Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-23
From the Davenport (Iowa) Gazette
4 ROMANCE OF TIE HEART.
The Death OF an Iowa Recluse-His Sad
Htstory-His Birth I'm England, Disap"
pointment in Love, Emigration TO Amer
lea, and Life of Seclusion i'm the Woods.

An old settler, one whose career is the
strangest among the hundreds of old set
tiers, has just passed away. For many
years he led so secluded life that we pre-
sumo nearly all of his acquaintance here
abouts long ago lost thought of him, or if
they have remembered him at all it has
been with the supposition that he was far
away from here, and possibly dead.
We allude to William Knight. He came
to this country from England, and settled
in Davenport nearly thirty years ago. He
was an attorney had practised law In Lon
don for years, and was a very able man.
His family connections in the old country
we're all highly respectable people. He
hung out his sign here and in Rocking
ham, and soon built up quite practice,
such as it was. He was a finely educated
man, possessed O. very retentlve memory,
was kindly in disposition, of pleasing ad-
dress, and of social nature. So it was no
wonder that he became popular among the
people. All at once, when he was looked
upon as a rising man, when his prospects
were brightest, he dropped out Of society,
and was soon "as though he were one
dead" The secret of that retirement to a
lonely cabin In the woods is known to but
few, but now that he is dead there can be
no harm in publishing it.
When knight left England it was with
ont the knowledge of his relatives and
friends there. He arrived at New York
. nd imme, Iiately pushed for the far West,
" a = Davonno,. was about as far West as
~, 49, cared to 90 in 'tiose days. His friends
IN r ugiand supposed TIT he had gone to
Amer lea, and advertised de-" LIONS u
ings of his whereabouts. For years thu
efforts v ere fruitless. But at last they
took ano Their course, which led to success.
knight pc esessed a heavy gold watch. of
very peculiar construction. Descriptions
Of this watch were sent to the watch deal
ers in the pri ncipal cities in America, with
instructions for close investigation as to
the owner, fit ever came into their hands.
Well, knights watch got out of order
There was nobody who conld repair it
Accordingly, he sent 1t to Philadelphia,
and, as luck would have 1t, to an establish
ment in which description of the watch was
posted The proprietor wrote to London
parties that he had received the watch
Over to this country as soon as the ocean
winds would let them came knights
friends, making their way to Davenport as
rapidly as the meagre facilities would allow.
They found the runaway. They held con-
ference after conference with him, to IN
duce his return to England. They resort
ed to strategy, and endeavored to secure
his arrest for some offense, that he mig hit
be sent back as q prisoner. All IN valn.-
And they babe him farewell with sad
hearts. and returned to their native land.
And Knight From that time forward
until his death, on Sunday last. he was a
changed man. He bought a small farm
near Rockingham, heavily wooded tract,
erected sort of shanty ID the forest, ana
there, alone with no companions but his
pipe, books and papers, he spent his time
He received papers from England regular,
", and loved to read of new and noted
books and their authors. He cooked his
own food. washed his own, clothes, cut his
own wood. and was his own servant gen
orally. lie rarely received callers. Grant
& Smith were his agents, for he was In re-
ceipt OF little income, and either one OF
the firm, or messenger from them, was
always welcome, but nobody else was. Ills
cabin had rough interior-a bed IN one
corner, table in the middle of the floor,
one or two chairs, and a trunk constltu-
ting It's furniture. A fireplace that would
admit cord wood, gave him warmth and
enabled him to cook his food. Sometimes
he would be seized with a letter-wrltlng
fit, and letter to his lawyers every day
for fortnight would be the result, an an
sWer being expected by him as fully as
though the matter of correspondence was
Of the utmost importance. And thus he
led the life of hermit, save in relation
with his attorneys alone.
Two years ago Knight was seized with
govt, and was so afflicted as to be scarcely
able to move. Quarters were provided for