Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-10-02
A lord" for The Peniteltiary.
LORD HOPE GETS A SENTENCE OF
TWO YEARS AND A HALF.

LORD HOPE GETS A SENTENCE OF
TWO YEARS AND A HALF.
| 'sLord Hope, alias Alexander Loveday
Hope, stand up, ''said Clerk Burnett in the
County Court, Tuesday morning. A young
man of about thirty, dressed in brown
checked suit, his dark hair frizzled
on his forehead. his moustache hav-
ing tue ragged appearance OF having
been first waxed and then combed out,
stood up. He stood there the last
rose of ''boom," left blooming alone.
His solitary figure brought up many recol-
| lections of the fast times which prevailed
in the booming period, the roaring, foam
| ing times which alone could have given
man Of his type credence in Virginia. He
was one of those who had snuffed the con
flict from afar off, and dropped down on
the developing section of the State for a
| share.
| One cold, windy evening last February,
there walked into the Revere House at
Harrisonburg a young man with fiorld
complexion and strong English brogue, and
wrote upon the register ''Lord III. A. Hope
of London, England He gave out that
he had been looking at land in the lower
Valley with a view to purchasing, and was
now in Harrisonburg Oh the same errand.
He exhibited what purported to be Bank
of England draft for $4,000. He was
promptly hunted up by the real estate boom
ers of that day in Harrisonburg, and was
driven in royal style around the town and
it's environs. In The prevailing newspaper
style of that day HE expressed himself as
much pleased with our town." So much
pleased indeed, that he entered into negoti-
ations for 225-acre farm near town at
$22 800, one-half to be paid in cash and the
balance in one and two years with interest
the cash to be paid as soon as ''me solicit
tor can examine the title and pronounce it
satisfactory" He also concluded to buy a
vacant lot near the Register" newspaper
office for ST 200, which was to be cash. His
days were fully occupied in driving around
inspecting land with real estate agents.
joining them in "a cup to luck'' at fast re-
curing intervals, and in accepting small
temporary loans until ''me remittance from
me banker'' could arrive. His nights were
as fully occupied in the hilarities Of
.'Smoky Row" and "Tin Cup Alley" in
the company of whose denizens the small
loans of the day were freely dissipated.
About the middle of the week he bought a
ST. suit Of clothes from firm, putting it
nd win fbof no xUnn16 COLL tho nQy1
morning, pay for it and take the old suit
away. At dawn the next morning he
disappeared. Nothing could be heard OF
him by the amazed boomers in Harrison
burg, save that he had been seen footing it
to railway station a mile OIL two above
there and that, true to his mission. he had
| been seen negotiating for farm on the
way. AS matter of fact he had come to
| Staunton bringing an introduction to a
friend from one of the residents of "Smoky
| Row." Officers from Harrisonburg were
securing the country, but he lay concealed
in house here till Friday.
That evening he made his appearance at
the farm Of MI. John Thompson, one of
the most respected citizens.of the county,
near West View. He was still hunting for
farm. MI. Thompson didn't want to
SELL He staid some time and went off.
The next day he returned saying he had
purchased the farm of MI. Orebaugh near
by, at $50 an acre, but still wanted to buy
Mr.. Thompson's. Mr.. Thompson still de-
chned, but as matter of hospitality gave
him permission to stay there over Sunday.
In the meantime he went off to look at the
farm of Mrs. Thompson's father, which he
also wanted to buy. 1t looked as if he
would buy up the whole country side. He
also said he was something of physician
and wanted to give Mrs. Thompson a pre-
scription for neuralgia, with which she
was suffering. He gave Mrs. Thompson's
little girl dime, told her to put it in her
tank and then asked her where she kept her
money. The child told him it was up stairs.
He remained at Mr.. Thompsons Satur-
day night, and when he came down Sunday
morning said to Mrs. Thompson: II had
a strange dream last night. 1t was about
you I dreamed that went to Staunton
and bought very nice gold watch and
made you a present of it. 1t was a very
nice watch but you were not satisfied with it.
The fact that it was so nice and yet didn t
satisfy you, has made such an impression
on me that I would like to see your watch
if you have one." Mrs. Thompson told
| him she did not believe in dreams, but
showed him her watch. He admitted it
was very nice one but not so nice as the
one he had bought in his dream and was
going to give her. Having thus found out
she had a watch, he asked her in the evening
before leaving to let him see 1t. On show
ing it to him he said it wanted cleaning
and he would take it to Staunton and have
it cleaned for her. She objected but, as
she testified, she was afraid to do more for
there was a look in his eye that made
her feel that she better lose her watch than
her life.
After his Lordship left Sunday evening,
Mrs. Thompson found that he had robbed
a satchel in the parlor Of $40 in gold and
two S. bills belong to her little daughter,
but had overlooked about $125 in money
that was in the same satchel. She inform
ed her husband of the loss and of the fact
that the stranger also had her watch with
him. MI. Thompson, who IS in feeble
health, sent MI. S. B. Gardner to Staunton
in pursuit OF the thief. That night about
9 o'clock, lord" Hope arrived i'll Staun-
ton on foot. He inquired of a stranger on
the street the way to the house at which he
had stopped when here. The stranger
proved to be Harrisonburgp policeman who
was in Staunton looking for him, and who