Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-02-27
r,reer of Harry Buck, Of Richmond

ING eignt llcs My CcllIs
s,reea of Harry Buck. Of Richmond.
pcripg two years past eolored man Of her
euIcan frame aud about forty years Old has
teen performing as jugy'er at various cities IN
L;nselt IIeorv Tor Harry Buck, the Virgin
;,o iursler," aud by his extraordinary ftats
arheycd so much celebrity that he was fuay
engaged at the Cirque Natiouale, in Paris
where his performances every night were ap-
rlaulcd by the delighted spectators 10 the
c,ho.
Buck lived with a very light mulatto woman
AT very pretty cottage in the suburbs OF PasSy
and was fond Of giving little suppcrs to his
friends of the circus whom he always treated
wi,b lavish hospitality, which would have ex-
cited suspicion but for the fact that ne re-
,,,yrl 4 salary OF POO francs Il week, an extra
,r;;uary compensation iu that line of business
in France. In reality however, the juggler IL
creased his earnings by prowIing 10 the night
through The ar;Stocraic suburbs or Paris as a
l;,hw,y,uan. Hr must have carried on this
na,arjons business for several months, Tor
VIXEN hi, house was searched there We're found
nearly one hundred gold and 81 yer watches,
beside, countless articles ct jewclry. Ii Was
found also that he had regularly deposited IN
one Of the PTi>lan savings banks sums tar
exceeding the salary whl1h be rec:lved at the
C:rme Rationale. The manner 10 when he
nrlel a> hirtwayman may be best seen from
what occurred during the affair winch led to
h< arrest aud conviction.
On The 10Th Of January, between II and
!. T. H., Monsieur Barvtrc, retired banker
Of Paris. who owns sumptuous villa at
q pas,y. returned in hack from Paris to his
8 home. The hack stopped at the gate, and
y lr,y, onas soou as NJ NJ Baretre had alighted.
n \ second or two afcrward, before the old
Il bauker had been able to open the gate, which
E was locked tall, dark form rushed upon him,
Ss ard seizing him by the collar, exclaimed in Il
k9 lOw tore, Quick, give me your money and
| ygur watch?' NJ Barctre, as matter OF
B@ course, was not little startled at the sudden
@8 appearance of the stranger, and his surprise
eg chaogel to downright terror wien he looked
$@ hi a,sallan in the face and saw that he was "a
HM back as the ace Of spades, while the firm eX
E@ PRESTON Of the mans eyes l=nt additional signi
Rgs fcauce TO the threat, which he now uttered,
sH Quick quick, or will he bad for you y The
S@ old banker wanted to opeu bis mouth, but he
sssaAA was sltcuc.d by the appearance of pistol,
ss@ which the mysterious and formidable highway
ssW man levcllcd at his head There was nothing
ssM left t'r N, Baretre but to surrender his purse
:sa9 AID watch to the robhcr. Now you will give
;sssH me your Inadvertently said the robber The
lsa ss tanker produced it. The robber thereupon
Sss@ tied /, Very tight rou"d the old gentleman $
EESs hun at the same tiule Then he dealt his vic
HSes tim terrible blow on the head, and ran away
fsHs lie had probably thought that this would stun
k@ the banker, but he was mistaken. NJ Baretre
Es worea wig, and the latter broke the force OF
IA The blow III part. 10 q moment he was on his
M ect again tore the handkerchief from his face
81 and cried out in Shrill voice, Murder, rob-
~ trr>, thieves !" \ policeman stationed in a
" lG.iboring avenue heard his cries, and the
B j.hwayman was arrested NJ Baretre idcn,i-
# lid him at once at the station-h house, and there
81 the prisoner made the following statement to
q the police commissioner ip charge:
My name is Henry Buck. | am forty onc
Years old. My birthplace is Richmond, 10 Nr-
.1nia, North America, where | was a slave for
l"enty-two years. In 1854 | ran away from
My nIaster, and fed to Canada. Being a good
A>'icr, found ready employment, and finally
olnvl the circus of Mr.. Van An,burgh at To-
4 'Nto. travelled with it until 1869 and learut
ny present business, Juggling. appeared III
nSAlly every large city in America. During the
md tciug taken sick, left the circus business,
i,"N- d liStdul ait, Nu' l''eh ulouSg, auN
men Went into the army of the Union, as ser
srani Ia colorcd regiment, but deserted soou
I,''v!Warl, and joined another circus. la 1868
| came 10 E"gianl aud in 1870 to France. |
nav" been punished repeatedly in America, and
,""c u fuslaud, for assaults, but | have never
1'n long IN prison. | am married and have
Two children. lcamot deny having assaulted
,.y complainant. deny to answer as to other
s '9es I | may have committed while ln Paris
dc>Irc counSl :"
E ,ra,' mh me following morning the black high
,"i 'n".~as va! akcnt TO the Mazas prison. iD Paris
nI nv J." Gea t"aarigid examination at The hands
w.," 'y 'aise d Instruction. who succeeded 10
,,,, aiaII confession out of him From this
sExL,nVu LVu turns out that Buck had robbed
r;,' 'Ac weather was favorable, and that
sh< hs hlis'IlHS had generally fallen an easy prey,
"> a,nr s oIayk face, which nearly all of thcm had
n,m''t s,.rr'. ma, k having almost always struck
sSY>,,n 'I9 Their hearts. No one had ever
s 'hat Was the author of these crimes
snr'a "' ute>ssI vcly tl>hionahy, and his inter-
@@rrr',i T',h people in good circumstances had
.'yu any surveillance over his acts on the
rf,a' ~ :L'e '!cc: Ga January Dist he was taken
~, tIN p t"e Seine Tribunal, aud on his confession
h,,n., n"Ea're ease, sentenced to five years
, H., ~ Mi''lon lie was, however, sent back
an$ ~ iiazl> jail in order to be tried on uume
81 I,rM' .'r charges of highway robbery. and it
6yr.S it uHn'tiul but that he will BE- trans