Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-02-02
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Correspondence Of the Yorkvilie Enquirer.
LETTER FROM TEXAS.

A
APARTY OF EMIGRANTs.
GROVE, Lamar Co., Texas, January 1s.--1
will endeavor to give the readers OF the EN-
oU1RER a few lines from the Lone Star State,
which may prove of interest to the friends of
the colony that recently emigrated to this
place from York county, S. c., and CASTOR
county, N. G.
In the first place, as learn there are differ
ent versions of misfortune that befell some
of our party at Chattanooga, Tenn, will at
tempt to give correct account of the affair.
On our way out, we had to lie over at Chat
tanooga from s A. NJ. until P. NJ, which
detention kept us there nearly a whole day,
and gave confidence men, who .are ever on the
alert, an opportunity to ascertain the names
of several of the party, rs also our destination.
Shortly after we had boarded the train, two
plausible and well dressed men entered the
car in which we were seated, and one of them,
who called himself Carter, asked Joseph Jen-
kins, one of our party, to share his seat with
him. Jenkins was inclined to demur, saying
that his children would want it. Carter,
however. said he would sit in it awhile, any
how, and taking a seat on it by jenkins, COM
menced a conversation about Texas. lie
claimed to be well acquainted in the State,
and said he knew Mr.. Cross, and that he was
a very clever fellow. He represented himself
as a merchant in Paris, Texas, and said he
was doing large business there.
At this point of the conversation, con-
federate of Carter's, calling himself Morgan,
and representing himself as freight agent,
came up to Carter and told him he would
have to pay the freight on his goods before he
could ship them. Morgan then withdrew, and
Carter asked Jenkins if he could change or
give him currency for a United States bond OF
81, 900. Jenkins replied that he could not.
Carter then asked him if he could loan him
S1OO until their arrival at Paris, as they
were going on the same train, and he would
pay the money back as soon as they reached
Paris. Jenkins replied that he had some
money, but he would need it. Carter insisted,
saving he would be sure to pay it as soon as
they arrived at Paris. Jenkins then called up
his wife:as she had the money, and the three
retired to the saloon of the car, and Mrs. Jen-
kins producing the money, Carter took it, for
the purpose of counting the amount he want
ed, as he said he could see better than either
of the others. After counting, as he said, one
hundred dollars, he returned the balance to
Jenkins, and then left the car. This circum-
stance aroused some suspicion in Jenkins
mind, but Carter returning directly, he dis
missed them.
Morgan next entered the car, and as
suming the role just previously enacted by
Carter, approached Mr.. Hoover and asked him
if he could give currency for United States
bond. Hoover peremptorily told him that he
could not, whereupon Morgan went into the
next car, and commenced conversation with
Robt. A. Black of precisely the same tenor as
that of Carter with Jenkins. He represented
himself as a merchant in Paris, Texas, and told
Black, that he, Black, called at his store when
he visited Texas last summer. While thus
talking to Black, Morgan, personatmg a freight
agent, came up and told Carter that his goods
were ready but he could not ship them until
the freight was paid. Morgan then asked
Black if he could exchange currency for
United States gold bond Of 81, 600. Black re-
piled that he had some money, about $275, but
he would need it as soon as he would arrive at
Paris. Morgan then requested Black to try
and get up some more, and told him ne could
retain the bond until they reached Paris, when
he would refund the money. Black then call
ed up J. J. L. Gill and explaining Morgan's
wish, asked him if he could furnish some
money for Morgan, the bond to be retained
until the money was refunded. Gill took MS
money from his pocket, when we went
into the saloon to count it. Of Gill's mon
ey Morgan counted $24O or S34O, but re-
turned Blacks to him, and asked Gill II ne
didn't have more, as it would accommodate
him very much if he could get larger amount.
Gill replied that he had more, but could not
get to it conveniently. We then came out OF
the saloon, and Morgan taking Blacks money
from his hand, remarked to his confederate,
who happened to come up just at this moment,
"We will 90 into our private room and count
it,
The train was now starting, and as the con-
fidence men were passing through the car,
Gill concluded he would 60 along and count,
too. But on attempting to enter the next
coach, he was told by Carter that he could not
come into it. Gill followed, however, and
Morgan hurried on through the coach and
Jumped off. Gill pursued, and reaching the
rear of the coach, jumped off too, falling as he
did so, the train having gotten under way.
When he was seen to fall, R. S. Adams and
O. D. Wallace pulled the bell-cord, which
brought the train to a stop. Morgan ran
around the train, followed by Gill, who pursued
him so closely that he turned and handed Gill
his money back and also assisted him to get ton
the car. In the excitement, Gill did not think
of Blacks money, nor did he know that Jen-
kins had also been duped by the same sharp
ers-their transaction with him having oc-
Cured in different car. The whole affair oc-
cupied much less time than it requires to re-
late it.
With no other mishap worth mentioning,
our colony reached here safely, and all are well
pleased with the country. We are now hay
ing quite wintry spell, however, with ice,
rain, sleet and snow.
One of the natural curiosities of the coun-
try-a horned rabbit-was killed this morning
by R. S. Adams, who exhibited the trophy to
his friends. The animal resembles our ordi-
nary old-6eld rabbit, with the exception OF the
horns, which grow between the eyes and ears,
and of the one killed, the horns are 4 inches
long and q in circumference.
For the information of our friends in South
Carolina, 1 would say that the postoffice OF all
our colony, except H. H. Ford, Robert Love
and @. D. Wallace, is the same as given at the
head of this letter. Messrs. Ford and Love
are in Hopkins county, and MIR. Wallace is in
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