The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-31
THE LAST OF HIS FAMILY
A CURSE THAT SEEMED TO HAVE
WEIGHT
of When They Eeard of Obed Nor
cross Violent Death


violent death of Obed Norcross out on the
plai?s of Arizona has set some of the old
people in this community of white houses
and salty sedge to talking about the tragedy
Of "Fid1ler's Pond" and the curse which
hung over the Norcross family.
Fiddlcr's Pond is a favorIte resort for
Greenporters who go a-1ishing. 1t lies
about five miles to the south of here, in
shallow basin of hard white sand, a mile in
diameter, and is ncdged about with a rank
growth of sedge. Its entrance from Green
port bay is narrow and crooked, and so
snugly hidden by low-lying sand splits that
strangers are frequently unable to find their
way out after enjoying a days sport in its
clear waters
The pond is literally lined with "fiddler
crabs" who drag their ungainly little
| selves about in the water all cay long, and
at night 90 on shore and fd lie the dark
hours away. Thore is no melody in fiddler
crabs fiddle He arranges himself com
fortaby on his hiudermOst swimmers or
feelers, and saws us claws the one across
tire other like the second violin at the play
| The old fishermen here, who know almost
everything, can't tell what they do it for.
The Fiddler's pond fiidlers are the largest
and prettlest aloIg the coast. Spe 'irlens
| %
fish nursery at Washington for prOpaga-
ton and study They are onsidercd harm
less, but 10 them is due the tragic incident
which lends the Fidder's pond a historic
interest in the eyes of the old stock of Long
| Islanders
Henry Bradshaw. an old Greenporter,
who now lives in Speonk, on the south side
| OF the land and who is stopping here this
summer, remembers the story of the Nor
cross curse very well. Old Mr.. Azariah
| Norcross owred the Bolton farm, adjoining
Fiddler's pond. MIR. Bradshaw was conf
dental friend and adviser Of Mr. Norcross
and drew up his will. He hcped t. lay out
the Old man after he had been killed by a
kick from horse, and he afterward settled
| the NOrCrOss estate.
The NorcroSs family came to GreenpOrt
| from Nantucket under a cloud in 1862.
There were the father and two sofs Aman-
der and Obed. The father was then a tot
tering old man. The boys, who were about
20 years Of age, might have been twins
from their close resemblance to each other.
They were commonly very reserved in their
manner, and repealed all attempts on the
part Of tho good natured villagers to be
come better acquainted with them. At
times they seemed possessed with a fear as
though they were being watched or fol owed
by some one whom they expected would do
them injury. hence it is not to be won
|
with suspicion, and there was no sense of
loss in the community when it was learned
one day that the old man had purchased the
| Squire Benton farm and gone there with
his boys to live.
On Nantucket Azariah Norcross, in his
prime, was a successful farmer and fisher
| man. He lived near "tOwn," and in the
cod fishing season in the fall and spring, g
would drive over to Siasconset with his five
| StalwArt sons and fish in dOricS from the
beach. Hisgood wife would make weekly
trips from the farm with supplies of food
while the tishmg season lasted, and the men
slept nightly in one of the little 'Sconset"
tishermen's cottages nestled on the cliff
close TO Sankaty head lighthouse, with it's
slowly wmking eye. The family was
thrifty one and one of the most industrious
among the fishermen on the beach.
One crisp night in the fall OF 1857 the
fishermen at Scouset were aroused from
their slumbers at midnight by the booming
of cannon at frequent intervals. They
know that 1t meant IA wreck, and to them a
wreck, a valuable one, would not be uuwel
come, for the fishing season had not been a
good one OFF on the Big Rip, ten miles
out to sea, the torches of a stranded vessel
mutely beCkoned for aid The wind was
blowing halt gale, and although there was
every prospect that she would be ground to
pieces ON the sands of the fatal shifting bar
by the swift tides which ssethe over the
shoals, not man among them dared put
his hand to an oar to save life But tho
fishermen were on the alert all night
Whom morning dawned it revealed to them
n dismantled bark pounding to pieces on
the shOnl, while nearly half way off to her,
dancing up and down on the fierce waves,
two mon were urging on a tlsherman'S dory
The mon were AZariah Norcross and his
oldest son, Jasper. BY almost superhuman
effort they reached the bark, which was the
Petrol, OF and for Boston, from Yucatan
with a cargo of tropical woods and fruits
On the quarter dsCk lay the captain IN the
thrOcs of death. Ia was crushed by great
spar which had pinned him down and was
killing HIM with ITS wolght His cOwardly
crow, unable to eXtricate hing, left him and
his luckless ship ut the crack of day 40 seek
the Cape Cod shore in tho ships boat Tho
vessel was fast going to pieces.
Grim -viSaged Azariah Norcross after
reacniHg the ship was but few
moments in determining what to do
He swore in altor years that he believed the
captain to be beyond his aud, so he dlved at
once into the ships cabin an rcappeared
with four bags of silver which he d ecled
his son to throw into the boat. Ho con-
tuued his trips until $4,000 Of the ships
, treasure was transferred To the dancing
dory. And then as the baril'S mainsail fell
over the side in the wreck the two fisher
! men left her and were swept away before
the gale with the curses and imprecations Of
the dying captain ringing in their ears:
"Ny curse upon yci May the cod ofthe
, righteous pursue you and yours to the
gFure'
Twenty minutes later and the Petrol wa
; swept under the sea 10y the tide. Norcro-s
swore his son to secrecy and headed his
boat for Great Point, at tho north cad uf
i, the island, which fair tide enabled him t.
/, double ly nghtfall. The gallo subSded
ana under cover of darkness he roWed into
Nantucket town and hid his treasure under.
the oaken beams OF his kitchen floor Be
fore daylight hS wife had driven himself
and his son to their fishing habiiation, and
they mingled with their curious follows
once more. but with scaled lips aud heavy
cousciences. The curse Of the dying cap
tain was continually ringing in A2ariah
NorcroSS' ears.
; He was soon 10 feel its weight Althourl
he prospcrel in his calling before the sen
son closed his son Jasper, who accompanied
him 10 the wreck Of the Petrol, was drowned
by the capSIziug OF his dory off Tom Novcrs
, Head. The body was II YER recovered
During the winter his wife diel from loci-
jaw which followed the accidental stepping
ON n rusty nail The next summer his
two sons, Nicholas and Carlton, sturdy
and ambitious young fellows, wele lost
from a Great BlnSs' lis INK vessel q
fog They rowed away from the vessel
in the morning to set tbalr trn wis aud