The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-12-25
THE CONFESSION
OF
DAVID LEWIS
THE NOTED
HIGHWAYMAN AND C0UNTERPElTER
CONTINUED from first pageJ

kNbulluutu liuul llINN DhEtsl
what was going on, and discover
ifI could which of the inhabitants
had the m )st money. According
to the talk of those l met with in
the taverns, / was led to believe,
that the three richest men in that
part of the country, were Mr..
Sharp, David Sterret, and an old
gentleman of the name of Keehan
or M'Keehan. From information
received ! rather concluded that
the former had more land than
money, as l understood he was
in the habit of making purchase
Of property every year, adding
house to house and field to field;
not believing Mr.. Sharp to have
by him as much cash as the 9th
ers, | concluded upon robbing
Mr.. Sterrett, but hearing that he
had a short time before that de-
posted all his money in the new
bank at Carlisle, and in conse-
quence of it's stoppage had but
little or no prospects of getting it
out again, and learning, also, that
he was a bond buyer shaver of
notes, and one Of those people
called man-eaters, and had dis
posed of all his. ready money
means in this way, l despaired of
succeeding with him, and finally
fixed upon old Mr.. Keehan as the
surest mark. l Immediately set
my ingenuity to work, to devise
the best plan for accomplishing
my purpose, and accordingly in
tended to waylay him on Sunday
evening as he returned from
church. | meant to carry HIM in
to the woods, tie him and threat
en- him with violence, until he told
me where his treasure was
lodged; on obtaining this informa-
tion, my plan was to go to tie
house and alarm the family, by
making them believe, that / had
jnst left the old man dying in the
road about a mile off, and that he
had begged me to send every one
of them to him directly; | con-
cluded that the intelligence would
occasion great distress and con-
fusion, and that in their absence,
: I.might have time enough to rifle
his chests, and break open all his
drawers.
la pursuance Of this premedi-
tated scheme, / did meet the old
man one Sunday afternoon as he
was returning home from church
but my heart failed me. l was
so struck with his venerable
form, his benevolent countenauce,
his republican simplicity of man
ners and his patriarchal appear
ance, that I became confounded,
my feet became riveted to the
ground, my tongue motionless,
my heart appalled, and my eyes
fixed in amazemeut, so that |
could not find courage to proceed
TO touch him with the finger of
violence On meeting him in the
highway, he rode on, after bid
ding me good day when he pass
ed by | looked back at him and
said TO myself, what is the mean.
ing Of this? o. honesty there
is sometimes a charm even in thy
external appearance sufficient to
stay the robber himself! There
is a majesty in virtue which Of
ten appals vice itself, and strikes
= the guilty conscience with terror
aud dismay. returned TO the
cave that evening without com
mitting any depreciation, aud
slept better than had done for
several nights before.
Living in a state of constant
dread and apprehension of being
re-taken, | became tired of the
cavern and determined to return
TO my old parents in East Penns-
borough to seek revenge of the
fellow who had struck and abused
me after was tied, when | was
taken before. ! took my depar.
ture from the cave rather abrupt.