Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-04-22
ALL FOR LOVE.


ALL FOR LOVE.
strange Career ola Barrister.
Davenport Gazette.
An old settler, one whose career
is the strangest among the hundreds
Of old settlers, has just passed away.
We allude to William knight. He
caue to this country from England,
anu settled in Davenport nearly 80
years ago. He was an attorney, had
practiced law In London for years,
and was very able man. His fam.
lily connections In the old country
were all highly respectable people.
He hung out his sign here, and in
Rockingham, and soon built up o
quite practice, such as it was. He
was a finely educated man, possess
ed very retentive memory, was of
o kind disposition, Of pleasing ad-
dress and Of socia, nature. So it is
no wonder that he became popular
among the people. All at once,
when he was looked upon AS a ris-
ing man, when his prospects were
brightest he dropped out of society,
and was soon 'as though he were
one dead The secret Of that re-
tirement to a lonely cabin in the
woods, is known to but few, but as
he is now dead. there can be no harm
in publishing il.
When Knight left England it was
without the knowledge Of his rela-
tives and friends there. He arrived
at New York and Immediately push
ed for the far West-and Davenport
was about as tar west as men cared
to 60 in those days. His friends in
England supposed he had gone to
America, and advertised descrip-
tons Of him. With offers of good re-
wards for tidings Of his whereabouts.
But at last they took another course
which wvs successful. Knight Dos
sessed a heavy gold watch, of very
peculiar construction. Descriptions
Of this watch were sent to the watch
dealers in the principal cities in this
country, with instructions for close
investigation as to its owner, il it
ever came into their hands. Well,
Knights watch got out of repair. No
one here could repair it. According
ly he sent it I'd Philadelphia, and. as
luck would have it, to an estAblis b.
ment in which q description Of the
watch had been posted. The pro-
prietor wrote to the London parties
that he had received the watch. As
fast as the ocean winds would bring
them to this country, came Knights
friends, making their way to Daven-
port rs rapidly as their meagre tray
cling facilities would allow. They
found the runaway. They held
conference with him to induce his
return to England. They resorted
to strategy, and endeavored to Sc
cure his arrest for some offense. so
that he might be sent back as pris-
onef. All in vain. And they babe
him farewell with sad hearts, and
returned to their native land.
And knight. From that time for
ward until his death last Sunday, he
was a changed man. He bought q
small farm near Rockingham, a heav-
lily wooded tract, erected a sort OF a
shsnty in the forest, and there, alone
with his pipe, books and papers, he
spent his time. He received papers
from England regularly, and liked
to read of new and noted books and
their authors. He cooked his own
food, washed bis own clothes, cut
his own wood, and was his own SER
want generally. He rarely received
Callers Grant & Smith were his
agents, for be was In receipt Of o lit
tie income, and either of the firm or
q messenger from them was always
welcome-hut nobody else was. His
cabin bad o rough interior-a bed in
one corner, a table in the middle of
the floor, one or two chairs and
trunk constituted the furniture. A
fireplace that would admit cord
wood gave him warmth and enabled
him to cook his food. And thus he
lived the life Of q hermit, save in re-
latien with his attorneys alone.
Why he, so gifted by nature, and
so splendidly educated. chose to
abandon his luxurisus home and his
wealthy friends, make his way TO the
fro: tier Of the American wilds, and
then, when discovered by bis friends
resort to the life of hermit, and be
content with it for twenty or more
years. is explained only by an mad
vertant admission in one Of his let
tiers to his legal friends, wherein he
admits having been hopelessly cast
down by disappointment in O love
affair-he wooed. won and lost
lovely English girl-lost her because
she preferred "belted knight" and
q castle, to a yonng barrister, who:
l. Il