The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-12-25
A Farmer Vlctimized.

The Hazleton Plain Speaker of Monday
contained the following highly colored
story:
WEIssPoRT, Pa, Dec. 19.-Professional
thieves and pickpockets from the large
Eastern and Western cities who make an
| annual trip through the country towns and
valleys nearly always succeed in victimiz-
ing the unsuspecting farmer Authentic
details of well arranged swindle of this
kind have just come to light from Deitz-
vile, ten miles from here, where a profess
! sional shark passed himself off as the miss
ing son of the wealthest farmer ipthe val
ley and dupcd him out of s., 600 in cash.
Deitzville, the scene of the swindle, is an
isolated little farming town, made up of 4
dozen or more farmhouses, and derives its
name from the oldest resident of the place
Josiah Deitz, who settled there twenty
eight years ago. The family formerly con-
sisted of Farmer Deitz, his wife and one
son. The son quite young showed his dis
like for farm life and repeatedly threatened
to leave home unless given the consent of
his parents to earn his own living in the
larger towns and cities. No parental ad-
vice served to allay young Joss determine
tion to go, and almost eleven years ago he
/ left to do for himself. Nothing was heard
OF him for nearly five years, when a letter
from New York was received by his parents
stating that he was well and about to start
for the West. The mother was deeply af-
fected over her sons conduct, but the
father, very resolule man, was inclined to
give him his own way and under no cir
cumstances ask him to return.
AHAPPY REUNION.
The memory of the wayward boy had al
most died out, all hope of his return had
gone. Last Sunday, however, a fashionably
dressed young man suddenly dropped into
Deitzville and inquired if Farmer Deitz
was still resident of the neighborhood.
Receiving an answer in the affirmative the
young stranger appeared at the Deitz house
and introduced himself to the old couple
as their long lost son. The farmer, with
tears in his eyes. received the young man,
while Mrs. Deitz was greatly overcome
with emotion. Joss long absence from
home, his wanderngs, &c, were discussed
by the trio the whole day long. During
the evening joss surprised his father and
mother by stating that he was on his we'd
ding trip and that his bride would be there
the next day. Meanwhile the old farmer
went over the past, hiding nothing from
his son. He even went so far as to say that
although he had met with reverses he had
managed to save a good sum of money, and
insisted that joss ard his bride should en-
joy the hospitality of his home either per-
manently or as long as they chose to remain.
Young joss, however, showed an aversion
to meeting any Of his old friends or neigh
bors or to subject himself to a critical in
spection.
BRINGING HOME THE BRIDE.
A day later he started to meet his bride.
After several hours he returned with his
supposed wife, and the old farmhouse
which had been a place of mourning for
years on account of Joss absence, was now
a scene of joy. A room was especially ar
ranged for the comfort of the young couple
and as night approached the bride feigned
fatigue on account of her long journey and
they retired for the night. The farmer
and his wife, well advanced in years, also
retired, and were soon fast asleep. The
young couple, however, had laid their plans,
and during the night quietly decamped
with the little tin box, containing about
$1,000 in cash. The old couple arose at
seven o'clock the next morning, but knew
nothing of what had happened during the
night until Farmer Deitz went to the guests
room and was shocked to find IL empty A
small note lay on the table and read as fol-
lows:-
DEAR FATHER-Goodby for seventeen
years more "JOsE.''
TRYING TO KEEP II QUIET,
The old couple were completely over
whelmed with grief, not for the loss of the
money, but for their sons ingratitude, as
at first they believed the thief was their
son. The sWindls is not generally known