© 1999- 2001 Painted Hills Genealogy Society

 
 

Stories of the Kanestio Valley

Written by William M. Stuart of Canisteo, NY Printed by Work Folks Press Alfred Station Third Edition

Submitted By Tim Chase

THE DOUGLAS AFFAIR

Robert A. Douglas first came to Canistio Valley in the Spring of 1824. That summer he became a peddler selling not only dry goods and notions, but jewelry as well. In the light of later information, this was significant. Events now moved swiftly in that remote neighborhood. Certain other persons with reputations not too good had attached themselves to the Mayberry family. These men- Hathaway, Cole and Wallace-were no kin of the Mayberry's nor did they appear to have any visible means of support. Several peddlers who were known to have entered the valley at Painted Post; and were supposed to have put up for the night at the Mayberry Tavern, were never again seen. A girl who had been employed as kitchen help at the inn, but had been discharged, told a weird story to some of the neighbors. She said that after retiring for the night, she heard a noise in the living room. Rising to see what was the matter, she found that she had been locked in her room. But she peered through the keyhole and was horrified to see Robert A. Douglas, assisted by his mother -in-law, Mrs. Mayberry, engaged in cutting the throat of a peddler whom they had tied to a chair. Willing as they were to listen to tales of horror, this yarn seemed a bit too strong, and the people had not made up their minds to accept this at face value, when news of a tragedy brought them up on their toes. Samuel H. Ives, a resident of Grigg's Corners, in the town of Troupsburg, had made some purchases of Douglas on one of his rounds. After the peddler had gone Ives found that a five dollar counterfeit bill had been worked off on him. Being of a choleric disposition, Ives resolved to seek justice himself, if the law would not function. It was about the middle of September and Ives was eating his midday meal when his hired girl, chancing to glance out of the open door, exclaimed: "There goes that counterfeiter.!" Ives heaved himself from his chair and rushed out of doors.. "He'll give me back my money," he growled "or I'll take it out of his hide!"He ran toward Douglas. "Hey, you! Wait!" He extended the bogus note toward the peddler. " Give me back my money. This bill is no good." Nonchalantly, Douglas inspected the note. " I didn't give it to you. I never saw it before." Ives didn't believe in wasting words. He sprang for the young man's throat. But the peddler avoided the assault and fled down the road. Ives gave chase, caught his man and hurled him to the ground, kneeling on his chest. The Douglas, squirming like and eel in Ives' powerful grasp, drew a knife and stabbed his assailant. The weapon sank deep in the farmer's side. Ives groaned, staggered to his house, dropped on a bed and almost immediately died. A few days later he was buried in the cemetery at Austinburg, near the state line.