| 340 "We were given your name by a number of persons, who claimed that you did know all about them, Mr. Reed?"
"Is that so? Well, they are mistaken; I don't know anything about it. I think Mr. Orlando Saunders, living up on the road to Palmyra, will know more about that people than any one around here. He was better acquainted with them; or lived right by them, and had a better opportunity of knowing them."
"Yes, we have his name already; but have not seen him yet. Do you know Mr. Thorn, the Presbyterian minister at Manchester, over here?"
"Yes, I know him slightly."
"Did you not make a statement to him in regard to the character of these men; that they were low persons, and not good associates, or something of the kind?"
"I never did.;
"Did he call on you to find out what you knew about it?"
"No, sir, he never did; at least he never let me know anything about it, if he did."
"Did you ever see a statement he sent to Michigan, last year, and had published, purporting to be what you and others knew about the Smiths and Cowderys?
"No, I never did; did not know that one was ever published before."
"You think we can find out about these persons from Mr. Saunders, then, Mr. Reed?"
"Yes; he is more likely to know than any one round here."
Leaving Mr. Reed, we at once drove to the house of Mr. Orlando Saunders, and found that gentleman, with his wife and two sons, at supper. Mr. Saunders is a man seventy-eight years old, in April, 1881; a fair type of the intelligent New York farmer; seemingly well-to-do in this world's goods, and quite active for a man of his years; and withal, has an honest and thoughtful face.
Entering upon conversation with reference to our business, Mr. Saunders at once said:
"Well, you have come to a poor place to find out anything. I don't know anything against these men, myself." (Evidently judging that we wanted to get-something against them, only.)
"Were you acquainted with them, Mr. Saunders?"
"Yes, sir; I knew all of the Smith family well; there were six boys; Alvin, Hyrum, Joseph, Harrison, William, and Carlos, and there were two girls; the old man was a cooper; they have all worked for me many a day; they were very good people; Young Joe, (as we called him then,) has worked for me, and he was a good worker; they all were,. I did not consider them good managers about business; but they were poor people; the old man had a large family."
"In what respect did they differ from other people, if at all?"
"I never noticed that they were different from other neighbors; they were the best family in the neighborhood in case of sickness; one was at
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