The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-09-10
THIRTY YEARS AFTER.
An Old Mystery in Il Fair Way
.T T5seiuS Unravcl1ed mt I4a st.

cfaseins InraVcileO saC La ST.
A Shirleysburg (Pa.) telegram says:
Nearly thirty years ago young man
named John R. Hicks, hailing from
New York, came to Shirleysburg,
and, being a potter by trade, he soon
found employment in the pottery of
Samuel Backus, in the upper end of
town. He was a steady and indus
trious young man, and readily won
the esteem of the people of Shirloys-
burg, and particularly of the family
of Squire Backus, whose daughter
in course of time he welded. Short
ly after his marriage he engaged in
business and prospered. He was
seemingly happy and contented.
HE had become leading and hon
#ored member of the Baptist Church,
at that time the wealthiest and most
influential denomination in the place.
His seat in the house of worship was
never vacant, and his du ties assuper-
= intendent and teacher in the Sabbath
i school were neve: neglected. Sud.
denly, however. he dis appeared and
was never more heard of, though his
friends and the authorities exhausted
every available means to learn some.
thing of his whereabouts or probable
fate. Previous to his disappearance
he was known to have received a
considerable sum of money. and it
was finally concluded that he had
left the country for some unknown
and unexplained reason.
Now, after lapse of almost thirty
years, comes startling revelaticn u
that may possibly be the means of
clearing away the mystery. Mrs.
Mary Beatty, an old lady who lives
at Vineyard Mills, but who resided
near Shirleysburg at the time of
Hicks disappearance, has made a
statement in the presence Of Samuel
Baird and his family wherein she al
! legeS that john Hicks was murdered
and that his body was concealed
in s lonley spot among the rocks in a
piece of woods in Germany Valley,
this county,and that his bones remain
there TO this day. Mrs. Beatty states
that previous to Hicks's disappears
ance two strangers stopped at her
f5yher's house in search of lodging.
They purported to be drovers, and
displayed large rolls of money.
Both of the men spoke German flu
emily. They remained in the neigh.
boraood for several days and sue
ceeded in gaining the confidence of
John Hicks. When not securing the
country they could be seen in his so.
ciety.
On the night preceding the disap-
pearance os Hicks one of the men
took his departure. On the follow
ing night the other one also left.
After the lapse of several days the
two strangers returned when the dis
appearance of Hicks was still the
general topic of conversation, and
again secured lodging at Mrs. Beat
tvs home. The flimsy partition
separating her room from their sleep
ing apartment enabled her to hear
all that they said, and before
they left finally she discovered that
they had murdered Hicks and also
where his body was hidden. Being
of an exceedingly nervous tempera~
ment Mrs. Beatty refrained from
speaking of her awful discovery lest
she. too. might suffer the terrible fate
Of Hicks. For almost thirty years
she has withheld the secret of the
murder, and now that she is nearing
the grave she wishes by the tardy
disclosure to relieve her mind of its
cnbearable weight. Steps are being
taken to thoroughly investigate the
matter and, if possible at this late
day, to bring the perpetrators Of the
deed to justce.-Dtspatch.