The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-12-18
LAFAYETTE'S WATCH.
Testing Test Mediums BaclS-TrackInc
Rogues over Halt a Century.
Washington Cor n Y Il oh,

AeStnS rest mediums-Back-T Tracking
Rogues Over Halt Century.
Washington Cor. n. Y Globe
Many men have the foible of running
fixed Il cas- to earth. Some are insane
on postage stamps. Some go for old
china. George Selwyn was not happy
unless he witnessed every execution that
TOOK place. Your correspondents fail
ing Is to play amateur detective. In
consequence L have to relate the siDgu-
lar adventures which follow. all of
which (6arr1ng some few changes of
name and locality are strictly true.
On Friday, 10Th June last, my vener-
able friend, Sam Hooper, of Massachu-
se5ts, introduced into the house of rep
resentatives a joint resolution (unani-
mously passed. appropriating $500 for
the purchase and restoration to the
family of the Marquis de Lafayette of
the watch presented to him by General
Washington, and lost by General Lafay-
cite during his last visit to this country.
In connection with the resolution was
statement that the watch was in posses
sion of John R. Ward, ESQ.,, of Texas,
who had purchased it four years ago at
pawnbroker's sale in Louisville for
the sam of S75. It bears the insorip-
ton, &c. Washington to Gilbert Mot
tiers de Lafayette, Lord Corvallis
capitnlation, Yorktown, October, II.
1881" The watch is of the shape known
as bulls eye," which was the fashion
able one at that period, and is heavily
dOuble-cased with gold of high purity.
The exterior is ornamented with classic
devices in high relief an armed and
helmeted warrior presents a crown tc
throned female. The watch bears the
name of the maker, "E. Halifax, Lon
don, 1863. According to the state
ment of General Rogers, of Tennessee,
who was commander of the body-guard
of General Lafayette during his visit to
Nashville in 1925, this watch was stolen
from its owner at that time and its fate
was unknown, although large reward
was offered for its return, until il turned
mp in the way above described" This
statement was vouched for by Congress
man Horace Maynard as being histori-
cally true the genuiueness of the relic
was vouched for by treasury experts,
the only doubt being created by the in
correct spelling of Lafayette's patro-
uymic, M0tier"-doubt quickly dis
Delled by Messrs. G. F. Hoar and Gar
field, who said that Washiugton's ortho-
graphy was none of the best, and that
even Ben. Franklin used to spell soap
"sOpe."
l no sooner read the account of this
in the Congressional Record than was
seized with an irresistible desire to dis
cover the history of tue watch from the
time 1t was stolen, fully persuaded that
quite romance awaited me. After the
adjournment Of congress I proceeded to
accomplish my purpose. The first
thing to do was to get temporary pos
session Ct the watch, which was in
the custody of the state department.
found that it would require me to get
through more red tape than I could un-
taDgle in year to reach it by regular
appro aches; and, as 1 only wanted it
for a week, I determined to cut the
GOrdian knot. But it is a secret too
dead to reveal even to the world how,
by an ingenious combination of hugger
mugger, influence" and trick, I at
last found the venerable jewel in nv
hands. Venerable, indeed It had
rested in @. VS. fob, over his epigas-
trium, in THOSE sulphur-colored breeches,
with all his beloved seals dangling be-
low it. It had been preserved by La
favette through all the trials and perils
of the French revolution. Even the
jailers of Olmutz had spared ito be
at last by a vulgar Nashville
thief ! But was it taken by any vulgar
thief? / was determined to settle that
question at once.
But how? Tennessee had risen in 1925
in pursuit of the sacrilegious thief and |
failed to catch him. Rewards had been |
lavishly offered-alli in vain. What could !
an amateur detective do fifty wears later? |
It. was easy to find John r. Ward. ESQ. |
Of Texas and through him, the Louis |
Vile pawnbroker; but how much nearer |
would that bring me to the thief of two |
back Not step. l knew |
IN old German wizard in Baltimore with |
a remarkably happy knack of revealing |
the hiding-places of stolen goods for a |
But here the goods we're |
in hand, and il was the thief l wanted; |
and it is part of the business of finders /
Of stolen goods to give immunity to /
thieves an share the swag with them. |
In short, the business was very com
vet, as I proposed to deal with /
It, as simple as could be. In short, I |
was persuaded that by resortiDg to the
processes Of modern thaunaturgy, 7 /
could easily make dark way plain.
Onne igIOt1f7t pro nlirjfc0. l had |
never dealt in person with cIairvoyants,
he spiritists, the mediums, but 1 had
read much of their wonders, and was
prepared to believe that all had to do