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[for tub WESTERV DEMOCRAT.]Nixon Curry.Mr. Editor:—Your interesting extract from the Little Rock Gazette, of May, 1840. iu reference to Nixon Curry, has induced mo to ascertain the facts of the ease so far as known from his surviving sister, a respectable old lady now in the 80th year of her age. a citizen of your county. Her narrative of the case involves something of the manners and customs of filly years ago, but will not on that account be less interesting.James Curry, the father of Nixon Curry, a respectable citizen of Mecklenburg county, but not a preacher, owned and lived on the place now known as the Springs place, four miles South of Davidson College, on the Charlotte and Statesville Road. He had eight children, of whom Nixon was the youngest. James Curry died when Nixon was about 12 years old.At that time horse racing was the favorite amusement of our people. The race was a grand festival, which attracted large crowds of both sexes from a distance, similar to the crowds which now attend our College Commencements. Many of our most substantial citizens raised horses i'or the turf and at fixed times carried them to the race courses, and carried their wives and daughters to witness the races. Nixou Curry became a celebrated rider after he grew up, and frequently had charge for several days of horses brought from a distance which he rode on the race. He was thus brought in contact and ac-Dovcy , his future wife, for the first time.They were then both grown and they married not a great while after their acquaintance. So that the story about their love from childhood is all fancy. It is true he married against the wishes of his wife’s uncle, with whom she was living. But there was no pursuit, or bringing to bay, or shooting rivals. A short time afterwards, Benjamin Wilson was found dead and Nixon Curry was suspected of being his murderer. He avoided the officers for several weeks, hut remained in the neighborhood among hisfriends. At length, by the advice of Mr ,whose horses he had been in the habit of riding on the race courses, he went to Charlotte, and surrendered himself. His trial was removed to Morgauton and he was acquitted. He was, however, soou after indicted and convicted upon another charge.Before he was married, and before the murder of Wilson, he went on one occasion to Georgia to nttend the race courses there as a rider, lie and another young man went together in a small wagon. About the same time a negro belonging to a Mr Gibson was missing and never afterwards found. While Curry was on his trial for the murder of Wilson, the companion of this trip to the Georgia race paths, told that Gibson’s missing negro had gone to Georgia with them, and that lie (the negro) and Nixon left the wagon one morning and that Nixon returned without the negro. On this evidence Nixon was iudicted as soon as lie was acquitted of Wilson’s murder, and convicted in Iredell county. He afterwards broke jail in Statesville by the aid of friends and went to his sister’s in Kentucky. lie remained with her till his nephew came to North Carolina and carried his wife out to him. He and his wife immediately went to Arkansas where his wife soon after died, and he afterwards married a second wife and had three children by her. lie had none by his first wife. lie was killed in a fight in a public place by a stab given him, with his own dirk, by his political opponent and antagonist, upon a sudden quarrel ou a political question. A Mr Montgomery, who was raised iu the same neighborhood with Nixou Curry, was present and witnessed his death and retailed it to his surviving sister. When Curry escaped from Iredell jail he found near the jail waiting for him a saddled horse which he mouuted and rode to Kentucky. This occurred just forty-five years ago. His sister remembers the date from the age of her son Nixon, whom she uanied after him while he was in jail in Statesville, aud whom she frequently bore iu her arms visiting him in jail. lie was in prison about.three years in all on both indictuieuts. His bold robberies on the Alleghanies of North Carolina are as much the figment of fancy as the story of his dream to his first and childhood's love.Davidson College, July 22, 18118.
Newspaper Details
Charlotte Western Democrat
Charlotte, North Carolina, US
Tue, Jul 28, 1868
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 09 Aug 2024
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