Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-09-09
BELLE nOYD A sW7NDLER.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Aug. N.-Mrs.
Hammond, nee Mrs. Harding, and during
the Shenandoah valley campaign belle
Boyd" the notorious spy, was arrested
yesterday on charge Of nttering a forged
check to a pawn-broker in this city. For
months, woman, answering the descrip-
ton of Belle Boyd, has been carrying Oh
system Of swindling operations on I'M
suspecting storekeepers of thi: city. So
secret have her plans been, and so skiful-
ly carried out, that she has baked all eff
forts OF the detectives. 1t was never
thought for moment that the swindler
and the rebel spy were one and the same
person. Just how many persons have
fallen victims to this woman's willy ways
it is at present hard to say. By ber
smooth tongue and melodious voice she
has ingratiatet. herself with the unwary
store-keepcr, and blcd him fully. Her
victims have evidently been carefully Sc
lected. The story Of one is the story of
all. About three months ago she began
operations by calling upon grocery
dealer. She was very ladylike and sweet
in demeanor. She ordered goods amount
lug in value to Sll sent TO the residence
Of one OF his best customers and in pay
ment therefor presented a check drawn in
her name for $25. Thinking the lady TO
be visitor at the house of his customer,
he never scrupled about handing over the
change. She departed, but the lady to
whose house the goods had been ordered,
refused to take them, not having ordered
them. The check was examined and
found to be bogus.
The merchant then began still-hunt.
He traced the woman up town. One
day while making inquiry as TO the
whereabouts of Mrs. Hammond, in n gro
Gerry store, lady standing by and having
heard the question, exclaimed, why,
that is Belle Boyd, the rebel spy" The
storekecper was satisfied and returned
home. Before this Belle Boyd, nee Mrs.
Hammond, had victimized the grocery
man. A lady called one day and ordered
$3.50 worth OF groceries. The dealer
put up the goods and sent them TO her
residence. She told the grocery man that
her husband got paid every month, and
when she got her next monthly INSTALL
ment she would settle. Her oily tongue
conquered again. At the end OF the
month the money was not forthcoming,
and clerk was sent to collect. As a re-
suit Mrs. Hammond called, and said that
she wished to open an account, at tho
same time presenting check for $40,
which was paid. llinkle and Coleman,
doing business in groceries ut the corner
of Canal and Norris streets, were victims
to the extent Of 800, and another business
man, corner Canal and Diamond streets,
mourns over IN unpaid bill of $1o. On
one occasion Mrs. Hammond went to the
agent OF the company, by whom her hus-
band was employed and said she wanted
a loan of SO. THIS was given her, and
still remains unpaid.
Mrs. Hammond is passionate lover of
music, in fact, so inordinate is the passion
that it requires TWO pianos 10 satisfy her
aesthetic taste. She purchased one from
the Schumacher Piano company, and the
other from the Weber Piano company.
When the first iustallments fell due the
collectors called, but there was no money
and Hammond WAS out. Several calls
were made, and at last the agents forced
their way into the house il spite of the
protests of the servant. They found that
the mistress was not the only thing that
was out because the pianos had disap-
pcared. Both had been pawned. One Of
the companies have since recovered their
piano from a pawnbroker. She was ar
rested on Saturday for passing forged
check on pawnCroker, bat was soon re-
leased by her friends, who made good the
This is the woman Of whom George
Augustus Sala says, 600 proud to beg,
too honorable to borrow" and that she
"pawned her jewels for the southern
cause" Born in Martinsburg, Va, in
1911, she is now 80 years old. At ~
wears of age she was sent TO Mt. Wash
ington college, and at IL when her educa-
ton was supposed to have been completed
she made her cntree into society in WASH
ington. This was just at the time when
Lincoln was first elected. Her father was
one OF the first TO volunteer in the rebel
army when Virginia seeded. lie was
offered grade but declined it, and enlist
as Il private in the Cpd Virginia, COM
manded by Col. Nadenbousch, attached 10
StOnewall Jackson's brigade during the
campaign in the Shenandoah valley. AZ
ter Stonewall jackson was driven back
from Harper's Ferry toward Charlestown
and Winchester, Belle Boyd first made
her appearance as 4 rebel partisan III the
shooting of soldier near her own home,
who she supposed was disguised robber.
Her residence was within the union lines.
She says: 81 regularly and carefully
committed to paper, and whenever an OPP
portunity offered sent my secret dis
patches to Gen. b. Stuart, in command Of
the confederate troops" From Martins
burg she went to Front Royal, Va,
where a hospital was established after the
battle Of Bull Run, and from there went
to Manassas, acting as Il courier between
Beauregnard and Stonewall Jackson.
In 1868 she was arrested by order Of
Secretary of War Stanton, and taken To
Washington, where she was imprisoned
in the old capital prison. From there
she was transferred to Fortress Monroe,
being shortly afterward released, and re-
turned to Richmond, Va. She next paid
a visit to Charlottesville, n. G.. She was
a spectator of the battle of Winchester.
and took part in the campaign which pre-
ceeded the invasion of Pennsylvania and
the battle of Gettysburg. She was placed
under parole after the battle Of Gettys-
burg, but violated it, and was again
placed under arrest by order of Stanton,
and incarcerated in the Car roll prison I'm
Washington. She made tour of the
South in November, 1868, having letters
of introduction to President Steph-
ems of the coufcderacy and Gen. Bowling
Baker, chief auditor of the treasury de-
partment. About this time she makes
the naive statement; Had / been queen
or 4 reigning princess my every move
ment could not have been more carefully
chronicled at this period of my imprison-
ment. My health was bulletined for the
qualification of the public, and if walked
or was indisposed it was announced after
the most approved fashion by the news
papers," She went TO London by way of
Charleston, arriving there Dec. l6, 1868.
In March, 1864, she returned to Rich
mond, but III May she had to flee 10 Eu-
rope, running the blockade from Will
mington on board the Greyhound, notori-
Gus as a runner during the war. She
shortly after this married Samuel Wyede
Hardinge. He was an officer in the
United States navy, and was arrested af-
ter this for treasonable conduct. After