The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-10-09
THE CONFESSION
OF
DAVID LEWIS
THE NOTED
HIGHWAYMAN AND C0UNTERPEITER

After leaving Burlington with
my part of the common stock,
and finding that the Vermonters,
were too much like their ances-
tors the Yankees, to permit a
green hand" like me to impose
upon their credulity, considered
my wisest plan was to make my
way into New York and Pennsyl-
vania, as l knew that in the latter
state a great portion of the popu-
latiOn consisted of Germans, who
while they are upright and honest
themselves. are uususpecting of
the villainies of others. In New
York, l met with considerable
success in passing and eXchang-
ing my counterfeit money, but
crime not always prospering or
escaping detection. was dis
covered in an unlucky bargain
which | had concluded with a Ger
tain Gen Root, who was then on
au electioneering campaign, and
who had invited me to crack a
bottle of wine with him to the
health and success of Gov. Daniel
d. Tompkins. Having taken fan
cy to one of the Generals horses
and finding him rather soft in the
head we soon struck a bargain,
and I paid him principally with
my Burlington notes. In at
tempting to repass some of these
bills the General was taken up,
and being in a place entirely un-
known was on the eve of being
committed for trial, when citizen
who had seen him receive the
notes, went bail for his appear
ance, and accompanied the Gen
eral in pursuit of me. Not ex-
pecting an immediate detection l
had retired to bed. The General
and his companion found me after
a diligent search comfortably laid
up in snug quarters for the night
and instantly hurried me off to a
magistrate who made out my
com mitment and | soon found
myself lodged in the Jail at Troy.
! lay here some weeks and had
very gloomy prospects, when re-
fecting on the result of my trial,
which was to come on in about a
month, but soon began to hatteI
myself with a prospect of escape
through the agency of the daugh
ter of the iailor, who, in her fathers
absence, introduced to my room
young woman who was an init
mate friend of hers, and who
had often remarked gazins
through the bars of my window
from the house opposite, and whC
apparently much interested il
my fate. The sentiments of pity
which at first warmed the bosom
of this tender-hearted younS
woman, soon ripened into love
and after a short courtship a
secret interviews | prevailed up
on her to assist me in escaping
under promise of marriage.
TO affect this desirable object
every necessary preparation wa
made, and agreeable to previou
arrangement, my kind friend, tn
jailor's daughter, forgot to loci
the door Of the prison department
in which l was confined, after sh
had brought in my usual allow
ance one Sunday evening, whel
the rest of the family, and mos
of the town, had gone TO churc1
TO hear new preacher who's
name | do not recollect, l seize
the favorable opportunity, an
without hindrauce left the prisor
| found the young woman VIII
had consented to accompany m
waiting with great anxiety at tn
extremity of the street that lead
TO Albany. Neither of us wer
in a mood for much conversation
and we Immediately hurried TOW
ards that city after agreeing ths
both should change their names
she to assume the name of "M'
linda" while was to use that {