Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-10-21
Years Lost.

lar stories that we have heard fol
a long time, and although it is of
that marvellous order which stag
gers credulity, yet the facts as we
received them are vouched as true
by persons whose character and
reputation are such as to make il
impossible to doubt.
While the Revolutionary War
was going on, there lived in Phil.
adelphia a switzer named Weitzel,
a watch maker by trade, a man ol
great ingenuity and inventive gen.
ious. Having a great admiration
for Gen. Washington, he construct
ed a watch with peculiar care,
which having placed in a valuable
gold case, he presented to Gen.
Washington, with instructions to
present it to any man he might
find who deserve more of the
American peg.e than Himself.
The Gen6rSl carried the watch un-
til the efforts of Gen. Lafayette
had impressed him with the value
and distinguished character of the
man, and believing that he had
found the man designated by
Weitzel in his instructions, he
compelled Lafayette to accept it.
Lafayette carried the watch until
his return to this country, in 1926,
when, as the guest Of a grateful
free people, he made a tour through
the country, receiving everywhere
the plauditS and welcome OF a
people Of whose history he had
written the brightest page. While
his triumphal journey
he arrived at Nashville, and
while at that city receiving the
congratulations of the citizens of
Tennessee, the watch was stolen.
Every effort possible was made to
recover it; the papers throughout
the whole country advertised it !;
large rewards were offered, and
the detective officers in all the cit
les were on the alert to recover
the watch. But in spite of all
that was done at the time the
watch was not found, and in time
the matter was forgotten.
Not many days since in Wes-
tern city watch exposed for sale
in the window of a pawnbroker
attracted much attention from peo-
pie passing by its peculiar make
and value One day an old gen.
tleman passing the window saw
the watch, and on looking at it
closely became satisfied that he
knew something about it, stepped
into the shop and requested the
pawnbroker to let him examine it.
This was readily granted. After
a moment the old gentleman ex-
claimed, "This was Gen. Lafay.
cites watch, presented to him by
Gen. Washington, and stolen from
him on his visit to this country
in 1925. / know it from the de-
5cription published at the time"
The pawnbroker was astonished
to hear this, and proceeded at once
to exculpate himself by assuring
the gentleman that he did not
have the slightest suspicion that.
it was stolen property; be had
loaned some money upon 1t to a
young girl who was in great dis
tress, and who represented that
it was a family relic which had
been given her by her mother.
The old gentleman insisted that
the girl should be produced; he
wanted to hear her story himself.
He was much excited, and re-
marked that he was one of the
marshals that arranged the pro-
cessions to receive the great guest
on the day the watch was stolen,
and his honor, as well as that of
every man living in the nation,
was involved. The pawnbroker
said nothing was easier, as the
girl, who danced at some place of
entertainment, occupied room in
the next house, and if the gentle