Year: 1876

The Astounding Story of a Dead Farmers


Return.--James Swingle's Mysterious


Disappenrance...The Midnight Cry OF


Murder.-Dlscovery OF a Skeletons


Marriage Complications.


The death of James Swingle, two
miles from Silver Station, Pa, says a
litter from that place, saved his family
from the consequences of most serious
business and social complications.


The Swingle family is one of the
wealthiest in this section. James Swim
gle was farmer and had lived on the
farm where he died for thirty years.
Twelve years ago his wife died, and a
year and q half afterward, being sixty
years of age, he married young woman
who had lived in his family for several
years. She was twenty-five years old.
He had six children, all older than his
second wife, and three of them married.
She being an estimable woman, how
ever, the match was acceptable to all.
Old Mr.. Swingle was a prominent
man in the township, devout member
of the Baptist church and man gener-
ally respected.


In the fall of 1865 Mr.. Swingle~pur-
chased an addition to his farm for
$1,80O. One rainy evening in October
of that year he left home with the above
sum Of money, telling his wife that he
was going to the station to pay it to
Wiltsey. He did not return that night,
but the fact created no uneasiness, as he
occasionally remained over night in the
village. Not appearing the next day,
however, inquiry was made for him at
Silver Station. He had paid the money
for his purchase and received his deed,
and had been seen to mount his horse
about nine o'clock in the evening, and
although it was very dark and stormy,
start toward home. At that time there
was an organized gang of desperadoes
in this region, whose exploits in horse
and cattle stealing and other depreda-
tions had made them terror to the
people. They were under the lead of q
man named Jim Smith, and it was be-
heved by many that they were guilty of
blacker crimes than stealing horses.


When it became generally known that
Farmer Swingle had mysteriously dis
appeared it was stated by several that
two of the worst members of Smith,
gang" Feeny" Gowan and French
man named Dubois s-had been seen at
the station that night, and it at once be-
came the general belief that the farmer
had been waylaid by them, robbed and
murdered, and his body hidden in the
woods. This theory was given still
stronger foundation by the statement of
Mrs. Mary Mosher, q widow lady, who
occupied a house in lonely place on
the road about midway between the sta
ton and the farmers. She appeared in
the village in the midst of the excite
ment caused by the supposed murder,
and said that somewhere about twelve
o'clock on the night in question she was
awakened by the sound of voices in the
road in front of her house. She got up
and looked out, but it was so dark she
could see nothing. As she was return
ing to bed she heard the cry "Mur-
der !" repeated twice; then the sound of
groans, and footsteps hurryiDg away
down the road. Afraid to 60 to sleep
again, with the cries ringing in her ears,
Mrs. Mosher awaited the return of day,
confident that it would reveal to her the
mutilated corpse of a murdered mana
victim, no doubt, of Jim Smiths gang
of cutthroats. As soon as it was light
she looked out, but saw no evidence OF
murder. Going out into the road,
however, she discovered signs of astrug-
gle, and several pools of blood.


This story settled any doubt that
might have existed rs to the murder OF
the farmer, and armed bodies of men
hunted the woods for miles, seeking the
supposed murderers and the body OF
the murdered man. The feeling of the
public agai st the Smith gang was so in
tense that the leader left the vicinity,
which resulted in the breaking up OF
the organization, no member of which
has ever been seen hereabouts since.
The day after the disappearance of the
farmer his horse was found tied in the
woods near the road, about half mile
from his house. The search for his
body was kept up for weeks, and large
rewards we're offered for any information
that would lead to traces of his murder.
ers, all to no purpose. The matter at
last ceased to excite any interest in the
community, and was almost forgotten
save by his family and immediate
friends, when a circumstance occurred
which brought it again forward as
popular topic.


Some eighteen months after the farm
er's disappearance o man named Gable,
while fishing in Topee pond, on lands
belonging to the Swingle farm, mil
or so from the house, discovered the
skeleton of man lying on the wes
shore of the pond. A cabin which had
been long known as rendezvous of the
Smith gang stood about quarter OF 6
mile from the spot, in dense part o.
the woods. Gable made his discovery
known, and the remains were gathered
up by the farmers family. they beGev
ing that they we're his, although there
was nothing found fixing their identity
They were buried in the family grave
yard, and stone setting forth the cir
cumstances connected with Swingle'i
death was placed at the head of th'
grave. An administrator of the estat'
of the deceased was appointed, and hi
property equally divided among tn
children. The homestead fell to tn
lot of the old farmers widow, and th'
youngest son, also named James, con
tinued to live there and superintent
operations on the farm.


In 1869 he married the widow OF hi
! fotbor ond the counle we're living in un