The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1908-07-22
Tough Stories by a Bad Tough.

1t develops that the fellow, Barnes,
who, with a boy named Breckenridge,
robbed Miss Eliza Copeland at old Pithole
on the oath of June last is none other
than the notorious Adam Ruth, well
known in this section where his father re-
sided many years ago a1d where the boy
grew to young manhood. SherffSawyer
arrested him at the station at this place
Feb, %, 1889, at the instance of Oil City
officials, for robbing and bfutally as
saulting an old man at that place. For
this offence he got ten years in the peni-
Tertiary. Ruth has confessed to the Pit
hole robbery, aud says that he was re-
leased from the penitentiary on the 10th
day of June, having on that day finished
term of Imprisonment on another
charge. He is degenerate of the worst
grade, it would seem, and has spent a
good share of his life in the penitentiary.
He now comes forth with startling
stories to the effect that he knows who
murdered Mrs. j.. S. Everhsrt and her
mother, Mrs. Gilfllan at Lickingville in
March, 1856; VIM. Kiser at Elk City in
1899, and City Treasurer Blevins of New
Castle in 1898. Little stock is taken in
these stories by those who know Ruth
and his history. The Blevins story is
already exploded by men who haye in
terviewed the prisoner, whose knowledge
of that noted murder mystery seems to
have been gained by what he has read in
the newspapers. The case of the Eyer
harts is familiar to Ruth because he lived
in the vicinity OF the tragedy shortly after
it occurred, and heard much of the idle
talk and speculation of those days. The
Kiser murder is also familiar to him, no
doubt, on account of the locality in which
it was committed with all of which lie has
knowledge.
In his story he duplicates one Dan.
Wilder, alias Forester. of Bradford, Pa,
who he also duplicates in the Pithole
robbery, claiming that Wilder laid the
plans and sent the boy and him TO exc
cute them. Wilder has been taken into
custody by Sheriff Williams of Venango
county, and has been held tor trial on a
charge of conspiracy in connection with
that otlense. OF this man Welder dis
patch from Bradford under date July Is,
says.
"Some years ago he was arrested on the
charge of being counterleiter. wom-
an was the chief witness and she became
insane before the mans trial took place.
Through lack of evidence he was not
convicted. He followed the ostensible
business OF peddler. Wilder was gone
from this section for several years and
then he returned. When he came back
to town he had a new name-it was For
ester-and lie wore colored glasses when
on the street, presumably to give himself
different appearance. Many stories are
told of his suavity and his apparent hon
esty. Yet all the time he was suspected
by those who knew of his movements.
He recently ordered large number of
"appeals for charity from cripple"
which he used in tramping about the
country from house to house. Last win
ter he jumped from a burning hotel at
Little Valley and was considerably in
jured. He afterwards used his infirmity,
it appears, to excite sympathy and get do
nations, the printed appeals being handed
Quit help things along. AS TO the truth
or falsity of the charges made in Barnes's
confession, one opinion is as good as an
other. But there is good reason to be-
lieve that Dan Wilder has a past and
mysterious one"
The Franklin News of Saturday con-
tanned this reference to Mrs. Wilder
"Wilder's wife, who insists that her
name and that of her husband is Forester,
arrived in the city this morning to see her
husband. She was accompanied by Ler
4-year old son. They would have been
here yesterday had not Mrs. Wilder got
ten off the train at Tionesta, where she
thought her husband was in Jail. The
woman is considerably younger than her
husband, being not more than 80, while
Mr.. Wilder is SO. Mrs. Wilder says there
is positively no truth in the allegations
which Barnes makes against her hus-
band. To her knowledge Wilder has
never been south of Warren. She says
she has known Barnes for eleven years
and only two of that time has he been a
free man. He is crook with long rec
ord and he has told these stories against
her husband for no other reason than to
get him in Jail because he himself has
been trapped. Mrs. Wilder saw her hus-
band twice to. day and left this afternoon
for Bradford"
The whole matter will probably wind
up by Barnes, or Ruth, serving another
long term in the penitentiary, and his
young pal, Breck enridge, will doubtless
go with him, but unless Ruth's stories
concerning Wilder are well corroborated
a jury is not likely to place much Gre
dence in them.
Low Rate Sea Shore Excursion via
Nickel Plate Road.
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