The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-04-10
a Precious Scamp,


A NEW YORK LAWYER COMES TO GRIEF
LAVISH EXPENDITURES AND UNSTINT
ED GENERosITY-THE CLAIMANT OF
Two OR THREE COUNTIES ARRESTED FoF
OBTAINING MONEY UNDER FALSE PRE-
TENsEs-A SHORT CHAPTER ON GEO. N
TOWNSEND.
For several days during the latter part Of
last week and first of this, there luxuriatee
about Staunton, long haired, keen, dramatic
looking individual, with fussy, bombastl'
air of superiority that would have excltet
suspicion, even mad the countenance whicf
accompanied it been more assuring. Ill
business seemed to be principally with tn
telegraph office. but his fondness for news
papers cropped OUT in occasional visits t.
the sanctum Of the various papers, wher
he discussed necessarily on the vast min
eral wealth Of West Virginia, informing al
wl.o asked that he was ''New York law
yer." who had been spending months in tina
State looking up the titles to an immens
tract Of land in which lie was interested AMI
which he proposed to settle and develop
He was acting, as he said, in connection witt
a certain Hon. Harris Hoyt, of Brooklyn
and the other day, upon coming into tn
V1RGINIAN office, Invited special attention
to a paragraph which appeared in the las
Mountain Herald, announcing that tn
aforesaid Hoyt was placing his large surve,,
of lands in Mcdowell and Wyoming coun
ties in the way Of colonization. The news
boys regarded him as perfect bonanza, an
made rush for him as soon as they coult
get the papers in their hands. He neve
thought Of handing them less than quartz
and scorned the idea of accepting change
With the BARRIERS he was also popular, prac
ticing the same liberal tactics on them, ant
manifesting thorough contempt for thu
value of money.
Tuesday evening last he informed Mr.
Crowle, of the Virginia Hotel, where he wal
stopping, that he proposed leaving and ask
ed that his bill be made out and receipted
Shortly afterwards he went to his room, ane
started waiter to the c. &. o. depot to pro
cure him ticket to Washington. The wait
er was intercepted and a note sent to Mr.
Townsend requesting his presence in thu
office. He came down and glided softly int
the embrace of policeman who was wait
ing with warrant for his arrest.
The warrant was sworn out by Mr.. N. A
Rife, of Hinton, W. Va, and to that gentle
man and Mr.. Prince who accompanied him
the 'New York lawyer" was surrendered
to be taken back to the scene of his late ex-
ploits.
The immediate cause of his arrest was
upon the charge of obtaining money under
false pretenses, he having had numerous
drafts on New York, aggregating some $500
or 5000, cashed by Mr.. Rife. The protests
of these drafts were returned after Mr..
Townsend had left West Virginia, but be
was followed to this place, with the result as
above stated.
From all we can learn of this man Town
send. he is precious rascal, and is connect
ed with large-sized swindling establish
ment in New York, which goes by the name
Of Hoyt & Lansing. These men profess to
have secured the title to vast bodies of min
eral lands in Summers, Wyoming, and Nc
Dowell counties. and are seeking to dispose
of them on the bogus titles and tax-receipts
that Townsend has collected. The latter's
first base of operation was Philadelphia,
from which he sent out numerous highly
colored circulars. offering these lands for
sale. An inquiry into the matter by per-
sons in this community, developed the facI
that no such number as that given as his of
flee could be found, and that the whole
thing was swindle. He was arrested in
Philadelphia some time ago on number OF
indictments for forging titles, obtaining
money under false pretenses, &c., and a
long account of his transactions, in which a
number of persons had been defrauded, was
published. How he succeeded In getting
out of the clutches of the law, is not known,
but some months ago he appeared in West
Virginia, and carried things with high
hand. Ea
His lavish expenditures and reckless dis
regard of money, astonished and overawed
the unsuspecting people of the mountains.
and he soon became great favorite with
them. Many stories are told Of his gener-
osity. Upon one occasion he went into a
church where the congregation was trying
to raise an amount sufficient to pay off a
debt. The movement Jagged, until Town
send took the hat from the hand of the good
old deacon, and heading the subscription
with $50, went around among the congrega-
ton, and soon had more money than was
needed. Ag ,;n, he went into one of the
West Virginia towns and seeing the streets
in dilapdated condition, ordered num-
Der of plows and workman to repair them,
and paid the bill out of his own pocket. 1t
was no uncommon thing for him to hand
the sheriff s. bill. when tax ticket for so
cents was presented, a nd to the clerks of the
court he was equally liberal, declaring that
they were not half paid any way.
A number of incidents of his career in
West Virginia and elsewhere have been re-
lated TO us. Many of them would excite
suspicion and some fasten guilt. He has
''pals'' in New York from whom he received
relnittances, and who may help him out OF
the difficulty in which he is now entangled
but we understand there are numerous par
ties whom he has swindled, that are waiting
to get chance at him.
Taken altogether this man Townsend is
about as rich a specimen as usually comes
to the surface, and should be made to suffer
severely for the frauds he has perpetrated.
No doubt hundreds have purchased lands on
the faith of his bogus titles, and as matter
Of course will lose all.
MERCHANTS EXCURsIoN.-Th Wheel
ing Register gives full statement of the
programme for an interstate mercantile ex-
of No W: II: