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             © 1999- 2001 Enchanted MOuntains 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.