St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-12-06
Homemade Antiques.
HOW A RELIC LOVER WAS LOADED AMI
THE EXPLOSION THAT FOLLOWED.

[From the Virginia City Nev.) Chronicle.I
The general stagnation in business
recently prevailing in Justice Moses
court was considerably relieved yester-
day by the trial of one William n. Hen
bricks, charged with obtaining money
under false pretences. The prosecuting
witness was Henry Wilkins, young
man from Gold Hill, who appeared boil
ing with rage and impatient to pour
into the ear of the justice the story of
his wrongs. He stated that he possessed
IL taste for the antique and rare in art,
and was especially delighted with
choice souvenirs of distinguished people
As he expressed it, ga tender flower
from the tomb of some inspired poet, a
bit of wood from some great cathedral
or a delicate twig flOm some famous
historic spot is to me IL source of eX-
quisite delight" He then told how the
defendant nad sold him cabinet Of
rare curiosities for 800, representing at
the time that they were a collection
from the Old World, when in reality
everything in the lot had been found or
picked up in Story county. He consid-
cred his feelings, taste and general love
for the associations of the past outraged
by the cruel conduct of the accused.
Mr.. Hendricks then took the stand.
He admitted all that had been charged
against him. He had found Wilkins Il
man with an abnormal love for curios-
tiles, Il man continually hunting for old
autographs, rare postage stamps, faded
flowers, and old pieces OF tree bark from
famous places. He had accordingly
manufactured Il lot of these relics.
The articles sold to Wilkins were
here produced by MI. Drake, the prose-
cutting attorney.
Mr.. Drake (picking up piece of old
iron)-What is this?
Witness (grinning)-That, sir, is Il
piece of the cannon ball that wounded
Napoleon at Waterloo.
Mr.. Where did you get it 2
Witness the Fulton foundry, on
the divide. Laughter in court.
Mr.. Drake-Here is another relic, Ia
belled est. Paul's cathedral before the
fire." Where did you get that9
Witness-From my wood pile.
stained it with iodine to give it age.
| More merriment.
Mr.. Drake-And this
Witness-Twig from the grave of
Victor Hugo.
Mr.. Drake-But Hugo isn't dead.
Witness (much astonished)-Is that
so ? l thought he kicked the bucket
last year. Loud laughter.]
Mr.. Drake-Here is brick.
| Witness-FrOm the house of Oliver
Cromwell !; got it on G street. That
bunch of grass you have there didn't
really grow on the grave of Mary Queen
of Scots, but L made Wilkins think so,
and got 81 for it. gathered it down by
the bonanza reservoir. All those other
traps | picked up round town and la
belled them properly, as your honor
can see. Those autographs of Wash
ingtOn, Garibaldi, Lincoln, Wilkes
Booth, Lafayette, Talleyrand, Voltair
and Marcus d. BOruck | wrote myself,
and then laid 'em away in damp place
to give 'em age.
Mr.. Drake did you ever fool anybody
else on these relics?
Witness-I sold an old oil painting to
Henry Smith for $250,-a sketch by
Hogarth | told him. AS matter of
fact, it was an old vinegar bitters pic
ture, so smirched you couldn't see it,
He paid me 800 down and l never
went after the rest. Tremendous mer-
riment, suppressed by Constable Nor
ton. ....-...
The Court-Ain't you the chap that
sold me an original etching by Rem
brandt last summer?
Witness (coolly) Yes, you honor,
and also the pen that John Randolph
signed the Declaration of Independence
with.
Here howl of laughter went up, and
even the stolid features of Constable
Norton relaxed. The court said that it
had heard testimony enough and re-
served it's decision. Justice Moses is
now hunting for some law which can be
so constructed as to cOnsign the defend
ant to State prison for life. -