The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-04-14

William Knight, notable hermit, ha1
just died near Rockingham, Iowa, aged
seventy-fve years. Thirty years ago he
left England, without word to his rrsla-
tives there, and going direct to Iowa, re-
sumed his business ss an attorney, rapidly
winning fame in that capacity. His friends
in England advertised descriptions Of him,
with offers Of reward for tidings Of his
whereabouts. For years their efforts were
fruitless. Knight possessed heavy gold
watch Of very peculiar construction. De-
scriptions Of this watch we're sent to the
leading watch dealers in America. Knights
watch got out Of order. He sent it to Phils-
delphia to an establishment in which a
description Of the watch was posted. The
proprietor wrote to London parties that he
had received the watch. Over come Knights
friends, making their way to Davenport as
rapidly as the meagre travelling facilities
would allow. They found the runaway. They
held conference after conference with him
to induce his return to England. They re-
sorted to strategy, and endeavered to secure
his arreat for some offence, that he might
be sent back as prisoner. All in vain.
From that time forward until his death, on
Sunday last, knight was changed man.
He bought small farm near Rockingham,
q heavily-wooded tract, erected sort of
shsnty in the forest, and there, alone, with
no companions but his pipe, books, and pa
Sers, he spent his time. He received pa
pers from England regularly, and loved to
read of new and noted books and their au-
thors. He cooked his own food, washed his
own clothes, cut his own wood, and was
his own servant generally. He rarely
received callers. Sometimes he would
be seized with q letter. writing fit, and
letter to his lawyers every day for fort
night would be the result-an answer being
expected by him as fully as though the
matter Of correspondence was Of the utmost
importance. And thus he lived the life Of
q hermit save in relation with his attorneys
alone. Why he, who was SO gifted by ma
ture, and 30 splendidly educated, chose to
abandon his luxurious home and wealthy
friends, make his way to the frontier of the
American wilds for residence, and then,
when discovered by his friends, resort to
the life of hermit, is explained only by
an admission in one Of his letters to his
legal friends, wherein he admits having
been hopelassly cast down by disappoint-
ment in love affair. He wooed, won, and
lost, a lovely English girl-lost her because
she preferred "belted knight" and q
castle to young bsrrister who, being o
younger son, had to make his own way to
fortune and to fame.
When the "pledge" was being circulated
at temperance meeting o decidedly inc
briated individual presented himself and
offered his signature. The chairman re-
marked, "This is very important step,
my friend, and I trust you realize the re-
sponsibility you are assuming" "Oh, l
can stand the (hic) 'sponsibility," was the
response; "I've done it lots of times before"
"Jennie June ''-otherwise Mrs. Croly-
says that when she was requested to re-
spond at q Sorosis press dinner she told
her husband she was afraid che would
break down; but he replied, When you
blow me up you never break down.; and
she was thus encouraged to make the re-
quired response.