St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-02-16
A First Glass Fraud.

lowing obituary of L. B. Partridge
who has been "A resident of Danville
for the past ten years,-but who fled
the state IA few weeks ago:
An examination into the facts show
that Partridge committed forgery. in
signing to note for the sum of S5I d
the name of Henry Baxter, a well
known citizen of Highgate. The nota
is dated Nov. Sd, 1876, and PAYABLE to
Geo. Tisdale at the Merchants Nation
al Bank of st. JOhnsbury in two months
from the date thereof. The note he
came due the Sd of January, and Par
fridge not having the means to pay the
same at maturity, and fearing the pros
ecutiOn that might follow, "folded his
tents and silently stole away.n For
few days he was reported as being in
Canada, but later information received
from him by his friends in this village
from Yankton, Dakota, leads them to
suppose that he has gone to the Black
Hills.
Partridge is young man of int ILL.,
gence and good address, with "cbeekn
enough for small sized nation, but
his career so far as we can discover
has been utterly devoid of ANYTHING
like honesty or fair dealing.-He has
had many opportunities of doing well,
but has always, through his Unsuitable
desire to "beatn and swindIe somebody
come out of the little end of the horn.
He early commenced operations by
trying to swindle the Equitable Life
Insurance Company out of Sl5OOO
-,
as to procure the policy from that Com
pany, with receipts in full payment.
and this without having paid a cent.
He then attempted to sell the policy,
but before concentrating the sale IA
special agent of the aforesaid Company
came to this town and quietly obtained
possession of the policy. Partridge
later became agent for several Fire
Insurance Companies, and among 9th
ers the Amazon of Cincinnati. He is
sued several policies for the last named
company, collected the pay therefor
and converted the money to his own
use, amounting in the aggregate to
some $500 or 5000. Suit was begun
against him and he confessed Judgment
to something like that amount and an
execution was issued against him. The
execution not being in proper form,
another one was either procured or
applied foT after the lapse of year.
The last one was considered illegal by
his counsel, and the point involved
being solely nice question of law, was
carried to the Supreme Court of Yer
mont, and at the October term of 1876,
Il decision was rendered favorable to
bn
through technicalites-f from the clutch
es of the law, although there is no
doubt about the misrepresentation of
the Company's funds. For time
Partridge was travelling salesman for
H. K. Thu Der & Co, of New York,
and we are, informed that he also man
aged to ''beat" that house out of ST.
200. Sheriff Preston of st. Johnsbury
is ''mOurner" by this flight to the
sum Of something like $3.50, in conse-
queuce of allowing Partridge to run at
large the bail on a writ which he held
having run out short time ago.
The above are some of the larger
swindles perpetrated by Partridge,
which are pretty widely and generally
known in this section. There are
many smaller ones which we do not
care to mention. He has, during the
past five years, so to speak, "swung on
the Jail door," and has only kept from
swinging clear in, through the interpo-
sition of his father-in-Iaw who resides
in this will ge, and whose generosity,
good nature and kindness have been
sorely and severely taxed on many
occasions. No one not acquainted with
all the facts can conceive what this
worthy gentleman has suffered in mind
and purse in consequence of the nefari-
GUS tricks of his son-in-law.
As an honest, square man, L. B.
Partridge is total failure, but as a
cheat, swindle and royal liar, he is
a magnificent success. He can approach
a stranger with the greatest suavity,
and convince nine-tenths of those with
whom he comes in contact that the
moon is made of green cheese. Ever
since he went away we have been sad
and lonely because there has been no.
body to swell around and lie to us.
George Barnard of Burlington was
instantly killed by falling down stairs,
a few days ago.
Two brothers named Barron of Ben
ningron quarreled, Wednesday, and
one threw stone griddle at the other,
killing child of the family standing