Bloody Run Historical Society

1820:  Who Was Davy Lewis? David “Davy” Lewis, also known as “Robber Lewis,” was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1790. He gained notoriety in the early 1800s as a highwayman and counterfeiter, earning the nickname “Robin Hood of Pennsylvania” for allegedly robbing the rich and helping the poor.
Connection to Bedford County Lewis operated throughout central and southern Pennsylvania, including Bedford County. He and his gang used a network of caves in the region to hide from authorities and stash stolen goods. His charm and audacity made him a folk hero to some locals, who occasionally helped him evade capture.
Capture and Legacy Despite boasting that no jail could hold him, Lewis was arrested multiple times and escaped each one—until 1820, when he was fatally wounded during a final capture in Bellefonte. On his deathbed, he wrote a confessional autobiography that was published shortly after his death.
Davy Lewis, often called “Lewis the Robber,” was a notorious outlaw in early 1800s Pennsylvania, especially throughout Centre, Mifflin, and Bedford Counties. Born around 1790 near Carlisle or Bald Eagle Valley, he became known for counterfeiting, highway robbery, and daring prison escapes.
Lewis led a band of thieves who operated along the old turnpikes and mountain passes of central and southern Pennsylvania, often targeting wealthy travelers and merchants. Despite his crimes, folklore painted him as a Robin Hood figure—someone who occasionally shared stolen goods with the poor.
He used remote caves in the region, including some near Bedford Springs, as hideouts. Arrested multiple times, he repeatedly escaped until his final capture in 1820 after a gunfight near Bellefonte. Wounded and refusing medical care, Davy Lewis died in the Bellefonte jail that same year at about age 30.
His legend—of hidden loot, secret caves, and a generous outlaw—remains part of Central Pennsylvania folklore to this day.