In 1884, a peculiar series of murder trials took place in Cambria County. Two men, both of whom were named Mickey, were convicted of murder in the same week. Both men not only shared the same first name, but also the same handicap-- they both had wooden legs. But  what makes this bit of historical trivia even more interesting is that  both judges in these respective murder trials, Judge Dean and Judge  Johnston, were also peg-legged. The court clerk who made out the juror's  orders also had a wooden leg, as did the county treasurer who cashed the orders. One of the witnesses was peg-legged, while one of the jurors  had not one, but two wooden legs. In total, there were nine artificial limbs in the Cambia County Courthouse during a single week in March of 1884.

But it is one of these two convicted murderers, Mickey Smith, who went  on to achieve infamy after pulling off a daring escape from the Cambria County Jail in Ebensburg. This escape led to a massive manhunt and a spate of Mickey Smith sightings all across the state for years to come.  And, strangely, no one knows for sure what became of the peg-legged escape artist. He was never caught.