The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-01-15
THE CONFESSION -
OF
DAVID LEWIS
THE NOTED
HIGHWAYMAN AND COUNTERPElTER,
Continued from first pageJ

with distinctness even the near.
est objects. | saw no human fig
ure, heard no human voice, and
concluded that the noise was
nothing but the unreal creation
of a disturbed Imagination after
walking about for a few minutes
| returned to my resting place
under the oak, and lay under its
branches until the day dawned,
when / awOke from broken
sleep of not more than half an
hours duration. The first noise
that saluted my ears was repe-
tition of the same sounds | had
heard during the night, and again
the poor WAGNER appeared in
full view to the eyes of my af.
frighted fancy but the terror of
fancy can never equal the horror
OF reality. Instead of the wagon
er and his whip, | perceived one
OF the most terrific objects that
ever appalled, the human sight.
A trem mendous snake with two
heads lay within five feet of
where | was, alternately jumping
up from the ground, twisting and
coiling itself, and at intervals
lashing it's tail against the trunk
of hickory sapling. 1t ceased
to move for an instant and darted
at me the angry look of a swollen
and distended eye. Horror trans
fixed me to the spot as fast as the
oak near which | stood. Super.
stition, like fear, generally ac-
companies guilt, and | now be-
lleved the serpentine monster be-
fore me was nothing less than
the Devil, wd) had left the
Internal abyss and re.appeared in
the same form he had assumed
when he tempted and deceived
our first frail parent in the gar
den of Eden. The design of his
visit | considered to be for no
other purpose than to carry me
off with him to the lower regions.
body and soul, as a just punish
ment for my manifold transgres-
Sions, and every other fear was
swallowed up in the dreadful ap-
prehension of being instantly de-
voured by the two.headed mon
Ster.
Notwithstanding the violence
of terror which | now suffered,
the impulse of self preservation,
and the love of life restored me to
degree of recollection and conf
posure sufficient to enable me to
flee from the impending danger.
| Immediately assumed a desper-
ate courage, and snatched up my
rifle, fled with the utmost velocity
the feet of man are capable of,
just as this wonder of nature had
resumed his occupation of strik-
ing his tail against the tree.
continued my flight for several
miles, and did not cease running
until exhausted nature called foI
rest. Having reached a safe hid
ing place, | concealed myself il
the retreat until night-fall, wher
| expected the cloud of guilt, con
cealing darkness might afforC
greater security to my attemp
to procure some food to relieve
the pressing calls of hunger
Wandering about from farm t.
farm, | happened to spy a smok
ing oven, and selling a favorable
opportunity, when a negro wencl
who had been ordered to watcl
the oven, had fallen asleep,
opened the mouth and stole loa
of half. baked bread, the sweetes
morsel / had eaten in my life, a,
long fasting and want of sleel
had given keen appetite to my
empty stomach. After securin.
in my handkerchief the remains
of the loaf, / ascended the top O
large hay barrack and lay ther,
till morning, enjoying as compos
ed sleep as it was possible 70
one to do, suffering the same ei
fects from an imagination, whicl
| experienced from the recen
scenes of terror and horror.
know my relation of this inciden
may be considered by many, to
wonderful for belief, but | assur
the reader. on the word of dy
ing man. that I am within th