Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-02-19
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS.
Cdr" II. +. Virtue.

Interesting News about a Former Resi-
dent who Has Come into Prominence
Over In Portsmouth, Nh
Bellows Falls people are interested in the
developments which led to the arrest of the
self styled DR.. Virtue at Portsmouth or
Exeter, n. H., last week, he having an I'M
savory record of reside nee here for nearly
year preceding April II, 1896. He then
had an office at Lovelrs stable, but after
few months it was thought he had too little
knowledge of his business, and it was in
timated that he was responsible for the
death of a valuable horse owned by the
Fall Mountain Paper company, as well as a
number of other animals, and an investi-
CATION revealed the fact that his pretended
diploma was "fake.n He learned of the
movement against him and left town sud
denly, taking with him a valuable set of in
struments belonging to DR.. A. F. Water
man. These were found last week at the
time of his arrest and returned to the
owner.
The press dispatches state that Virtue
walked into the Exeter police station about
O'Clock Friday morning to see one of the
officers. The Portsmouth police had been
on the watch for him and he seemed great
ly surprised when informed that the officers
had warrant for his arrest He said to
Officer Fifeld, whom he had called to see,
Erred, thought you were friend of mine"
and you could have easily given me tip"
lie was taken to Portsmouth and arraigned
in the police court in that city Friday after
noon charged with stealing pair of sleigh
runners from Frank Seavey. He pleaded
not guilty, but the evidence was such that
he was held in two sureties of 5000 each
for the April term of the supreme court.
He was Immediately arraigned on another
complaint, charging him with stealing a
carriage robe. He was locked up but a
friend furnished bail during the evening.
Walter Nichols, young man who offered
the stolen runners for SALE was also arrest
ed. Nichols confessed to the marshal that
he was guilty, and said that, in company
with DR.. Virtue on Thursday night. they
visited the blacksmith shop of Seavey,
with no other object then to take what
they could find. Nichols also said that
DR.. Virtue tried to get him to steal bush
ell of oats on recent trip to York, Me.
Virtue left Portsmouth the same night,
after his release on bail, leaving his wife in
destitute circumstances. The police have
received information that the doctor is
wanted in other parts of the state for SINH
lar offences.
While living in Bellows Falls Virtue
claimed to be unmarried.
One of the dispatches gives this chapter
of his personal history:
lhe doctor was born in England and
came to this country five years ago, when
lie shipped aboard cattle steamer. Sew
eral trips acros, the briny deep were made,
and tn, he settled in Newton, Mass,
where he cared for cattle From here he
went West and passed a year or so on a
cattle ranch in Kansas.
1.-TWO years ago he came East again and
stopped in Woburn, Mass, where he
worked for a man named Nichols in a
livery stable. While in Woburn he deve-
oped a mania for collecting catalogu of
veterinary colleges. Leaving the livery
stable he went to work for DR.. Lamb, a
veterinary surgeon. After a short service
he started in for himself, filing horses
teeth. He was doing well in Woburn
when, it is alleged, he became involved in
a scandal and left under a cloud.
she was next heard from in White
River Junction, Vt. He did not stay there
long, and removed to Bellows Falls. Here
he applied to the state cattle commission
of the board, A. NJ. Winslow, looked up
the applicants record and, it is said, found
that he had stolen the plate from which
his diploma was printed. About a year
ago DR.. Virtue landed in Portsmouth He
claimed to be a graduate of the Wisconsin
veterinary college, but those who are posted
say that Wisconsin contains no veterinary
college within her borders