Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-05-26
SIR HARRY HIGHFLYER.
A Suicides Last Car0use.

VINO knew The town Detter, than Slr liar
ry Highfyer? He was, as the phrase is,
in every thing, and the best man at ev-
cry thing-supreme in each pursuit that
had fashion for its sanction, He was d
member of the Four-in-hand- Club; and
it was universally admitted that no gen.
tleman could drive his own coachman to
Salt Hill in better style. He was the
best dresser in London; and ruined three
tailors by the disnterested readiness with
which he exhibited their choicest pro-
ductions on his own well-formed person.
His dinners were the most recherches, his
wines the most exquisite that money
could purchase-and certainly they had
cost dearly to the tavern-keepers whom
he promised to pay for them. He was
celebrated in the Fives Court: and if he
was unable to lick young Belcher, who
from constant practice had the advantage
of him; or the boxing coal-heaver, who
was his superior in weight; he had done
all that could be required of gentleman
he had tried. He was the best shot
in England. Twice did he brush the
morning dew from the grass of Mary-le-
bone Fields in his way to Chalk Farm,
and on both occasions had he the good
fortune to kill his man. The first was
Major O'Blaze, scoundrel, as Sir Har-
ry Justly termed him, who had seduced
the Baronet's mistress; the other, Mr..
Hardacre, plain country squire, who
had the temerity to call Sir Harry a
scoundrel for eloping with his wife,
Here again had Sir Harry done all that
could be required of gentleman. But
those were not his only claims to that IT,
tie. In single night he won seventeen
thousand pounds Of a young Lackbrain,
a tyro in those matters, at hazard. Find
ing that by selling his commission in
the - dragons, drawing upon his agent
to the utmost farthing in his hands, and
pledging his pictures, his books, and the
lease Of his chambers in Albany, young
Lackbrain could raise no more than nine
thousand pounds towards the amount of
his loss; he generously, with respect to
the remaining sum, declared that as he
should hold it unbecoming a friend and
gentleman to press for its immediate
payment, MIR. Lackbrain might set his
mind prefectly at ease about it, upon
signing bond, for principal and interest,
to be payable in twelve-nay, even fif-
teen months. Sir Harry began life with
fortune of eighteen thousand year.
Having somewhat of n turn for arthme-
tic, he at once preceived that 1t would
be imprudent to spend more than twenty
thousand, and wisely resolved to limit his
expenditures by that sum, or tw enty-five
at the utmost. But circumstances, which
might have baffled the wisest calcula-
tions, so ordered it, that thirty was usual
ly much nearer the mark; and however
extraordinary it may appear to'persons un-
accustomed to investigate such matters,
the consequence Of these continued dis
crepancies between the income and the
outgoing, was, that one fine sun-shiny
morning his debts were found to amount
to 1902 ,357l. l8s. 9sd-a very complica-
ted and ugly-looking row of figures
whilst his assets were gracefully pictured
forth by that simple and elegantly-formed
symbol (O) representing NoUGHT. To
use his own emphatic phrase, Sir Harry
found himself " most magnanimous-
ly dished." 1t was towards the close of
the London season of 1917, that he made
this wonderful discovery. What was to
be done He could not at the moment
determine. Free air and solitude were
necessary to put his mind into fit state
for reflection so, calling for his hat and
gloves, he sailed forth, and avoiding dear
Bond-street, and all the more frequented
avenues, he crossed St. Alban's-street,
sidled through St. James Market, felt
his way along dirty ,dingy defile, called
Swallow-street, and after passing thro'
sundry dark passages on the north of Ok
ford street, he, at length, found himself
in the Mary-le-bone fields. There he
sauntered about for some time, but to
no purpose: ne-hundred-and-two thou
sand and odd pounds, shillings, and
pence, were not to be picked up in the
Mary-le-bone fields; and what else un-
der Heaven could set him afloat again
The more he thought, the more desperate
did his position appear to him. But
there is an old French proverb that tells
us that force de chercher Pom troure
and so it happened to Sir Harry: for by
dnt of thinking and walking, and walk
ing and thinking, he all at once found
himself on the identical spot where he
had killed his friends Hardacre and Ma
jor O'Blaze. Here, by that fine opera
ton of the mind, called the association
Of ideas, an easy and certain mode Of ar,