The story of Johnstown : its early settlement, rise ... - JohnstownCafe

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THE STORY OF JOHXSTOWX.
citizfiT^. who threatened the 'ghouls with summcuy \-enL;e;uice. A reputable
resident t CVnu'inanu,]! Udreii^h artually saw a party i.i| Italian^, dray a female
l)od\' from the ruins and ontrai;e th.e inanimate loini ! he happened to
have a gun, Some of the foul (lends would have [Lii^l the penalt\'of thedunnable
Grime on the spot. Beloie he eoiild briuL; men to the scene the rulhans
lia'd sated their de\iiish lust and tied. Anotlier was detected on Sunday, at
Kernville. in the attempt to assault a _\oung girl whom he had pulled h.df-dead
from miller a lot of be iriN. The villain was taken to the woods Ijy several
incensed men, \\ ho strum;" him to a tree until his worthless life ended, then cut
down the carcass and chucked it into a mudhr>le. This atrociims scoundrel
was the onK one lianged. .\ negro pilfering a trunk was shot at and wounded m
the arm In' an indignant li\standcr. .\ hlungarian. plundering corpses lying
along the shore below ^b:lrreIl\•ille, was forced at the muzzle of a Winchester
rifle, in the liands of a prominent citizen of Johnstown, to disgorge his l)ooty
and wade into the ri\er. He could not stem the current and was soon dispatclied
to I lailes. Xo other persons were lynched (jr shot or tlrowned. despite
tlie crowds alleged to have been done to death by lawless mobs, but gangs of
tliieving rascals were soundly thrashed and driven out of town.
The men in the signal tower of the Pennsyh-ania road at Sang Hollow,
four miles west of Johnstown, saw a fair young girl come down on the roof of a
building ^\hich swung towards the shore. She screamed to the operators to
sa\'e her. One brave fellow walked into the riveT as far. as he could and
shouted to her to tr\- to yuide herself to land witli a bit of plank. She made
tv.o or three bold strokes and actually stopped the rait for an instant. Then
it swerved and went from under her. She tried to swim, but in a few seconds
was lost. On the bridge at BoIi\-ar. which was weighted down with cars of
coal to hold it on the piers, men stood with ropes to throw to jieople floating
down th.e ri\er. The darkness \vas so intense that few could clutch the ropes.
as the\' wliizzed past, and retain their grip. It was the last resource of many
a soul drifting out into eternal night. The groans of agon\- when the rope
eluded the outstretched arms will ring in the ears of the hearers to their d}-ing
hour. One bo\- contri\ed to stick to the line and was drawn upon the briilge,
bleeding, contused and almost naked. The lad, aged 13 and named Edward
Harten. told his preser\er, James Curry, these particulars :
"With m\ father I was spending the ii.'i\- .it my grandfather's house in Cambria. In the
house at the time were Theodore, Edward and John Kintz. young John Kintz and his wife, Mary
and TreacvKint2.Mr3. Rica Smith. John Plirsch and four children, my father and myself. Shortly
after five o'clock there was a noise of roann.i,' waters and screams of people.
We looked out of
the door and saw persons runnini My father told us to n.wer mind a^ the waters would not
rise further. But soon we saw houses swept awa\' and we ran up to the floor above. The house
was three stories, and we were at last force