The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-08-11
n Remarkable Life.

In 1870, George Avery, then about 81
years OF age, was charged with the mur-
der OF John Hayes, of Rowlands, Pike
county, Pa. He was arrested and an
officer detailed to bring him to Milford.
Evidence OF the murder was reported to
he so conclusive that he could not pos
sibly escape hanging. On their way to
Milford the officer imbibed freely of
liquor and finally got "blind drunk"
Avery secured the keys which unlocked
his hnndcutis and shacklcs and took
them off, and putting them in the bot
tom OF tho wagon, he took the rcins
from the stupidity drunken officers hands
and drove to the nearest hotel, where he
arrived with the officer in charge Mt q
latc hour. He pnt the drunken mau in
bed, reused him the next morning, got
him III the wagon, drove on to Milford,
the county scat of Pike county, when af-
ter ho had put the officer in bed Mt a
hotel he went up to the Jail and deliver
ed himself up to the keeper. He was
confined there till September 1870,
when he was tried form,rtlcr and to the
grcnt surprise of every ono acquitted.
Immediately after he was discharged by
the court he was arrested, charged with
| burglary, convicted and sent to States
| prison for year and half He served
his term, reading law during his contine-
mcnt. When he left the Eastern Pcni-
tcntlay he returned home, opened law
Office, arrested several citizens who had
testified against him when he was on
trial for burglary charging them with
perjury, and failing to make out his
llls case was sentenced to pay The costs.
! tie had no money, SO he went to prison
again, where he remained till his friends
could scrapc up enough money to get
! him out. When finally he became free
man he returned to his old home at Row
lands. From that time forward burg
larirs were numerous in that section but
never could evidence sufficient to con-
Wet Avery be obtained. After awhile
the young man went to Oil City, Pa,
md hung ont his shingle rs IL lawyer,
Clients were plenty and fees large.
Avery was rcaping II golden harvest
when he was convicted of forgery and
sent to the Western Pcnitcntiary, at Al.
lcghcny City, for four years and eleven
months. While there he fell in lovo will
the keepers daughter, and she proposed
to assist him to escape, but he refused
to leave the prison till his time was out.
!. AT the end of the term he returned again
to LacknwaXcn; soon after he profcssct
religion, ,swindlcd n ncighhor ont of $l0C
md was induced by the ncighbor, who
enforced his arguments with n shotgun,
to refund the money. He thcn went to
| Luzcrnc county, where he got into diili,
Guilty and went to the Eastern Pcnitcnt
inry again for II short term. Upon he.
ing released the last timc he wont to the
mining regions of the West, where he
| opened law Office and spccnlntcd IN
stocks. Not long ago, ho "struck il
rich' and cleared over half million dol.
lars, gave up his stock speculation foro,
ever, sent for his iiancoc the prison keep.
cr's fair daughter, who went West, and
they have been married. Avory is only
about thirty-two years of age and writes
to friends here that he is now m honest,
upright man, and that the noxt time he
comes East il will be rs United States
Senator from one of the Western States.