Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-05-10
AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN.


the 18th instant, at the Circuit Court
in Jonesborough, before Judge Scott,
came on the trial of David Greer for
the murder Of Higgins, in November
last, which lasted the whole oil TWO
DAYS. and was the subject OF much Gu
riosity, from the well known singular
character Of the prisoner. Not having
been present al the trial, We cannot
pretend to give any thing like regu-
lar delineation of its proceedings. We
have collected some OF the prominent
incidents from conversation with gen.
tleman who was present during the
greater part of it, and here give them
to our readers.
A great number of witnesses were
examined, both on the part OF the state
and on the part of the prisoner. 1t APP
reared, from the testimony, that Greer
had, for about thirty years past, lived
a secluded life on and near the top Of
the Bald Mountain. There seemed TO
have been vein of singularity running
through all his notions, his manner Of
living, sc. He was very hospitable to
strangers when they came to see him,
and he was frequently visited by the
curious, who were attracted BY de-
sire to see the strange man ofthe noun
tain, whose fame was spread through
all the surrounding country. In his
dealings he was uncommonly exact,
and an undertaking adherence to truth
and honesty was a marked trait in his
character. He had, many years ago,
gone 10 the top Of the Bald Mountain,
where there are several hundred acres
of land entirely destitute of tree or
shrub, (yet the soil good, and covered
with grass where he planted potatoe
and corn paIch, which he surrounded
with ditch, to secure them from in
trusion; but finding, on the experience
of one season, that his crops could not
come to maturity, in consequence of
the GOODNESS of the area in which they
were located, he abandoned the top Of
the mountain, and came some distance
down its side, where he took up his
residence, built mill, and made many
domestic regulations for his convent
ence and comfort, some Of which show
ed the work of an ingenious hand. His
mill was made on small construction,
was kept in motion by the water of
small mountain stream, and. would
grind from half bushel to a bushel Of
grain per dav. He once erected an
iron mandatory on the
He was a man of uncommon physical
strength, and had performed feats en-
tirely within himself, in the erection of
his mills and machinery, which it was
Judged would have required the strength
of four or FIVE common men to perform.
Greer is, on his fathers side, of Turk
ish descent. He has good education,
and was esteemed, when in his youth,
a man Of fine talents. But the unfaith-
fulness of the object of his affection,
and the thus unhappy termination Of a
Glove affair."" gave him an aversion for
society; and, settling alone on the Bald
Mountain, he took up the idea that he
was the monarch and sole proprietor
of it, established lines marking the ex-
tent of his dominions, and declared
himself independent Of any other hu-
man government. A tax was once le-
We'd on him by direction Of the Court
of Buncombe county, within the bounds
of which was some of his property
He refused to pay the tax, waged war
against the Court by whose order it
was levied, went to the Court House
while the Court was in Session, stoned
the Magistrates off the Bench, and then
returned unmolested to his kingdom,
crowned with the laurels of victory,
where he was ever afterwards permit
ted to remain free from the visitation
Of tax-gatherers. He established an
entry takers office, exacting a certain
sum of money from every man who
brought his cattle into his dominions
for the benefit Of the range, and assign
ed to each certain portion of land,
which he designated by some particu-
lar name, as Hale Patch, Ha,o 1hicket,
sc. SC. This regulation was general
" acceded to without dispute, by those
who took their stock thither. He some
time ago drafted constitution for
government on his own plan, which
was eAniDltcu III Souih % S'iuShSS "
establish his lunacy.
The origin of his antipathy against
Higgins, was disagreement in their
trading. Greer conceived that Hig-
gins had told him falsehood, and he
had treasured in his mind powerful
aversion for lying. The quarrel be-
tween them became so high that they
proceeded to blows; after which Greer
applied to magistrate and had his an
tagonist arrested, as he has himself
since avowed, for the sole purpose Of
having good chance to shoot him,
while he was under arrest. He pro-
fssses to believe that it was not wrong
20 kill bad man. * upon this ground
iustifes his conduct. His first shot
nroyed unsuccessful; when he, upper