Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-05-10

"Can you tell me where l will find H. r.
Lawrence"
"Thats my name. What can do for
you?'
This conversation took place on the
Hooker block stairway late one afternoon
last July. The man who addressed Mr.
Lawrence was a horny-handed miner, of
good appearance. When Mr. Lawrence
answered him, the miner. who gave his
name as Il. Martin, al once declared that he
was looking for much older man, his
| Martin s. uncle, whom he had not seen for
six years. He had gone West with this
| uncle when lad and they had worked to-
gether with Indifferent success for years.
The uncle finally tired of the western life
and returned East. Since then the miner
| had struck it rich. and he was now search
ing for the uncle to share his fortune with
him. He had traced the uncle from Platts-
burg and st. Adams and thought he came
here. The miner showed rich specimens
of gold ore, assaying probably $4,000 to
$40, 900 a ton. Mr.. Lawrence had an en-
gagement for that day but agreed to see the
miner next morning to tell him about mem
bers of the Lawrence family who might
know about the missing uncle.
The conversation the following day
finally brought out something of the
miners plans. He owned mining claims
near Boulder, Colo. On one of these
claims he had sunk down oblquely 100
feet. He had found no ore on his own
claim, but the shaft had finally run over
into an adjoining claim where rich vein
had been struck. Down in the shaft $50
600 to $4,000 worth of ore had been
mined, but not brought to the surface.
2 hi I IL.
miner said he didn't intend to steal this
ore, he couldn't if he wanted to. He did,
however, wish to buy the adjoining claim.
The owner, California man, was now in
Providence, r. l., on visit. The miner
suggested that Mr. Lawrence act as agent
SO as not to arouse the owners suspicion,
go to Providence, and buy his claim. For
doing this work the miner would give Mr..
Lawrence a tenth interest in the claim
He showed finely executed maps, on which
were given not only the claims, but the ad-
joining country, creeks, railroads, etc. Mr..
Lawrence listened, kept his own counsel.
That afternoon, when coming out of the
Brooks House barber shop, he saw his
miner friend standing in the north Brooks
House entrance talking with another
stranger. Mr.. Lawrence's suspicious were
at once aroused and he lodged into the
telegraph office without being seen by the
pair. The next morning in the Brooks
House Office Mr.. Lawrence met the miner
for the last time. The other stranger was
at the table few feet away, reading. Mr..
Lawrence asked the miner who the
stranger vas that he was talking with the
day before. The miner was not tlustered
for an instant. He didn't recall talking
with a stranger at first, but finally re-
member that the man was a crockery sales
man whom he had never seen before, and
with whom he talked about railroad routes.
In the meantime stranger No had heard
enough of this conversation and had dis
appeared via the rear entrance. Mr.. Law
renee told the miner that he had concluded
not to go into the scheme. The miner APP
peared perfectly satisfied, and undoubtedly
left town that day. While buying cigars
at the Brooks House in Mr. Lawrence's
presence the miner had pulled out large
roll of bills.
What the scheme was is probematical.
Mr.. Lawrence had not been asked to put
up any money, but probably some game
would have been tried on him in Provi-
dence had he gone there. 1t seems strange
that the buncoers should approach man
of so much shrewdness and knowledge
of the world as Mr. Lawrence. They had,
however, probably learned that he was
somewhat interested in mining. The miner
and the stranger registered separately at
Brooks House and were not seen to speak
with each other there.
Mr.. Lawrence, F. L. Houghton, f A.
Tyler and others who saw the miner recog-
nize one of the portraits in the Boston
Herald as the man who was here. He is
not the one who did most of the business
with Mr. Davis, but there is no question
but that they were in the same gang.