A NIGHT TO RE REMEMBERED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 121, 30 May 1885, Page 5

A NIGHT TO RE REMEMBERED.

A-?__-*_? ♦__fforty _ on Her Nteetv First Birthday. Recalls a Terrible incident.

Salamanca, March 10. - The ninoty-first anniversary of tho birth of Mrs Catherine Latl'orty, known throughout Crawford County us Aunt Kilty Lall'crty, Mas cole" brated on Monday at tho residenco of hor daughter, Mrs Yaegor, in Corry, whore sho makes her homo. In ISIU sho was married fo Hugh Fit/patrick, a young farmer. Thoy lived in a log houso noar whero Spartansburg now stands. Thero woro no othor houses within two miles. In tho woods that surrounded them wero boars, wolves, and panthers in plonty. On tho night of Feb. 10. 1SI", a atrango man called at tho Fit-pal rick cabin unci asked sholtor for tho night. Ho was a rough-looking character, but as ho said he was so nearly frozon that lie could go no fin-thor, ho received permisson to stay. They had but one bod. Tho stranger strotchod out on tho floor in front of tho tireplaco. Mr nnd Mrs Fit/.patrick and their six-weeks-old baby slept in ono cornor of the cabin. Both husband and wifo tried to koep awake all night for fear the stranger meant thorn harm, but they fell asloop.

Somo timo in tho night Mrs Fitzpatrick awoke to find the man standing by the bodsido with an axe in hia hand. Ho had killed her husband, whoso body lay in the bod as he had gone to sleep. Tho murderer ordered Mrs Fitzpatrick to got up and fetch him all tho money thore was in tho house. Thoy had a small sum of monoy, and she got it for tho man. He then ordored her to go out and put tho bridle on the liorsos and get ready to go with him, Tho baby did not wako up. Mrs Fitzpatrick went out, and, instead of catching the horses, let thorn out of the enclosure whoro they were kopt and frightened thorn away. She thon returned to the houso and told the man sho could not catch tho hoi-es. lie swore at hor and wont out to got thorn himsolf. While he was gono Mrs Fitzpatrick hastily wrapped up hor sleeping baby and hurried out of tho house, with tho intontion of going through tho woods to a neighbour's and giving tho alarm.

She noticed that her husband's body had b_eu removed from tho bed during her absence from tho house. _he ran alon<_; a path loading to a creok near tho houso. On hor way she saw her husband's body lying in her path. Sho was compelled to stop over it. Thoro had been a now fall of snow, and she know that the murderer could easily follow- her if ho chose, so when sho reached tho creek she stepped in it and waded in tho icy water a long way up, and thon crawled in a hollow place sho discovered in the bank. She had not been there long before she heard tho man running on hor track bohind her. Whon he lost her trail at tho brook he started up along tho shore. He stopped near whero sho was hidden, and she could hear him muttering savagely to himself. Fortunately her child was a sound sleeper, and did not wako up. Presently the man went up the crock, and after a whilo came back again, stopping onco more at Mrs Fitzpatrick- hiding place. Ho seemed to think that sho had secroted herself somewhere. He stepped upon a fallen tree not throe feet away from the hollow in the bank, nnd stood there a long time. He finally went away, and a half hour later Mrs Fitzpatrick, nearly dead with cold and fright, crawled out of tho holo and hurried away through the woods. Sho travelled two miles in snow two feot deep, and reached tho neigh hour's cabin in safety. Sho gave the alarm, and next day half a dozen men started to find the murderer. Two days lacor they came upon him in the woods. Ho proved to bo a desperate charaetomamed Van Holland. 11. was convicted of tho murder, and waa sentenced in August following to bo hangod atMeadville. While the Sheriff was adjusting the ropo around his neck Van Holland shoved him off tho scaffold and jumped down upon him. The desporate murderer was secured with difficulty and hanged. The Sheriff died from tho injuries he received by the fall and the murderer jumping on him. The widow of the murdered man afterwards married Hugh Lafforly. She related tho above and many, other thrilling experiences of her pioneor life lo the friends assembled to congratulate her on Monday. Sho is as activo and healthy as the sixty-year-eight-year-old daughter with whom she lives, and who was tho six-weeks-old baby hor mother carried on that terrible night in February, ISI7-