The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-12-18

among the "test" mediums, as they call
themselves, probably on the principle
of Luc,tS non JaGce7ldO, because they
will not bear testing. Mr.. Gregory, in
| his credulous book on "Animal Magne-
tism, F" relates that a ring was given to
one Alexis, a medium of this sort, when
he at once identified it as having be-
longed to Mary Queen of Scots (whose
history the medium was totally ignorant
of, and as having been given to RizzjO,
whose murder was graphically describ-
ed. This was precisely the sort of me-
dunn I was in search of, but have not
vet found. This was not nv fault
either, for have consulted all the best
spiritistic and clairvoyant authorities in
this CITY, New York, B oston, and Chi
| cago. What got was mere emptiness,
coupled indeed with some appearance OF
plausibility, such as might deceive a
credulous or an inexpsrt person. All
the mediums gave me voluble descrlp-
tiOns of the thief, which I took down
with great appearance of earnestuess
and satisfaction. The trouble was no
| two descriptions tailed in any essential
particular, and it was hardly possible
| that this number of various individuals,
| old and young, male and female, rich
and poor, handsome and ugly, tall and
short, fair and dark, had conspired for
| the larceny of one poor watch. Some of
| the clairvoyants who had read the le-
| gend on the watch gave me fluent de.
scriptions of scenes in Lafayette's life,
such as they had read about. Two or
| three indicated (but very faintly) a
slender faculty of thought-reading, by
seeming TO anticipate in outline some of
| my own hazv coniectures in regard to
the theft. But, beyond these things,
and an Oracular solemnity and infinity
of assurance common to all the trade,
none of them went; and, after full trial,
gave up the medium business in dis.
gust, returned the watch to the depart
ment, and sought another way OF en-
trance into the secret.
I wrote to Mr.. John r. Ward, of
Texas, for information in regard to the
pawnbroker at whose sale he had bought
the relic, and, pending the receipt of
this, paid brief visit to Nashville, and
examined the records, newspaper files,
etc, contemporary with the event. I
found good many of the circumstances
set forth in the proclamation of the
mayor of Nashville, offering a reward
for the recovery of the watch. Gen.
Rogers, who commanded the body
guard during the stay of the marquis,
was long dead, but I looked into the
records to ascertain if there were not
some survivors still of the rank and
file. The watch had been stolen from
Lafayette's room at the United States
hotel at night. The marquis had re-
turned from visit to the Hermitage to
attend ball and reception given him
by the citizens of Nashville. Late at
night he had gone to bed. very sleepy
and fatigued. His valet, Pouchon, who
undressed him, remembered distinctly
winding the watch up and placing it in
a case inside the lid of one of the mar
quis' trunks. In the morning, or rather
about noon, when the marquis rose, the
watch was gone. One window OF the
room was partly open, and it was con-
lectured that the thief, who had been
secreted either under the bed or IL q
closet, had escaped by that way. 1t
seemed certain that he could not have
gone out by the corridor, for, besides
the fact that the valet, POuchon, slept
in the ante-room, there was a company
of the guard of bOuor on duty at the
hotel that night and platoon watching
the door of the marquis bedroom all
night to protect him from all int usion.
A Nashville paper of The next day,
speaking of the circumstances, says:
"Of course, when it Is known that
the company of the guard on duty last
night is composed of our first citizens,
men of birth, fortune, and honor, no
suspicion can possibly attach to them.
Two files of the company were on guard
all night in room 70, opposite the state
bedroom, with their door open. There
were never less than three of these gen.
tlemen doing sentry duty at any time
during the night. We give the names
of all of them, in Justice to the entire
guard Of honor, against whose integrity
there have been some ridiculous whis-
pers. But these must be instantly dis
PEELED when we say that these two files
Of men, who alone could have had &C
cess TO our venerated guests room, that
night consisted of Col. Martin KILN
ger, the we'll known Stone river planter,
who was sergeant on duty; Benjamin
Flurnoy, ESQ.,, of the Columbia bar,
corporal of the guard; Rufus Garland,
of st. Marks Church Peter Maynard
(of River street,, Hon. Phillip Sargent,
Judge Chandler, Chester B. Clarke,
Aquilla Flint, Spatcbford Davis, Abner
Y. CrHtchfield, Joseph Montanari, Bush
rod Kennedy, Johannes Klein, John
Horn, ir., and H7acinthe La Crosse,
privates. Such gentlemen are worthy
to be Il guard of honor even for the ven
cradle Marquis de Lafayette, who, we
may say incidentally, regrets as much
the disgrace of Nashville as the loss of
his treasured keepsake"
Of kla fiftapD naFgODG pnunnratnd 7
found there was not q single survivor,
and, though | heard a good many in
teresting anecdotes concerning all of
them, could learn nothing that would
justify me in directing particular in
quires into the history OF any one of
them.
Mr.. Ward, of Texas, courteously an
swering my letter, said he could not
tell me the pawnbrOker's name from
whose effects he had bought the watch ;
but the auctiOneers who conducted the
sale were Benjamin W. Reynolds, Coo
ley & Co., from whom [ cOuld doubtless
obtain all the Information necessary. I
posted at once to Louisville, and saw
Messrs. Reynolds. They informed me
that the sale in question had been made
by order of Isaac Stampfiy, a pawn
broker of Memphis, to whom they gave
me a letter. I went to Memphis and
saw Stampfy, Swiss Jew, with shrewd
but honest face. He objected at first to
giving me any information, fearing it
might make complications and trouble,
but, when I explained my motives and
pressed him, said he remembered the
transaction perfectly we'll, and corro-
borated it by taking down an old ledger
and opening to particular page, where
he showed me the following entry:
"June IS. 1868. Miss Matilda Gar
land, of jackson, Madison county, de-
posits watch (here follows a descrip-
ton, etc., of the relic); $50 lent her on
it for six months. Memorandum-As
there are suspicious circumstances here
she gives me Rev. Mark Tweedy, D. D.,
and Major Biglee as her references.
Teaches school in jackson, and wants to
redeem it. "
81 wonder where Miss Garland is
now ?" / asked. StampHy went to his
desk and found card. Here she is
Mrs. Paul De Long, Grenada, Miss.
She was here not three months since on
a bridal tour. Come 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 concerning it"
took the cars to Grenada, and had