Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-01
WRESTLING JOE.
4 YagabOnd Adventurer's Confession Of
Crlme-A Wonderful Story
From Ireland TO Oregon.
The Estate of Finice Caruthers. For
merly Of Tennessee, Saved from
the Grasp Of Fraudulent
COnSpiratOrs,
A Street Beggar in st. Louis Becomes
Principal Claimant for Large
PrOPerty-His Statement.

We copy from the Salem (Oregon)
Weekly Mercury, the following confess
sion of crime made by one John c.
Nixon, formerly of Baldwin county,
Alabama, who was employed by the par
ties named to go to Oregon and personate
the father of Finice Caruthers, formerly
of Tennessee, but who died in Oregon,
leaving a very handsome estate. This
story bears upon its face the stamp of
truth, though it emanates from con-
tessed criminal. The identity of Nixon
Is proven by supplemental affidavits
from his wife, Elizabeth Nixon, c. NJ.
GOdbold, and John Hurley, all of whom
were summoned from Alabama to Ore
gon to testify in the suit of the State
against the cOnspirators. 1t is a wonder
ful story, beginning in Ireland and end
ing IN distant Oregon, involving parties
from Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri,
the sequel Of which will be the impris-
Onment, perhaps for life, Of the thieves
who would have made use Of the narra-
tor to steal fortune:
My true name is John c. Nixon; l
was born in London, England; l
am about sixty years of age; l was
reared in Queens county, Ireland, until
was seventeen years old; my
fathers residence was called "Milford
Cottage about seven miles from Car
low, and about three miles from Athy;
my fathers name was Frederick R.
Nixon; my mothers maiden name
was Charlotte Rencher; she had a
brother named Charles, who lived in
Halifax county, North Carolina; one
OF nay fathers sisters married a man
10y the name of Cook, who lived about a
half a mile from "Milford COttage;u
L had an old maiden aunt named
Jane Nixon; l had three brothers
Frederick R, Walter 7. and Robert
Nixon; l had one sister named Do |
rOthea f Nixon; my father moved |
into Carlow several years before left |
home. On the thirteenth of May, 1888, |
/ left home and went to Liverpool, |
where my father accompanied me; he |
then returned home, and l shipped for |
America, and after reaching New |
York
WENT TO NORFOLK,
thence by Elizabeth City to Edenton;
thence 70 my uncle's, Charles Rencher; |
from there l went to Gainesville, Ten /
nessee, with General Bryant; thence to |
New Orleans; thence to Alexandria;
thence back again 70 New Orleans;
thence to Todd county, Kentucky, and |
there worked in store for a man named |
Tom Anderson; then went to Charles
t0nI South Carolina, with some horses;
then shipped aboard a small steamer as
cook; then went to Wilmington, North
Carolina; there shipped on board the
cutter Dallas with Lieutenant Russell. |
As soon as I told Lieutenant Russell
who / was, and that / was relative of
the Renchers, he released me from the
ship, and went TO General Bryant's, in
10 I
there l went to Abraham Rencher's;
from thence to Wilmington, and shipped
aboard a schooner loaded with lumber
and went TO Havana Ithere the schooner
loaded with fruit and sailed for Mobile,
Alabama. / arrived in Mobile about
1887 or 1888, and there worked on a
steamboat for a time. I
MARRIED A GIRL NAMED ELIZABETH
TOLER,
in Baldwin county, Alabama. From
my first arrival in Alabama have lived
in that State, and Mississippi and Lou
jsiana, until left and went to st. Louis,
In $50, and from there came to Oregon
excepting since the war, when made
three or four trips up the Mississippi riv-
er, begging. I separated from my wife
about fifteen years ago. After cur sep
aTatiOn / made Scarborough Melvin's,
and man named Chambers, in Bald
win county, Alabama, my home, ex-
cepting two years, until I came to Ore
gOn. / left Baldwin county the last
time about the first of August, 1870, on
begging trip; l went by the way of
New Orleans. When I left Baldwin
county l left nine head of cattle, one
hundred and thirty chickens, and three
hundred and fifty nine dollars in money
with man by the name of Chandler;
he lived about seventeen miles northeast
Of Mobile, near Scarborough Melvin's,
who was stepfather of my wife.
begged in the principal towns along the
river until /
REACHED ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.
had been there five OF six days when
q man overlook me as / was going up
the street, and took me by the hand and !
asked me what my name was and what
] was doing. / told him my name was
John G. Nixon, and that / was begging:
he then asked me where I came from; / {
told him / came from Mobile, Alabama:
he asked me many questions, and among !
them how long had been in St. Louis; !
/ told him five or six days; he asked me !
If begging was not hard way Of max :
ing a living. 1 told him it was but l t
had 10 do it, for had 10 money. After ,
me: "GOu are the very man / WANT !
He then said: "Would you like to make ;
seven or eight thousand dollars?D / !
told him | would, if ] would not have to !
60 TO the penitentiary OF jail; he told me !
that would not have to 60 to either; he !
told me his name was
JAMES MOORE; q
that he was from Oregon, and that If / !
would 90 with him and do as he wanted
me 10, he would give me eight thousand I
dollars. / told him / did not want to go !
TO Oregon. Moore said: "Well, il you I
won't go, / know another old man that :
will" L then told him ] believed l | |
would 90. He then took me over |
the Mississippi river to a hotel, and S
told me | must change my name, and 3
say that my name was "JOseph I
Thomas" or "Wrestling Joe;n that / '
was niDety-One years old; that l was the
father Of Finice CarUthers; that / was I
born in Kaskaskia; that | went to Ten g
nessee and married
ELIzBETH CARUTHERS, IN DIXON COUN- 4
TY, TENNESSEE,
in the wear 1916; that ] lived with my 8
wife, Elizabeth, in Dixon county about [
six months; that L then moved 90 Chris I
tian county, Kentucky; that my wife I
had one son, and that his name was I
Finice, and that he had red hair; that [
lived with my wife about five years; {
then we separated; that / went TO the {
mountains and trapped for a living. c
Moore and l stayed over the river only 8
8 part Of day this time, and we then g
came back tO'St. Louis, and he wanted {
me TO 90 with him to tavern, but ] q
told him / would go 10 my boarding
house, where / had been stopping.
Moore came next morning. and took me 7
over the river to the same place we were .
the day before. He then got paper, pen /;
and ink, and wrote down what he 1
wanted me to study, so 1 could answer :
questions. He told me there was man !,
by the name Of I
FINICE CARUTHERs, +
and his mother who had died in Oregon +
and left large amount Of property and I
had left no one to inherit it, but that L
there were two or three men in Oregon, Z
who were rascals and swindlers, and i
were about to get the property, but had d
no right to ii, and that he and a man s
named Davidson wanted me to come to +
Oregon and personate the father of Fin 3
ice Caruthers, so that he, Davidson and S
Others could get the property. The fol- y
lowing is, as near as / can remember,
what Moore wrote down for me to study: '
l must say that my name was Joseph [
4homas, or "Wrestling Joe;n that / was I
mnety-ene years old; that / was the {
iather Of oae Finice Csruthers; that J
was born In Kaskaskia; that ] went TO
TENNESSEE