The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-09-11
A VERSATILE BEGGAR.
How He Imposed Upon Preacher Whitfield
and William Penn-Characteristic Of
American Cities in Colonial Days.

lIISI HAIL VI tuO SCAUuly w
fylde Moore Carew, man well known
on both sides of the Atlantic. He was
the son of respectable parents. his
father being Devonshire clergyman.
but when a mere. boy he broke away
from the restraints of home life and
attached himself to band of travel
ing mendicants, of whom he eventu-
alIy became chief. His first visit to
transportation of seven years passed
at the quarter sessions at Exeter. He
managed to escape from shipboard in
Maryland, and after divers thrilling
adventures turned up at New Castle,
Pa. This was Quaker town, but the
versatile genius of Carew did not for
sake him. A Quaker he at once be-
came. Pulling the BUTTON off his hat,
Hopping it on one side. and putting ON
a demure look, he entered Quaker
barber-shop and told pitiable story;
that his nan( was John Elworth, of
Bristol, and that he had been kidnap-
ped and endured great hardships. The
barber willingly shaved him and gave
him a half-crown bill, and recon-
mended him to Mr.. Wiggil. Of him
he got ten shillings, and of others SIM
liar amounts. At this time Whitfield,
the great preacher, was in the coun-
try preaching at Derby. Along the
road he met hundreds of people going
to hear the great pulpit orator.
Friend" says Carew to one of them,
''where are you going so fast?"
Hast thou not heard?" replied the
other, s.The second Christ has come" "
Whitfield was preaching in an orch
ard to a large crowd. So great was
The rush he was unable to get near
enough to hear; but this did not pre-
vent him from affecting penitence and
grief In the morning Carew, in the
name of John Moore, drew up a NOV
ing petition to the great Whitfield. He
set forth that he was the son of a cler-
gymau, who had been taken on board
the Tiger and carried to Havana, from
whence he escaped by the aid of the
governor of Maryland; that his cir
oumstances were deplorable, and he
needed help. Going to the house
where Whitfield lodged, he found a
hundred people waiting, and, spying
a young boy whom he knew belonged
to Whitfield, he persuaded him to car
ry in his petition. Soon the preacher
came out, and the Quakers pressed
around him, saying: pray thee,
friend, come and pray by my dear
wife. Pray thee, friend, come and see
my dear brother" But Whitfield
made his way through them all, and.
going up to Carew, said he was sorry
:or his misfortunes-that they hap
2ened by the will of God-and ended
W giving him $40. Whitfield wished
nim a safe return to England and,
went away singing psalms, in which
The crowd joined. Carew was
aow seven miles from Philadel-
ohia. He ran across friendly
[rishman here who showed him
;he sights, and, passing handsome
residence, he asked whose it was, and
was told it was Proprietor Penn's, who
had Just come from England with his
,rother-in-law, Capt. Frome. This
was enough for Carew. He excused
himself from his host, telling him he
nad business to transact, and, clap
ping his right hand into his coat
| Is If he had lost the use of it, he
knocked at William PENIS door,
which was opened by a negro with sill
yer collar around his neck. Invited
n, the proprietor, dressed in plain
clothes, and Capt. Frome, in regimen
;als, soon came along. Being asked
what he wanted, he invented at once
plausible tale. and belonged to Capt.
DAVIS ship. Capt. Frome, seeing him
! l lusty, tall fellow, declared he should
20 along with him and fight the dogs.
! Carew, ever ready with a lie. replied
! chat he had lost the use of his right
arm by the dead palsy. William Penn
gave him a guinea, and so did his
| orother-in-law. Through Burlington,
Perth, Amboy, and Elizabethtown
| Carew proceeded to the then small
| town of New York. having 1,100
| houses and 1000 inhabitants. He was
surprised at the sight of a great num-
! Der of gibbets with blacks hanging
| apon them, but upon inquiring he found
.he negroes had not long before entered
| INTO a conspiracy for burning the city.
The plot being discovered great num-
bers were executed and hung up to
terrify others.
After travelling through Long island,
Carew took ship at New London for
England, and accomplished his threat
of getting back to Exeter two months
before the captain who took him out,
though he narrowly escaped being i'm
pressed into the navy when within
sight of shore. His escape was owing
to his pricking his arms and breast
with needle, and rubbing it with bay
salt and gunpowder, which made it ap-
pear like the smallpox coming out.
Then he played the lunatic, came on
deck with only blanket on. acted as
if affected with nausea, and frightened
everybody so that they were only too
glad to put him ashore. His return to
England was hailed by his friends with
Joy and merry-making, for they had
long given him up as dead. He now
went about the country in various dis
guises, sometimes as an old woman;
he bound beefsteak on his leg to rep
resent running sore, and begged from
door to door with varied luck and q
great amount of adventure. He pass.
ed through a number of escapades in
Russia, Germany, France, and Swe.
den, and was sent again to America,
this time illegally being kidnipped by
the owner of the vessel which had first
carried him, who felt defrauded at the
loss of his purchase-money, Carew