The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-13

! THE NEW SwrSDLE.-The northern pa
pers have recently noticed q very inge-
NOUS swndle, by which persons there were
! deceived with some success, until by seve-
raj gentlemen comparing notes it was
found out that It WAS fraud oat OF
whole cloth. Letters dated In Canada,
and written in most delicate, lady-
like hand, relate q story Of great a.
f1iction, and appeal to the persons to whom
addressed as intelligent and benevolent
gentlemen, having taste for relics Of the
past, to remit the writer o sum of money
Tor two autographs of Washington, which
were enclosed. These autographs are
forgeries, but so well done, and the paper
on which they are written being English
watered, and so ingeniously stained to re.
present age, that they are admirably calcu-
lated to deceive. From all accounts it ap.
pears that the swindler has succeeded ad-
mirably well. The letters, or those We
have seen, are signed, some OF them,
Emma Harding" and others "Caroline
Peyton." The writer over both signatures
pretcnds to be from Virginia, and that
her husband and son eight years old were
brutally shot dead "by the ruthless inva-
der" says Harding-the husband seriously
wounded, and died in England of the re-
opened wound and broken heart, saws Pey-
ton.
The fraud being exposed in the north
ern papers, Emma Harding writes to the
Quebec Morning Chronicle confeSsing the
fraud as to the Washington autographs,
and defending it on the ground that being
reduced to want and without friends she
determined to "quartcr on the enemy"
| The avuwal was very cool but no doubt
the author maintained her or his disguise.
| This. OF course, is all bo>h. The author
was probably never in Virginia al least,
she seems as ready 10 quarter on her
| friends Il, her enemies, because her forge
ries arc appearing in the south. gen.
| tlcmau III tn, city, Il day or two since, sent
! 10 the aai,ircs> Of "Caroluc Pcyton, Belle
! willie, Hastings county, Canada Vest
| t"rnty dollars. He gets two of the forged
! autographs, being II discharge for prl>p-
ucr and pass Tor Mr.. Boniinot, with his
boy Jim, Tor his twenty dollars.
| We copy below the letter signed with
! the name Of Caroline Pcyton:
BtLL%v'LLE, HASTINGS County,
CANADA WEST, July %, 1866.
Sir,-WIil it bc necessary t"r me to
apougiIr Tor writing; ii 80, pray accept
tor my excuse tbc following c\Ptanat"'t
My beloved husband, WHO died lhrl. IN
| ENGLAND, was collector ol literary curl
u>itics, and when in aiilUent circumstances
/ he expended large suns III the accHIuiilt-
/ ton OF what WAS rare. BuI laicl. III coz
j sequence oi ti,c civil w"r, IN which ilr "a
dangerously wounded, hc became greatly
/ reduced ia tact, completely imP"v'i-
! iSned aul wItu The expectation oi re-
/ tricyiug himself, sold our once happy home
/ in Virginia, and icIt ior Europe: but iI,
appointed ~ his expectations there, and
/ dc,tltutiom staring u> IN the lace, hr sick
cncd and died, hi, wound having opened
aircsh hi, heart broke, aud lett me with
| out a protector, in greatest distress, and in
/ a foreign land. No words could express
nv feeling when the dreadful reality be-
came apparent. Gladly would have died
also; but when looked upon my helpless,
darling children, determination 10 live aud
struggle on tor their sake sustained me, aud
now, if my health Is spared, f"ndiy hope
10 bc enabled To support and educate them
by teaching music and my needle. Pray
! excuse my dwelling so long on subject
| unintcrcsting, but must explain the rea-
son why wrote 10 yon.
In looking over my lamented husband )
papers found many relatingto the interest
ing past. At first looked upon them as Of
| little value but when in London offered
few to several American gentlemen
there, they were delighted to have
them, and wished to purchase all at very
high price, but | could not bring myself
TO part with them. 1t was through their
interest and kindness we were enabled to
return 50 far on our way home; but am
compcllcd to remain here from want Of
means to carry lis further; so that, rcluc-
family, am obliged to part with the re-
maindcr.
We are in the greatest distress, and pay
Heaven to remove Us from this drcadful
climate before the coming winter. We
are destitute, and in want OF almost every
thing.
am told, Mr.. -, you are a kind
hearted, noble minded gentleman, and an
admirer of such things. know my be-
but if you will kindly send me twenty
dollars for both, shall be satisfied, and
gratefully thank you.
IL II IL lbllr, lbli- way W >'hi kh'ai "ha
will take some days 10 reach you. Please
therefore reply immediately, Tor III, dar-
ling children are in abject want. y lated
States currency note sent 10 address gwen
viii reach me safely, and can uac II with
ont any trouble. Blc>s Nou, sir; >hall
pr4Scrlut, await lon" ."r.!.
all, sir, yonr obc'ieut, aliiicted 81. mt,
CAR LINE PEYTcA.
n. B.-Pray reply by mex; mail.
Below are copies of the autograph, rn-
closed - the foregoing letter:
HrApQrAKr.R NEW WIND-oK,l
February 4th, 1881. J
t. Jaj,z ii,nttnqton, E>q., Sr.f Ct the
Comtyo 81 Wmi,an, Eo"n'cttctd:
>ir,-At tnc urgent solicitation oI Scve-
lal of the scicctmcn and respectable in
habltants OF the town OF Poughkcepsic, /
hereby authorize YOU 10 discharge from
custody Sanuci Collins, now u prisoner
and confined 10y military warrant Ill the
gaol of said county.
Go. WASHINGTON.
HEADQUARTERS, BERGEN COUNTY,
September l1th, 1850.
.crmi, cot. i, granted to Vi. Huu!in"t,
viii D,> No.. 80. . 4, .s pass and L.
pas the l.,~,. a.. n,"..
g.. HA,"r>GI0N.
These autographs al" danIrdri. G'hc,
auI ma I,Iti,, have. lrr,tyt.U MANI. .#sf