American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-10-09

DISTINGUISHED STRANGERS. One of tht
most prominent weaknesses Of our people
whatever may be said to the contrary, is thei
gullbilty. The facility with which they may
be ''taken in" by distinguished strangers" is
really matter of establishment, A Lexington
correspondent of the Louisville Courier fur
nishes the following case in point:
Some time during the summer of l945, there
came to Lexington, unnoticed and unknown, u
Doctor Edward Shumann, German by birth,
and dentist by profession. He seemed an or
binary sort of man; very ordinary in his appear
ance; indeed,a homeIy man-and no one disco
vered any thing remarkable in him, either men
tally or bodily. But not many weeks had pass
cd before indistinct rumors Of some great good
fortune that had befallen the Doctor, came to
be circulated-the public interest began to be
excited about Doctor Shumann-the public
mind became awake to the importance of Doc
tor Shumann-he was suddenly discovered to
be very interesting man, was the Doctor; he
improved very much in his personal appear
ance in few days in the eyes of the public,
and became "SltCh love of man." did the
Doctor-and then when the whole glorious
truth burst upon US, and it was understood that
his rich uncle, "The Count" in Germany, had
died and left him sixty thousand dollars in
cash!!!. hats were off, and supple knees bent;
and sweetest incense from the crowd rose to
the gratihed nasal organs Of Shumann. Who
now so gfeat-so admred-so respected as dear
Mr. Shumann' And yet, how meekly his ho-
nors sit upon him!
Mr.. Shumann resolves to become one of our
landed propretors, and the public ear is next
astonnded at the announcement that he had
bought OF MIR. B, farm for $4,000,
which, a few months before, b had bought
at $40, 000-but, said the public, ShLnla,,n neu-
er qtGarrels or higglsS about price!
He furnishes his house in the handsomest
style-buys bugges, rockaways, horses, cattle,
and farming utensils, upon an extensive scale,
and in his magnfCence, thinks not of pau-but
who can doubt his solvency?
Time passes-and Shumann, hitherto accus-
toned to a life Of busy occupation, wearies of
the monotony of his farm, and determines to
turn his attention to merchandising. Going
North, he purchases large stock of goods-by
far, the greatest portion on a credit-being as
sisted in purchases bv the endorsement Of the
above mentioned MIR. B, whose credit is
unbounded. The store proceeds; things 90 on
swimmingly. A month since Shumann left for
the North, to lay i'll another stock of goods
After few days, his wife received a letter from
him, stating he would return no more to Lex
ington, and advising her that she had better go
10 her fathers house. All now is terror and DIS
may, 1t is now discovered that no fortune ,vas
| left him, and that the whole affair was a sUin-
die. Strange to say, every man you meet, "Sus-
pected from the first that Shumann rOas id
rascal, and things haze turned out just as he ca.
peeled"
Twenty chancery suits are the result of the
Shumann humbug. at is an iIl-wind that
blows nobody good" and verify this one has
blown good to the lawyers, who lick their
chops and look grave, and rub their hands with
inward satisfaction-and in their hearts bless
Shumann.
In the chancery suits Mr.. B is involved.
The bills charge that he was engaged in a
combination with Shumann to deceive and de-
fraud the public, by investing Shumann with
the title to the land; upon which B yet
claims lien for the purchase money, and there
by giving him before the world a credit to
which he was not entitled The charges are
of course denied. B seeks to subject the
farm to the payment Of the unpaid purchase
money, and the other creditors seek to subject
it to their claims, Such is 'the glorious I'M
certainty of the law" that TO predict the result
requires a spirit Of prophecy not possessed by
YOUR correspondent.