Ancestor Christian Yoder

My great, great, great grandfather, Christian Yoder in his younger years

“Tell us where your money is or we will kill you for sure this time.” 

My great-great-great grandfather Christian Yoder regained consciousness to find two gang members standing over him, one with a revolver pressed against his forehead, and the other brandishing a long dirk-knife over his throat, demanding more money.

“I don’t have any more to give you,” Christian croaked…

The notorious McClellandandtown Gang of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, had wrecked havoc for years in Fayette County, to the point that law enforcement officials were intimidated by their threats of vengeance if deterred or captured.  The year was 1889.

On the evening of April 13, four masked thieves entered the home of my wealthy and elderly ancestor, Christian Yoder.  They bound and gagged Mr. Stevanus, the hired man, and all family members except Christian’s wife who was in feeble health.  The thugs demanded money, and threatened to take his life if he didn’t comply.

Christian admitted there was money in a bureau drawer in the next room.  When the robbers counted it, they found four hundred dollars. (That was quite a sum of money those days.)  The gang demanded more, but Christian told them there was no more.

The gang ransacked the house and found fifty dollars belonging to Christian’s wife and eighty-six dollars belonging to Miss Ellen Baker, the hired girl.  They still weren’t satisfied.

In spite of my great, great, great grandfather’s repeated assurances there was no more money, the scoundrels didn’t believe him.  They dragged him out of the house, across the yard into the barn where they started a fire; they threatened to burn the barn down if he still refused to produce the rest of his money. 

Christian stated again there was none, so one of the gang members put a rope around the neck of my defenseless ancestor.  Together with the help of another gang member, they hoisted the rope up over a barn beam and pulled the old man up to hang in mid-air, shoes dangling six feet off the ground.   

When his breathing became more labored and they saw he was half-dead, they lowered him onto the floor and again demanded money.  With none forthcoming, they strung him up again.  The leader of the gang arranged the burning hay and straw directly under Christian, where the searing flames blistered his hands and scorched his clothing.

Again they lowered the feeble old man onto the ground. They threatened him with a revolver and dirk-knife while the other two gang members ransacked his house.  They brought up bread, pies, and meat from the cellar, collected other food they found in the kitchen and spread it on the table.  After stuffing themselves, whatever wasn’t eaten was destroyed.  Christian was tied up as the thieves stole a matched pair of prized gray horses, and the marauders rode away at break-neck speed.

When the hired hand (Mr. Stevanus) didn’t come home at the usual time, his wife sent her two sons to see where he was.  They found the victims and quickly released them.

Fifteen days later, on April 28, 1889, the thugs were captured, led by an armed body of courageous men from the tiny village of Summit Mills; the men were led by ex-Sheriff Kyle of Meyersdale, PA. Bravo!  They did what law enforcement was afraid to do.

The entire McClellandtown Gang was given a hearing before Judge Baer on May 10. 1889, and were convicted on May 30.  They were sentenced to ten years in solitary confinement in the Western Penitentiary. 

This notorious gang had been allowed to pillage and terrorize all of Fayette County for years because authorities were filled with fear.  All their “attempts” at capture had failed.

Whether it’s in our personal or spiritual life, fear paralyzes – produces inaction or the wrong action.  Our intimidator and thief, the devil, roams around looking for someone to devour.  That’s why we need the ammunition of the Word of God: speak it, stand on it, and don’t lose courage.  Fear produces timidity.  Faith overcomes fear every time.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Don’t let the devil steal from you.

*My source for the above account is a booklet titled “The Robbery of Christian Yoder by the McClellandtown Gang 1889.”  The booklet was reprinted by my grandfather, Claude Yoder, in 1973.  

Copyright © 2014 Elaine Beachy