The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-27
LOUIS, 1lHE R0BBER'
Thevvest yirginian'sS aturdaysstory

gambler.
Detectio followed, and he was ar
rested and lodged in Jail at Troy, Ny.
He was then scarcely OF e. strik-
inely handsome and OF good address.
A young woman who lived near the
iail saw him through the barred wiz
dows, and by connivance with the jail
er's daughter secured his escape. They
were married and won't to live in New
Jersey, where, concealing his real oc-,
| cupation from his wife, he continued
his life as a counterfeiter and gambler
in Philadelphia and other towns. Later
during the War of 1S12-he again
enlisted and again deserted and came
to S~toyestown, Somerset county, where
he organized a gang of counterfeiteTs
The spurious bills were circulated in
Bedford, Somerset, Un%iontown and
Brownsville. % =
In 1915 he and several others got
into the clutches OF the law, and were
tried at Bedford, Lewis being s%entenc-
ed to six ear in the p~enitentiary. He
broke Jail in some a the old rec
ords merely recording the fact. but
giving no information as to how it was
done. Whether he was recaptnred is
not known, but it is certain that Gov
William Findlay pardoned nina fact
which later was most potent in defeat
ing Findlay for reelection. 1t seems
to have bee shortly after his escape
from Jail that Lewis took to the high
way, and emulated the exploits Of
Dick Turpin and other eminent knights
of Hounslow Heath. His principal as
sociate was named Connolly, a large.
coarse-looking man, Of a low grade of
intellect, and completely under Lewis
influence. Another was named Jimmy
Hanson.
In 1919 John McClelland, a merchant
of Pittsburg, was travelling over The
mountains on his way to Philadelphia
to purchase goods. He was on horse
back and had in his ~saddlebags about
eighteen hundred dollars, most of it in
Spanish silver and Portuguese gold.
In a thick cluster of pines on the west
side Of Sideling Hill, a point well
known to all who a " ever travelled
over the old pike between Pittsburs
and Philadelphia, he vas confronted
by these three h~ighwaymen, and at the
point Of the pistol compelled to give
up his money. 1t is stated hat both
Connolly and Hanson urged Lewis to
kill McClelland and thus prevent his
ever being a witness against them;
but Lewis, who was the controlling
spirit Of the gang, refused, and lie
clared that he would LAY no mans
blood on his hands. He ever gave Nc
Clelland a few dollars with which &c
pay his expenses home.
OF course the hue and cry went on.
and the three robbers were arrested
near Lewis1own and taken to Jail in
Bradford. They were not there long
until Lewis, the conformation of hose
wrists and hands was such that ne
could divest himself of handouts, freed
himself. locked the jailer in a cell and
liberated all the prisoners. They flet
across the mountains, closely pursued
by the sheriff and his posse, but evad
ed them, and within a very few days
appeared just across the bridge ove'
the Susquehanna at Harrisburg, where
in broad daylight they attempted e
rob a farmhouse. The plucky farmers
wife seized a tin Dime horn, ran tt
the roof of the house, sat IN the traI
door to keep it down, and blew loudly
and Justify for assistance. 1t came
and Lewis was arrested and taken tt
Jail at Carlisle. That prison not being
thought strong enough to hold SO noto
rious a bandit, he was taken to Cham
bersburg for safe keeping, with the re
suit that a month later the Harrisburg
Republican published this startling an
nouncement:
"Oh, fye! David Lewis, the rotor
, Gus marauder, yesterday mornin:
r about 3 o'clock made his escape from
the Chambersburg prison, taking will
him every person in confinement eX
j, cept one. Particulars when we &c
f them"
Gov. Findlay issued a proclamation
Offering 500 reward for the capture G
David Lewis, charged with the rob
r berry of John McClelland, merchant, o
the city of Pittsburgh and described
r him as being about six feet high
j, round-shouldered. straight and vel
made, athletic and active, sandy hal
, n whiskers, and had on a half-worl
blue suit"
Lewis and Connolly hid in his;