CHAPTER XXXV. 



WILD PIGEON HUNTER A KIDNAPPER 



Dying Confession Clears Mystery of Forty Years 



A KIDNAPPING mystery which had all North- 

 ern Tier county residents talking forty years 

 ago, has been solved" by a story now related by 

 Reuben Daniels, of Sweden, Pa., who tells how he 

 secured under promise of secrecy during the life- 

 time of his informant, a death-bed confession from 

 John Nesbit. that he was responsible for the dis- 

 appearance of little Henry Schall, the then three 

 years old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Schall, of Den- 

 ton Hill, near Coudersport, Pa. 



Daniels learned the story several years ago. Nes- 

 bit temporarily improved in health, but unknown to 

 Daniels, died four years ago. When Daniels learned 

 of this, he came to the home of Schall, now living 

 at Bradford, and told his story, a romantic tale which 

 rivals the fabrication of the most imaginative novelist. 

 Circumstances recalled by the father of the kid- 

 napped child and others familiar with the story, help 

 to bear out the facts of Nesbit's confession. 



It was on October 17, 1878, that the community 

 of Coudersport was shocked to learn that Henry 

 Schall, a bright, pretty little fellow, was missing 



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