The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-12-19
Thomas J. Hunler.
L0f0yette'S WOtcH.
Roat trIo STORY OF THE TRAVELS OF A r1Mrpl


Roa<TI9 STORY OF THE TRAVELS OF TIMEPIECE.
- wis be remembered that in June, 1874,
Samuel Hooper presented joint resolu-
ATtne House of Representatives, appropri-
/ atls S9Oo for the purchase and restoration to
ItaiamI'y OF the Marquis de Lafayette of the
stch presented to him by Gen. Washington,
ad lgst by Gen. Lafayette during his last visit
tethis country. In connection with the reso-
laion was statement that the watch was in
to possession of John r. Ward, ESQ.,, of Texas,
wo haH purchased it four years ago at pawn
bpkerS sale in Louisville, for the sum of sew
eny- y-hVe dollars. 1t bears the inscription =
washington to Gilbert Mottier de Lafayette,
Sornwallls' capitulation, Yorktown, Octo
III -%s1Tti. During the visit of the Marquis
Nashville in 1925 this watch mysteriousy
saPpeared, and was never heard of again un-
y y tur1sdaapin the hands of John R. Ward.
! 9 .sas. An amateur detective has beenlrac-
| spergrinations and has given the result
!; IN. tire New York World. He set him
orb in dead earnest to find out who
rs.ss ) Z. was very arduous : SIX.
- 1ss.,sS-..s,.g ,.s q - -
!. scte descriptions Of the thief; but each me-
e.ium differed from the other in the description.
This expedent failed He next resorted to an
examl cation OF the records, newspaper files,
etc., at Nashville, contemporary with the
event The watch was stolen from Lafayette's
room at the United States Hotel in Nashville,
spite of the strong guard Of distinguished citi-
zens," who watched during the sleeping hours
of the Marquis. One window of the room was
partly open, and it was conjectured that the
thief who had been secreted either under the
bed or in closet, had escaped by that way.
He endeavored to interview the guard of
honor" but they were each and every one of
them dead, and he got no satisfaction out of
them. He then made another shift Posting
at once to Louisville, he interviewed the firm who
auctioneered the watch off among the effects of
the pawnbroker into whose hands the watch
fell. He says:
They informed me that the sale in question
had been made by order of Isaac Stampfy,
pawnbroker of Memphis, to whom they gay
me letter. l went to Memphis and saw
StampAy, a Swiss Jew, with shrewd, but
honest face. He objected first to giving me
any information, fearing it might make CON-
plications and trouble but, when l explained
my motives and pressed him, said he remem-
bered the transaction perfectly well, and cor
roborated it by taking down an old ledger and
opening to particular page, where be showed
me the following entry:
June Is, 1868. Miss Matilda Garland, of
Jackson, Madison county, deposits watch
there follows description, &C., of the relic;)
thirty-6ve dollars lent her on it for six months.
Memorandum. AS there are suspicious circum
stances here, size gives me Rev. Mark Tweedy,
D. D., and Major Bglee as her references
Teaches school in jackson, and wants to re-
deem it.
81 wonder where Miss Garland is nsw?"
asked. Stampfy went to his desk and found a
card. "Here she is Mrs. Paul De Long, Gren-
ada, Miss She was here not three months
since cna bridal tour. Came to redeem the
watch. Was much distressed that it was Sold
Asked me to hunt it up, and left that address
in case should make any discoveries concern
ng it.'f
h" ha' With fer she said thet her
az, was lorteu to have been one of
j .yettes body guard, but was much Mortified
. n told that We watch, which she supposed
Lafayette gave to him, was really stolen from
he Marquis. Mrs. De Long then gave hsto-
ry of the watch so far as she knew anything
about it. Wegive the gist of her account. Her
grandfather died suddenly in 1917, leaving his
library and desk to her father, who was killed
during the last war, leaving the family utterly
destitute. Piece by piece they sold all they
had to keep body and soul together. We quote
her own words now:
cat Last, when we were half starved, per-
suaded her to sell the secretary, too, and was
cleaning out the old papers from the drawers,
and brushing the dust and cobwebs out prepa-
ratory to sending it to the auction room, when
this little spring here (she mad gone to the desk
to show me) few back, thus opening the drawer
and disclosing the old watch snugly nestled
away upon the cotton. pounced upon it as a
treasure sent from heaven, and next day took
it to Memphis and pawned it to old Stampfy."
After series of questions, it was at last de-
termined to examine the "secretary." false
bottom was found in that self-same secret draw
er, under which was discovered draft for E so
on London banking house, drawn in favor of
Rufus Garland, and the history of the stolen
watch in Rev. DR.. Garland's handwriting
Here it is:
NASHVILLE, Dec. Is, 1S46.-This has been. a
very sad day to me. This forenoon came to me
my old friend and comrade, Benjamin Flurnoy
of Columbia, in great distress of mind, and
asked me to lock the doors and hear him make
disgraceful confession. Then he laid before
my astonished eyes the long missing watch of
Lafayette, the loss of which caused such excite
ment 81 stole it," he said: ~ stole it, Rufus,
and hid his face from me and wept scalding
tears. Presently, when 1 had conf ,rted him
and he grew more calm, he said "The doctor
tells me have not long to live; my heart is
diseased. l desire you to make restitution for
me. Here is all the money needed-take the
sccursed wedge of Achan from my sight-it has
tortured my whole life-restore it to the heirs
without exposing me. | have had misery
enough" And again he bowed his white head
| -lndb Hetu 80 HOuOEeu-dhu WoPV' iAV" Viu
this happen, Benismin2" asked. Said he
- u III ~ yoR s4acr.ber, we were all upon
d. You and The rest were asleep, but
spatch, Davis, La Cross, and were on guard
fqr spell of two hours. We had all been
linking heavily-poor spatch and Hyacinthe
f j; asleep on their post and the devil was in
le. wanted something that belonged to tie
| Marquis, stole into his room, past old Pou-
ehon, who was snoring So tired and worn out
the old Marquis looked l opened the trunk,
seeking ribbon, handkerchief, or the like
The first thing saw was the watch, and with
out thinking, put it in my pocket, raised the
window gently, and crept like thief as l was
| from the room. AS l crossed the threshold
heard the old Marquis call out in his sleep =
sArretez vous, Monsieur! Nobiesse oblige !!
Stung to the quick turned back to restore the
watch, but just then Pouchon aroused, and
escaped. have never known happy minute
SINCE" My poor friend l could look in his
haggard face and believe him. told him
however, that 1 could not consent to deal with
tho matter in clandestine way. There need
| - Il. A L..I fi,,o