The Robesonian., 1917-01-29

Leod, now living in Texas, and my
self and J. c. Curr1e. When | reach
ed home q. C. Currie's Sr.) at l
o'clock at night, there l found Tom
Fry (my dead man as l thought)
and William Love, a grand Old
Scotchman who lived on the old
plank road. There these we're at
our house, as l thought in those days
EARNED to the teeth, two six-foot
double-barrel guns, and no deer
could pass William Love in his
young days. Now this was the
first thing that made me feel that
we were more than a match for our
would-be murderers, so we all scrap
ped around and got US gun apiece
flint and steel, etc. The marching Or
ders were given and the war was
on. Brave indeed now! The first
four men mentioned are still living
to tell the story of this nights hunt.
J. C. Currie (brother), William Love
and Tom Fry are gone where Things
are not such as this.
Now we are all back at Mrs. Nc
Farlin's, 2 o'clock a. m. She tells
her first story. She said, 81 have
not sat down tonight '--paclng the
floor all night there alone. Think
: of this poor old woman there just
alone, mile ard a half to her
nearest neighbor! And there in the
darkness of the night holding her
breath, trying to catch the sound OF
the returning feet who were reap
ing where they did not sow; and
will they be satisfied with that on
ly, or will they even take her breath,
too! God saved the woman. Who
can feel the weight of her life that
night without living those very, mo-
ments as she did. If she had not
been a woman of great nerve she
would not have seen the Monday
morning sun rise.
Here is her story: she said just
at dark one negro came to the house
and had rags about his face and
neck (this was Shoemaker John),
and asked her if she wanted some
rails made. A great go this trade
was in this day and time Of the
year. She answered him in the mega
tive. Then he left and she looked
out the window and he was trotting
off, and in a few minutes he was
back and a crowd with him, the color
of a new saddle. They rushed into the
, house and gaye her to understand
these things are ours. They got the
cash, already described, and a gun
and some other little things, then
, thew were demanding her keys to
open up the locked-up, thinking their
. harvest would grow richer; but at
this stage of looting up walks Cur
, rie and Fry and the race was both
,, ways. The Lowrey gang went one
way and the Currie and the Fry
, gang the other. Then our crowd did
! like sensible people: We got up about
! four big hand-torches and struck out
trailing the robbers. We could be
= seen a mile! ..
8 We trailed them about three miles
t Then one of the biggest rains you most
$ ever saw poured down, drowned out
0 our torchlight procession and our
selves, too, nearly. We returned tt
!. Mrs. McFarlin and there she was
Y still pacing the floor. Poor old soul
o death must be rest, sweet rest tt
), her. after such life as this.
= Sheriff Rod Mcmillan is familiar
$ with this episode. This is the ent
Y of my story, which caused me more
o excitement in my life than anytnnle
" | was ever called to pass through
e For five years after it when | woult
. go to a neighbor's house and star
r. up the steps alone just at dark i
It would flash over me like an electrl
II current had been applied to my feet
e Dreadful times after the war an
o Robson county got her full share
IS In the latter days of the war grea
y many Yankees broke prison at Flor
( ence, S. c., and they were Iurkln
e ard hiding in the swamps Of Scut
( fletown: and they helped sow tn
le seed that caused So much troubl
n there in after days. Many citizen
m would nail planks over their VIII
l. dows 50 no one could be spvyin
y through at them. The prayer OF thes
l. fear-ridden people was something
e. like this:
ot "Now l lay me down to sleep,
ut If any one comes prolling aroun'
I ! pray the Lord my soul to wake
e. and fear made it easy to wake; ths
n is. when we did watch as we'll 9
G. pray. c,,Dn11
IN Larrinbure. N. c.
IS Jan. 9, 1917.