They were supposed to be carefully guarded, but one night they disappeared. No one knew how, nor where they were, at least the officers did not know.

Maxwell and Compston made diligent search, and for some reason Maxwell appeared before Samuel Douglass, a justice of the peace, in Johnstown, on February 13th, and charged two citizens with the shooting thus: "doth say that on Friday, the 10th day of February, a certain acknowledged that he did shoot a Blackman by the name of Abraham, in the knee & and from all information that this deponent hath received he has just reason to believe that a certain did shoot one other Black man by the name of Patrick, in the back, both being mortally wounded, "being slaves of Dr. John Sheard of the State of Virginia, and that a was also con

cerned in aiding and assisting in the same, etc."

One of these defendants was arrested, and an indictment presented to the grand jury of Cambria county, charging him with shooting Patrick in the back, with a rifle, with the intent to kill. The witnesses before the grand jury were Edward Maxwell, C. Horner, Esq., William Sleek or Slick, Justice Varner, and Amelia Heltzel. The foreman of the jury, M. Leavey, returned "not a true bill."

On the 27th of February, Mr. Smith, the constable, made an information before Samuel Douglass, Esq., as follows: "That he held under arrest two black men as slaves belonging to John Sheard of the State of Virginia for eight or ten days past, and the said Black men made their escape from the custody of the said S. J. Smith, constable, on Friday night, the 24th day of February, instant, and that he doth suspect Henry Willis, Esq., William Barnett, John Myers, Esq., Wallace Fortune, Isaac Weatherington, John Cushon, and Frederick Kaylor of aiding and assisting the said Black men away from his custody."

The defendants were brought before Justice Douglass, and a hearing was held on March 3d, when he entered this judgment: "No ground for prosecution, Suit dismissed." The truth was, that as soon as the wounded boys were able to travel, their friends had filled the bed of a wagon with hay, on which they were laid and covered with the same light material, and the driver started north through Hinckston's run road. Under these terrible conditions was the freedom for the fugitives acquired.

After the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, which was

substantially done in the famous compromise of 1850, an incident occurred in Johnstown which discloses strong conviction and decision of character, with a beautiful sentiment expressed by Mrs. James Heslop, who as well as her husband was an Abolitionist. An escaping slave had reached this town and had been secreted in Cushon's coal bank, under Green Hill, by John Cushon and other agents of the Underground Railroad. Soon thereafter, while Mr. and Mrs. Heslop were sitting in their room on the second floor, a knock was heard at the front door. It was about dusk, and Mr. Heslop, going to the door, became engaged in conversation with the visitor, which continued for some time. Mrs. Heslop, being acquainted with the escape, divined the matter to which the conversation related. Going to the top of the stairs she heard the visitor pleading with her husband to tell him where the fugitive was, and offering him twenty-five dollars for the information. Still Mr. Heslop denied any knowledge of the affair. Hearing the offer increased to seventy dollars, she descended the stairway, quietly walked to the door and closed it. In referring to it to a friend she mildly said: "I was afraid James might be tempted."

As late as the winter of 1859-60, A. A. Barker, of Ebensburg, assisted a slave to escape who had been brought to him from Bedford via Hollidaysburg. He was kept in the house over night, and before daylight has his "pung" or sled with one seat ready to take him to George Atkinson's, in Clearfield county. The slave was concealed under a buffalo robe. A few miles beyond Ebensburg, Mr. Barker met one of his own teamsters, who inquired what he had under the robe, and being a friend, he told him a "colored man." The driver replied "I will take a look at him," and pulled the robe, which so alarmed the slave that he jumped into the underbrush and disappeared. The snow was very deep, and they soon tracked him and convinced him he was among friends, when he returned. He was again bundled in the robes and was safely delivered to Mr. Atkinson, who helped. him to Canada.

On another occasion, much earlier, Mr. Barker assisted a family of colored persons to escape, and some time after he received a very grateful letter from one of the girls, who sent him her picture, which he always cherished, and before his death he gave it to his son, Judge Barker.

About 1852 a number of boys were fishing in the Conemaugh river near the mouth of Laurel run. This party was

large; some of them were James M. Duncan, John W. Douglass, David R. Bryan, Walter Magill and James Glass. While they were so engaged they observed William McLain (to them "Mose" McLain) and "Pade" Carns riding down the towpath as rapidly as their horses could go in company with four colored men, each on horseback. Mr. McLain was the director of the squad, and stopped to inquire the shortest way to Dick Bacon's cabin, a negro who lived on the mountain above where the Laurel run dam is now located. After being informed, Mose said there would likely be some one after them very soon, and wanted to gain time, and advised the boys to hold the "slave hunter" as long as possible, so he could get into the woods. In a few minutes thereafter the hunters appeared, also on horseback, and the crowd of boys began to stone them, when they turned and went back to Johnstown. The men living in the vicinity of Cambria Furnace were intensely against the fugitive slave law, and with the story told by Mr. McLain they got their guns and every weapon within their reach, and prepared to stop the slave hunters at their place. The latter did not return after the stoning, and Mose got his friends to Bacon's, where they were maintained for some time, and then sent on north.

CHAPTER X.

FIRST SETTLEMENTS.

Solomon and Samuel Adams were the first settlers in the county, locating their grist mill on Solomon's Run, now the Seventh ward of Johnstown, prior to 1770. They were soon followed by Captain Michael McGuire, who in 1789 settled at Loretto. Between 1797 and 1808 there were five villages founded, the first being Beula in 1797; Johnstown and Loretto in 1800; Ebensburg in 1807; and Munster in 1808. The people appear to have clustered around these localities, and as late as 1816 there were no other villages. We follow with the details of these respective communities.

JOHNSTOWN IN 1790.

The people of Johnstown, and indeed all those residing in the Conemaugh valley and down the river to where the Kiskiminetas empties into the Allegheny river near Freeport, are indebted to Mr. John F. Meginness, of Williamsport, publisher of the notes of the "Journal of Samuel Maclay, while surveying the West Branch of the Susquehanna, The Sinnemahoning and the Allegheny Rivers, in 1790.”

Samuel Maclay was born in Lurgan township, Franklin county, June 17, 1741, subsequently locating in Buffalo valley, in what is now known as Mifflin county. He was a brother of the Hon. William Maclay, who was the first United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Maclay was the ancestor of the late William Maclay of this city, father of Mrs. R. R. Murphy and Mrs. John Tittle.

Samuel Maclay held various public offices in the Colony of Pennsylvania; he was a member of the Vth Congress, and was Speaker of the State Senate, where in 1803 he presided at the impeachment trial of Judge Addison; he was also elected United States Senator, December 14, 1802. He died October 5, 1811; his grave is within sight of the turnpike, a short distance west of Lewisburg.

On April 9, 1790, Samuel Maclay, Timothy Matlack and John Adlum were commissioned by the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania to examine the headwaters of the

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Susquehanna, explore the streams of the then new purchase from the Indians, and to discover if possible a route for a road to connect the waters of the Allegheny with the West Branch of the Susquehanna.

On Monday, April 26, 1790, Mr. Maclay started from home to meet the other commissioners. On May 19th they were at Watsontown, then called Warrior Run. On June 14th they began to survey the west branch of the Sinnemahoning, about ten miles below Driftwood.

We quote from the Journal:

"Thursday, August 19th, 1790.-Got Ready Early in the morning started up the Kishcaminitas River. Saw two white men on the River in a canoe. Continued to make all the speed we could untill night and then took up our camp on the west side, or rather south-west side of River at the foot of a Rocky hill near the mouth of a small spring.

"Friday, August 20th.-Continued our Jorney up the River and arrived at the mouth of Lovalhannon at one oclock; and as we had had several days of showery weather and continued moistness in the air, our Cloathes of every kind were Damp and Disagreeable, and as the afternoon was a fine one we agreed to let the men rest and Dry their Cloathes, and ours. We had this day been attempting to procure some fresh Provisions on our way up, from the Inhabitants along the River, and had been unsucksesful; we therefore sent off two of our men in order to procure either Butter or meat of any kind. They Returned with (out) Sucksess."

The Loyalhannon to which he refers is the Loyalhanna, which rises in the Laurelhill, above Fort Ligonier, and flows in a northwesterly direction through Westmoreland county and empties into the Conemaugh river at Saltsburg, and forms the Kiskiminetas river. From Saltsburg to Johnstown the river is properly called the Conemaugh; sometimes it is designated as the Big Conemaugh, to distinguish it from the Little Conemaugh, which meets the Stonycreek at the point in this city. The distance from Johnstown to Saltsburg by the way of the river is about forty-nine miles, and to Blairville about thirtythree miles. The Journal continues:

"Saturday, August 21st.-As all our attempts yesterday to procure provisions had been fruitless, we were obliged to stay this day in order to get a supply of Both flour and meat; we were Luckay enough this morning to get the half of a Veal from one Samuel Hoy, who lives a little way below the mouth of Loyalhanning, and sent off a man and horse to Denison's