Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-05-03
TO BE CONTINUED.
GAMBLER SOLD AT AUCTION.
How an Old Virginia Clock Was Paid
For --.

For. ,-..,. ..-.,
Perhaps no clock in America has a
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
andria was one Of the southern cities
which. was known as 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 a 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
fleeced out Of something like $4,000. AS
true southerner" he had to make
good, anG this he did without bicker-
ing, 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
tablished while she was yet colony,
in which 1t was made and provided"
that If any man could not show that
he was pursuing some lawful means
Of obtaining a livelihood" he should be
sold or hired out at auction to prevent,
by his labor his becoming chargeable
to the town.
Going before a 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 a dilemma.
The gambler was at first disposed to
treat the matter as joke. But he soon
found out his mistake. He was taken
to a public stand, put up" for sale,
and the bidding began-the sale per
with zone hundred dollars"
1.-Two hundred" said the blackleg.
And so the gambler and his victim
went on bidding until the amount
reached $4,000, when the former beg
ged to be let off, pleading poverty, but
all his pleadings would not cause the
cheated man to relinquish his deter
mination to make him pay dear for
what he had done. There was no al
tentative, the gambler must either be
forced into q service of degrading Ia
bor, under the supervision Of a man
who had small cause to love him. or
he must go on bidding for himself,
which he was actually compelled to do
until the sum had reached $3,5OO, when
he was permitted to pay over the
amount and depart from the town, a
crowd of hooting, yelling men and boys
following him to the wharf, where ne
took the steamer.
The citizens then gave the proceeds
of the man 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
wears ago to make room for larger
and more modern structure.
Not a great many Of the citizens
know the history Of the old steeple ana
clock, but Captain Edward Dangernelo
told the building committee that ne
was particularly desirous OF seeing tns
old steeple and clock preserved and
that he wished to defray all expense OF
having the clock repaired and mod
ernized" for the new building. 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-Dispatch.