance to embrace
every opportunity that afforded
Tor plunder, robbery and pocket
picking.
We knew it was not usual fol