The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-03

one Idle ct his nofe," is withou. ,uht OjaIsat
/ fpfiy;dnt. the notorious fwir;,lrr aud hcrft-
thief, aud the mon mccuirih'c villain perhaps
| m the United States. Is Giliu, in his famous
department of robbery as ever Burlington was
in the art of picking pockets, his fame is fcarce
y ieis extenve or lct: terrible. There is
II arcc'y Il" owner of horie i'm Virginia. who has
not heard and execrated the name of Obadiah
Williams. There is fcarceiy county which
has not furnifned him with harvcit for his re-
pacity or 4 market for the produce of his Ia
! bours. Confab!es and SheriHs have RATED the
hue and cry upon him: Courts of iuitice have
arraigned him at their bar : the fenteuce of the
law has heen more than once fiifpended over his
mead, and 1t has been more than once pronour-
ced upon him, but the aitifice. the force or the
money of Williams, have hitherto eluded ali
their exertions. ard protected him acainn the
well earned penalties of his crimes.
The writer Of this article is well acora;r.ed
with the perfon, manners and mind Of Will
ans. His form is athletic, his countenarce
P'eahng: his drefs and addref are thoie of
gentleman. The oiY infnnating 1rpancv Of
his tongue, is in happy union with the unbluft
ing effrontery OF his face. His minds natural
lyitrong, but amoft deititu,e of every artificial
advantage. Still there are moments when he
aftects to PIT on the graces Of an orator, and
the genius of poet. He find +; in it hove yer,
~,
which he moif fuccefsfully brings into rft
comfortable penetration into the characters of
men, an active curiofty, ftrong memory, ana, a
iruitfuneis of expedients, which enables him 20
turn every pairing occurrence to the beit advan-
tage.
There is certain fyifem in this mans coz
duct, which marks each particular dfplay Of
his favourite art. He always fclects fomc NEIGH
honhood where the people are hoipitable and
the hories excellent. When his manners and
addrefs have once recommended hin, TO the ci
WITTY ut the ne'ghb'urhood. he fets his rnifchie-
vous powers into motion. He Wits the Gables,
ir'ecfs fone of the finef horles, and arranges in
h's own mind, the time and manner of complea;
ing hrs coHqbch. Having decarIDcd with his
booty, he flies TO fore diGant ueiyhbourhood
IN fearch Of 4 favourable market. It is here
that another predominant feeling of his mind
develoPes its power, and feeks its Qualification.
M. Williams like true Knight of old, has
tcncer devotion to the fair, which he is a,nbi,i-
Gus Of thowing 20 the bef ADVANTAGE. He fele6ts
fomefairdamfelfo ris Dulcinea: former. he dreF.
es; TO her he writes love fonnets: TO her he
offers vows of eternal fidelity, and foiicits her
hand AS the ereatef boon which Heaven can
give 20 man. And nfances have occurred.
when he has !ometirnesa6tUallv accomplished his
prrpoies, s. when iorletimes he has been driven
from them by the nluiaers OF iuftice When ap
pretended, the firf emotion Of his mind appears
TO anind'spant pride for being fuppoicd CAPABLE
OF tuch meaHncfs. He turns 20 his accuiers,
* rncnaceSther1 with the chafife nent of gentle
man laughs ut their 5po:cnt perfecution and
taun:irgly AXIS them, whether they eyDef IN
find inacfrate, who would DC credu,ous e.
nouS'; TO believe their tale, o. daring enough 10
commit tnch gentleman &c h;nfelfto Jail.
When he has beer once fcured in prifo1. he
carefully enGures ;1:o the extent Of he tefi
IRONY, that is 70 le adduced againn hin. If;t
be weak, he laughs ~ the ps-f-cYtio, of his ac
cutters or threa'enst TO fre them for falfe i,npi
ionmcnt. IF it is too cogent to be treated wifi,
contempt, he employs aole couacil and tries cvc
ry trick of the law, in which long experience
mas made him rot a little converfant, to eiude
its penalties. Sometimes he defends 70 moro
hypocriticai arts. To abate the feveritv Of his
isntence, he affects the greateft contrition for
his crimes: laments the errors OF his youth
confeHeS bimfrlf in open court, and throws
hIin'eif upon the mercy of the Inv. The wri !
ter ofthis article well rccolleGts the conduct of
this man when he was tried at the d;Rri6t conr. |
@! fredericksburg in the fpring of 1909. He
had formerly been acquainted with Williams
and curiOfty drew him as we'll as many others. |
to the door of his prifon. The interview fe;ycd |
to infpire him with new fcntimcn., fselino
ofcompaHioD. He found the walls of his pr;fonY |
covered with drawings and verfes defcrip,;ve
OF the horrors Of imprisonment and the bIeiTinoe
OF liberty His countenanoe betokened an |
guiih and remorfe. Il man Of this character ~,
Pcared not too far removed from the influence
OF rea!onnc, and he formed the romantic idea |
Hfu''nG his efforts to reform the mind of Cha !
d7h Williams. He converted with him more
thar once be eXpatiated upon the predicate
tendency Of bis habits; he contracted what fucb |
a mind rs his was capable of achieving with ire |
hopc!eis and degraded fituation; he called upon
him to awaken the Numbering principles OF his |
virtue, and as the firt atonemcnt to the niur- |
ed Juftice of his country, he exhorted him TO !
contets his crimes and his accompIices. and TO |
make rs ample retribution as he could To the |
|nen Whole property he rad dirpoiled. Will |
pms ieemed penetrated with grief, compunction |
lnd teii-degradation he !amented and condem- |
ved the errors of his life; wept over his dif.on-
y'ate deftiDy and pronifed to 90 all that his |
llv'ier had prompted. He actually confeGed |
crime in the preience Of the court and Pub. |
lhed in the Newsletter n Fredericksburg
iIPer) very imprefve addrefs TO the public. |
declaring his determination n make every
vltutionwhchhIsc neutrality-suspicious. |
hort time proved how hollow and hvoocri |
III were fnch confefnons of his guilt. With |
few days before he was to be fent to the
pvitentiary with his felIow-convicfs, he rofe |
uBn his keepers, or as it was then reported. |
hdverihed them 10 lileDce with money which he
hav iecreted in the fufIing of his crayst tied
thdn !eiZed their mufuuets and n,rcheJ oa