Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-08-31
Strange Life of a Murderer.

the following singular biography of Jas. High
tower, recently convicted of manslaughter il
that county. Three years in dungeon, i
seems, is nothing 20 what he has endured:
About twenIyaone years ago lady of thi:
county, belonging TO 4 respectable family
became tue yiclmfof 4 vile Scducer; the fruit
was II boy, who is The. subject of our narrative
His mother, as il; the case usually, with those OF
her sex who are unfortunate, married man oil
low breeding, and in adverse circumstances, con,
! seuuen;Ir. her son was destined to receive but Il
limited share of education or moral training
At tender age hisSrharacter WAS peculiar, and
in some resurcls very extraordinary. When
: onIv seven years old, he WAS attending a sugar
ramr mill; by sume means his left arm and
hand were crushed, by Which accident he forever
o>l The use of his hand. At the are of ten
ee.rs he WAS bitten by ratlesnakc; being
nearly alone on HE place, he had to cal! to his
aid all the prescncc of mind of which he WIS
master. Fortunately he used the proper anti,
tloir. and hereby saved his life In The short
spice of few months he WAS again bitten by
one of The same SPECIES of reptiles by pursu-
inr the same course as heretofore, hr was again
rescued from the JAYS of death.
Between The aye OF twelve and fourteen he
made several attempt, 10 lake The life Of his
Srp.ialhcr, ) which shows that he would not be
imno>ed on About That age he also snapped,
several lines, Il uaGed mu.kei ut Il neighbour.
When fourteen wears Old h. was knocked down
bs lightning. and did not recover for some lime.
At !lc age of sixteen hr WAS attacked while
lun;lng in The woods, by'a very large panther.
The panther soon tore lin down-hc exhibited
great presence of mind BY trgrne death The
panhcl lhrn carried him into the swamp. cover
ed him up with sticks and grass, after which hs
took his leave i,r search of more prey. Our he
ro after the panihers drparIur arose and made
his escape home. He was badly torn--lwo of
his jawtrelh were bitten out, and many wounds
were inflicted
Bu: he was not thus TO Gle, for he soon re-
co:cred, and very SOON after his recovery gave
his slrp-f,:hcr ! scrr.e whipping and left him.
path MIS- smooth, unIil nineteen. wien he be-
ing in higher sphere, his superior in intellect
aud family. yet she was s'nitten By The boy OF
misfortune, and resolved 10 marry him. notwitf-
standing the opposition Of her relatives, who
made severe threats against our hero. But
whal cared he who had successfully battle against
ralile-Snakcs, pant!Icrs, and even the high power
Of heaven, for the threats of man. Nothing
iaunlcd, he continued TO urge his claims after
ndng all his efforts OF a compromise uHavail-
ing he commenced -, tctermincd course. He
Procured bis y
himself on foot, 10 the house that shellcd her
whom he loved-secrcty forced The door Of her
chamber, and conducted her about five miles
through The woods to the place Of rendezvous.
p.,T,, t,, nj ,N.hip hp
hylncnial altar had been temporarily erected,
Illuminated by the J!aze Of lieh;wood Knots
and The pale rays Of the moon alone, our hero
fell into his former path Of bad luck, for he WAS
bitten by muccasOn snake: but he was tno
we'll used tn snake bites tO suffer that occurrence
to retard his progress ut such m"menlous
crisis, and like Il brave and undaunied boy, pur-
sued his course, and in accordance with his
anlicipa!iuns, was lawfully married, about IL o.:
o'clock at night. His morca,on bite did not
long keep him in bed, Tor he then pusst ssed Il
nurse of unreaSing attention. After final recov-
ery he carried his wife to the home which he
had provided for her, hoping thai his cup Of ml>
fortune was then full, and that he " 'uid then
enjoy that bliss attending Il married life.
But he WAS Rot destined to eajoy that rcpose
which he so much sought He soon became
cnlanged in Il quarrel with one Mr.. Wheeler,
the result was--Whcelrr was killed, and oGr
hero after regular trial ina court of justice, was
convicted of mansaughter; and now, at the age
of twenty, has gone, leaving his wife, his an,ici
paicd babe, and his sweet home, to tie pcniten-
liary, there TO be incarcerated within its dismal
wall for the space Of three years--which to
him must be long ! long! Who can contemplate
his past lite and not say. surely he is the child
Of misfortune. Has his misiorluncs cnhcd ?
Alas who can tell? That fact is yet concealed
by The dark curtain of futurily.