Part 6. From the Lykens Standard, 30 May 1902:
RECOLLECTIONS OF 40 YEARS
Regarding the Lykens Valley Coal Mines and Vicinity Adjacent
BY RICHARD NOLEN, ESQ.
Which first appeared in 1865 in the Upper Dauphin Register and Lykens Valley Miner, published by Samuel B. Coles and G. Washington Fenn.
“He stated that after trying to buy the watch from Henrich, and not succeeding, he went with him up the mountain, both being very drunk. When they got near the place where the body was found Henrich slipped and fell. Williams thinking that this would be a good chance to get the watch he essayed to for so, but Henrich held fast to it. Williams choked him. He asked Williams what he had against him. Williams replied nothing. After he had choked him, he (Williams) put his foot on his neck, reached in his pocket and took the watch. The watch had a guard on it which he broke; he then reached into his pantaloons pocket and took out a quarter of a dollar and three coins spoken of before. He afterwards found that Henrich was recovering his senses, when he choked him again, alleging that he was afraid he (Henrich) might finally recover and sue him for the watch; so he started down home, got his gun, loaded it with a ball and went up the mountain again, but fearing the ball would not prove fatal, he picked up a gravel and put it in the gun also. When he got up close to Henrich he saw that the latter was trying to rise from the ground, when he shot him fairly in the side, but Henrich appeared as if he was still trying to get up, when Williams struck him on the head, which blow he thinks killed him. He then took him by the feet and pulled him down the hill about six rods, left him lay, went home and put the gun away. His family was not at home at this time. When he got home he saw a big black dog coming down the path after him; he through he came from where Henrich lay, so he came directly towards him looking savage. Williams was afraid and went into the house, locking the door after him, but soon after left the house to go down the valley and met Aaron Lupold and asked him to trade watches, pulling out the watch he had taken from Henrich. Lupold pronounced the watch gold and then Williams would not trade; but took it some time afterwards to William Thompson’s to have it repaired. In about two weeks after he had killed Henrich he was going over to Gratz to a battalion parade, and as he went along the path it occurred to him to go and see if Henrich’s body still lay where he left it. He found it there looking as black as a negro. When I had him locked up at Charles Miller’s hotel, he had almost concluded to confess his guilt, but finally came to the conclusion that his accusers would have to prove it, and he would let them have their trouble, taking the chances; while in the cell he thought he saw his victim in his sleep crying to him “you have killed me,” and often in the day time like visions occurred to him.
When the day for his execution had arrived, at five minutes before 10 o’clock Sheriff Eyster and Ex-Sheriff Hoffman conducted him from his cell to the scaffold his spiritual advisers being with him, directing his attentions to the mercies of heaven, until three minutes before 12 o’clock when the sheriff adjusted the rope, put on the black cap, touched the spring and the drop fell, launching the soul of William Williams into the presence of its God. Thus ended a career of crime, which had commenced in coveting his neighbors goods to the extent of a brass watch worth about eight dollars. How fearful are the retributions of Providence:
A short time ago I went up to visit your town and when in the cars opposite McClure’s Forge, I cast my eyes over the valley where I had often trod in years gone by and look toward the top of Short Mountain, I could almost see the spot where the murder was perpetrated. Nearing Lykens, my thoughts reverted forty-years back when the site of your town and all around it was nothing but a howling wilderness, with here and there a hunter’s path leading to some particular spot noted for its game, where the might kill the wild bear and deer, which then roamed through the territory where Lykens is now located. Instead now of a wilderness with its underbrush I behold the large and flourishing towns of Lykens and Wiconisco, with their well laid out streets separated only by the Wiconisco Creek. Where was but the wilds of nature, is now presented hundreds of houses including churches, schools, stores, hotels, foundries, machine shops, a railroad and all the other concomitants of civilization, progress and intelligence. The railroad now runs through these towns, taking its large trains of coal to the extent of hundreds of tons by each train, and that accompaniment of science and enterprise, the telegraph, vibrates its thrills from your town to all parts of the country. Instead of the wild beast of the forest roaming unmolested, we now see thousands of human beings, thrifty men of all nationalities, American born, English, Welsh, Scotch, Irish, Dutch, German, Poles, Swiss, Jews, &c., all following their avocations and all directly building up the interests of the country by the aggregation of their labor and capital. Strolling up into Bear Gap where the coal is mined, we see on either side, large breakers turning out their thousands of tons of coal weekly, prepared for the market, and acres of ground covered with the wastage of coal to the depth of from 70 to over 100 feet, looking like vast mountains of themselves seeking to crowd and fill the valley beneath. This coal dirt has been burning for a number of years, but scarcely seems to be diminished in quantity, We then go up to the front of North Mountain, where it is unbroken by a gap for you know the mountains double here, as it were – and we see a company driving a tunnel through that mountain preparatory to laying the rail upon which will be placed the iron horse, to tap the rich coal fields of the opposite side. What may we not predict for the future of Lykens? Bounded by an inexhaustible field of the best coal in the country, Lykens has become the base and outlet of a trade that in a few years at most will be unsurpassed by any coal region in the State. Williams Valley is now as famous for its fertility and great mineral productions as it once was within my recollection for its unproductiveness and undevelopment. I can remember when its honest and hard-working inhabitants were almost ashamed to own their residences. It was then that a goodly number of them earned their living by cutting hoop-poles and making shingles.
[Continued in part 7].
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From Newspapers.com.
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