The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-09-05

az 5Ssssal
strange Credulity A Three Thousand Dollar
Swiindle 80: 5ss
I About EWo weeks ago rs 8 gent farm
tersS living in Madison coupt was riding to-
wards his home, not far distant, he observed q
man and q woman By the road side, engaged
III repairing tin "a few days afterwards
woman called-at his houses and safter somet
conversations ash him il aet Ieeollect
lhes. Hsgf replied that he did not She thentolds
him that She bad seen him on the road q few
days before, and that his appearances ri had,made
such an impression upon mind, that she
Twas compelled TO call and see him, She told
him that she vas an astfologer, and that she
was WeH acan tainted with its mystefies. She
saw at once that he was an ordinary per;
son, and knew that he had been born under "a
particular plane and that great things might
be expected of him, She then took from her,
apron book which seemed to contain q NUN,
bef of grams fgpTe etc.,s read from it,
in an unknewn tongue, q lew Z. hoc1s pocus."
sentences after Which closing it and putting IL
back. iptosits hiding place, she went into. tile
Kitchen, bought few pounds Of butter Of the
wife Of the gentleman for which she paid libe..
Efally, and went on her way 4 -
i A day OF two afterWards, the woman 3 called
again, reitefatfng what she had saidson her first
tvisit the farmer ayips but little attention to
8hat, she said, looking. upon the whole affair as.
an attempt to humbdg hip. Not at all dis;
courage d, the woman called again the next
ldsy, and wound up her conversation by say.
ing that she knew where three hat crowns full
1ofl gold had been buried on his farm, and that
liz he would do as she directed. they could re-.
cover it; but that il was necessary to allays the
spirits that stood guard over. it, that large
sum of money must be present, with them, at
he tincantati6n. She thought five thousand
dollars would be required, but was not sure as
to the amount; and she proposed, if he would
go into il, and furnish the money; that she
would give him t@o.thirds Of the treasure,
while she would reserve the other onethird as
her share, 80, ~ ,; 8, ~: ,;
Up 10 this time, tie farmer appears to have
had no confidence in the wonlan;. but as she
took his hand, and traced the my ysterious lines
therein. telling him the great things in store
for him, he began to place some confidence in
her, especially as she had told him something's
that had occurred in his life that he. supposed
had never been known. About this time be
sold large,lot Of cattle, for which he received
| 10 cash about $4,000. The. next day the :wo;
man called again, and said that So 600 was the
amount required to bepresent to: allay the
spirits. The farmer then, produced the pack;
age of money received for, The cattle, and the
two, sat down to table and counted out S3,-
loco, in bank notes, excepting four small gold
coins. = The money was, then folded up, the
woman all the time making strange motions:
and talking strange talk. The next day and
day after the woman called again, each time
counting the money as before, making the same
signs, &c, but, leaving the, money, with the
farmer, wrapped up in the handkerchief 4,
& Al the next visit, she. required him to takea
solemn oath. that he was not to tell TO living
soul the object. they were in pursuit Of, that
| she was going away, to he absent for q short
time ), be, was not to look at the package Of
money at any time excepting when she was
present; and after making an earnest prayer,
She took hold. Of him while she held the pack
age of money in her hand, and swung hrm'
l,arouad, so that they came together back TO
back, She then gave him back the handkerI
Chief as he. supposed, all right, and told him.
that. She would return on the l5ih, 9th or 18th
( of August, and then they would go in compa
l.ny and secure: the hidden treasure, On the
18th he hardly expected to,meet her, and was
not disappointed that she did not come. On
the 18th he sat.up late at night, expecting her
arrival h,e, li...t.!s a.;,. j ;; s5'..,fs!4ss
After waiting till. near midnight.on the l7th,
he began to suspect all was not right, aud he
feared allsthis might be-a trap to rob him.. So
strong did this suspicion fasten on him, that he
took mp his gun, loaded it, and went out iutp
I the shrubbery surrounding the house, where he
could see all who@ approached without being
Eseen, and remained there until2 o'clock in the
morning. But no one came. As the time had
elapsed that was set for his fair visitor, he con.
sidered, himself absolyed from, his obligation,
never doubling in the least but thai his money
was safely deposited in the handkerchief
~ tUmoliug it carefully, what was his dismay
at seeing, not IA roll of bank bills and four
pieces of gold, as he-had left:it, but q package
ofsbrown paperiandi -four cents ltue thereof
Even the handkerchief had. been changed in.
stead of being his own, lit was one precisely
similar One of the strangest thingsin all this
strange transaction u.s.. that counterfeit five
dollar,bilt thatswas placed in the package Of
money, was taken1out of it andreturned in the
roll of brown paper. How this was doneis d
| mystery wescennot solve. The farmer who has
been so completely batnboozledout of So, 900,
now seeks-to 6nd some remedy law. = &c
Strange as this story may appear to many,
| weshaye the facts from the Iaost undoubted