Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-09-18

DIR. Hamilton, who married a lady in
Woodstock, Vermont, in July. 1892. and
another in Belleville, New Jersey. in
June last, and afterwards deserted them
in most shameful manner, furnishes US
with the following biography of the gem
tleman:
"In the year 1870, man answering
the description of Dr. Hamilton. made
his appearance In the town Of Florence.
Alabama, calling himself Doctor John
X. Bedford, and announced himself in
the Gazette as practitioner of medi-
cine and surgery. There were at the
time four regular physicians in Florence,
ali. in good repute, and as they were
considered sufficient for the place, DIR.
Bedford was advised by the good citi-
Zens to remove to new settlement CALI
ed the Big Spring, which was destitute
OF medical man, and sometimes very
slckly. Under these circumstances, DIR.
Bedford thought the village might be
capable of aRording some advantages
to the emigrant, and accordingly he soon
located himself at the place in question.
His entrance was made welcome by the
inhabitants of the village, who, being
anxious to retain so valuable membes.
of society, failed not to extend to him
every courtesy and attention due to a
gentleman. The Doctor had not been
at Big Spring long before he concluded
to make a permanent settlement, in Or.
der to do which he took into his head
that he must needs marry. There was
in the village beautiful young lady of
rare accomplishments, and refined edu
cation, who soon ensnared the wiling
heart of the Doctor; she possessed an
estate worth about twenty thousand dol
lars, which of all things most delighted
the fancy Of our hero. He addressed
her; she consented; the preliminaries
were soon settled, but before the knot
could be tied, business Of Importance
called him to Nashville. On his return
home, he unluclzily stopped at Florence
to visit those kind friends, by whose add
vice he had made his fortune. Whilst
dining at Florence Inn, a man from Ken
lucky took his seat at the table, who in.
stantly recognized Doctor Bedford to be
his old friend, Mr.. William Talbot, Of
Lexington, Ky. aprofessor Of the art and
mystery Of cordwaining The Doctor
was COMPOUNDED, protested the gentle
man was mistaken in the person, and
declared most veLemently that he would
prosecute him if he dared to utter such
falsehoods. The Kentucldan was not
easily moved by such threats, and con-
tinued to reiterate what he had previ-
ously stated. The onfusion of the doc
tor was SO great, he could not finish his
dinner, but hastily departed TO institute
a suit against the man who had uttered
such outrageous libels; and that was The
last seen Of MIN by the citizcns Of Flo
renee.
In the mean time, Doctor Bedford re-
paired TO Big Spring, where he borrow
ed a carriage with horses, and a negro
servant of a gentleman, into whose good
graces he had initiated himself, telling
him that person in Tennessee had sent
for him, to operate in case of lithoto-
my, which rendered it important that he
should depart post haste. Since then,
the inhabitants of Big Spring have not
been honored by visit from DIR. Bed.
ford, nor has the gentleman heard of
his carriage, horses or negro.
The Kentuckian stated, that he and
Bedford, who had wife and two chill
dren, were employed in the same shop
more than year, when the latter was
discharged, in consequence of his igno-
rance of the trade, and consequent ina
bility to perform the duties assigned
him, and that since his departure he had
frequently heard of his practising medi-
cine by authority of apatent right which
he had purchased of DR.. Thompson of
Boston. This statement at the time was
considered doubtful by many, and there
being some anxiety manifested on the
subject an examination was entered
into, when it was ascertained that Bed
ford came to Lexington in the year 1918,
assuming the name of Talbot, bringing
with him his wife and her mother, Mrs.
Jackson, who were formerly of Alexan-
dria, District of Columbia; that Miss
jackson brought him an estate at the
time OF her marriage, in negroes and
other property, amounting to about
$4,000 dollars, which he had squander-
ed away, and then abandoned her in a
land of strangers. From the descrip-
ton of the man, and the notorieiy OF
his character, there can be no doubt,
that DIR. James Hamilton, alias John
Randolph Bedford, alias c. Gallop, is
the same DIR. Bedford who hourished at
Big Spring, and the same VIM. Talbot,