Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-09-03
Getting Even With sharpers.

more interesting history than the
one in the steeple of the City Hall
and market house at Alexandria, Va.
Back in the days before the war Alex
andia was one Of the southern cities
which was known az a pretty rapid
place for the sporting fraternity, but
in those days it was square game,
and no cheating-a gentleman's game
from start to finish.
On one occasion the town had been
visited By several gamblers from the
Southwest who had come hither seek
ing whom they might devOur." At
length respectable citizen, who oc-
casionally took flyer with cards, fell
into a snare which was set for him,
and after a series of games, carried on
on different nights, he found himself
feeced out of something like $1,000.
AS a "true Southerner be had to
make good, and this he did without
pickering, but with the determination
to get even. He was too honorable
not to stand the hazard of the die.
A lucky thought enabled him to
bring about his revenge on the black
leg. He had knowledge that there
was an old law in Virginia-and a
similar law is now on the statute
books-established while she was yet
a colony, in which it was made and
provided" that if any man could not
show that he was pursuing some claw
ful means Of obtaining livelihood
he should be sold or hired out at auc-
ton to prevent, by his labor, his be-
coming chargeable to the town.
Going before justice OF the peace
he immediately entered complaint
against the gamester. The man was
arrested, tried, and condemned to be
sold at auction. Here was dilemma.
The gambler was at first disposed to
treat the whole matter as a joke But
he soon found out bis mistake. He
was taken to a public stand, put up
for sale and the bidding begsn-the
sale "peremptory." His victim started
the bid with zone hundred dollars.
Two hundred, said the blackleg
And SO the gambler and his victim
went on bidding until the amount
reached $4,000, when the former
begged TO be let of, pleading poverty
but all aiS pleadiugs would not cause
the cheated man to relinquish his de-
termination to make him pay dear for
what he had done There was no al
tentative, the gambler must either be
forced into a service of degrading la
Dor, under the supervision of man
who hal small cause to love him, or
he must 20 on bidding fer himself,
which he was actually compelled to
do until the sum had reached So, 800,
when he was permitted to pay over
the amount and depart from the town,
crowd of hooting, yelling men and
boys following him to the wharf, where
he took the steamer.
The citizens then gave the proceeds
of the imam sale" to the city to be
used in putting up clock and steePle
on the town hall and market house,
which building was torn down few
years ago to make room tor larger
and more commodious structure.
Not great many Of the citizens
know the history of the old steePle
and clock, but Capt. Edward Danger
field told the Building Committee that
he wac particularly desirous Of seeing
the steeple and clock preserved and
that he wished to defrsy all the ez-
pense of having the clock repaired
and "modernized" for the new build
ing. This proposition was accepted,
and today the people Of the good old
city have practically the same steeple
and clock their old.time citizen made
gambler pay for.-RichmOnd Times.
Despatch.