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Rabun County, Georgia
News
Augusta Mirror;
There is a great complaint made at present about the unfair manner in
which fishermen are capturing all the shad in our river above the
Locks, so that no fish can proceed further up the stream. A complete
net is now stretched from shore to shore, so that the shad cannot
possibly reach their spawn-beds in the clear water above the Locks.
This monopoly not only deprives the inhabitants above Augusta from
obtaining any shad, but will shorten our fish crop next year. The
proper authorities should look alter this matter.
Date: 1881-03-08; Paper: Macon Telegraph
Reward of Fidelity. A Pretended Beggar Leaves a Large Fortune to His
Sister
A pretty little romance has just culminated in Rabun County, Ga, J
according to the Savannah News - At the base of Tiger Mountain, half a
mile off the main road leading to Clayton, lives a small farmer named
George W. Dillard. Mr. Dillard is about sixty years of age, living with
his wife and three sons, the latter aged respectively thirty and
twenty-five. Early last summer Mr. Dailard went to his neighborhood
post-office, where he found awaiting him a. letter covered with
postmarks, which denoted that it had traveled a long distance to reach
its destination. The superscription was written in a familiar hand, but
one which he had not seen in a generation. He tore the seal and read
the missive and found it to be from his wife's brother, whom he had
seen for the last time in 1849. At that time James McCurrie was a young
man, as was also George W. Dillard. The news had reached Georgia of the
wonderful discoveries of gold in California. Young Georgians who had
gone there had written back glowing accounts of the fortunes which were
being made. These descriptions had the effect of drawing still others
southward toward the great El Dorado. Among those who were full of the
excitement were McCurrie and Dillard. They had perfected all
arrangements to go and were bidding the families good-bye when Dillard
faltered. The tearful eyes of McCurrie's young sister touched his
heart, especially as she was weeping for him and not for her brother.
Throwing down the bundle he held in his hands, he declared that he
would stay if the girl would marry him.
To all this she cheerfully agreed, so Dillard remained a Georgia
farmer, while McCurrie jumped into the stage-coach and was borne away.
Since that time he had never been heard of. It was with mingled
feelings, therefore, that Dillard started to read the letter from his
old comrade. The letter was a soiled one. McCurrie stated that he had
worked against adverse fortune, declining to write to the folks at home
until he could strike it rich, but every year found him striking it
poorer, and now, old, feeble and poor, his great wish was to look once
more upon his native hills; that he could not do so unless he was sent
money enough upon which to return. Mr. Dillard read the letter to his
wife and sons. "We must send him the money," said the old man, so a cow
and mule were sold and the money went on its mission across the
continent. Several weeks' time brought another letter, in which the old
man expressed his gratefulness for the kindness done him, but he was
too sick to travel then. The other day a large official envelope was
received at the little post-office. It bears the inscription of a
strange hand. The neigh-
bors, one by one. dropped by and told Dillard about its arrival It was
too late for
him to get it then, but he was on hand early next morning. As he read
it his hand trembled. It recited that James McCurrie was dead; that he
wished to test the fidelity of his sister's family; that their prompt
response to his appeal had moved him, and that by his will his property
in California, valued at $1,000,000, was willed in equal parts to his
sister, her husband and their two sons. The two young men are
going to California to superintend the property, which they intend to
concert into cash when they will return to Georgia.
Date: 1887-12-30; Paper: Aberdeen Weekly News
Becoming Insane Brooding over Murder
VIsalla, Nov, 25. — Horace Bradshaw. alias W. J. Foster. Is in
the County Jail in this city on the charge of murder. His mind is
firing way under the strain. In a half demented condition he confessed
to the officers that he killed a man named Thompson In Rabun county,
Ga. on December 13 , 1901 near the cossroads schoolhouse.
Bradshaw says he and a man named Monte York were on road from the
schoolhonse. where the vacation exercises had been held, They met
Thompson, who was a spotter on moonshiners. Bradshaw ami Thompson
quarreled and called each other names. Bradshaw says he thought
Thompson was going to draw a pistol and he got his gun out first and
shot Thompson twice, killing him instantly.
Bradshaw says a cousin of the dead man was near by when the shooting
occurred and was cognizant of what happened. Bradshaw is held for
instructions from The sheriff of Rabun County Ga.
Date: 1903-11-25; Paper: Evening News
AFTER THIRTY-TWO YEARS
Old Man Must Return To Prison and Complete His Term
ATLANTA. GA.. May 26.—Walter Holcombe, seventy-five years old,
who confessed that he escaped from prison in 1877, was brought here
to-day from Rabun county. Ga.. preparatory to being taken back to
prison to-serve out nine years of the sentence from which he is alleged
to have fled, thirty-two years, ago. Holcombe wast sentenced to ten
years for-theft. He said that he went West after his escape, and
returned, to Rabun only a short time ago; thinking that his white hair
and beard would prevent him from being recognised. He returned to his,
Georgia home to live on the proceeds of a modest income, the result of
saving during his long freedom.
Date: 1909-05-27; Paper: Richmond Times Dispatch
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