Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-11-22
Select 4flistrIIanp.
john Hill, alias Nixon Curry; or
the victim of Circumst ances
TRUE SKETCH or LIFE IN ARKANSAS.

Among the truest friends of the people, of
all in the present Convention, may be named
John Hill Of St. Francis. His energy, eloqucnce
and courage, fully entities him 10 the proud pace
he he Ids, and, as we trust, will long retan-that
Of leader Of the Arkansas Democracy."- LGWe
Rock Gazette, in the days OF the Convention.
BIO DY ArFRAY.-" A desperate rencoutre
occurred last week in st, Francis. Two dstin.
guished citizens were killed, and three others
dangerously wounded The difficulty resulted
from en- attempt to arrest John Hill. member
of the. last legislature and formerly of the Stale
Convention, who, as it is alleged, is the notor
GUS robber Nixon Curry, that Committed such
atrocities fifteen years ago in the Mountains of
Carona."-L Rock Gazette, Of Nay 1870
'swe have given the above extracts from the
oldest and most respectable journal of Arkansas,
in order to satisfy every reader, that the follow
ing narrative, extraordinary as some of its Incl
dents may appear, is no tissue Of fiction. Indeed,
while relating genuine events, and painting true
scenes, we have been especially careful TO avoid
all vivid CT lors. Should this shot sketch, by
any chance, reach the foests of Arkansas, the
people there will deem lis DIES riplions tame
in comparison with the deeds Of the mani The
writel, who has resided long on the frontier
has no use for luncy in portraying its excit-
ing life. Simple memory will serve him very
well.
About fifty years ago. there lived in Iren1ell
County. North Carolina, PRESBYTERIAN preach.
or, by the name Of curry. lie was man in ca
sy circumstances, of irreproaChable character
and having large family of promising sons ant
daughters Among these, he favorite was Nix
on, distinguished when Il boy, for his fearless
courage and the tenderness of his heart alike
He seems, from several anecdotes of his boy
hpod, to have been child Of intense carnestncs:
and passion. When only six years of age, he
had combat at school with bully Of the play.
ground nearly twice his own weight, and afe
suffering drcadfully, at last achieved victory
due almost entirely to the sheer power Of his en-
durancc.
From the time he was six years old, that is tc
say, from the first session he attended in the
country school house, had Nixon Curry been il
love. His idol was little girl Of the same age
and under the tuition OF the same master. TIL,
attachment appears to have been mutual from
the commencement. They stood up in one class
: and always managed to stand together. Dunn,
the hours Of recess, when the other juvenile
were amusing themselves with boiserous sport,
the precocious lovers would wander amidst Il q
fy groves, or by the MESSY margins of silve
: rlls. Forever, to eternity, and whenever III
: soft spell Of fist love comes, it brings with
: the bright spirit Of poetry, scattering thck-slar
red dreams and divine visions of beauty over
It things Even then they exchanged pledges, an
: dscoUrsed in sweet sinlrss whispers of their fl
ture bridal.
A And thus they grew up into one delicious
IDENTIFY Of flncy and of feeling Their bias +;
!, each others society, while children, cause, !
N particular remark. Such attachments are con
"a mon between the youth of opposite sexes IN II
country, and, as usual, terminate abruptly. {
~ arriving at mature years. Far different, howe
=, err was the case with Nixon Curry and Luc
=, Gordon. Their passions became 80 evident
: fifteen, that all further intercourse was forbiddr
4. by her paren's-'amongst the weathiest aristo
"a racy of North Carolina. Then followed s,ol,
- meetings by star light, frmer vows and wild
"A love, which ALWAYS increases in preparation to
nj crosses, and, like the tree of Lebanon, SEN
n down its deepest roots into the heart, the more
i'm is shaken by storms.
he Finally, at seventeen, when Lucy's relati,
were endeavoring to force her into the arms
X another, she fed with the lover of her chdho,
ne They were pursued and overtaken; and Nix
he Curry shot his rival and one of the proud G.
ad don's dead on the spot, and then escaped W
n his bride, although holly chased by more IN,
is and found On asylum in the Allegheny MOI