Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-04-07
Che Storp Teller.
the VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES,
A SKETCH OF JOHN HILL.

"Among the truest friends of the people
of all in the present Convention, may be
named John Hill, of St. Francis. His ener-
gv, elouuence and courage fully entitled him
to the proud place he holds, and as we trust,
will loug retain-that of leader of the Ar
kansas Democracy."-Litue Rock Gazette IN
the days Of the Convention.
BLOODY AFFRAY.-A desperate rencontre
occurred last week in St. Francis. Two dis
tinguished citizens were killed and three
others dangerously wounded. The difficulty
resulted from an attempt to arrest John HILL,
a member of the last Legislature, and for
merly of the State Convention, who, as 1t is
alleged, is the notorious robber, Nixon Cur
ry, that committed such atrocities fifteen
years ago in the mountains of Carolina.
Little Rock Gazette, Of May 1S40.
We have given the previous extracts from
the oldest and most respectable journal OF
Arkansas, in order to satisfy every reader
that the following narrative, extraordinary
as some of its incidents may appear, is no
tissue of fiction Indeed, while relating gen.
uine events, and painting true scenes, we
have been especially careful to avoid all
vivid colors. Should this short sketch, by
any chance, reach the forests Of Arkansas,
the people there will deem its descriptions
tame in comparison with the deeds Of the
man. The writer, who has resided long on
the frontier, has no use for fancy in portray
ing its exciting life. Simple memory will
serve him very we'll.
About sixty years ago, there lived in Ire
dell county, North Carolina, Presbyterian
minister by the name of Curry. He was a
man of easy circumstances, of irreproacha'
BILE character, and had" a large family OF
promising sons and daughters. Among these
the favorite was Nixon, distinguished when a
boy for his fearless courage and the tender
ness of his heart alike He seems, from sew
eral anecdotes of his early days, to have been
a child of impulse and intense earnestness
and passion. When only six years of age,
he had combat with a bully of the play.
ground, nearly twice his own weight, and
after suffering dreadfully,, at last achieved
victory, due almost entirely to the sheer pow
er Of his endurance
From the time he was six years old, that
is to say, from the first session he attended
in the country school house, had Nixon Cur
ry been in love. His idol was little girl
of the same age, and under the tuition of the
same master. The attachment appears to
have been mutual from the commencement.
They stood up in one class and always man.
aged to stand together. During the hours OF
recess, when the other juveniles were amusing
themselves with boisterous sports, the preco-
cious lovers would wander amidst leafy groves,
or by the messy margins of silver rills. For
ever, to eternity, and whenever, the soft spell
of irst love comes, it brings with it the bright
spirit of poetry, scattering thick-starred dreams
and divine visions of beauty over all things
Even then they exchanged pledges, and dis
coursed in sweet, sinless whispers of their
future bridal.
And thus they grew up into one delicious
identity of fancy and of feeling. Their bias
for the society of each other, while children
caused no particular remark. Such attach
ments are common among the youth of op
poste sexes in the country, and, as usual
terminate abruptly, on arrival at muture
years. Far different, however, was the case
with Nixon Curry and Lucy Gordon. Their
passion became so evident at fifteen, that all
further intercourse was forbidden by her pa
rents-among the wealthiest aristocracy of
Carolina. Then followed stolen meetings by
starlight, frmer vows and wilder love, which
always increased in proportion to its crosses
and, Like the tree of Lebanon, sends down its
deepest roots into the heart, the more it i;
shaken by storms.
Finally, at seventeen, when Lucy's rela
tives were endeavoring to force her into the
arms of another, she fled with the lover O.
her childhood. They are pursued-over
taken; and Nixon Curry shot his rival ant
one of the proud Gordons dead on the spot
and then escaped with his bride, although
hotly chased by more men, and found al
asylum in the Allegheny Mountains, nea
the sources Of the Catawba. Here, unde
the plea of necessity, he embraced the pro
fession of robber, and rendered his name
famous by the number and astonishing bold
ness of his exploits. We may record it no
as a matter of merit, perhaps, but for th'
sake of historical truth-that the youthful
bandit was never known to perpetrate an.
deed of murder for the sake of plunder
though he did several to avoid arrest A
length the rumor of his daring felonies ceaset
thousand dollars was offered for his apprehen
sion by the Governor Of the State, he wa
heard of no more in North Carolina
At the first settlement of the fertile delta
bordering on the St. Francis, there came al
emigrant, who called himself John Hill, am
who soon succeeded in acquiring universe
popularity. Although of moderate means
he was sober, Industrious, generous and hos
pitablc and such continued to be his char
acter in the new country Of his adoption
for twelve successive years. During all tha
long period he never had personal Difficult
ty or quarrel with any human being; AM
yet every body was satisfied, that such
peaceful life singular for that latitude-wa
not owing to a want Of courage, or de6cien
cy in power to per: good service, in an
sort of battlefield; for Of all the bear hunter