The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-10-30
DAVID LEWIS.
The Noted Highwayman and
Counterfeiter
Continued from last week }


viewed as an "outcast" from So
ciety and an outlaw from justice,
never hears of a man in office
plundering the people, robbing
the treasury or swindling the
stockholders of bank, without
having his mind more and more
familiarized with vice and feeling
new encouragement from the
force OF example, to persist in his
career. While | speak of myself
| Judge of the feelings of others
from my own and can truly,
most truly declare, that such
were my sentiments at the time
and that / never read in the pub
lie newspapers or heard of a
breach of public trust, without
making comparison favorable to
the life and calling of the high
way robber.
Butto return omy story, short
ly after an early breakfast, / set
out again on foot, accompanied by
my wife, for the city of New York;
which from it's crowded popula-
ton and extensive mercantile en-
terprise, | expected would afford
me a more secure hiding place
from pursuits aud be more prof
table theatre for my schemes
and plots. After walking about
five miles through fields and cow
paths in the woods, | consulted
with Melinda, aud we both con-
cluded upon returning to hegreat
road with the expectation of
meeting with some Yankee wagon
with which every part of the
country at that time abounded,
and to procure from it's owner a
conveyance for my wife, who was
not able to travel far ON foot, or to
undergo the fatigues of such a
journey, in the distressing state
in which her feet were, on account
of blisters. Besides | discovered
that in coming from Troy to AL
bany, we had travelled three times
the real distance, owing to our
pursuing winding and circuit
Gus rout to avoid pursuit and ap-
prehension; luckily we had not
gone more than mile before we
overlook a cart loaded with New
England wares, vending it's way
straight for New York, finding
the owner to- be pleasant man
and very accommodating, | soon
struck a bargain with him, and
providing Melinda with as com
Portable a seat as the vehicle af-
forded, | joined my new compan-
ion on foot, and endeavored to be-
guile the tedious time in familiar
conversation, and customary in
quiries about various uninterest-
ing matters. | found "brother
Jonathan" shrewd, intelligent
and full of anecdotes. During my
short residence in Vermont, |
had acquired "a number of eX-
preston peculiar to the Yankees,
and affecting as much as possible
the New England dialect, sue
ceeded without much difficulty in
making him believe | was native
of Vermont and was born at the
foot of the Green Mountain. l
endeavored to sift him as much
as possible, and as he was full of
schemes and notions, as are most
of his countrymen, tried to obtain
from him all the information he
possessed; after gaining his con
fidence, | was very near exchang-
ing with him some of my Burling
ton notes, when all at once, he sud
denly declined the bargain but
what occasioned this unexpected
change of mind whether he began
to entertain suspicion of, me, or
had some other reason, | could
not learn. During our conversa-
ton | recollected he dissuaded
me from going into any part of
the New England states, alleging
that the Yankees had sharpers
enough of their own, and but few
nstances occurred of u Scotch
man a Jew or any person south
of Connecticut, who ever made,
out to thrive, or do well, by re-
moving to any part of that count.
ry. He then advised me strong.
ly to remove into Pennsylvania,