The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-12-07
The Remarkable Life of q
North Carolina Min
ister's Son.

AAiAif HNNiNhe PtlNdiJ
asylum near Glasgow. Scotland, died,
few weeks ago. Many years ago, thero
lived in lredell county, North Caroline,
a respected Presbyterian minister named
Curry the pride of whose life was an
only son, Nixon by name, in whose train
ing the good man took peculiar delight.
The young man won the affections of a
young girl attending the same school, AMI
so ardent was their attachment thst no
rival was suffered to come between them.
When the girl reached the age Of fifteen,
her devotion 10 young Curry became 50
manifest that her parents, wishing to &C.
euro to her what they viewed a better oil.
lance, forbade further intercourse be.
tween the two. AZ q natural consequence,
ciandostino meetings were resorted o,and
continued for three years. At the expi.
ration Of that period, the hand of the
young lady was sought by the son of ono
Of cur southern statesmen, ard her par.
cots tiied to compel her acceptance
whercat she eloped with young Curry
The couple waro overtaktn Then the
young man turned and shot his rival, who
led the pursuit, killing him Instantly.
The young couple then renewed their
flight After long and heated chase e
Curry took refuge with his betro,hed 10
the Allegheny Mountains, near the head
waters Of the Catawba, and there, out
lawed from society, be became high
wayman, and speedily achieved dreade d
rotoriety by the number and character Of
his daring exploits. The governor of
North Carolina offered $4,000 for his ar.
rest, and many, lured by the tempting Z
offer, tried to hunt him down. Suddenly Y
he was missed from North Carolina. 1t
was supposed that he had died, or that
he had changed his base Of operations.
One day, at the time of the first settle
ment of the St. Francis river, in what is
now Arkansas, an immigrant appeared in
the district calling himself John Hill,
He was handsome, amiable man, and
though having only moderate means, ex-
tended a generous hospitality to oil who
visited his beautiful little home, rcndere
douby attractive by the presence of a
lovely wife. lie short time he became e
tho most popular man in the settlement,
and so he continued for ten or twelve
years. lie was repeatedly elected to the
Legislature, and there he was distinguish.
ed for powerful and impassioned elo.
Guence. He became q leader in the
ranks of his party, was member Of the
convention that framed the state constitu.
ton, and represented his district in the
senate of Arkansas
Hills most intimate acquaintance
we're the Strongs, four brothers, men Of
wealth and ambition. 4 closo intimacy
apraug up between them, and Hill in an
unguardod moment, made the eldc,l
Strong conversant with his previous his
tory, telling him that he was the notoii-
GUS Nixon Curry Of North Carolina
Strong then requested Hill to resign b!
tie 6rcfoTs sff SS'eS conspred PR to ''!r:a" rGa biz
Sending to North Carolina they procure
a requisition for his arrest and copy G
the reward offered fer his capture. Thc
four brothers, powerful and determine
as they were, we'll knowing the charactei
of the man with whom they we're to deal
secured tho assistance Of dozen men
and, surrounding his house, attempted t'
effect bis capture. On approaching til
main entrance and demanding his surren
der, one Of them was shot dead, and thre'
others we're dangerously wounded Az
the attack was abandoned
The governor of Arkansas publishc'
an additional reward for Hills arrest
aud hastily packing few articles he &c
ont with bis wife and children fer uppe
Arksnsas, where he knew of the existenc
of band of dcsperadoes whose member
he had reason to believe would protee
= him. Ho was overtaken at Conway couy
house, and, halting his wagon and ad
= monishing his wife and children to kee
Of his 'pursubrs,- ana aau forth in the, faG
= words told them why he quit North Cal
olina, at the same time assuring his pul
: suers that he would not be taken aliv'
0 The gallantry of the action operated
J., his favor, and the pursuit was abandone'
4 Constant pursuit had already mado hi
: morose and quarrelso;no, and he began
: drink heavily and resort to the gamblil
+ table as a means Of support. One ds
in September, 1S45, while seated Z
S breakfast. he told his wife that he had
Is premonition of death, and felt that |
a should be killed. that dag, before sunse
Calling his son William, bright boy
3 fourteen, he made him swear to kill Il
l. man who should kill his father.
The circuit court of Pope county b
l. ing in session, he attended it with your
man named Howard, who was engaged
e his eldest daughter, As soon as th'
i' reached the village Hill began to drip
y and exhibit an unusual disposition
S. quarrel He insulted every ono be mt
y and finally threatened to clean the cou
house; he dashed iuto the court room,
:. the coustc rnation Of judge, jury and la
rs yers. Young Howard tried to restra
g him, but, glaring like tiger, he turn
" upon the youth and felled him to t
a Aoor at the same time drawing pist'
T. he exclaimed "Kill me, or I'll kill you
y The man, 10 a moment Of extreme a
ie guish, drew knife and buried it in I
bowels Of Hill. lie died soon after.
We Howard quit Arkansas, and, sever
a years later, was heard of in San Anton
a Texas, where he Joined the confedera
lie forces under the command Of Col. Lor
re At the close Of the war he was met
William Hill, who, remembering the os
il' he had taken at his fathers iustan
le, shot the former and fed to Europe.
tn Joined the French army and sery
through the Franco. Prussian war,
I'd was subject to fits of temporary insani
al Finally, his case became hopeless, and
Cd was placed By his friends in an asyl'
near Glasgow, Scotland, where he rece
ly died.
no Il promising young shaver OF 6ve
"t six years wos reading his lessons at sch
10 80 H. -, Lat 1ol;borofo ,,anaar