Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-08-16
Local
a Pious Summer Boarder Gut Short.

A Pious Summer Boarder Gut Short.
CAREER OF A HOTEL BEAT-AT HOME
IN THE HOUSE OF PRAYER AND HOTELS
TOO-BEATING VIRGINIA HOTEL
VARIETY SPRINGS, HYDE's AND WILL
LOW sPoUT-A DAUGHTER AND sON-IN-
LAW THAT CAN'T BE GOT OUT OF WAY
NEsBORO-A BROAD HUMANITARIAN
HAILED BEFORE THE JUDGE AND
CAST INTO PRISON.
SC, &C., &C.
The love feast at the District Quarterly
conference held in the Methodist church on
Sunday afternoon, July 18th tagged a little,
when a tall stranger, clad in a twilled cloth
coal. black pants, and wearing a soft
hat, arose. His age was fifty years, his
hair was light, and long sandy gray whis
kers covered his rather lantern jawed but
prepossessing face. sit may seem strange
to you brethren he said, "that a total
stranger should address you, but 1 do not
feel that | am a stranger. Railways feel at
home in the house of God. 1 always feel
that the children are at home in the house
of the Father. We should never feel as
strangers to each other" He went on in
that strain for a minute or two, using ex-
cellent language and then took his seat,
and at the close Of the meeting he left.
Presiding Elder, Thomas, who was holding
the meeting, Mr.. David S%trasburg, Mr..
B. B. Eskridge and other gentlemen, pres
ent, likely to know nearly all the members
of the church. in the district, could not
identify the gentleman who had made this
hasty visit to the Conference meeting
On Monday morning last, however, he was
again seen under rather different circum-
stances, standing behind the bars of a cell
in the county Jail, and consulting with his
counsel as to the best means of getting
out. Shortly afterwards he was a~rraigned
before Magistrate John M. Kinney. under
the title OF ''Dr, Thomas" on warrants
charging him with a variety of offences.
Capt. James B~umgardner, Jr., represented
the State, and Mr.. II. st. Geo. Tucker, the
prisoner, and the evidence elected which
we give below at length in the order of
date, shows
THE MOST REMARKABLE CAREER OF
BEATING HOTELS
ever practiced in this city and county.
H VIRGINIA HOTEL.
Mr.. Jos. B. Lickliter of the Virginia.
Hotel stated that the prisoner came to hat
house on July 4th, about the time the
afternoon train came in and registered, as
T. OF B. Wister of Va. He said his bag
gage had been miscarried to Lynchburg.
He took a room and staid until the Sunday
following when he went off without paying
his bill.
HYDE'S.
Mr.. VIM. B. Hyde, residing on Augusta
street, said the prisoner anne to his house
on Saturday, July 9Th, stating that his
family was at the Jordan Alum Springs
that he was compelled to stay in the city
until the following Wednesday to get some
money on a draft and he wanted a cheaper
house han a hotel. Witness agreed to
take him at ST. per day and fixed a room
for him. He did not come to occupy it,
however, until Sunday at breakfast. On
Monday he said he needed a little money
and witness advanced him 81 on a pair of
gold spectacles which he said he wouldn't
take 500 for, and which he would redeem
Wednesday when he got his money. Said
he was a Virginian by birth but was now
living and farming in North Carolina. He
disappeared on Monday evening after sup
per. Had not seen him again till now.
VARIETY SPRINGS.
Mr.. G. W. Burruss, proprietor of the
Variety Springs, a popular watering
place a few miles above Staunton, testi-
fled that on the evening of Monday, the
9Th of July. the prisoner arrived there
and registered as "Dr. F. W.
Thomas, Henrico county, Va" Said he
came from Waynesboro, where his daugh-
ter and her husband, Mr.. Meade, were
staying at Mr.. Simpsons, and his baggage
was there, and would come on with them.
He wanted a room in the main hotel
for himself and a cabin for his daughter
and her husband. Witness fitted up the
C1Ulu DIV OuCCs 1llOOuCl Odlu uO Auo q
farm neal Richmond, and wanted to get
his saddle horse from there, and to know
which was the best way to get it. Wit
ness told him to have it brought by
freight to Staunton, and then ride it up
to the Springs. Showed witness this re-
ceipt:
LYNCHBURG June 60, 1878.
$3.50
Received of +. W. Thomas sight draft drawn
by C. W. Thomas. and directed to WatSon'
Lanier s. Co., No AZ Fulton street, New
York, for two hundred and fifty dollars for
collection.
mo. 7. MEADE.
Borrowed a pair of spectacles, saying he
had left his at the office OF Dr. Henke In
sxaunton. Thought he would have stayed
lin Stanton, but it was very hot there.
PriSener represented himself as a farmer