Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-09-28
ALoNC LOST RELIC POUND.
! g. Louie Man'r Ter Years Search
for Andrew JaCksona Timepiece.


IN interesting and somewhat unusual
line of business. He travels through
the country districts and small VII
lagos buying old gold, and used to
make periodical visits to this city for
the purpose OF selling lis collections
at the mint. For the past year or so,
however, he has found it more prolita-
Bile to dispose of them to Northern
iewelry house, but he still does his
cleaning in Southern territory. Mr.,
Murray is in New Uilelns al present,
and speaking Oh The oddities of his
vocation he told Il mes-Democrat res
porter an exceedingly curious story.
II was last here in May he said,
"and during my stay found watch
that | had been looking lor Tor over
ten years. was not quite certain at
the time that | had the right time
piece, so l kept my discovery to my
self until | could make sure. Since
then it has been identified beyond al
question, and don't mind telling thu
circumstances of the case, which are
certainly singular.
'In 1887 or 1885 was asked by a
gentleman of weal!h and social prom
inence who lives in Richmond, Va,
to endeavor to trace watch which
was once the property of his grand
father, and which had been given to
him by Andrew jackson. 1t had
passed into the possession of this gen
tleman's uncle, who subsequently went
to Charleston, S. G., and died there
shortly after the end Of the Civil war.
His effects were sold and scattered,
and among other things the Andrew
Jackson heirloom disappeared.
"The Richmond gentleman knew
that / travelled all over the South,
buying old gold, and it struck him as
possible that | might run across the
watch, which he was extremely anx-
ious to recover. Fortunately, he was
able to give me very good descrip-
ton. The timepiece was made BY
Coperwaith & Son, of Liverpool, and
had very thick, heavy gold case, on
the back of which was an engraving
Of st. George and the dragon. The dial
had no second hand and was decorated
in enamel, with wreath of flowers.
"The affair interested me exceeding
ly, and being in Charleston soon after
ward began some systematic inqui-
ries. With great deal of difficulty
| found an inventory of the property
of the man who had died there and
learned from it that the purchaser ol
the jackson watch was a sea captain
named Jetfres Taylor, who owned an
old-tme trading vessel called the
Moorish Prince. That was in 1867,
and the next thing to do was to find
Captain Taylor. Everybody seemed to
have forgotten him, but at last. by
mere accident, learned that he hat
given up the sea in the early 'iOs and
gone to live 1T Savannah, Ga, At that
city | was told that he had gone to
Florida, and finally found him liv-
ing near Tampa, where think he still
resides. He remembered the watch
perfectly and told me he had sold II
in 1874 or 1875 to a Mr.. f. A. West, a
Louisville collector of curios.
"By that time was thoroughly
aroused to the chase. got Mr. West,
address from an old letter head and
made it convenient to stop at Louis
vile to visit him. He was then in Cali.
fornia, and made three trips before
found him at home. To my deep dis
appointment he informed me that the
watch had been stolen from his col
lection in a burglary of his house in
1879, about year before saw him
That brought the investigation against
q stone wall, and realized that the
chances were about thousand TO ONE
that | would never get any furthe'
trace of the relic. At the same time
l did not despair | simply changed
my tactics. and thereafter | made II
point of describing the watch in de
tail to everybody met who would be
at all likely to get hold of it.
81 left the description with scores OF
pawnbrokers, jewelers. and secont
hand dealers. and waited in hope thai
something would turn up Three OF
four years ago ieweler at Mobile
told me that man had left such 6
watch with him to be cleaned, and j
possible put in running order. The
works were utterly worn out, and hi
could do nothing with them, but hi
felt sure afterward that the watcl
was the one that ! was hunting
Nothing came of this incident, but i
encouraged me to believe that The
heirloom had escaped the melting POI
and was still drifting somewhere
about the country.
"Now for the denouement. Last
January ! received letter from jew
eler in New Orleans informing mt
that he certainly had the long lost
watch in his possession. | had nc
opportunity to visit the city until thu
following May. but | made a bee ln'
for his place as soon as ! arrived, ant
could hardly believe my eyes when hi
really placed in my hands wha
seemed to be the bona fide jackson
relic. II answered the description II
every particular, but was still trih,
skeptical. I could hardly believe my
luck. and would not be sure ubti
Lad shown the watch TO my frient
at Richmond. The jeweler kindly al
lowed me to take II when left; and
to make long story short. II was
fully and completely identified. ! neet
| hardly CIV thp pinhmon1 tnan ,vn,