Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-01-18
Jowelry Recovered Valuable Heir.
looms of the HAMPTON Family.


From the Knoxville Herald 10Th Novl
Yesterday morning young and
rather vcrdant looking man, accom-
panied by n green boy of seventeen
or eighteen years of age, entered
the iewelry store Of Messrs. Smith
& Lyons, in the Lamar House, and
offered for sale n gold curb chain.
After some questioning the chain
was purchased by the proprictors
of the store at regular prices. The
man then produced diamond lady's
pin, and earrings to match, for
which he offered to take the sum of
Sl2. This was also purchashed.
Leaving the store he was gone
few minutes, when he returned
alone, and producing gold chain
with a diamond in the slide, he Of
fered it also for sale. One OF the
firm Mr.. James A. Lyons, suspect
ing the property was stolen, went
out to find the Mayor, while the
other partner kept the countryman
in conversation. One Of the police,
named NJ. V. Bridwell, returned to
the store with the first gentleman,
and after some conversation arrest
ed the man. On being taken into
Il back room he produced two gold
watches, one of which had the name
"W. G. Preston, 1852" on the
watch, IN. Hampton, 1917" on the
case. lie also brought out mag
nifcent gold bracelet with a very
large solitary diamond in it, set in
blue enamel, and a broken gold pen
holder. He first gave his name as
Robert Marion McClain In regard
to the .jewelry he told several stories,
but the most probable one is that
he found it in box, with large
lot of silver ware, near q small
stream in York District, South Caro-
lima He admitted that he knew
by the name who h probable
owners were but could not give any
very good reason why he had come
all the way to Knoxville from South
Carolina to dispose of it. The jew
elry is mostly old style, but is very
valuable, parties versed in the prices
ot-such article estimating it as being
worth $4,000 to $4,000.
The boy who entered the store
with him the first time. was not
along when he was arrested, but a
large crowd having been attracted
by the arrest, he entered the store,
and on being pointed out by one Of
the firm, he was also arrested. The
man asserts that the boy know
nothing whatever about his having
the jewelry, but was merely in his
employ. His Honor, Mayor Lut-
trcl. sent telegram to the Hamp-
t or family, at Columbia, South
Carolina informing them of the ar
rest and recovery Of the jewelry,
and it is supposed some one of them,
or their agent, will come here in a
lew days to identify it We think
it probable that the man actually
did find the .jeweIry as he describes,
where it had been buried, either by
negroes or 'bummers ) for if it had
been buried, by any of the Hamp-
tons, they would have dug it up
long ago. Being buried near Il
a rise in the water has
washed away the earth from over
it. The prisoner is confined in the
Jail, awaiting the arrival of some
one to identify the property. In
the box with the silverware, the
prisoner says, are large number
of papers, and he told Mr. Bridwell
that he wonld very willingly show
the location of the box to any one
who came to recover the jewelry.
Since the above was put in type,
a dispatch has been received from
Wade Hampton, claiming the prop
erty as his, and requesting the May
DR. TO hold the prisoners and the
ewelry until he could get here.
The jewels are in possession o f
NJ - 4