The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-23

] Among other shady transactions that
helped to make picturesque career
| is fancy deal in turtles, pulled off
In Williamsburg by Judge" Samuel
Gaylor. How the Judge" managed to
get away with neat little frame-up,
when he sold to several good citizens
| OF Williamsburg turtle that he had
never owned. is interestingly told by
the editor of the Williamsburg Ga
zette, who was among the victims. Ac-
cording TO the editor of the Gazette.
the Judge" Is an eX-lunatic, a slick
duck a sneak thief and an all-around
bad fellow. However. no accusation
is brought that he is not wise one"
1t was while he was an inmate Of
the State Asylum for the Insane at
Williamsburg. to which institution he
has lately been returned. that Judge"
Gaylor engineered his famous deal in
turtles. Rushing into his private
sanctum one day. the Judge" offered
to sell the editor a big tursle for the
small sum of 25 cents. The rest of the
story is in the words of the victim
himself:
las turtle pie was one of our weak
nesses, we said all right, old boy
heres your quarter. Just take the
turtle up to the house and put him in
the chicken coop. With visions of
turtle pie floating before our eyes.
the mornings toll was not half so irk-
some, and we felt in love with all man
kind-and Sam Gaylor, too. Going
nome, we smelt no fragrant odor of
turtle pie. and meekly asked why we
were not to have the succulent dish
Tor dinner, thinking that the powers
mat De up at that end had decided
to postpone the feast, upon which we
mad STRONGLY, cot
the news was broken to u.s. There had
oeen no turtle from which to make a
pie that day. We had been BETRAYED !"
continuing, the editor Of the Gazette
relates v1,e sequel:
sam Gaylor did not have the nr,v.
llege of the town, and an attendant
mad been sent out to drag him hack
to his place of abode. He found sam
stun peddling that terrapin. There had
oeen half-dozen victims. Twenty
I'VE cents was all he asked us, hut
we are told that two friends. both OF
w nave money to burn, paid nom
~ oenes 10 ~ as their tribute to turtle
PIE. But to get back to Gaylor The
attendant finally got him into tba hos.
pital grounds, where he met thai wall.
known epicurean. Archie Brooks. the
We1t-knoWn steward OF the hospital,
VINO was Just then preparing one ~
those famous board dinners IN ,h,ch
Smlthf1eld ham and turtle nia ,na
soup always played prominent nart
Say. Mr.. Brooks said sam .want
Hne terrapin for the board dinner.
only 25 cents?' (Sam had gotten hac,,
TO the original figures, evidently
thinking that the State could NOT ~,
ford to pay the fancy price,. After
carefully sizing up the amphibia ~
see II 1t belonged to the malacoc,e.
myspalustris species, of which hosnI-
tai boards in general are very fond
Brooks replied No. adding that ha
mad two fine ones down at the store,
which were fat and ready to Xiii
Having lost final opportunity to dis.
pose of the turtle, Sam passed on IA
his spacious quarters on the seventh
ward ~
Later in the day Steward Brooks
had returned to him from sam a nice
fat terrapin. with the statement that
1t was one Of the board turtles whioh
Sam had sold several times to some
easy guys In town. but which he had
failed to sell back to the state. Tho
steward had narrowly missed buying
his own turtle,
IT have forgiven sam" adds the
editor of the Gazette. "but r have
never forgotten him. AS said in tho
beginning. he is an all-round, bad fell
low"