Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-11
JNO. LANCELOT WEST
4 DISAPPEARANCE THAT INTERESTS
RipcEWoop. N i
Ne Nay Have Gone 10 Kuglssd - 8ntsr
Upon the Enjoymsnt Of His o12sr
900 Fortune
Mex York Sun.l


Mr. John Ianceiot west, Of Ridgewood.
N. T., once a well-dr.lIer. later hostier.
and last OF all an heir. according to his
own story. to q fortune Of $4,000. has
left that town. Mr.. West, as was told
in the Sun two weeks ago. arrived In
Ridgewood about q year and half ago
and went to work for Mr.. Herbert, OF the
Herbert House. as hostler. getting his
board and lodging for his pay.
He worked steadily and won many
friends. for he seemed to be . quiet. we'll
hammered fellow, who had struck a run
Of bad luck. He paid attention to Miss
Mary Horner. a niece OF his employer.
who acted as waitress at the hotel. and
about six months ago their engagement
was announced. Shortly after this 1t was
whispered about that he was above his
station In life" and that his father was O
wealthy man In England.
The people listened incredulously, but
West didn't resent the fun poked at him
One day, about two months ago, he re-
turned from the post-office and showed
letter-the outside. not the inside-to his
sweetheart and his friends. and said that
1t contained news Of the death OF his
grandfather. who had left him a legacy
OF $4,000.
LIKE wILDFIRE.
II he expected to make a sensation he
was not disappointed. The news went like
wildfre through the town. and soon. In
stead OF being the heir OF $l25.000. the
people had made him possessor Of ten
times that amount. and Of a magnificent
to .<rf.. nj hot vrh
went so far as to give him a title. Still,
there were doubters. West said little.
But socn he gave out that he had pur-
chased in New York a 400 tandem
team. Then he negotiated for an acre
and half at Underclff, q few miles
from Ridgewood. and went to Sidney
Keyser, an architect Of the latter town,
and told him to draw plans for $4,000
house which he intended to build on the
land. He DIDN'T seem to have much
money, but he explained that his grand
fathers estate had not yet been settled
up. and. moreover. he was not to come
into his share until he was Il years
old. which would be next Sunday, Novem-
Der 18th. Next he hired John Prentiss
for a year as a coachman. Finally he
offered to lend money on very easy terms
to certain families who intended TO build.
reporter went to Ridgewood and inter-
viewed West. He told all about him.
self, how his father had been a captain
In the royal navy, and also had been
member Of Parliament; how he 0he son)
had run away from home on wager
of f100 with the son Of Sir Peter DON
nelly, an Irish baronet, that he could
earn his own living with his hands. and
how he had come to Ridgewood. and
what he expected to do. He told the
reporter that he was not engaged to
any waitress In the hotel, but to q girl
who had never been in Ridgewood. Miss
Horner reads the Sun. and she saw what
West had said. The next morning there
were clouds In the sky. and after break
fast the storm broke. Mary was waiting
for him.
THE OTHER GIRL
what do you mean by saying that
you're not engaged to me?' demanded
the girl
West denied ne had said so, but she
refused to believe him, and said she
knew who the other girl was: that she
lived in Jersey City. Then she showed
him a letter he had written to a Jersey
City girl In reply West said he cared
nothing for the other girl. and was will
wanted him to. He had no intention OF
deserving her.
WELL" said Mary, 'Tll marry you.
but not before the first OF the year. the
time that was set.
West bought another horse. which he |
brought to Ridgewood. The 81, 100 tandem
had not yet appeared. Then he began |
to make preparations for a champagne
supper that was to celebrate his coming |
OF age, and invitations were given out for |
the event, which was to come Off next |
He hired another coachman. |
Peter Bannister, a colored man.
He made years contract with him |
also. He also began talking about a |
brother-in-law In New York. a rich dem |
list, who, he said, was coming down to |
see him. Last week he told John Prem
tiss, the first coachman he hired, that |
he was going to New York to make final |
arrangements about the $40 tandem, !
and on Tuesday he sent tho other horse /
10 Paterson 10 have his tail locked.
LAST SEEN OF HIM.
On Friday morning he went to Paterson
md returned in the afternoon. He waited
long enough to pack his belongings into
4 small satchel, and then he took the
,:oo train for New York, saying ne would
be hack on Saturday evening at the latest.
That was the last seen Of him by the peo-
pie OF Ridgewood.
On Sunday people began to talk and
wonder where he was. Then, one by one,
came rumors OF various sums of money |
that he had borrowed from different
friends Of his. He got SO from John
Prentiss. Peter Bannister, his latest
,oachman, borrowed ;l2 from his grocery
nan to lend him. Other persons ac-
that they had lent him money.
md on Monday there appeared several
PERSONS who had arranged to meet West
IN that day and procure money on real
estate security.
here was no such man in New York as
Vests reputed brother-in-law. Then came
| story that Vests fortune amounted TO
1 100 instead of $4,000. and that his
ather keeps a road-house in Newmarket.
rhe coachman reported that West, instead
# being an accomplished horseman,
couldn't sit on a horse when 1t went
aster than a walk, and also that the
lorse that was taken to Paterson to have
Is tail locked was taken back by it's
'wner because no money had been paid
N 1t. All that is left in Ridgewood OF
Vest consists of debts, q not very dis
onsolate sweetheart two men with con- |
racts for years service In their pockets
set OF plans for $4,000 house, In the
possession OF Mr.. Keyser, and lot OF
men who had beerl looking forward to |