The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-29

SwINDL1NG DoDGE-Huge Joke on tht
Olpners Of Horse Flesh.-On last Friday
there arrived at this place in two-horse
buggy two men. They stopped ut Mullins
Hotel, and registered rs "James Clarke,
Baltimore" and "M. T. Kane, Cumbcr
land" Clarke stated that ho was purchas.
ing horses for the Baltimore City Passenger
railway, and Kane was represented as Q
citizen of Cumberland who was employed
by Clarke to show him (Clarke) through
the country, and was to receive ten dollars
per day for his services. Clarke com.
menccd examining horses at once, and
ere long every man in the county
heard of this wholesale purchaser of horse
flesh. He was giving the highest prices,
and that, too, cash down. While cXamin.
ing he took pains to exhibit roll of green
backs in his possession, the outer bill being
of the denomination Of one thousand dol
lars. He soon made himself known to Mr..
Henry Seymour and DR.. Groves, OF Grant
county. and from each he desired to pur-
chase horse. First he bargaincd TO pay
$500 to MIR. Seymour for one of his horses.
He then proposed to buy three horses
from DR.. Groves, for which be was to pay
$500. After completing the agreement he
borrowed one hundred dollars from MIR.
Seymour, and shortly after borrowed sixty
dollars from DR.. Groves, to each of whom
he slid he had nothing less than 4 thou
sand-dollar note. Clarke ordered all
parties to have their horses at Mullins
Hotel on Monday morning, when he
would pay for them. OF course he
only had thousand-dolar bill, and no one
could change it-not any. Now the sequel :
This fellow, on the strength of an I'M
| changeable thousand-dollar bill, and the
big prices he was paying for horses, sue
cecded in borrowing 500 from Henry
Seymour, $50 from DR.. Groves, $40 from
| John Wilson, and his board bill at the ho-
tel. On Monday morning he was among
| the missing, having got out his horse and
| buggy and lett for parts unknown. The
gentleman who came with him was left in
| bed. Clarke went as far as the old fields,
when he sent his team back by boy, and
| took to tho bushes. 1t Is evident that he
1'oao little Of our surplus change.
| This Clarke, so called, is a tall man
about six feet-rather slim, with dark COM
pleXion black beard OIL the chin. Henry
Seymour and Joseph Cunningham, armed
with warrant, went in pursuit of him
| soon after he was missed, and up to yester-
day the bird was still on the wing. Now,
here is where the joke comes in: Many of
our country friends, who thought they had
sold their horses, found on arriving in town
that they had been sold, and badly sold.
We heard one man whisper: I" BY lingo,
he's going to give me one hundred and
sixty for The crittcr, and he amt worth half
that"
Quite a number Of very valuable horses
were bargained for, and had this so-callcd
Clarke been true to his promises, Hardy
and Grant counties would bavc been de-
prived of their best horse flesh.
This affair reminds us very forcibly of
'IGoI. WestmorelaHd,2 Slightly known to
our readers, who lately went West and pur-
chased n whole town, and then "lit out"
without payins for it.
We hope f1ic lesson thus taught our
| friends may not soon be forgotten, and
| when again thousand-dollar note presents
| itself to their view they will be ready to
"clange it," OF consider both il and its
owner counterfeit.
2. S.-Since the above was put in type
Clarke was arrested and brought to town.
lie was found by Henry Seymour and John
| II. Nanmcter at the house Of Dyer Carroll,
Esq, in Hampehirc county. Squire Dufey
examined him, and ut his request he. was
sent to Jail to be,tricd next Monday.-Fronl
The Moorcfcld Aduertiser Of Friday last.