IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) & // :/. fA LO LL 1.25 IM 125 i 1^ 1^ 2.2 2.0 18 JA III 1.6 V] v^ / -c ^^-V ■> > <^ y z!^ ;V CIHM/ICMK Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. D Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Certains ddfauts susceptibles de nuire A la quality de la reproduction sont notis ci-dessous. 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The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: Library of the Public Archives of Canada Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grAce A la g6n6rosit6 de l'6tablissement prdteur suivant : La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont filmdes d partir de Tangle sup^rieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 " THB XTSTIRIOUtt STRi^GER." An Early Ingluli Idititta of tbe Life- of Henry Voie Smith, la 1816 Walter Batei, bighaheriffof Kioga county, pablbbed the interetfting little book entitled The Mysterious Stranger, or Meraoirj of the Noted Henry More Smith. No book published or printed in this province has had so wide a circulation as this little pamphlet, which contains all the information its author could ooUeet or glean of the life history of the acoomplidied vagabond, the hero of the tale. The conduct of the mysterious stranger had evidently a peculiar charm for the good old loyalist, who had also a love for the mysterious, and that vagabond's misdeeds and adventures have consequently been recorded in a narrative that wilt con- tinue to be read with interest by many readers in this province. Few if any copies of the first edition of 1816 have been pie- served, in fact not a single copy of that edition exists today in this province — bat an Eoglish reprint of that edition issued tlie following year, 1817, has recently found its way hither and liears this lengthy title: "A Narrative of tbe Conduct and Adven- tures of Henry Fiederio Moon, alias Henry FredericMore8mitb,aI!as William Newman, a native of Brighthelmstone, Sussex, and now under sentence of imprisonment, in Connecticut, in North America, containing an account of his nnparalled Artifices, Im- postures, Mechanical Ingenuity, etc., etc.; Displayed during and ' subsequently to his confinement in one of His Majesty's gaols in the province of New Brnnswiok. By Walter Bates, E^q., high Sheriff of King's county, in New Brunswick. With an in- troductory description of New Brunswick, and a paatsoript, containing some account of Caritboo, the late female impostor at Bristol, London, 1817." To this English edition is added also a preface cr introduction to the "singular and almost incredible narrative given to the world by Walter Bates," and the narrative is much shorter than that published in this Erovince, and with which wo . are all famil* ^r. That the edition, however, is a correct reprint of the first edition publtsbed by the author we are assured by the English editor, who has made the following admission, which is worthy of being followed by others: "In preparing the pages that follow for the perusal of the English public, the editor was at first i empted to make some altera- tions in the style of writing and provinoickl phraseology of the author. But this task on the one hand he soon found would be endless, and besides he doubted whether its •zeoation would not rather diminish than ittflreasa the gratification of the reader. The sense of some pawages wonld, perhaps, ha^ been more read^y apprehended if the alter- ations had been made; but the stamp of originality and with it, in great measure, the pledge of veracity would have been loet." It is evident from this extract that the author, Walter Bates, had no interest what- ever in the edition printed in London in 1817, and that edition may have been issued even without his knowledge or con- sent. However, the publication of the Narrative of the Conduct and Adventures of Henry Frederic Moon at that time, in London, can now be recalled as a compli- ment to one of New Brunswick's early authors. The description of our provbce given in the volume is very brief and of little value, and the postscript at the end by the editor relates to an "unknown foreigner," a female impoater, who appeared at Bristol, and who oalled herself *'Caraboo,-' bat whose real name was afterwards ascertidned to be Mary Baker. It may be well to ^tate tltkt a second and fuller account of The Mysterions Stranger was published bv Sheriff Bates about 1830. Copies of that edition were quite rare in 1804, when our friend Geo. W. Day, the veteran printer of this eity, re-printed an edition of the book, and since then Mr. Day has issued three other editions, which is Bu£Scient evidence of the popularity of the Memoirs of the Noted Henry More Smith. S^ I THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER . OB, .y Menioirs of tlie jN'oted ¥ SMITE CONTAlNniO A correct account of his extraordinary Gondnct during the Thirteen Months of his oonlinement in the Jail of King's County, Pro- vince of New Brunswick, where he waa convicted of Horse Stealing, and imder sentence of death. ALSO, I mim mmiim MB mmmi. From his first appearance at Windsor, in Nova Scotia, in the year 1812, to the time of his apprehension and confinement. TO WHICH IS ADDED A HISTORY OF HIS CAREER UP TO 1841, EXBRACINa AN ACC0U37T OF HIS Selected from the moat authentic sources, both public and private. BY "W-AJL.TKR BA.TK8, Eaqviire. fa i SAINT JOHN, N, B. : PKOfTED BT OEOBOE W. DAT, 4, MARKET 8TBBET. 1666. '. * i 1^ J. & A. m'MILLAH, SlATIONl^RS, No. 78, Prince AVilliiUii Street. T IZ ST, JOHN, N. B. BOOKS and STATIONERY ot all kinds supplied :o AVhoi. .Je .ndjj Retail buyers imon tlie most favoraole t(.»TTiis. \ W A. BOOK. JOB and ORNAMEN FAL PRIN IIXG txcuud prumj.tly^ and in the best style. ^ |^i_ BOOK- blNDlNG i:i all its branchas ciroJu'ly alti ri('e.i to. Pirti- cular attention sdven to the re-bindin? ;.f i.ld books, i BLANK BOOKS ruled to any patffwn, and made up in t}\e bes'' manner. Englibb, Amuritan and I'^orcign Reviews, Magazines and Papers sup plied to subscribers and de.ilers at the l()v,'c-.t rates. A large stock of MIJSUj constantly o;: band Ens Thirteen Months of his confinement in the .Tail of King's County, Pro- v.noe of New Brunswick, where he was convicted of Horse Stealing, and under sentence of death. A1.S4I. H Je .ih]\ 0111} itly^ Pru-ti- ^e Ites' rs sup i 18 :iit) Cn rom his first ap})eHrfinoe at Windsor, in Nova Scotia, in the year 1812, to the time of his apprehension and oonflneraeut. JO WHICH IS IPDED A inSTOliY OF lirs CAREER I I ri* K- IM41, EMnilACING AN Vi. COUNT OK Ul'* I ^r'f.tfilt'ri,j)i flif: mrni8 the suhject of his Narrnii?e made his first appe ir tnoe amongst us in the year ISl'2. Previou-j to ihn, we havo no information coMCorninc hiin. Some time in the month of July, in thi:? Vf-ar, he rppear- ed at Windsor, in Nnva-Scotia, looking; for employment, an.J prelenderfto have cmigr.i- ted lately from England. On beinj{ asked vhat his occupation was, he sla'ed that li« was a Tailor; but could turn hid hand to any kind of mechanical busines"! or country employment. He was decently cloihed, genteel in his appnarancojand preposseising in hi8 manner, and seemed to understand himself very well. Although an en'.ire stranger, he seemed to be acquainted with every part of the Prn- tinctf.but studiourtly HToided to enter int«' close iniiniacy with nny person, associated with few, and carfuMy concealed all knowledge of ihe meuns by which he cimeio the country, and also of his origin and connections, keeping bin previous life and history in entire obscurity. Fin'ling no belter employment, he engaged in the service of Mr, Bond, a respectable farmer in the villajje of ttawden, who agreed with him for a month on trial, durmg which time he conducted himself with propriety and honesty; was industrious, careful, and useful, to the entire sati-ifaciion of Mr. Bind, his employer, and even be- yond bis expectations. He was perfectly inoffensive, gentle, and obliging ; used ao in- toxicating liquori), refrained from idle conversation and all improper laQgua<;e, and was apparently free from every evii habit. B'ung engaged for some time in working on a new road with a company of men, whose lodging was in a camp ; rather than subject himself to tha pain of their loose conversation in the camp, hectiose to retire to some neighbouring barn, as he pretended, to slet-p inquiet, and was always early at work in the morning; but as tne sequel will discover, he was very differently engaged. A ready conformity to Mr. Bond's religious principles, who waa a very religious man o( the Baptist persuasion, formed an easy yet succes^fui means for further ingraiiaiing himself into the favour of Mr. Bond and his family; his attendance on mornivig and evening prayers was always marked with regularity and seriousness ; and in the ab- aence of Mr- Bond, ha would himself officiate in the mo»t solemn and d^voui manner. This well directed aim of his hypocrisy secured tor him almost all he con id wish or «xpect from this family; he not only obtained the full confidence of Mr. jBonJ himself, but (rained most effectually the affections of his favourite daughter, who was un'ible to conceal tt;e strength of tier attachment to him, and formed a resolutum to give her band to him in marriage. AppHcation was made to Mr. B<>ud |or his concurcnce, •nd, although a rf fucial was the con.-equencp, y«;t so strong waH \he. attachment, and •o firmly were they determined to consammit^ their wiihes, that aeither the aiiyice, tbe entreaties, nor the renionritnnces of her friend)*, were uf any avail, ^he wen< with bim from her lather'^ house to Windsor, and under the nameof Frederick Henry More, be there married her on the I'2th uf March, 1813 her naote having be»n F.lizubeth P. While he remained at Hawden, although he professed to be a Tailor, he did not pur- sue bis business ; but was chiefiy atigaged in farmng or country occnpalicn*. After bis removal lo Windsor, and his marriage *o Miss Bond, he entered on a new line of bustneiis, uniting tttat of the tailor and peillar to;;eth>.'r. In this character iie mi:ie fre- quent visits to iia ita\, always hringm;: witli l>iiii ^ quantity of l'o.kIs, of vaiims dc-s- scriptione. At one nine he wa« kn iwn to bri'ig home n ronsideratjle sum of mon^y.and upon being asked how he procuiod it and all timsearticlesand g'Kitis lie l:rnu;j!il i..jme, ' he replied that a ff^lend '^v the name of Wilson supplied him will any ihing hn wanted ^' '-:m ataijcr i.i is re.: u/;>Me, h-^r/ever, thatlnail his trips to !l«iirax, he uoiformily set \t I y-! ^M^^Uitttittd r k r- iUn : f H HENRY MORE SMITH. » • bridle, ho spnnt moHt of the niifhtio fruitleBs fffMts to talio tho maro, which was run- ninj; nt Ini'fju in tk« paRlure. Ahrindoning thin pa-t of liin plin nn hopflem, and turning his h» W«?-8tealin!r s.'ffniu« in n (liff.Teni. (liii'ctinn, he rfoollecteil lo huV'> «een a fine hnrse f'pdinj; in a rtuld near the hifihwnv a* lie panned throu;^h the Furiwh of NtT'oii, nhout f hilly inilrs on, on his journey. Uponthi* frt nh RchtMiv, heoetoff on foot, with the bridle and BiuUlltJ in thf form of u p'icit on hiH hnck, pinyinj'nion^ all the pticceed- Ina d;*y in the churucier of'a pedlar. Ni'iht carno on, ai\d p«tt r.im in po»sf(i>ion of n fine black horBO, which lie mounted and rndu on in proiJiuini'm nt his dfsij;n, which ht looked upon now ns nlrondy nci"onr,)li»hrd. Bnl uilh ull the certainty ot hUcceB(», hi» ohject provi'd a failure, and that through mciins wiiicii j.llhis vi<,'dut,c(' could neither foresee nor prevent. From tlio want ot ule'p t!ie precedinj» night, and th»> futigufl of travcllinir ifi I'lo day, he hecaniediowfly and cxhunh.oed. and sf'>ppf'd in a hnn; belopij- inj» to \Villia(n Faverw- uUitT, fit the brid','oihftl<:ro!»f.t"* tiieMill-sirea;in, to take ashort sleep. an^ wai removed !::to tlio criminal'^ room, where iron^ were cuiKidered unnece-*u;,'ht up be- fore the Magistral i.-jj in your Count , aud examined, and thu fxamination committed J wriiino;. 1 do not know under what warrant ho ie in jour on.-tody ; lait I think it .ould be ns well for the samn Vtagi^it rates to make out a Milimud afujr liic ciauinu- ion J as it would t>e more according to form. / remain, dear sir, youra, -/ r. ■, .'-• : . - ■- Wkiib CmyMAV. [\\ awW! * THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF After proper notice, Judge Pickett, Mr. Justice Ketchum, and Mr. Knox, aH at- tended his examination ; in the conr ( r.«ts.irie8 and engaging a lawyer, repeating again, tliat, a.s he was a sliau^v r and had no friend.s to help him, there would be but Ijt.tlecliance for bim, though innocent, I M'l f)t the thiol who stole the horse were taken ujd brought to justice. t -o happened, on the day following, that 1 had occasion logo to the City o' «»?«» .J...1 .u company with Ur. Adino Paddock, senr, when, on our way, he had oc Saint occasion f I f/ ;» HENRY MORE SMITH. 7 to call at Mr. Nathaniel Golding'a tavern, in Hampton; and while placing our horses under his shed, we perceived a man mounting a horse in great haste, that was stand- ing at >iie steps of the door, who immediately rode off with all possible speed, as thongh he were in fear of being overtaken, On inquiring who he was, we were in- formed by Mrs. Goldin)^ that he was a stranger who had called there once or twice before, and that she believed his name was Chuman, or Churman. I observed to the Doctor, that that was tlie name of the man from whom the prisoner, Smith, said he purchased the horse ; upon which Mrs. Golding said that she could ascertain that by inquiring in the other room, which she was requested to do, and was answered in the affirmative. We made frequent inquiries by the way, as we proceeded towards St. John, but could ascertain nothing further of the stranger by that name. After my return from St. John I informed the prisoner, Smith, of what had happened bythe wuy; he ap- peared exceedingly elated with the idea of his being the mnn that had solrt him the horse, and said if he had money or friends he could have him taken and brought to justice, and would soon be restored to liberty again himself; but that if he were sufFereJ to make his escape out of the country, his own case would be deplorable in- deed, though he was innocent. He again reiterated his complaint, that he was desti- tute of money and friends, in a strange country, although anxious to employ a law- yer, he did not know of any to whom he could apply for advice. He was recommended to Charles J. Peters, Esq., Attorney in St. John, with the assurance, that if there were any possibility in the case, of getting him clear, Mr. Peters would exert himself in his behalf most faithfully. The first opportunity that offered, he sent an order to Mr. fctackhouse for his portmanteau, with inatfuclions to apply the pr jceeds of cer- tain articles, which he had left with him for sale, if disposed of, in retaining Mr. Peters as his Attorney. Tho return brought a handsome portmanteau and a pair of boots, leaving a small sum in the hands of Mr. Peters, as part of his rdainer, which was to be increased to five guineas before the sitting of the Court. This arrangement seemed to be productive of much satisfaction to the prisoner, and for the purpose of fulfiling the engagement with Mr. Peters, he expresded a desire to dispose of the contents of his portmantaau, as far as was necessary for making up the sum. He gave me the key, with which I opened his portmanteau, and found it well filled with various arti- cles of valuable clothing; two or three genteel coats, with vests and pantaloons, of the first quality and cut; a superior top-coat, of the lutest fashion, faced with black silk ; with silk stockings and gloves, and a variety of books, consisting of a nebt pocket-Bible and Prayei-book, a London Gazetteer, a Ready Reckoner, and several other useful books. He had also a night and day spy-glass of the best kind, and a small magnifying giasi in a tortoise-shell case, with many other useful articles. Sus- picions of his not having come honestly by the contents of his portmanteau was not the impression that was made ; but rather that he had been handsomely and respect- ably fitted out by careful and affectionate parents, anxious for his comfort and happi- ness, nnd that he was, m nil probability, innocent of the charge alleJged against him.' He soon commenced seliing off his little stock, and for the purpose of affording him a facility, persons, wishing to purchase from him, were permitted to come to the wicket door, through which he could make his bargain, and dispose ot'his things. He never failed to endeavour to excite the pity of those who came to visit him, by repre- senting hisdeplorable situation, in being reduced to the necessity of selling his cloth- ing to raise the means of defending his innocence in a strange country from the un- fortunate charse preferred against him. Nor did he fail of his purpose, for many, from pure sympathy for his unfortunate situation, purchased from him, and paid him liberally. — Among those who came to see him, there was a young man, who said he had known the prisoner in St. John, and professed to visit him from motives of frendship ; he had access to him through the grates of the window, and some of the glass being broken, he could hold free conversation through the grates. The last time he cane he carried off the night and dsy glass for debt, which he said be owed him while in Saint John ; but the probability rather was that he had given him a watch in exchange. ^he prison was then kept by Mr. Walter Dibble, a man of learning and talents, >^ '/ 8 THE MYSTEUIOUS DOINGS OF who for several years had been afflicted wUk a painful disease, so that for a grrrat part of his time, he was confined to the housp, and freq'?ently to his room, in the County Court House, where he taught a school, liy which menns, ♦o<<<'ther with the fees and perquisites of the jail and court liouse, afibrded him a comfortable livinV for himf elf and family, consistinjr of his wife hnd daufjhter and one son named John, about nineteen years of a^p, who constantly attended his fathrr. It mnv be also neces- snry to mention, that Mr. Dibblewasoneofthf pr"ncipal member:' of thr; Masonic, Lod!.T« held at Kinjrston, and was in hii.'h esteem among them; hp^ides he wns regari'ed hy all wLo know him asa man of honesty and intejirity, and well worthy tofill niiy situation of responsibility or trust. lam induced to advert to those pfiriiculars of Mr Dib- ble's character because I am irulebtod to him for many ( f the particulars relative to the prisoner, and because, havir.jy had a person who could be relied on, iher^ was the less necessity tor ray visiting the prisoner very frequently, which did not cxct?edonce in a week generally, except upon Bpecioj occasions. Shortly after the commitment ot'th* pri-oner he was visited bv Li'^utenant Baxter, an officer in the New Brunswick Tvegiment, then recruiting at Kingston. The offi- cer proposed to the prisoner to enlist mm, as a means by which he might be released from his confinement. This idea he spurned with contempt, and chose rather to await the i .i.e of his trial, depending on his professed innticence of the crime tor which he •♦ >a committed. Hn wt s however prevailed on t«» write to his Attorney on the sub- ject, and received for his answer thnt such a measure was inadmissible,and advised him to content himself and await the issue of his triil. He appeared tnuch displeased with the abruptness of his Attorney's answer, nnd seemed rather to look upm this short and summary reply, as an indication of his disnleasure with him, and as an omen that he, his Attorney, would n.^t interest himself much in his beh.ilf. About this timtj, bept. 7ih. I recevied a letter from the I'lerk of the Circiit Cou.-t enclosing a Precept to summon a Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Goal De- livery, to be held at Kingston on Tuesday the 27th of September. On the approach of the period for hi* trial, he was encouraged by his friends to relv with full confidence on his Atiorney, with repeated assurances, that he would ci^'f' his ca»e all po.-*siblrt Attention ; but with all his professed ignorance of the Uw, (smd tli's ignornnce h*' had often declared with much apparent simplicity,) the prif»oner knew too mu;:.h of it to resign biuieelf with confidence tothe issue of a cause which could iin^misehim nothing but conviction, and confirm his guilt. He therefore, upon his professed dissitisfac- tion with his Attorney, appeared to think no morn about l.im, nor to r new his erxpii- ries concerning him, but t-et tibout a more summary method of extr'caiin!: himself froiu the power of the law. He turned his attention to the Bibl*'. and lerused it with an air of much seriousness, as though the concerns of the unseen world engrossed all his thoughts : he behaved himself, in every respect, with becoming propriety, and his whole demeanor was such as to engoge much interent in his behalf. About this time he discovered symptoms of a severe cold, being troubled with a hollow sounding cough, and complained of a pain in the .«ide. but still submitied to his confinement without a murmur or compbiint. He would frequently advert, to the ill usage which he said he had received by the way from Victou, after he was made prisoner, particularly of a blow in the side with a pistol, given by Mr. Knox, which felled him to the ground, as he expressed it, like a dead man ; that when he had recovered his respiration which had been for some time suspended, he raised blood, •nd continued to raise hlood occasionally by the way for two or three days; that the pain had never left him tince, and was, as ho believed, approaching to a gathering in tht inside, which ho feared would finally prove fatal to him. He showed a bruised spot on his side which was swelled and much discolored, nnd apparently very painlul. All this was accompanied with loss of appetite and increased feebleness of body ; but he still discovered a remarkalde resignation to hU fate. His situation was such as to excite sympathy ami feeling, so that an endeavor was made to render him as comfortable as possible, by keeping hi« aparim 't properly tempered with heat, and providing him with ouch food as was adapted lo the delicacy of his constitution. His disease, hunevei, continued to increase, and his strength to decline, with all HENRY MORE SMITH. 9 the pymptoms of npproachinj; dissolution; piin in the henj and eyes, dizziness, with rirkneas bC the itoniach, fivquent ri-jinff of bio 'd, nr.d of increased p?iinfu!ne»» of the coni'i.«i()n on hm si(ie. It wus now considered hi^jh tiioe ti app y to a physicim. and on t^e 11th (.f Sopiemher sent for a dortor, wlio examined his side, and the geiioral state of his diseases and ^Mva him so-ne medirine. On thf? 12il), appeared a lit'ln betti'V. Thirtocnih, at eveninij, fjrftw "orsf. Fourtt'L-nth, uiiahle to wniU.— very high fever, Willi frcq'ieot chi'ls of airiii'. Fiftt-enth, vomiting and risintr hlood more I're- quentlv- Sixti-enth, the Rev. Mr. Scovil visitrd liiin in the morning, found him very ill, arid rent hi:n toast and ^ine .\nd some other cordials. Same day the Doctor at- fend'.-d him at 3 o'clock, ;ind^'»v(' him medicine. At (3 o'clock, no hetter, ond voiu- itinns of blood for the la^t two day* , extremities cold, and strenijtu greatly reduced, i.isomucli that he could oidy j:st articulate above his breath. Was understood to say, that ho should di« for want of medical assistance, as the Doctor had refused to attend him any more in that j)lace,an(l th« Sheriff I efuseil to remove him. Hisjiiiuat'on had by this time excited general sym- pathy and pity ; his Kcemmg simplicity, pasfiivcne.ss. and resignation greatly 'onlrihu- ling to produce the elfi,ict. At o'clock, tne Rev. M' Scoviland agreat number ofihe neiglibmn-fl came and sat with liim till 10 o'clock, and then left him with the impression that he would not live till iiiDrning. Ffi(lay,"-23; d, went to the j .il early in the morning found tre prisoner lying on the floor, n.iked, aiid sc^iiiagly in great distress; said he had fallen, thmugh pain and weakness, aid could not g(!t up am, the application of which seemed to revive hitn a little. Alter some time h>" recovered so far as to bo able to articulate, and upon i's bcng obt-erveil to him that he had had a fit, he replied that he was sensible of ir, and that it was hif^familij iiijirmity, and that manjp of nis connexions had died in the same way; and furtner remarked, that he did not thiid; h*- could survive another, which "oiild probably conie upon him about the same time the next diy ; that he wo8 sensible he should not recover ; but that God would have htm. Ho then asked Mr. Scovd to pray with him, his desire complied with, and prayer was(ffc!red up in the most solemn and devout manner; the occasion \va(< d.-epl, offecting, and all departed with the full conviction that the patient would not linger till the morning. Previous to thin, no regular watchers had attended him ; hut it was now considered highly necessary that some persons should sit with him till the morning; and conae- quently John Dibblee and Charles Cambreau were appointed by the sheriff to watch htm through the night. /' 10 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OP The next morning the following letter was drspatchtd to Mr. Peters, the prisoner's Attorney : — Dear Sir :— I fear we shall be disappointed in our expectations of the trial of the prisoner, More Smith, at the approachin I have but little hopes of his continuinar till morning. Yours. &c . WALTER BATES. The return of the bearer brought the following answer : — St. John, Sept. 24th, — Dear Sir, — Yonr favour of yesterday I received this morn- ing', and I am sorry to hear sodi-spondin? nn account of me unfortunate man in your custody. It will be your duty, I concive to have a (yoroner's Inquest on the body, and then have ii decently interred. Wi'h respect to the cause of the death, thnt is a circumstance whicli must rest wholly on facts; if any physician shall attend him, let him be pMrticuhir in taking down in writing what the man says in bis last mnraonts, as to the circumstances ; and if a J ustice should be then present, it would not be amiss In haste, yours, sincerely, Walter Bates, Esq. C. J. PETERS. Saturday, 24th. — The watchers reported that he had passed a very restless night, and but just surviTpd the morning : that he complained for want of medical assistance. The following note was then sent to the Doctor who had attended him : — Kingston, Sept. 24th, 1814. — Dear Doctor: — Smith, the prisoner, says that he is (buffering for want of medical assistance, and that you will not attend him unless he is removed inio anoth'-r room, which cannot be permitted; he must take his fate where he now ia, and if he dies in jail, an enquiry will take place which may prove to your disadvantage. I must therelcre request your attention. I am truly yours, &c. Dr. a. Paddock, Jr. WALTER BATES. At this time the sympathy and compassion of the whole neighborhood was excited to the highest degree. The family of the Rev. Mr. Scovil, especially, manifested deep concern for him, and sent him every thing that thty thou;;ht would either corn- fort or relieve him: as did also the family of Mr. Perkins, and that of Mr. Kaynond; nil ihe!»e having been in the; immediate neiffhbourtiood. But the prisoner ur^ed little or none of their cordials or delicacies. Mr. Perkins visited him about 10 o'clock, A.M., and kindly prooosed to wa'ch with him tho enBuinsr night, for which he dis- covered much thankfuluk'ss. In the course of the day the Doctor came, and gave him some medicine; hut found him so weak, that he required to be lifted and supported while he was receiving it. The Doctor acknowieciged his low stfite, but did not think him so near hia end as to die before morning, unless he should go off in a fit. This, the patient said, was what he had reason to fear would be his fate before morning, and therefore wished to make his Will. All his Clothes, at his death, h« willed to John Dibble ; and his money, about three pounds, which he always kept bv him in liis berth, he bequeathed t') the Jailor, for his kind attention to him in hia sickness, Tne money Mr. Dibble proposed to take charge of; but Smith said it was sitfe where it was lor the pre.-tent, Mr. N. Perkins having' had occasion to call that day nn Mr. W, II. Lyon, was en- quired of by him concerning the s-tate of the prisoner. Mr. Perkins informed him that he was alive when he left hiim ; but thout. This in- formation Mr. Lyon communicated the same evening to a number of persons who were assembled at the house of Mr. ScribDer;and added, that he was dead, for ttmt while T ^' 1 ..I 1 ^. \ fl HENRY MORE SMITH. 11 '^/ ( > i. •-. \ he was on his way to Mr. Scribner'a, (it harinsf been in the dusk of the evening), ha htid seen S>nith''s Ohosi pass by hiai at a short distance off, without touchin;r the ground This singular report, as it came from a quarter that con!d not be well dinputed, very much alarmed th« whole company, and formed tl»e subject of their conversation, for the eveniriir. But to return to our narative. After the prisoner had made his Will, he was, for a short time, left alone, with the probability that he would shortly be seized by another fit, which he was not expected to survive. About 6 o'clock in the eveninf^, the Rev. Mr. Scovil observed to bi;^ family, that it was then about the same hour of the day at wh'ch Smith had had his fit on the day preceedin.g : that he thought he would die Buddenly ; he would therefore walk, over to the Court House, and be ready thjre at the time, as it must be unplen.sant for Mr. Dibblee to be alone. Tliis so much awakned the sensibilities of Mr.'^. Scovil, that shfj could not heir th'; reflection, that a child, of parents that were perhaps respectable, should he so near her, in a stranj^e country, sick, and dying, on a bed of straw. She theret'ore called Amy, her wer " "here." snid she, "take this feather bed, and carry it to the i^aol, and tell ^^i. Dibble ih;it I have sent it for Smith t'< die on." Mr. Scovil had been in the house, and neited with Mr. Dibblee but a very short time, when a noi-^e was heard from Smith in the gaol, John Oibb'ee, who constantly attended on him, ran in haste, unlocked the prison door, and found him ia thp agonies of a lit, and almost ex- piring. He made an efTort to speak, and bagged of John to run and he-if a brick that was near, and apply it to his feet, to give him one monjent's relief while he vra^ dying, for that liis feet and Ugs were alrcad) cold and dead to the knoes. John, willing to afford what relief he could to the dying man, ran in great haste from tlie Jail through the passage round tlie stairway that led to the kitchen, where was a large fire of coals into which he cast the brick, waited but a few minutes, aed re. turned with the heated brick to the prison ; but to his indiscribable astonishment, and almost unwilling to believe the «vidence of his senses, the dying man had dij appeared, and could not be found ! ! ! John ran v/itli the tidings to his father an T the liev. Mr. Soovil, who where sitting in a room which the prisoner must have pas_ sed in making his escape, 'i'hey were esitirely incredulous to the report of an affai HO unparalleled, aiid would not yield 'their belief until they searched every corner o^ the apartment themselves, and found that Smith had not only effected liis escape but had also carried his money, his boots, and every article of his clothing away with' him!! It is impossible to conceive or describe the feeling of astonishment with which KVery one about the ho'jse was filled, when they found that the man, who h\d been groaning and agonizing under the psiin of an accumulation of diseases, which, night after nitfht, seemed to have be?;n wasting his strength, and bringing him nearer to the close of his unhappy life — had, in a noment, and the very moment which was thought to be his last, seized the opportunity of his prieon door being ()[)en, and rushed from his confinemeut, leaving not a vestige of his moveables behin.l hioa. As 800U as a search through the prison confirmed the fact of hiij elopeoient, the in- mates hastened outside, and continued their search around the premises. At this moment. Amy, the wench, made her appearance, carrying the feather bed : and seeing the people around the house, she said to them, " Misses seiul this bed for Smit to die on." Her master told her to take it home, and tell her miKtress that Smith was gone. Amy run home and told her mistress that massa say Smit dead and gont — ho no want im bed! "Ah!" exclaimed her mistress, "poor miiU, is he dead? Then. Amy, you may run and carry thi^ shirt and winding-sheet, to lay Smith out in." Amy instantly obeyed, and told her master accordingly. " You may take them hack," s^iid he, "Smiih is gone!" "Where he gone, masaa ?" "I don't know," said he, " except the d'-vil has taken him off!" Amy haatenfd back to her mistress, and told her that *' massa say Smit be dead and gone, and the devil has taken him away!" So much was th^ mind of every one prepared to hear of his death, that the expression, "Smith is gone!" served to convey no other idea. The Sheriff himself^ who had not been present, and did not hear of the affair imme- diately, gave tiie sentence the same interpretation. A messenger having been ^f 12 THE MYTSERIOUS DOINGS OF dispatclipcl to him with the tidings, mot him on his "'t\v to the jail, expcc'ing to ^viincsis the Inst moments of the puient. On beini; informed by the mossfttu'^r that " Smith y/rtH gone," " Ah ! poor fellow." he exclaimed, " 1 f'Xi)f"ct(ul ir. What time did he die?" " Hut ho is «jone cU;ar off." " It is impossible," rejoined the Shoriff, •• th:at he can be fiirfijni his sick btnl." •• Why." r^'plio I thii mos->en:,'jr. '' thev wero till al)()ut the jail lookintr for him, and no ono could tell whi'ih way he bail pone" " Unparalleled and abominehle dpc*pti m !" replied the Sh'-riir. "How ph sican hioi'ulf, did t'ds acoomnlisiiHd villain effcsot his relt-as ;, and wns iiow ai,>aiii ruanninj^ at larijffj. nloryinf^ in the i.ssu;? of his schfjm'f. But liefore wo ])ur.sue his hisfory in hi?; H'.icueediu'jf adv'Tilur".'', ir, may he necessary, for ih )se vho are uriacquaiut.eii with 'he lonal sit'ia'ion of the tjaol. from which ho e8C'ap»'d, to i^ive a short decrlDtioa of it. Kinfr^'oi; is situatfvi on a fieck or ton^foe of Iciiid, formed b- the Jliver Saint John and B-^'lisle Bay, ninnint!; norrh-easi mid south-west on the HVistt.'rii side of the nook, and by th^ river K-mnebeckasia runni>.ff the si^ue course oa the western tiile, leiving a tract of land between the two rivers about, Ave miles i'' breadtli and thirty miles in length. Tho winter road tiMU, Fredericton, tho ^eat of Government, to the City of St. John. oro^^^v:•^ the land at Kingston to the Kpnneheckani-j. and thi^ road in inhabited on br-ih sides. The roid is inter.sec ed in the centre of Kuifjston by another road runniop^ north-easterly to the head of Bvlli^'le Bay, and is al-io inhabited on both «idea. at the in:er>ection of these roads, on an eimir.eiice,slafid8 tiu^ Oourt hoose, (under which is the piisKn,) and church, facing each other, ea-*t and west, at the distance of atiout ei<;ht rodf;. At the distance of about ten rods from the jail stand the hwu.so of Mr. i'\ N. Perkin-, to the nirlh, and an equal distance lo t,i;« »ou?h the house of th > Rev. E. Scovil is situated, with various other houses in diiTerent directions; the land clear all around to a considerable diiitatice. affording' no hidinjr pl-ice. From a ])risun thus situated, and Rurrouuded «itii dwellinir tiousoiJ, did our hero escape, without ativ eye having seen him, and leaviiif» no mark nor track behind whicli could direct in the pur- suit of him. Finditi*^ ourselve.^ unable to pursuo in any certain direction, mir con- clufeiotis wvro that, be lun.^r either have laUen thi; road to Saint John or thatleadinij to Nova Scotia, tlie wny by which lie came, and thn onlv roa^l he was known to be acquainted with. Accordingly men «ero desnalched in pursuit ot him on the Saint John road, and otr'er.s s' nt lo the different frri-s. while ' myseU', ^ith Mr. Moses* Foster, iheDepuly Siierid', took the roadlo^.^ard Nova Scoia, with all speed, in the nifihi. and rode on until we beiran to think that we most have ])assed him. Haviojr arriv'jrl at a hourJe which he could not wed pas^^ wiiiiout beiiir iiirious, and maintained a close look- out iJie ni;.;ht, but, to no pur])o«e. At d yliylu 1 furiii?hed ,Mr. Foster with money, and .i-ent him on, upon the same iroad, wiiii direc'ion* to proceed aa far as Mr. M'Leod's tavirn, disiaot forty miles, and i:i ca-e of leaiiof:; moiIuiil' of hirn, t«'ili«- contiiuie the jiursuit and return. At the same lime I reinrneii to Kin<;'^lon rnyself, where 1 was informed, Knvards evenin*,', that ii mao, who answered his defteripti^n, had crossed the ferry over the Bellis.e Uav the evenin;^ before in great histe, ^■itaiinif that he wa.s ^ointr on an express to Fredericton, and must be iliere by ten d'tdock the next morrini;. Tids account compare! with Mr. Lvon's t^tory, which the r- ader will recollect, of having seen Smith's (//hk;/, or ajiparition the same fveniiij^in the twiliglit, conlirmed the opinion 1,'iai we had now {rot u])on the direction of our runaway. And when ve remember further, that the apparition waa passinj:: without touchiiu;/ the ijronnd, we will have some idea of the rapidiiy with which our self'-relea-^ed hero was scudding along as he garried his neck from the halter. It was now Sunday evening, and he had twenfv-fonr hours of a st.art, leaving little hopes of his being overtaken by me. As my only alternative, I forwarded advertisements, and prop(»ged a reward of' twenty doUara for his apprehension and re-coinmiinient to custody ; but with very \ \ ■ '■: \\ HENRY MORE SMITH. 13 \ I . little prospect of success, knowing ih'at he was cscapinnr for his life, and would suc- ceed in iretting out of tlie country before ho would be «8 hid aim, for Mr. and Mrs. Bailes had ociission to leave the house to go some distance, leaving the door unlocked, when the robber entered, broke open a trunk, and carried off a silver watch, eight dollars in money, a pair of new velvet pontaloons, and a pocket book, with several o'her articles. He then walked leisurely on his way, stopping at the next house and at all the houses that were contiguous to the road, so that he did not make more than three or four miles before dark. When Mr. Bailes returned to his house and found it had been robbed, he immediately fixed his suspicion on the man who had laid before the barn door, frorajhaving observed the print of a boot heel, which, was thought to be his, and irare the alarm to his neighbours. They itnmedittely set out in pursuit of him, and having heard that he had been seen on the road at no great distance before them, they follow- ed on in high spirits, expecting shortly to seize him ; but in this they were disappoint- ed, for the robber warily turned aside from the road, leaving his pursuers to exercite a painful and diligent search, without bsingnble to ascertain which way he hid gone. Having followed as far as Gagetown, they posted up advertisements, descripiive of his person, and also of the watch; and sent some of them on to Fredericton. Late on Sunday night, a man called at the house of Mr. Green, who resided on an island at the mouth ot the VVashademoac Lake. He said he was a Frenchman, on his way to Fredericton about land, and called. for the purpose of enquiring the way. lifr. Green informed him that he was on an island, and that he had better stay till the morning, and t hat he would then direct hira on his journey. He made on a large fire, by which the man examined his pocket book, and was observed to cast several papers into the fii'e, and finally he threw in the pocket book also. Mr. Green on see- ing this, had an immediate impression that the man must be some improper character, which idea was strengthened by the circumstance of its being a time of war. In the morning therefore he took him in his canoe, and carried him directly to Justice Col- well, a neighbouring Magistrate, that he might give an account of himself. On hh exarainaiion, he answered with so much apparent simplicity, that the Justice could find no just ground for detaining him, and consequently dismissed him. He ttien made bis way to an Indian camp, and hired an Indian, us he s:iid, to carry him to Fredericton: and crossing the river, went to Vail's tavern, on Grimross neck, where be ordered breakfast for himself and his Indinn, and had his boots cleaned. Atttiii* moment, Mr. Bailes, who he had robbed the day preceding, was getting breakfa:4t at Mr. Vail's, and writing advertisements in quest of the robber. About eleven o'clock, be, with his Indian, started ag-tio, leaving Mr. Vail's unknown and undetected; but not without taking with him a set of silver teaspoons from aside closet in the parlour. The time was now come for the sitting of the Court, and about eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning, the Attorney General arrived from Fredericton, with very unfa- Yourable impressions on his mind, bringing information that the robber was stili traversing the country, stealing and rubbing wherever he came, without sufdciont cfiort being made for hie apprehension. The Jury also were collecting from the 14 THE M'iSTERIOUS DOINGS OF different Parishes of the County, bringing with them unfavourable ifleas, from the report- in circulation concerning his escape. Among the many opinions that w£-re formed on the subject, one, particularly, was very industriously circulatPd. The prisoner was a Freemason, and it will be recollected that Mr. Dibblee, the jailer, was state*! ill a former part of the narrative to be a Freemason also, and that there was a Freema-on Lodge held at Kingston. The public mind wa'' strunjjly prejudiced against us, uo'villinf; to believe the real circumstances of his elopement; and the Court as- sembled under the strongfest impressions that his escape was connived at. The Hon- orable Judge Chipman presided on the occasion. The Court was now ready tor business, but no prisoner: yet high expectations were cherished that every hour would bring tid'ngs of his apprehension, as he was pursued in every direction. The Grand Jury was empaiwudled, and tlie Court ad- journed till next day at eleven o'clock, waiting anxiously for the proceeds of the in- termediate time. And to render the means for his apprehension as effectual as pos- sible, Mr. Benjamin Furnald, with a boat well manned, nai despatched in the pursuit with ilirections to follow on as far as he could gH any account of him. Wodnesday,the Court aeain m«t and commenced other business; but kiothing from Smith yet. In the afternoon, Mr. John Pearson, witness against him, arrived from Nova .>cotia, a distance of two hundred and eighty miles. Towards evening conclu- sions were beginning to be drawn that he had eluded ail his pursuers, and was making h:s way back to Nova Scotia, and the conjecture almost amounted to a certainty by the circumstance of a man being seen crossing the Washademoac and making to- wards Bellisle Bay. Nothing more was heard till Thursday morning early, when Mr. B. Furnald return- ed, and reported that he had found his course and pursued him through Mnugerville : that the nighi before he (Mr. F.) reached Maugerville, the robber had lodged at Mr. Solomon Perley's, and stole a .pair of new boots, and had offered the silver teaapoona for sal'! that he had stolen at Mr. Vail's. That he then walked up as far as Mr. Bailej '3 tavern, where he stopped some time, and that he was afterwards seen to- wards evening under abridge, countiuir his money. This was the last that could be heard < f him in this place, it was now believed that he had taken an Indian to pilot him, and had gone by way of the Washademoac and head of Be!i-ile, for Nova Scotia. This was in accordance with the idea entertained at Kingston before Mr. Furnald'd return. At ten o'cloek on Thursday morning, the Court nnet according to adjournment, to biing the business then before them to a close, without much hope of hearing any furtht r of the hor.^e-stealer at this lime ; when about three in the afternoon, a servant of Mr. Knox'd, (who it will be remembered was the Plaintiff in the cause,) came di- rect to the Court with information to his master, that his other horse was missing out of the pasture ; that he had been known to be in the pasture at one o'clock at night, and WHS gone in the morning ; and that arrange Indian had been seen about the place. This e^t I ;:iordinary news produced much excitement in the Court; and the coincidence of the Ituliin crossing the country with the robber, wi»h th« Indian seen at Mr. Knox's, confirijsed vm opitiion, that Smith had made himself owner of Mr. Knoz,s other horse also ! ! ! Mr. Kukx, uu hearing this news, became exceedingly agitated, had no doubt that Smith wan the (hief again, would not Inten to the Sheriff who was not just will- ing to ci' dit the reiiort of the horse being ttc'cn, and afTirmed that his Hia was in danger if Smith wus suffered to run ot large. ^<9 Honor the Judge expressed hia opinio!! that gre.ti remissness of duty appeared Ag jnerul Warrant was issued by the Court, directed to all the Sheriffs and Minis- t«M of fuHiice thnu'ghout the Proviure, commanding Ihem to appreher-d the said More Hvav a .uid i "ng him to justic*". lo the me«n time, men were appoiniffd 'o com- aience a tre* h r rcii in quest of him, to go indill'weiit directions. Mr. Knu.^. with Henry L\ou ftiul liiiah Smith, took the roati to Nove Sooiia; and Moses For.er, the Depuiy Shi>:ifl', an.; Nathan Deforest, directed thtiir couise towards Fredericton, by the b'r ad ot bt.il!>!'-' liay, with orders to continue their s^^rch hs far as they coulj gel inforr.;!iijoii of hi»n or to the American settlement. The Sheriff then wrote adver- liaemenL." '.y^ij...,^;; j/ublic pape: a, offering a reward of forty dollars for his approhen- M : .^ » • HENRY MORE SMITH. 15 il sion ; and the Attorney General increased the sum to eighty dollnra. Indictments were prepared, and the Grand Jury found a Bill ajerainst the Sheriff and Jailer, for neiAUffence in suffering the prisoner to escape. They wore held to IJnil to appear at the next Court of Oyer and Terminer to traversa the indictments. The business of the Court being at the close, the Sheriff paid the witness, Mr. Pearson, from Nova Scotia, for his tra'vel and attendance, amounting to one hundred dollars, after which the (Jourt finally adjourned. Nothing was heard of our adventurer till after , and would return in ten or tw(^lve days, during which lime Mr. D. might satisfy himself as to the watch. He appeal >^(! .0 peifecly at ea.<)e, wiihnut discov«-ring the stit^iitest indications of guilt, that or. ibese conditions they snfitired him to pass on. He continued h:s march throu^'ii Vvoodstock until he came lo the 'oad that leads to tbe American let^'einent, and as u drew towards evenlnir he enquired of a resident by the way concerning the road to i.ie American side ; but was asked by the man to tarry till morning, as it was then near night and the settlement yet twelve miles dis ant. He did not rhoose lo couply ^\)ih tbe invitation, and advanced, is an apology, tnat two men had gone on befor*: l/.m, and he feared thev would leave him in the morning if be did not proceed. It haj IX ; ed in a very thort time alter, that two young men arrived tht^re fron the Beltleu. li, and being asked wht^th^r they bad met tw,» nen on the road, they ans. wertd .a \le nega ive. it was then concluded that Smith was a deseri^r, atul ttiey turneo :''jout and followed him totht? Amprican set leineut, I ut found noihing oi him. The diiy mllnwing, Mr. FcsteranJMr. DtFonest arrived ut Wooo'sto-rk, r.d findinj* themstivts fitillon the track of him, they pursued on to the American lines, but could hear nothing c > ^ming him. They then 'nformed the inhabitants of Smith's charac* IG THE MYSTERIOUS DOIXGS OF tor ; anrl proposed a reward of (wenty poiirtds for his apprehension. The people seem- ed well dicjpotsed and proinisod to do thoir utmost. Messrs. P. & 1) tlien made their wn)' back to the river St. John, «» i there, most nr.txpectedly. came across th'! path of our adventurer again. 'Ihey lound that ho hud crosfii'd the river, stopped at several ho'ises for refreshment, and called himself Bond. That h« had a-'-'iimed the character of a pursuint in quest of the thief who had broken into Kingston jail ; said that ho was a notorious villain, and would cer- tainly be iiung if liiken. and appeared to he extremely anxious that he should be ap- prehended. They traced h*m down totbe river whore the Indians were encam|)ed, mid found that he had agreed with an Indian to conduct him through the w«iods to tho United States, by the way of Eel Kiver, a route not ui.treqoently tnivcllod ; and henf.e had baffled all the efforls of his pursuers, and finally escaped. Messrs. F. & D. thought it was now time to return and make their report. It afterwards appeared that the Indian, his conductor after having gone about two days on the route, began to b-e weary of his job, (perhaps fiiidinjj that it might not lie produ'nive of much profit,) and discovered that Smith carried a pistol, which he did rot like very miich, refused to guide him any longer, gave him hack part of his (ooney and returned. This materially turned the scale with our adventurer, and Fortune, that had hith'^rto smiled on his enterprise, refused, like the Indian, to conduct him much further. Un- able to pursue his journey alone, he was, of course, obliged to return, and he had now no alternative but to try his chinco by the known road. It was now the 10th of Oc- tober, and he re-appeared on the old ground, wanting retreahment and in quest, as he said of a deserter. While liis breakfast was preparing, information of his presence was circulated among the inhabitants, and Dr. Rice, who was a principal character in the place, effected his apprehension, and had bim secured. The clothes he had Rtolen from Mr. Ingraham he had on, exceptingf the pantaloons, which he had exchanged for a pistol. He said he had purchased the clothes very cheap from a man who he believed was a Yankee. He was then taken in charge by Mr. A. Putnam, ard Mr. Wat^^on, who set out with their prisoner for Fredericton. On their way they stopped at the Attorney General's, three miles fiom Fredericton and then proceeded into town, where the Supteme Court was then sitting. The pri- soner was brought before tie Court in the presence of a large number of spectatora. The Hon. Judge Saunders asked h' iiis name, and he unhesitatingly answered. ♦' Smith." "Are you the man that esciped from the jail at Kingston ?" '*Yea." Ou being asked how he effected his escape, he said the Jailor opened the door and the Priest prayed him out. He was then ordered to prison for the night, and the next day he was remanded to Kingston jail. Putnam and Watson set out with him in an Indian canoe, one at each end, and the prisoner, handcuffed and pinionei', and tied to the bar of the canoe, in the cent/e. They were obliged to watch him the first night at the place where they lodged, and the next day they reached the house of Mr. Bailee, opposite Spoon Island, where he had stolen the watch and the money, &,o. It was near night, and the passage to Kingston rather diiHcult; and they being strangers, Mr. B. proposed that if they would stop with him till morning, hs would conduct them to Kingston himself. They willingly complied, and they having been up the preceding night Mr. B. proposed that if they would retire and take some rest, he with his family would keep watch of (he prisoner. After they had re- tired, the prisoner enquired the way to Saint John, and whether there were any fer- ries on this aide the river. He then asked for a blanket and leave to lie down. Mrs* B, made him a bed on the floor; but before he would lie down, he said he had oc- casion to go to the door. Mr. B. awakned Mr. Watson, who got up to attend him to the door. Smith taid to him that if he had any apprehensions, he had better tie a rope to his arm, which he accordingly did, fastening itabove the handcuffs, with t^e other end wound round his own hand. In this situation they went out of doors ; but in an unguarded moment, Smith watching his opportunity, knocked him down with his handcuffs, leaving the rope in the bands of his keeper, having slipped tb« other end over his hand without untieing the knot. Thus, handcuffed and pinioned, and bound with a rope, the ingenious hone stealer, by another effort of bis unfailing iogenuity, akin to his mock-sickness in the jail, ha4 i 'f* L >r. j I I •4 n HENRY MORE SMITH. 17 effected a second escape from his keepera, leaving it as a matter of choice, whether to instiiiitc a hopeless search for him in the d.irkness of niKht, or lit down in sullen con- sultation on what plan they hxd best pursiiH in the morning. Nothing could exceed thocbairrin of Pufnnm and Watson on fia'linff themselves robhed of their prisoner, except the confusim wh' h filled myself and the Jailer on the knowledge of his unex- ampled and noted encap* Vo'ii the jail. To pursue him in the night, which was un- usually dark, and rainy .sides, was both hopeleni and vnin ; it wuh therefore thought b>'Bt to inffirni the Sheriff in the morning «>f what htid taken plnce, and receive his advice as to future proceediDgfs. In ihemorninjy, accordingly, Mr. Putnam proceed- ed to King.ston, and on communicating the newH to the Sheriff, received a supply of money, with orders to persue the rosd to Saint John, while the Sheriff, with two men, proceeded to Mr. Baijps'. There they received information that Smith had changed his course, and crossing the Ouknabouk Lake in the night, was directing his course towards Fredericton ngnin ! It will be remembered ihht previous to his escape, while a prisoner at Mr. Bnites', he made panicular enquiries wliether there were any ferries in the way to Saint John, on this side the river. At this time it would seem that he had looked upon his scheme as successiful, and evidently directed those en- quiries C(»ncerning the road with a view to mislead, while it was his policy to return upon the courHe which would be judged the most nnlikclv of all he should take. But to return to our story. He came to the lake the same evening he had got clear of Mr. Watson and the rope, and there urged as a reason of his haste in crossing the lake in the ni>;ht, that he was on his wny to Fredericton to purchase land, and that he had arranged it with Putnam and Watson, who had gone to Kingston with the Thief, to take him up in their canoe on iheir return, and was to meet them at the intervale above, early the next morning. This well varnished and characteristic story procured him a speedy passage over the lake, and now our adventurer is in undisputed possession of the country, at liberty to choose which way he should turn his face. On being put in possession of these particulars, weimmediatidy and naturally sup- posed that he was wisely and prudently directing his course to the United States, by the way of vhe Oromocto ; and so we followed up his retreat accordingly ; but in that direction no intelligence could be obtained, and we remained in total ignorance of his proceedings and history up to the 26th of October. At this date, when it was supposed that he had transported himself into the United States, to our astonishment and surprise we find hmi again in the prosecution o. ' \s usual business in the imme* diate vicinity of Fredericton. His firat appearance there again, was in a bye-place^ at a small house not then occupied as a dwelling. It was drawing towards night, and the day having been rainy, became to the house wet and cold. An old man by the name of Wicks, with his son, was engaged in repairing the house, in which they had some potatoes. There was also a quantity of dry wood in the house, but as the old man was about quitting work (or the day, he had suffered the fire to burn down. The stranger was anxious to lodge in their humble habitation for the night, but tb^ old man observed to him, that they did not lodge there at night, and gave him an invitation to the next house, where'he could accommodate him better. He did not accept the invitation, but said that he mubt go on eight or ten miles that night, and so he departed. The old man and his son secured the door and retired to their lodgings ; but when the morning came it was found that Smith had returned to the old house, spent the night, turned up all the wood, regaled himself on roasted potatoes, and again took his depar- ture. The following night, he paid a sweeping visit at the house of Mr. Wilmot, »tyut miles ffoin Fredericton. Finding a large quantity of linens, sprinkled and ready for ironing, he made a fall seizure of the whole, together irith a new coat belonging to a young nan belonging to the house. The plunderer, finding his booty rather burtfierf- some, took a saddle and bridle, which be happened to discover, put them on a nUitiW black poney, which was feeding in the pasture, and thus rode with his loggage till he came within two miles of Fredericton. There he found a barrack or hovel, llllel ■ with hay,' belonging to Jack Patterson, a mnllatto, which presented a convenient re- treat where be could feed his horse and conceal his plunder. Here he remained iOmc. daya undisturbed ; would turn his horte oat to feed on the eommea in the day, eo«- i. 18 THE MYSTKRIOU.S DOINGS OF cralinir himnelf in the hay, nnd would catch him •(fain at night, ride into (own, make what plunder he could, roturn to hia retreat, and conceal it in ibe hoy. Our iidvonturer thought it was now high time to pay hin rwnpecia to tbo Allorrey Ofocral himicir, who lived abcut three niileH distant. H( re Iik wua not altovether unncquaiiiioit, having niaiie a previous call on his paasagH un a prisoni:r from Wnod- ntocU to Fredencton. He nrrived on the spnt about 9 o'clock in the evening, re- iMining, no doubt, an accurate reraemi'rnncR of the «>ntr/ince to the house ; and every thing proved pro|*itiou5 to the <>l)ji.'Ct of his visit: for it huppineii that there wurt miiob coiiiri'iiy at the Attorney Goneral's on the nudia evening, whose overcoats, cloaks, tip- pets, comforters. &c., &c., wern all sunpended in the holl. He did not obtrude him- self Ujion ihe notice of the Company ; but ho paid his renpecls to their loose gariut.nth, makini; one aw»-ep of th^ whole, coositsting of five top-coais, thr- e plaid clouhs, a numher of tippets, conirorttrs, and (»i her wearing articles ! Havini; been more sue* cessfiil than perhapH he expected, he rode back through the town to the place of con- cealment, deposit* d his booty, and gave his horse, after this travel, a generous al- lowance of htty. Tlii* generosity to his horse led to his detection, lor Patterson hap- p-enif)g 10 perceive that his hay was lying in an unusal manner out of the window of ti s barrack, iinmt-diiitely form* d an opinion that some person had taken up lodgings in the hay, nnd in th:B he wan not inisiaken ; for on coming to the apol, he found iSmith hirig in the hay, with a white comlorier aliout his neck. On perceiving him to be a stranger, he asked htm where ho had come from, and was answered tt'at he carne from the Kenneheckaciii, whs i.fler land, and getting belated had taken up his lodging in the hay, and hoped it was no harm. After Patterson bad gone into his house he perceived that the traveller had retired from the barrack by the window nn(< was making towards the woods. Upon per- cf i\injr this, the idea of iiiw b^ing n deserter instantly presented itself to hia mind and n lling for aHbistance, he soon made the stranger a prisoner, which was easily et}' cted, D6 he did not make much effort to escape. It was soon discovered that their prisoner was no It'ss a person than the fur famed Henry More Smith, and no timo was lost in committing him to Fredericton jnii. PutteiKon, not seeing the corofortemiih dim which he were around his neck, in the hny, WQ» induced to examine the hny if perhaps he might find it. This led to the dis- covery of his entire deposit : for , he not only found the immediate object of bis search, but ti so all the articles previously mentioned, with many more, which were ail re- stored to the owners respectively. Upon the examination o^the prisoner, he gave no proper latisfaction conoerning the articles found in the hay : he said they were brought there by a soldier, who rode a little p >ney, and went cfT, leaving the saddle and bridle. He was than ordered to be laken by the Sheriff of York County and safely de' «ired to the Sheriff of King's County in his prii^on. Accordingly, the Sheriff prepared .or bis safe conveyance an iron collar, made of a flat bar of iron, an inch and a half wide, with a hinge and clasp, fastened with u padlock. To the collar, which was put around his neck, was fastened an iron chain, len feet in length : thus prepared, and his hands bound together with a pair of •trong handcuffs, after examining hi.s person lest he should have saws or oiber instru- mebts concealed about him, he was put on board a sloop for bis old residence in King- ston. They started wiihatair wind, and with Pattersou, the mulatto, holding the chain by the end. they arrived with their prisoner at Kingeion,a oistance of sixty mileB,aboub 12 o'clock in the night of the 30tb of October, which was better than one month from the time of his triuiiipiia..t epcupe through means of his pretended indiMDosition. On bi<« reappearance in the old Hpoc and among those who bad ministered ao teelinoriy tobia comfort during the whole period of bisaffecK d illness, and whom he bad so effectually Koazed, it might have been expected that be wou:d have betrayed some feeling or •motion ;or ihut a transient blush of shame, at least, woud have passed over his couu- t^nance ; but ah! no : his conscience- had long ^iiice become searerf.and there was no ■ensibility within.^troiigcnougb to give the slightest tint to bis shame proof countenance. He appeai'fd perfectly composed, and as indifferent and insensible to all around him QU^h be were a statue of marble. \i i P. HRNRY MORE SMITH. 1 V On the ensuinjj inornlnj^ he wan conducted to the jail, which lie enferod without hesitation or seemi'if; re^ri't. Attur his former pscapo, it had been cleared out ot everftliini(. and citrefuHy Hwept nnd neurchnd. In Uie courHeof iho seuroh there vvere found Heveral liroken pu/ti of ii watch, and aaiom; th»» r-st, tbe box which contiinod the main dpring, this convinced um that the waich, (which he received from the Joung mnn bptoro his ncnp*', in rxrhangn for th« Bpy-nians,) was intended to furnish im with th'f materiiln for ai-iking u tiiw in ca»e all uiher planH hi> might adopt to nccompliHh hin release should fail to Hbccecd. We found a large dinner knife cut in two, which we supposed to h:»V'^ been done with u baw mnde of the mainspring, as a trial or experiment of its utility. Having by this time, from pai ful i-xpericnm becomo a little acquainted with the depth of his geniu8, we thought it not impr>ssible nor unlikt'Iy, ihut ho mi^jht still nava the saw concealed about his person, altht'Ui'h Mr. Hiirton, the Sheriff of York County, had "arched him before bin removal fiom Fredfricton jiil. We were, how- ever, determited to examine him mur*^ closely, for which «'nd we took off hi* hand- cufl's, nnd ib'Mi ordered him to take off his clothes. Without liesita ion or reluctance he diverted himself of his clothes, ail to hi«Hhirt: we tlien searched every part of hia dress — the sleeveo, wrisl-bandn.collir of his shirt, antl ev^-n the haiv of his head ; hut found nothing. We then suffered him to put on hiH clothes ti<,'ain, and we carried out of ihejail, his hat and shoes, and every article bo brought. «vi'h him. The prison in which he was confined wus twenty two teet by "xieen ; Ptone and lime walls three feet thick on the hides, the fourth side having been the partition wall between ihe prison rooms. This partition was of timber, twelve inch-^s thick, lathed nnd piaHtered. The door was of two inch plank, doubled and lined with sheet iron, with tt)ree iron bar hingep, three inches wide, clasped over staples in the opposite posts, and secured with three strong padlncks ; and having also a small iron wicket door secured with n j)ndlock. Theie was one window through the stone wall, grates within and without, and enclosed withgiaHs on the outride, so that no communicition could be had with the interior undiscovered. The passajje that leads i() the prison door is twenty feet in length and three ffcct in bre-vdth, secured at the entrance by a padlock on the door; the outcide door was also kept locked, so that no commumication coold be had through ttie passage, without passing through three securely locked doors, the keys of which were always kept by Mr. Dibblee, the jailor, who from his infirm statt of health, never left the house day or night. Having learned a lesson by former experience, we maintained the most unbending strictness, suflering no intercourse with the prisoner whatever. In this manner secur< t:d, we put on his right leg an iron shackle, with an iron chain no more than long enough to allow him to reach the necessary, and take his provision at lhe{wicket door. The end of the chain was fastened to the timber of the floor by u strong staple, near the partition wall, so that he could not reach the grated window by five or six leet. He w.s provided with a bunk, straw, nnd blankets, as a bed : find his wrists having been much swelled with the handcutfd, [ considered it uniteceai'Ury to keep them on, especiiilyas he was so thoroughly s^'cured in other reApectM. In litii situation Ilefi him, with directioiis to the juilur to look to him fr>^quently through th»' wicket door, to see that heremain'^d secure.int^ndingattbesaaietiaieto visit biin occasionally mys*l\ The jailor came to look at him tr^qjontly ntthe wicket door, as directed, and alwayi found mm qoiet and peaceabl**, eith-r itting up reading, or lying down in his berth ; he never uttered ttny cjmplaints, but appeared reaignedto his cotifiiidment. 1 vitiited him once or twice in the eekto see, for myself, that his irons remained secure; and •Iway-^ finding him as yet in the same state of sscurity in which I had lett him, I m»;ht. which induced him to think that Srnith hid b?en at work at the grates. On making more particular enqiiry, 1 l-arned from Mrs. Perki.is that the had heard a noise like rubbing or filing, late in tbe night ; and by holding hix a ,80 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF head out of the window, sho coniridered the sound to proceed from the jail. Knowing the situation of the prisoner, chained, that he cuulil not reach the grates by five or ttix feet ; and knowing, also, that alter the search we had made, it was impossiblt-tkat he could have retained about bid person any thing by which he coald o:>t!rate on the grates, we judged it moru than improbable that the sound could have pro- ceeded from him. Nevcrrhelesa, we did not treat the information with disre- gard or neglect. I went immediately to the prison, accompanied by Moaes Foster, George Raymond, Allen Basten, aad Mr. Dibblee. the jailer, with several oliiera. It was then the evening, and we carried with us two or three candles. On oppning the door, we found him lying in hi!> berth, chained, jus: as I had left hitn. I said to him " Smith, you have not got out yet ; lie answered, '* no, not quite." I thun examined every bar of the grates as closely as possible, as also did everyone present, again and again, until we were all satisfied that the cause of the alarm was only imaginary. Smith all the while Ij'ing quiet, answering readily any and every question that whs puttufaim. Mr. Basten had yet continued scratching and examining the inner grates, when it was diocovcred by all present tbat tliere was a small chip lying on the flat bar of the outer grate, which was supposed to have been there accidentally. Mr. Basion, how- ever, being fully satisiied that the inner grate remained secure, was led, rather by curiosity, to reach through his hand, and take up the chip that lay on the bar of the outer grate ; on doing this, he thought he could perceive that the bar was inclined to bang in a small degree. This led to further examination ; and to the utter astonish- ment cf all that were present, it was found that the bar was cut one-third ofT, and art- fully concealed with the feather edge of the chip. Our astonishment was incrt^ased by the fact that it was impossible to reach the outer grate without first removintr the in- ner. This gave the hint lor a more effectual examination, when it was fouiui that he had cut one of the inner bars so neitly, that he could remove and replace it at plea- sure, having contrived to conceal the incisions in such a manner as almost to preclude the possibility of detection. There is little or no doubt that in two or three nights mere he would have effected his second e^^cape, had not his works been diiscavered, through the very means which, artful as he was, he employed to conceal them. On being asked what inrtrument he usnd in cutting the grate, he answered with perfect indifference, " With this saw and file;" and without hesitation, handed me from his berth a case-knife, steel blade, neatly cut in fine teeth, and a common hand-saw file. I then asked him how he got to the grates, cr whether he had slipped the shackles off his feet ? he answered me, no : but that he had cut the chain ; and then shewed me yery calmly where he had cut the chain in the joint of the links, a part where the cut could not verv readily be discovered. On being asked where he got his tools, he answered that he had left them in the jail when he went away, and that those he had given me were all the tools he had left. But perceiving Irom the shape of the knife,(it having been much thicker on tde back than the edge,) that the bars corld never have been cut so neatly through with that instrument, we were induced tu make a stricter search* and found, in a broken part of the lime wall, near the grates, a very neat spring saw, having a cord tied at one end. I then asked him who gave him those tooU ; to which he replied with great firmness: — ^" You need not ask me again, for I never will tell you." After I had finished these enquires, I searchea his bed and his clothes, and renewed the chain again to iits leg, fastening it firmly to the floor with a staple; and putting on a pair of strong hana- cuffb of 7-8 bolt. We then left him, it bein^ about 11 o'clock on Saturday night. On the next Sunday at 4 o'clock, 1 revisited the jail, when the jailor informed me that Uie prisoner was lying in his berth with all his irons on, and had been enquiring of him if'the Sheriff waa not coming to examine his chains. About 12 o'clock the same night ] was alarmed by a man sent by the jailor, to inform me that Smith had gp% loose from all his irons, and having worked his way through the inner grate, w:aa cutting the outer grate, and had nearly escaped ! Here, at the dead hour Qf mid- night, when it might be expected that every eye would be sunk in. the stillnese of sl^ep through the vigilant attention of Mr* Dibblee, the jailor, this astonishing beiug, )fbp set hand-cbjs,. and shackles, and chains at defiance, had all hut effected anut her «■• e«pe. Mr. Pib^lee, Qif findtpg Ijtim to he »twork (it tht girstM, was 4eten9>9«4» f ■i I HE^RY MORE SMITH. 21 if possibi?, to tike him in the act ; and by fasteninsf a candle to the end of a stick three feci in length, and shoving the light through tlie wicket gate, he was enabled to disooviT him at work before he could have time to retreat to his berth. Mr. Dibblee, on perceivinsr how he was employed, ordered hinj to leave everything he hid, and take to his horth ; he instantly obeyed, but as suddenly returned to the grates again, placed hiinself in a position in which he cmld not be seen h" the jailer. R»inaining fiere but a moment, he went quickly to the necessary, and threw 8omethin>{ down which vfDH distinctly heard, and finally retired to his berth. Mr. Dibblee maintained a close wutch until I arrived at the jail, which we imraediaJwly entered, and lo our amazement found hi(n extricated from ad liis irons. He had cijt his »vay throut'h the inner grate, and hud all his clothes collected, and with him ready to elope, and hud I k— cut the Irir of the outer grate two thirds off. which, no doubt, he woulfi have com- ■\ plcted lon^ before morning, and made his escape. I s^id to him, "Smith, you keep , at work yt^t;" he answered that he had done work n-tw, that a'l his tocld were down ' the necessary. The truth of this, however, we proved by l-Mting down a candle, by I which we could clearly see the bottom ; but no tools were to be seen there. His re- J turn to the Be(;essary and dropping, or nretening to drop something down, was no d<'ubt, an artifice, by wnich he attempted to divert out attention from the real spot where his tools were concealed. But in this also, with ail his cunninsr, he overshot the iCirk, by his over Rageriiess to tell us where he had cast his tools, ins'ead of al- lowing us rather to draw ihe conclusion ourselves, from his return to the place, and dropping something down. We next proceeded t<» strip off and examine his cl:» hing, carefully searching every h«ra and seam. His berth he knocked all to pieces, pxara- ining every joint and split ; we swept out and searched every part of the prison, know- iag that he must have his instruments in some part of it ; but all to no purpose-— noth- ing could we discover. Wo next rephicr-d all his ciiains with padlock;? ; pur, on him a pairofecrow handcuflfs, which confined his hands close togetfier, and thus left him about 4 o'clock on Monday Morning, On the day following, \ir. Jarvis, the black- i^mith, having repaired the grjites, came to put th^ m in, when we found ^mith lying on the floor apparently as we left him ; but, on examininir the new haiidcufTs, which ^ — screwed his hands c!ose together when put on, we found th^m neperated in such a I manner, that he could put them off and on when he pleased On b ing a'^ked why he destroyed those valuable handcuffsj, "because," he said "they are so stiff that no- body can wear them. No doubt then remained that he must have his saws concealed about his b-^dy, and having been ordered to take off his clothes, he complii^d with his usual readiness. On taking off his shirt, which had not been done at any time previous in our searche.s about his body, Dr. A. Paddook, who was present, ai.d employed in the search, dU- < covered a small muslin cord about his thigh, close to his body, anil d-^awn no clone that it could not be felt by the hand passing over it, with the shirt between. This t small Cord was found to conceal on ihe inside of his left thiirh, a fi:ie steel saw plate, two inches t)road and ten inches long, th<) teeth neatly cut on both the •'dges, no doubt of bis own work. Alter this discovery '"o put on him light handcHflfi, secured his chains wjih padlocks again, and set four men to watch him the whole night. The next day we secured the inner grate, filling the squnres with brick, lim^ and sand, leaving a space at the upper eorner of only four by five inches, in which was inserted ^ ' a pane of glass in the centre of the wall. This small opening in a wall three feet thick, admitted little or no light, so *hat the rooii w.is rendered almnst a dungeon, wfdoh . prevented the prisoner from being seen at, any time from the do >r without the light .4 of a candle. From this time we never entered the prison without candles and two J or three men. I .. On the 13th of November, I addressed a letter to Judge Chipmau, to wnich I re- ,, ceived the following answer : — *' Saint John, November 14, 1814, — Dear Sir, — I received your letter of yesterday \ relating to the new attempts of H. M. Smith to escape. 1 hive forwarded the sime i to Fredericton, and presume that a Courr will be ordered for his trial as soon as may be practioablo for the state of the traveling, and the neressly of procuring the wit- 22 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OP ness from Nova Scotb ; though I should suppose not before the ice makes. In tbe mean time the utmost vigilance and precautinn most be made use of lo secure him; you will.be ju»tified in any measures of severity that you may find it necessary to jipopt for this pur[)o»(>. I am, dear Sir, faithfully yours, W. Bates, Esquire. . W. CHIFMAN." Wednesday, the IGlit, we entered his prison and found that he had been employed in breaking the plaster off the partition wall with his chains, and broken one of the pudlocUs, and appenred to have boen loose; seemed very viciouf, and said he 'would liurn and destroy the biiildinjj; — would make it smoke before he left it,'' and that we wpared a (lair of steel fetters, cte hnrdtned, about 10 incht'8 long, which we pot on his Ief»s, with a chain from the middle, 7 feet long, which we stapled to the floor; we also put an iron collar attout his neck, with a chain about 8 feet long, stap'fd also to the floor in a direction opposite to thd other : and also a chain from hin fetters to the neck co'lar, with handcuffs bo!t»d to the middle of hit chain in 8iuh a man' cr a- to preven' his hands from reaching his head and feel when stiindiiij;, leaving it just posniole for him to teed himself when sitting. All these irons find chains he reeoivod nithoui discovering the least concern or regard. When the binckpmith had finished riveting the whole. I said to him, "Now, Smith, I would ad- vise ) ou to be quiet after this, for if you are not you will next have an iron b;:nd jMit round your body und stapled fast down to the floor." He very calmly replied, " Old man. if ytiu are not satisfied, yon may pijt it on now. I do not regaid it, if you will lei me have my hands looso you may put on as much iron as vou ple^se. I care not for all your iron." In this tsiiuaiion we left him. loaded with irons, the eniire wei!»iit of whicti was forty-six pounds, and without any thing to fit or lie upon but the naked floor. Although he was thus situated and in an entire dungeor, he appearad not in the least humbled ; but became more troiibl some and Loisy, and exceedinwlv vicious ugainst the jailor. j»efipair and m'idness seemed now to seiz^ him, and raving and roaring would unite with thd utterance of prayers and portions of the Scriptures. With a tremendous voice he would cry out, " 0>i you cruel devih — you niurdf^rer? — you mun-slaycrn — you tormentors of man ! How I burn to be revenged j help, help, help me ; L(»rd help me to be revti ged of those devils; help me that I muy tear up this place, that I may torn it upside down, that there m«'y rot be c-ne stick or stone of it left. My hair (ihail not he shorn, nor my nails cm, till I (.rrow as strong as Sampson, then will I liM revt.nged of all iny enemies. Help, help. O Lord help me to de.siroy these tormentors, murderers of man, tormenting me in chains and darkness ;" shouting. " darknes!', durkntss, O diirkness — not light to read the Word if God. — not one- word of ccdifort from any. All i?, — you rogue, you thief, you villian, — you deserve to be hanged. No pity, not one word of consolation, — all darkness, all trou- l)le ;" singing •* trouble, trouble, trouble ; O God help ine, and have mercy upon me; J fiar there is no mercy for me ; — vef, there is mercy, it is in Je.-us, whose arms Mand open to tfceive; but how shall I d«re to look at him whom I have offended." ^'Iien I't" wotild call u|ion his pureniH, and deprecite hi.* wicked life ; then rave ^gain, *' morderers, torrriei.torH, co! ^ider you have souls to cave, consider you have i»o'ils to It ui- Hs well as I a poor prisoner; consider you have child'en tha« may be brou>;hl to tio'ibie hs wv]\ hs 1 ; eonsider I have parents as w» 11 us they. OI if my pireiits knew my situi^tion, it would kill them. My wife, begone from my eight ; why will you t'irment me ! It is foi you ihnt 1 sufler all my sorrow, — it is for you my heart bleeds. Not a friend comes to see ine, — nothing before me but pain and sorrow, phains and darkness ininpry and dealli. O! wretched me, how long nni I to huff«r in this place of lonnenf! Am I to linger a life of pain and sorrow iii chniiis and misery ? No, 1 will cut the thread of life and he relieved from this place of darkness and trouble:" singing ■• trouble, trouble, trnuble," a thousand times rep»^ated. In lhi8 manner he c<»niinued raving till he became very hoarse and exhausted, would take no notice of anythi"g that was said to him, nnd finally left ofi' speaking entirely. The weather hnvintf become very cold, he was allowed his herth again, with a com- fortable bed of straw and blaukets ; but the blankets had to be taken away from him T f HENRV MORR SMITH. fk -I" iU» again, onnccountof his hiving attempted to J„ang himsolf Tvith one of them made into n rope. He next attempted to starve himself, but this he gave over, after havinij fnsteii three or four days. He now droppod into a state of quietne-'S, and lay in his bed the most of t^e time, day as well as nijiht ;huton the 16th of December we fonud on examining his prison, that he had broken the iron collar from his neck, and drawn the staple from the timber; but replaced i' again so as to prevent deti^ftion. On the 17th, we put a chain about his nt'ck and stapled it to the floor in such a manner that he could not reach either of thf? staples. In this situation he remained secure and rather more quiet, yet with occasional shouting and screaming until thfc 15th of January. The weathnr having now become very cold, and no fire allowed him fears were entertained that he might freeze; to prevent which it, became necessary to remove his irons, which, with the exception of his fetters and handcufTs, were accord- ingly taken off. For this relief he discovered no sign of thankfulness, but. became more noisy and troublesome, especially in the night, disiurbiner all within tli" reach of his voice, with screerhing and howling, and all manner of hideous noises, entirely unlilfe the human voice, and tremenduously loud, even beyond conception. In this manner he con'inuefl for five months, occaainnally committing violenct; upon himst.'lf and breaking his chains, during which period he could nev r be surprised into the nttf^ranceof cne single word or articulate sound, and look nonotice of ary person or thing or of what was said to him, no mure than if he had been a dumb, eenselcss animal; yet performing many curious and astonishing actions as will be related hereafier. In the New Testament, which he alwwys kept by him, alea'' was observed to he turned down, under which, upon examination, was f I'.'nd the foUowingr Scripture, in the IM Chapter of 1st Ciirinthianp, "And I. brpthern, could not speak unto you, fcc. The weather liaving been intensely cold throughout the month of Jtnuary, and he havinj; had no fire, gre^t fears were entertained that he must perish from cold, but astonit'hing to relate his hands and feet wero always found to lic warm, and oven his chains! In February, when the weather began to node-ate a littlf, he beam" mor" ironbleome; bepan to tear (ff the lime wall and lathing from the j.artition, an as not 'o hear what I say to him. Iristoad of thanks for taking off his irons, he niakes all the noises he can by yeilingr and screaming alt night, and knocking very loud all nit'ht with some jiart of his iron--. I wish vou would come up early and advise what is bcrl to be don". W. DIBBLE." I came to thojail accordingly, and found his irons uninjur>^d. and to prevent him from using his hands so freely, locked a chain from his fetter». to hU hand-cuifi, an the jail to ec if be would np nk or take any notice of them, or of what they would sny t" him Iroin his wife. Thoy hdd film that fiis wife wished to know if he wruld have her i-onie to see him, and what; ^■•he would do with the coll he left ; that she would sell ii for two hundred dollars, hikI have the money sent to him. But all they said had no effi'C on him, any more than if he had been a lifeless utatue, which convinced tis all that he would go to the gal- lows without speaking a word or changing his countenance. The next week he became more restless and vicious, and on Sunday, on go'ng into 21 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF th< jail with Mr. Kulofson, from Hampton, and Mr. Griffith, from \Vond»tocl<, found he hr.d brolcen up part of his berth, hud broken his ch>in from the hand-cuffa, leav- ing one link to the staple, "he parted litiks conopaled ; tore up part of his beddin.jnnd stopped the funnel of the ne^easary. It had appeared also ttint he had i)e<>n at the gyrates; but how he got there was a mystery, lor the chain, by which his lees were bound, was unbroken, and the staple last in the timber. We then raised the staple and again put on the chain to his haud-cutfs, fastening the sta] j in another piace, more out of his reach. The next dajf I found he had again broken the chain from his hand-cuffs and torn off a large portion of lathing and plastering from the middle wall. Finding this, 1 determined to confine him more closely than ever, and so put a cimin from his feet round hit* neck. stapled to theHoor, securinj; the hand cuffs to the middle ot this chain. He had aliendy given such myHterions and astoni-^hing proo's of bis strengih and in- ventiin, that I feared h*} would finally baffle all my ingenuity to prevent his escape* The twisting of ti'e ir»n coilur from his nock and drwing the staple from the tim- ber, was a feat that filled every one with wonder. Tiie collar was made t.f a flat bar of iron, an inch and n half wide, with the edges rounded. This he twisted as if it were a piece ot leather, and broko it into two parts, which no man of common strengin could have done with one end of the bar fastened in a smith's vice. The broken col- lar was kept a long time and shewn to many a wonderer. As might be expected, his wrists were frequently much swelled and very sore from his exertions to hreak and get loose from his irons ; yet he appeared as insensible and as regardless of hia situ- ation fa if he had in reality been a furious maniac. Ntit^ith-taiiding the seeming insanity whicfi characterised these works of his in the prison, yet other parts of his performance there indicated the most rstonishing genius and invention ; perhapji in a manner and degree unequalled in the memory of man. On the 1st of March, on entering his prison in the evning, we found him walking in front o\' an effigy or likeness of his wife, which he had made and placed before him against the wall as large a^i lifn. When the ligfit was t'trown iipou this ^cenp, which he had prepared and got up in the dark, ii not only flllpd »s with amMZetn^nt, ht^t drew out all the senibilitiea of the heart with the magic of a tragedy, not so much im- aginary as real. This effigy he intended to represent his wife, visiting his wretched abode, and manifesting signt) of disconsolation, anguish and despair, on beholding her wretchehiiin was broken into three pieces ; the chain from his neck to his fet?t into three l)i''ce« ; his screw hnnd-cuffd in four pieces and all hanging on nails in the partition. Hi.s great ciat was torn into two p:trt», througe the back, and then rent into small strips, one of which he used ns a bell, and supported with it a wooden .sword whicit he had formed out of a lath, and with which he amused himself by goinv througli the ** sword exercise," which ht* appeared to understand veiy we'l. The chains from his legs Wfre dnengaged fmrn the staples, and ti'^d t<'pelher with a strip of the torn «oat. His hands, his teet. and his clothes, were a'l bio idy ; and nis whole appear- ance presented that of an infuriated mndman. Ther*? were presf-ni on this oc •asiDii Messrs. Daniel Micheau, Moses Fosier, George Kiymorid, Wnlkur 'I'isdale, the Jailer, and some others. I then raised tho Maple, secured him by the leg clniin, put on u pair of stiff hand-cuffs, and added a chain to his neck, stalled to the tlnor. In this silUHMon we left him until ihe28ih, when 1 vvas again culled by the jailer, whu said thiJt he believed he was loose again, and abiiui some mischief. On entering the jail, 1 Hcc.' i.-i igly found him loose, — the cimin from his nt.ck in lhre*> parts ; he had ueaten Uiv liuie off me wall wiin a piece of his chain three feel long. We left him for the pui'puHti of geltintr his chains repaired ; at ni^ht we added a new chain from his fetters to his neck, and stapled him to the floor «vith a chain aboi:t four feet long ; we secured his hand-cuffs tt> the chain between his neck and toet, so that when stand- ing, he could not reach in any direction. In this »ii'.ua ion he remained until the 31st, spending the tiaie in singing and hallooing (>ccasionally. 1 was then again called by the jailer, who on opening the wicktt-do.ir, found a piece of chain hanging on the inside. 1 w^^nt immediately to the jail and tbutid that he had separated all his cnains, li.id tied nis feet chain to the staple again, and was lying in his bed as uncuncerned as if nothing had happened, having ii piece of chum about his neck. We tnen took hia bunk bedstead from him, and removeii everything outol liisieach, but could not discover by what means he could separate his chains: no link in his chains appeared to be twisted, nor were ihere any broken links to be seen ; from this we inferred that he still must have some means of cutting hi-i chains. At this mo- ment, however, it occurred to us that he might have the broken links concealed in the privy. We accordingly let duwn a canille, by which we could see the bottom, and wiih an iron hook prepared for this purpose, we brouyht up a bunch of broken links whiuh he had tied up in a piece of his shirt, togeih'^r with a piece of hi.s neck- vliuin a foot long. This convinced us that he hud noi destroyed his chains by means of cutting them, but by the appiicauon of some luiknown mysterious power. I then determined to break the enchantnienc, if strength ol cliain would do it, and m^dtid to his fellers a large timher chain, which had been used as the hunk-chain of a bob- sled, by which four or five log:» were usually hauled to the mill at once. Tne ctiains we hail previously used were of a size between that of a common ox-chain and a large horse trace-chain. Secured in ttiiM manner we left him, and on t'le 6th of April found his neck-chain parted again. 1 then replaced it with a sirong ox-chain about seven feet long, firmly stapled to the timber. The next morning the jailer informed me that from the uncom- mon noide he made in thti night, he was convinced h^t must be loose from siine of his irons or chaios. 1 then concluded that fie must have broken his steel fe'iers, a-* I judged it impossible for human strength or invention, in his situation, to break either of me ox-chains; but to my utter astoni-hment, I found the ox-chain parted and tied with a ntring to the staple, his hand-cuft'a, fetters, and log chain having remained uninjured. We fastened the ox-chiin to his neck a<(aiii, by driving the staple into unotber link. After this, he remained more qai«=t, nis wrists having been much galled and swelled by his irons, and bruised and rendered sore by his exertions to free him«elf from them. At mis time I received a letter (rem the Clerk of the Circuit, of which the follow- ing is a copy : — St. John. March 15. — Deur Sir, — .\i length I enclose you the precept for summon- 26 THE MTfSTERIOUS DOINGS OF ing a Coort of Oyer and Terminer and Gaol Delivery in your County, on Thursday, the 20ih of April, for tbe trini of the horoe stealer — I also enclose a letter from Ma- jor King, for his saddle stolen from him at the same time. Yours, &o., WAR]) CHIPMAN. To Walter Bates, Esq., High Sheriff. After this our prisoner remained for some time rather more peaceable, and amused himself with braidini; straw, which he did in a curious manner, and made a kind of straw bosket wh:ch he liunjj on the partition to contain hU bread. Sometimes he would make the likeness cf a man, and sometimes that of a woman, and place them in postures singularly rftrikin^ ; discovering much curious ingenuity. At this he would amuse himself in the d»y; but spfjui the night in shouting and hallooing, and beating the floor with his chHins. On entering the jail, we discoverel the image or likeness of a woman, intended to represent his wife. He had It placed in a sitting posture, at the head of his bed, with tne New Testament open before her, as though reat go on without him. From this circumstance, ther'fore, and as the present state of the tra' elling would probably render it dangerous to my father's health (who is not now very well) to hol'l the t'ourtfhis week, he has determined to pui i: off '.til Thursdav, th;^ 4th of May, for which day he wishes you to summon your jury, and to proclijim the holding of t'le Court. He r^grf ts much giving you this addiiioial iroutjie: but it murjt he attributed to the extraordin»»ry bickwardness of th.i seasori. w iich was not pro-iably foreseen when it was recommended io ho d th'^ Court on thi 'D h of April- I have not time to forward a new prucept by this i; )n'/eyanc-! ; bin [ will forward one in time, or the one you have may bi alie-ed. This can bi easily arranged when we go up to the Court. Your's truly, W. Bates, Esq are. W. CHIPMAN. The Court was accordingly proclaimed, and at the sirae time I wrote a letter, in- T i ^mp V UBNRY MORE SMITH. /■? a • . 97 closing tha proolitmation to Mr. Dibblce, the former jailer, to which I received the following answer : — " Dear Sir, — I yestprday received your letter, inclosing your proclamation of ^ the Circuit Court, tor the trial of Smith, the horae-fitealer. I shall be very sorry if Judge Chipman's health shuoldbe such as to prevent his attending the trial. Should the Attorney General attempt to prosecute on recognizance for the escape, I think his ^the Judge's) influence at Court wouh? prevent it. 1 am quite of your opinion, that it will be irm most difficult case that ban yet been before any court for trial in this county. As for his behaving much ksttpr after I Itift the jiii, it was what I ex- pected he would do, to put Reid off hid guard. Those parts of his chains that, were banging in converuen'. situations, were powerful weapons ; and had Reid come into tliR jail alone, or weak-lianded, he would havn felt the weight ol them. It is remark- able that the villnin, with all hii^ art and cuniung, should manage it so ill; and it seems altogether providential that from the beginning (except his sickness) h« ha? tither (ielaysd too long or has been too liasty, which has prevented his escape b^'fore, and I hi'pe and trust will be the same wiih you. 1 am sorry for the trouble you have with him, and confidtnlly hope nnd trust tie will not evade your vigilance. You are loo well acquainted with his ronduct to need my advice. I must claim from youths particulars of his conduct at the trial- W. Bates, Ksquire. I remain youre truly, W. DIBBLEE." On the 30lh of April, I went to the jail and found Smith lying quietlv with all bin irons and chains uninjured, and told him that on Thursday next, the 4th of May, he must have his triul before the Court for his life or death ; and that Mr. Pearaon. the Deputy Sheriff who apprehended him at Pictou, had come to witness against him; but he paid no attention to what I said. Tlie second day Mr. Pearson came to see him, and told him that 'his (Smith's) wife wns coming to see him; but he took no notice of him, no more than if he could neither seenori.ear, and set at defiance all attempts to extort one singl'* expression, as though he were destitute of every sense. The third day we found that he had been at the stone wall, his face brui-ed and bloody. I rrnewed m) attempts to tlicit something from him, by telling him that the next day he would be brou,7lit bt-fore the Court for his trial; but all was in vain. He gave me the most decided iniiicationa ot confirmed insanity; pated his hands, hallooed, sang without articulating, and continued to sing and beat the floor with his chains the most of the night. The 4th of May, the day appointed for his trial, being now comp, the court began to assemble early in the morning, and numerous spectators crowded from every part of the county. About 11 o'clock his Honor Judge Saunders, and the Attornr^y Ge- neral arrived from Fredericton. Ahout one o'clock the whole Court moved in pro- cession to the Court House, which wes unuf^ually crowded with spertator**. After the opening of the Court in the usual form, the prisoner was called to the bar. The jniler and four constables broujiht him and ple.ced him in the criminal's box. He made no resistance, nor took ary ni'tice of the Court, and, as u«nal. acted the fool or the mhdmjin. snappii'p his finj'ern and ratling his bards ; he hem'd and ha'd, took off his shoes and socks, lore his shirt. Every eje wvis fixp«l on him with wonder and astonishmf'nl. After tho Atlornry General hud read bifi Indictment, the Judge asked him how he ple.-ided to that Indictment, guilty or not guilty. He stooct heedless and silent, Without regarding what was isaid t > bun. Tne Judge then remnnHtrated with him, and warned him that if he stood mule out of obstinacy, his trial would tro on, and he would be deprived of the opportuftity of putting himself on his counry for deience ; nnd that sentence would be given against him: he therefore advise'* him to plead not guilty. He still continued mute, and acting the fool without betraying the slightest emotion. The Judge then directed the Sheriff to eropannel a Jury of twelve men, to enquire whether the prisoner at the bar ^tood mute wilfully and ob- stinately, or by the visitation of God. From the evidence brought before the Jury on this enquiry, it appeared that he had been in the same state for the three months preceding, during whiph time he could not be surprised into the utterance of one ^ 28 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF word. The Jury conaequently returned their rerdict that the prisoner stood mute by thn visiiation of God. The Judge then cirected the Attorney General to enter the plea of notcuuty; and Counael for the prisoner was admitted. The Court »hen adjourned till ten o'clock the next morainj;. The next morninjjf, Friday, the Court ossembled accord- ingly, and the prisoner was a^iiin brotiiyht to the bar, and placpd in the criminal's box as before. He sat down quietly, and maintnined his usual silence nnd inaiten- tion. The most profound silence rei<,'n»^.i in the Couri, which was still crowd<>d with spectators, and every eye was fixed on the prisoner with the most eajjer atten- tion. The Judge then arose, and observed that the prisonnr appeared more calm, /bin movcinf;, anrl directed the Attorney (ienernl to proceed with his trial. Aftfr the Jury had been Kmpannelled and had taken their seats, and the witnesses bronjjlit bcfiire the court, the priMuner wuh ordered to >tand up for hi;? defence , hold U!> bis hand, and hear tne evidence ; but he still maintained the same disregard nnd in.; ft«r('nc;e, aivinjj no attention to any thincr that wis naid to him The consta- bles we.e then directpd to hold up his hantl, but to this he offf?red the most deter- mined r'"i avail ; he would flounce and clear himself from them all, as though he bad the strt •, .t(th of some furioHin animal. They iiien procuied a rope and lashed his arm«back to the railings of the box ; bu'. he still coniiniiei] his Btrujjfjling, and reaching the r'lilings before iiiin would break them like a pipe-stem. They then procured another rope and bound his hands to- gether, »nd secured them to the railing in opposite directions. Finding himself overpowered in his hands, he immediately availed himself of his ft-et, with which he kicked mosi lustily, and soon demolished all t!io railini; in front of the box, notwith- standit^^ all the etfbris of the constables to prevent him. Another rope was liien procurt'd, and hid feet '>ound each way from tlie posts of the b>>x, so that he was ren- dered incapable of further rnisch ef. After securinir him in this manner, al! the constabli's beirg in readin'-ss for his movement", while he himsflf sat as unconcern- ed as tl'.ough noih ns hsd happened, the Attorney Genera' proceeded t) read his In- dictment, in which the prison* r stood charg»>d with having feloniously stolen a cer- tain buy horse, liip property of Frederick Willis Knox, Esq., of the value of thirty- five pounds^ Mr. Knox having been sworn, stated the manner of his pursuit after the prisoner, with all the circumstances, until he came t» Truro, as has alrea^ in any other *ay than by saying he came honestly by him ?" "No." Mr, Penrdon was cross-examined in the same manner, and answered to the same effect. Mr, Peters, in defence of th'^ prisoner, produced authorities to shew that by the evidence the prisoner was not taken in the manner as stated in the declara ion, and that it was sufficient for him to prove, in a general way, how he came in poHsossion of the horse, which he was able to do by a recllpt he produced for the money paid in exchange, the best general evidence that can be given as such is the common way in dealing in horses. He acknowledged that if the prisoner had been taken on ^he back of the horse he would then have been taken in the manner as stated by tiie A.iorney General, and consequently bound to prove how he cnme in possession; but in the present case, he himself, or any one present, miffht have been in this unfortunate pri- soner's situation ; dragged to the prison^ to Court, and to the gallows, because he could not produce the person who actually sold him the horse. The prosecutor had not produced any evidence of the horse ever having been in the posssssiun of the prisoner, any oth«'r way than by bis own confession; and he trusted that tito Jury would not hesitate to find that the prisoner was not tixken in the manner as stated in the declaration, but would pronounce him, by their verdict, " Nut Guilty." The Judge, in his charge to the Jury, overruled the plea, by stating lo the Jurv that Ibis having been taken in the manner, was proved by the various accounts hi gave of his getting possession of the horse, thus rendering himself liaMe to prov how he came by him, or to stand guilty of having feloniousiy taken him, as stated ir. the Indictment. That they had heard the witnesses, and if from the evidence and circumstances before them they were fully satisfied that the prisoner at the bar had taken the horse feloniously, a.^; stated in the Indictment, they would find him Guilty ; but if they bad any doubts, that leaning to mercy, they would find him Net Guilty. While the Jury was out, the SheriflT invited the Court and other Gentlemen to vi- sit the jail, where they were shown the irons and chains, and the situation in which the prisoner had been placed. The Judge observed that it waa fortunate the priso- ner had been sent to Kingston Jail, as no other jail in the Province would have kept him. The Jury, after an absence of about two hours, returned with a Verdict of " Guil- ty." The Judge then proceeded to pass upon him the awful sentence of the law, *^ Death, without the benefit of Clergy;" but the criminal remained unmoved and unaffected, and continued shouting and hallooing. The Court asked the Counsel for the pri8r the dreadful event. ]3ut he paid no attentitu) ; patted his hands, sang ard nct^d the fuol as usual. One of his visitors bein/sf much surprised at ttis insenaibility, ob- served to him, " Smith, it is too late for you to deceive any more ; your fate is fixed now, and you had better employ your little lime in making your peace with God. th.in to a<:l the i'ool any lonjrer." On our next visit to the jail, which was soon after, we found his Testament optn, and a leaf turned down on the following passage — "If any man nmon^ you seemeih to be wise, let him become a fool, that he may be wise." From thia it would appear, that he either founded his pretended insanity on Scripture precept, or affected to do'so : yet it csnnot be supposed that he intended us to know what uae he made of this Scripture, as he must have known that our conclusion would be that he was '* more rojrue than fool." I kept him nine days on bread and water, during which time he mnnifested no sign of hunger, more than when fed with four times his allowance, and tore off every par- ticle ot his clothing, leaving himself entirely naked. After this time, I allowed him other provisions, and itia subsequent behaviour was briefly stated in a letter to the Attorney General, and afterwards published in the " Royal Gaettte." The following is a true copy of ihe letter, as it appeared in this paper, July llth, 1815. ** Copy of R letter from the High Sheriff of King's County : — "Kingston, June 26th, 1815. — My dear Sir, — Having heard no'hing from you since the late Gaol Delivery at King's County, I beg leave to state to you some cir- cumstances of the criminal Henry More Siiiitn, since his trial and sentence. After securing him with strong chains to his neck and legs, nnd with handcufftf, he cont> Qued beating the fioor, hallooing day and night with little intermission, making dif- ferent sounds; sometimes with jinking his chains, and sometimes without, appa- taently in different parts of the jail, insomuch that the jailer frequently sent tor me, finipposing he must be loose from his chains, which I coticeived and frequently ob« •kerved was impossible, being far beyond the power of human strength or invention, in bis situation ; but on the 24th cf May, going into the jail early in the morning, (after having examined his chains at 2 o'clock the day before,) I found three links of his heaviest chains separated, and lying on the floor, being part of the chain without the staple. He continued in the same way until the 2nd uf June, when we found the largest chain parted about the middle and tied with a string, which clearly proves that irons and chains are no security for him. I then put on a light chain, with which he has been ever since. I never discovered him at work at anything, but he frequently produced effigies or likenessess, very strikinsf, represen'ing his wife. He now produced an effigy of a m'ln in perf ct shape, with his features painted, and joinU^ (o ail his limits, and dressed him in clothes that he had made in good shape and fashion out of clothes he had torn off himself, (Iving now naked.) which was ad- mired tuv ics ingenuity. This he would put sometitnes in one position and some- times in anothi^r, and seemed to amuse himself with it, without taking the least no- tice of nnyihing else ,* continuing in his old way hallooing, without any alteration, until the 13tb, when the gaoler inf rmed me that he refused to eat, and no doubt waa sick. I went to see him every day — f'und he did not eat — all the bread and other provisions conveyed to him he gave to his efligy. strung on a sir ng, and put in hii hands. He l»y perfectly still day and night, and took no notice of anything — would drink ten or luilk, nhich I gave him twice a day for five days, he then refused to drink unytiiing for two days, which made seven days that he eat nothing. In that that lime he b-gantofpeak — would ask questions, but would hold no conversation. But the most extraordinary, the most wonderful and roysteiions of all is, that in this ti more idea of any thing past, thin if he bad no reculleciion. He, in short, is a mysterious char- acter, pos-^essiug the art of invention beyond common capacity. I am almost ashamed, to forw rd you so long a letter) m the siil>ject, and so unintelligible ; i think, if I could have done justice in describing the ezhiiiition, it would have been worthy a place io the 'Royal Oaiette," and belter worth the attention of the public than all the WAX-Kork ever exhibited in ihis Province. " 1 am, with all respect, dear Sir, your very humble servant, "Te Thomas Wetraore, Esq., Attorney General. ., , .^ ,,,, Walter Batr8. "P. S. — Wednesday, the 28th. — This morning I found he added to his works a drumu-irr, placed at the left of his tamborine player, equal in appearance, and ex- ceeding in performance ; beat^ the drum with either hand, or botii occasionaiiy, ia^ ViV T m THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF concert with thr? lambnrine, keeping; time with perfect exnctneiMi; lometimen siflinjf. at others ainnding or dancing. He hid aifto, in a moit Htrikiii); mannr.', chaii;;-^d the position nf his scene. The lody ahove deficribed to be sitiiug so gracefully in her ■wing, with bo many attondaiii-« ond admirers, is now roprfi«onted sittini; in a de- jected posture, with n young infant in her arms ; her jjallant has Itft her, and is taking the young girl beforo described, about fourteen, by the hand, with an air of great gallantry, leadinif her, and dancing to thb tune with perfect exactness, repre* I iientin!? more than can be rfescribed. On vi"wing this, an old Sco'chinan observed, — * Some say he is mid, othttrm he is a fool ; hnt I ^ay he is th« sharpest man I have I ever seen ; his performance exceeds all I have ever m«t with, and I di) not belir^vo he WHS ever equalled by roan.' Tliis evening, a gentb^raan from Boston, havii)<; heard the above lescripiion, came to see the |)erformanco, and declared he could say as the I Queen of Sheha did, that ' the half had not bt-en told.' " \ To tills the Editor of the " Gazette" adds the following remarks : «• We have given an entire copy of th»! above letter, which has excited our aston- ishmeni, and will, probably, that of every other person who has not seen the exhibi- tion and performance described in it. Those who are acquainted with the Sheriff, know him to be incapable of stating falsehoods, or aU(;mpting in any way to practice a deception, and will of course give credit to the statement of facts, wondo.fnl as they may appear to be, which he has made." The Supreme Court, in July, being about to be held in Fredericton, and feeling anxious to know the fate of the prisoner, I attended for this purpoie ; and having ascer- "V tained from the Attorney General that his destiny would not be fatal, I returned again to Kingston, when the jail'«r informed mo that the first night I had left Kingston. Smith had drawn the staple of the chain that was about his neck, and hid so concealed them both that they could not be found; and the glass in the brick wall was broken at the same time ; but that the chain could not have gone through that way, as the outside glass in the window was whole ^ that the room and every other part of the Jail had been thoroughly searched ; but neither the chain nor staple could be found : neither could it be imagined how he broke the glass, as it was far beyond the reich of his chains. On my entering the jail. Smith said to me, '♦ The devil told my drummer, if 1 did not put that chain out of the way, you wauld certainly put it about my neck again ;" that he hated it, and had murdt-red it, and put it under the dirt; but he feared he should have no peace till he raised it again. I then told him he must raise it again, and if he behaved himself well I would not put it about his neck again. The next morning the chain was seen lying on the jail floor; but where or by what means he concealed it, could never be fount' out. I then took off his hand-cuffs, and gave him water to wash himself. I also gave him a clean shirt and jacket, and a young man who was present gave him a black handkerchief, which he put about his neck, and seomed much pleased ; and said if he had a fiddle, or any instrument of music, he could play for his family to dance ; if he had a set of bagpipes, he could play on them very well, and that if we gave him wood and leather, he would make n set. He was offered a fife, which he bandied in a clumsy way; but he said he believed he •ould learu to play on it. He paid the boy for it, and then took the fife, and would flay any tune either right or left handed. I tht i told him if he would b' have. well would not put bis hand-cuffs on that day. He replied that he ivould then hcive his family in good order for my bkxU; but lie observed that when he put one hand to any- thing, the other iroald follow at though the hand-cuffs were on. We gave him aoine materials that he wanted, and then left him ; this was the l^th of July. On the 18th we foand him busily employed with bis family, making improvements for the ball. I gave him pen, ink, and paint, and many articles for clethmg, &c. All his figures were formed of straw from his bedding, curiously entwined and inter- woven. The coloikring he had used before was his own blood, and coal which he got kom a piece of burnt timber in the jail ; and their first Ciotbing was made from hia owp tern tlothei. Ue now began to talk more ooherently and aeoountdd for the broken i I ! ' i ♦ I, \ ' •i ! HRNRY MORE SMITH. 33 glanB. H(! Raid to me, — "My drummer cried out for moro air;*' hit family atti ut ^u thick about him. " VVi*ll,'' said I, " tell me how to get mor? air and I will k<> tu work at it." " tie lold me to moke a fitron^ winp of straw, lontf enough to :'■ uh the ^Itss und hreuli it, which I did, and thi>n after undoing the wisp put the oicnw in my bf>(l ■ flfaift." He continu-d improving hia family, hy d'es»ii)g and paintiri);; iliiiii all Anen, and by adding to their number. H" Raid ihat there was a genllem n mid lady coming Irnm France to attend him ball, and all of them inuHt perform well. With the mon'y ho ri'Cttived irom visitor*, many of whom I have known to giv«' liiio a doilnr for one exhibition, lie purctiased calico enough for a curtiiin or acrenii. In front of the partition 8tood ,.|l his family, wttich he coniinued to improve and invrt'UNe, until he Hoid they were all pr^'sent that were comin;; to the hnll ; and about mo i(iih August completed hjg b-how for exhibitiim. The whole cmsistod <-f l^f-trx-i nr charactors, male und ftiinnle, nix of which beat music in concert with the fiddle, v.iiile pixtt-en dudced to the tune; the otiier two weropugilints; Monnparte with hi« nword, fighting an Irishman witl* hit shillelah. Hia muaicians tver^ 'Iresned in their propur uniform ; some were drummers, Home were tamborine player* and Rome «v«>r( ijtul. ringers. In the centre stood his dancing maHler, witti dat, t>uutH and glovert on. In an advanced station stood an old nrddier in 8< otch unit rm, acting; as sentme), while Smi>h himself Htood before ihein, his feet under the cu'tain. idnying a tui e • ii tiie Add e, to which they would all dance or beat in perfect hHrmony with ttie iii'. ;r — the one-halt on the right to one part of the tune, nnd the other biuf on the left '•> me other part, and th^n all together aa regular and ns natural as life. The dn; cing master with his right hand and foot with one part, and hi* left hand and tcot \vii.li the other, Kud then with the whole together, with the most p'^rfect ease, to anv u>u« that wilt played. So ingenious, and I may say, so wonderful, was this exhiitt: th nntural and ar nicn-1, «Dd that having heard much ot an extraordinary person I had in pridon, he "iwnt tor the express purpose of seeing him and his exhibiton Having viewed his ' . i.^m and every part of his performance, he was pleased tnsay that he had 'ravelled thtuouh all the continent of America, and a great part of Europe, but had never met any atng the equal otwhat he there saw performed, and thit he certainly should not i.:i! to inser' a notice of it in tbe journal of his travels and obstrvations. Another gentleman, Dr. Couglvn, from Ireland, who had been Surgeon ii; Mis Majesty's service, both by land and sea, came also to visit our p'ieoner, and 8nd Scotland; had been in France and Holland, and through a great pnrt of Europi; ; hud been at Hamburg and other places famous for numeroud H jr - pose of i>aii8fying his curiosity, and seeing for himself. When on entering toe ji i-,. i. Smith, seeing tt)e Doctor in regimentals, said to him witti tt.uch good hu ti ', ' I suppose you are come here looking for deserters ; I. ere is my old drunamf- , t i- w t know but hedeserted from some rngini'^nt — therei^t are all my ta-nily." H ■ ^*■ m I very much pleased wih his new visitor, und readily t xhitiiied t-very pari oi I. s n (- formance, to ihe full satisfaction of the Doctor, whu .lu .• patioQS. August 13th. — At evening we found that he had improved his Scotch 8( n > ' 'jf f riving him a carved "wood en head, finished with the natur'il features o' a b*>l.t ; .u^^* ander. This was the first of bis carved work. He had also much imp.ov , m^ • !, 34 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OP • ugilistx. Bonaparte, by some ur.lucky stroke, had killed the Iribhinan, and had taken oft' his head and hung it iip at hin right hand. A hron'nyr old Scctchman had vakcn the Irishman's place, and was giving the Corsican a hard time of it, kno^ckini; ^.m down as often as he got up. Next day at noon I ca!l-d to see hiro : he had been fid'Uinj;; remarkably well, and ^niging very mfrrily; h«t on my entering Hound hiin buHily employed at carving a r-ead wliich was to't«be Bonaparte's place, for thnt bold Scotchman wonhi oveipo'»er rim soon. Me observed thai carving was a trade in England, and thnt he did not *>xpect to do 80 well at it before he made the tritti ; and further remarked that a uian did not know what he could do until be net about it; and that he had never 'ailed in anything he undertook. H« said he had never seen any such show in Eng- land as that he ws now working at : thnt ho had only dreamed of his family, and had the impressioi. that he must -' go to work" and make th^in all : that if he did, it wonld be bnttpV with him, and if he did not, it would be bad with him. That he had worked ever since, by night and by day, and had not quite completed them yet ; that f.hexe were a sh ^emaker and a tailor that liad not come yet for want of room : that >:'e should make room if he did not go away : that he had been here until he had be- ' ame perfectly contented ; and "contentment," he said "was the brightest jewel in his ife;" and that he never enjoyed himself better than he did at presont with his 'amiiy. In the evening I went in (o see him again ; and as my curiosity to know the origin <■•( so singular u character was greatly excited, I hoped tnat the present would have proved a favorable opportuuity to draw some information from him ; but he cautious- ly and studiously avoided answering any questions relative to his previous life, and affected not to understand v\hat I said to him. Sometimes he would talk very freely, and in a prophetic strain, of his future •testiny. He eaid he knew he was going away from h(«me, and that he should find »'nemies; every one who knew him would be afraid of him, and look upon him with liistrust and horror. That occasionally he was distressed in his sleep with all kinds ■■)( creatures coming about him. Great hogs and all kinds of cattle and creeping r.aings, snakes and adders, frogs and toads, and every hateful thing. That he would start up from sleep und walk about the prison: then lie down and get asleep, and be annoyed with them again. Thot he would sit up and talk to his family, and sometimes take his fidtiiie and play to amuso mself, and drive away these dreary hours of night. He said these snakes and adders he could read very well; that he knew what they ail meant, and could underat\nd something concerning the others; but that these frogs and toads coming together he could nut undertttmd : only that be knew he was to leave tMs place and go on the water, and that be could see as clearly as he saw me standing before him, that he should find enemies, und every body would be afraid of him ; but he would hurt no one. Tliat he should find trouble, and have irons on him, but that they should come off again. That the crickets came and would get upon his children and would sing among them ; that he liked to hear them ; that his mother told him ha must not hurt them, they were harmless, and that be must not hurt anybody. His mother, he continued to say, always gave him good advice; but he had done that which he ought not to have done, and had sufi'ered for it; but he forgave all bis enemies. The Lord says, if you would ask forgiveness of him, forgive thy bro- ther also. We cannot expect forgi^reness except we repent and forgive our ene- mies. The word of God is plain : except you forgive your brother his trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you when you ask of him. All men are sinners before God ; — watch, therefore, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. I watch here and pray with my family night and day ; they cannot pray for them- selves. But I shall not stay locg : he could go to sea as supercargo of some vessel, or he could got his living with his family as a show in any country but England, and he had never seen such a show in England ; that he had never enjoyed himself better than with bis family at present. He did not care fur himself so his family looked well ; he would be willing to die, and he should like to die here, rather than go among' his enemies ; but he believed he had one friend in England, old Willie, if he : / *i ti HENRY MORE SMITH. 36 »4 lan go \, if he i 1 yet alive ; he wa« always his friend, and he should like to go and aoe him. And he had one flitter, he «airl, in England, that he wanted to see ; she played well on \ ho'ij/ianoforie, and he himself could play on it too. She was married to alieutennnt in the army, hut he was promoted to be captain now. If he could he would go to •see her in England, where he had frierda. He also snid that he had an uncle in Liverpool, a merchant. Then looking ear- nestly upon me, he said, " My name is not Smith — my name is Henry J. Moon. I was educated in Cfimhridpe College, in Enirland. I understand English, French and Latin well, and can speak nnd write five diflferent languages." He also said he cou'd write any hai d as handsome or as bad as I ever saw. He said he had five hundred pounds in the Bn\ day about t^o o'clock. He was then and th^ru in* formed ihit one of his sisters lay dangerously ill at Kinerston, and that Dr. Pmith iras just goinany°with the docfor, arrived at ids father's about the time i hat »e u=>ually visited the prisoner in the evening. I called at Mr. Perkins', and found that tlie Doctor ami younr the exhibition, and left the jail in quite an ill humor. After Perkins had left the ynl Smith snid, " now, if any of you want to see my family liuDce, you may see them in welcome ;'' — and lookup his fiddle and went througn the performance to the entire satisfaction of all present. Now the reader may account for this mysterious prediction aud its futfiimont upon whatever grounds he pleanes ; but the arrival of the young man from sea that day, hii coming to Kingston, and his being affronted by i^'mith in the jail, are facts which cannot be disputed. The writer is aware that he may incur ihe imputation of weak- ness for narrating some things relative to the prisoner; but as they are all charac- ierisiic of him in a high det^ree, and when all united, set him forth before the world as a character, singular and unprecedented, he considered that ev'^rf part of his saying and doincfs had their interest, and were necessary to be narrated. After closiug the exhibition of hi** family for this time, he went on to say, that he had told his fortune from his tea-cup, and it came always alike ; that he could tell a great deal by dreams. The devil helped fortune telling, he said, but dreams wera the inspiration of God. When the hogs came to him by night, he could tell a great deal by them. '' Your neighbor," he said to me, *' had a black sow that had pigs, . tome black, and some all white, and one wi'h red spots before and behind." fir them be said he could tell much. I was aware that Mr. Perkins has a sow with young pigs, and I had the curiosity to look at them, but ihey did not answer to his description, and I consequently allowed these remarks of his relative to the sow and '', i^igs to pass for nothing. However, in the evening, as I was leaving the jnil, Smith said to me (and without a word having been said about rriy looking at the pigs,) "The pigs I told you about are not those vou examined, th»y were six months old." I made no reply, knowing that Mr. Scovil bad a sow with pigs, answering to his . deil the HENRY MORE SMITH. ' 8f S i )l But DOW, with the pardon in my band, I hupf;d to make some infipre«>8ion upon him, andW' possib'.p, bring biin to some senae of hii situation, by curnpa^sionately pro- posing my ttflsisfaiice to get him out of the Province. I then proceeded to inform him that I had received bia Pardon, that his Attorney had proved bis friend, and had petitioned the President and Cour^ stating that he wax a youn^^ man, and this having- been the fir^t instance of a ca»e for horse-stealing before the (Jouri in tbia Province, prayed that mercy might be extended and hi-* lite t^par^d : and that the President and Council had been graciously plcaned to withdraw the eentence and grant his Pardon: und ihat I was now authorized to release him on his entering into recognizance to appear ir. the Supreme Court and p'ead his pardon when cailed upon. The only r^ ply he made was, *4 wish you would bring me some new puta- toes when you co'ne again.'' I proceeded to say that ae soon as he waa ready, and would let me know where he wished to go, I would give him clothing, and would give htm time to put his family in order, and a box to put them up in ; obs' rving that they might be a means of getting him a living until he could find belter employment, without being driven to the neceosity of tealing. He replied, " Have you not got boys and girls that wish to see my family dance? Bring all your family to see them; [ will shew them as much as you plense, but others must pay." I remained with hini nearly an hour afterwards without saying anymore on the subject of his pardon: during which time liH continued talking incoherently as he had done the evening before. That we must watch and pray lest we enter into temptation : thnt he prayed with his family ; tbey could not pray for themselves. That we must be spirititaily mmded, for to be spiritually minded was life: but to be carnally minded was death; and much more of this kind, repeating large portions from the New Testament, nearly whole chapters. He observed, ** Now you see I can rend as w*ll to you without the book as o'hers chu with the b^-ok. I can read to you almost all of any other chapter in the Bible you will name, either in the Old or New T stament, it makes not much difTerence ; in the dark ns weil as in the light. My wife is a good little woman } she would gtt the Bible on ^unday, and (^ay to me, 'Henry, come sit down and bear me read the Hible ; but f would 1 ugh and tell her I could reud better withotit the book than she could with ; and would go out and look afier my horse, or do anything on Sundays. I have heen a bnd fellow ; when I was in England I gave all my ntteniion to reading my Bible, and became a great Methodist, and went to all the Methodist meetings; and would pray nnd exhort amongst them, and finally became a Preacher, and pr»ached in Brighum, Northampton, Southampton, and in Lmdon ; and great numbers came to hear me. I was sometimes astonished to see how many followed to hear me preach the Scriptures, when I knew they were deceived. But I did wot follow preaching long in London." He went onto state >ii« reasonet fur giving up preaching, or rather the reasons that prevented his continuing to preach. He dad given himself up to the company of lewd women, and had contracted the disease common to f^nch asKociafions. A course like this could ;iot remain long concealed, and the in, when I went to the jiil again, and gave him a good dinaer, and read his Pardon to him. When he saw the paper, he said, " that looks like tha paper which ( dreamed I saw, with two annrel-s and a ship on it, with something that looked like snakeH." When I read his Pardon, he paid not the least attention to the nature oi it, but asked questions as foreign to the nature of the subject aa possible : only be N. 38 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF said he wished I would give him that paper : he dreamed it wa'^ coming. I told hi"> that as soon as I would get him eoire clothes made, I would i/ive him the paper : and that I would help him away with his Show in a box, and that he roijrht no^ b 5 driven to the necessity of stf'aling ; and in th^i evening I went with a tailor to take his measure for a coot. When he saw the tailor wiih his measure, he said, *' 1 wis i you would give me that ribbon in your hand." *' It is no ribbon," said the taiIo> . •• but a measure to measure you for a new coRt : come stand up." " Wha' !" sai I he, *• do you think you are tailor enough to make me a coat ?" " Yes." •* But y( d do not look like it ; let me look at your hands and fingers :" and upon seeing then., he added, " you are no tailor, you look more like a blacksmith, you shall never okak e a coat for me, and would not he measured, but he said he would make it bf^tter h'w - self, and wished I would give him a candle to work by, and he would make hims If a WHislcoat. He said I need not be afraid of his doing any harm with the candle, he would p it it i:i the middle of the floor, and take care that his straw and chipr did not take f.e and burn up his family, which he could not live without, as he could not laoor for 1 is living. Besides, he said, if he were so disposed, he could burn up t^ie house wh'i- out a candle; for, said he, I can make Are in one hour at anv time. " When I wa- a boy," continued he, ''every one took nofiije of me as a very forward boy. and 1 oii- tained a license for shootini; when I was but fifteen. One day when shootingr, I ki U ed a rabbit on a farn "s land where I hud no right. The old fcrmer camfl after m ;, and I told him if he \.ouId come near me I would knock him down, but he caught ne, and tied me fast to a large stack of faggots, and sent for a constable. While he vias gone, I made fire, and burned up the whole stack, and got off clenr ; but the old fo r- mer never knew how his faggots took fire. You io not use faggots in this country — they are little sticks tied up in bundles, and sold to boil the tea-kettle with ;" and if I would give him a candle, he would make a fire to light it. Accordingly I provid :d materials for his clothes, and a lighted candle to work by. He continued to sew liy the light of the candle but a short lime, and put it away from him, and said he could see better without it ; and he coinpUted his waistcoat in the neatest manner, and • o* casionally attended to the improvement of his family. August 29th, at evening, many parsons came to see his performance, as was uau .1, and when they were all gone out, he told me that he had carved a new figure of Bon i- parle; that the first he had made-after hi-; own image and iikenenffis, for he was the man after his own heart, but he had fallen. God. he said, made man out of the d» U of the earth, but he had made man out of the wood of the eirih. He had nuw been in my custody more than a year, and abnost every day develop 'A .some new feature of his character, or pmduced some fresh effort of his genius. I h td had much trouble with him, and my patience often severely tried ; but now I view )d him rather as an object of commiseration, and I could not think of turnin? him cit of jail naked, destitute, and friendle!>8. In such a situation he must either starve or steal, so that his pardon and release would barome rather a cur.ie than a blessing. I represented these things as feelingly as I could to him, gave him a box to put his I a- niily in, and told him he must he ready to leave the I'rovince on Tu-sday mornii>g. and I would procure him a passage either to Nova Scotia or the United Slates. To ili this he g.ive no attention, but asked some frivolous questions atiout Mohawks a id snakes, and acted the fool, so thnt I began to conclude that I would now have mi'ch more trouble to get him out of jaii than I formerly had to keep him in it. / The next day Judge Pickett and Judge Micheau att(?nded at the Court House, to / take the recognizance required of him to appear and ph>ad his pardon when call>td / upon to do so. After divesting him of his irons, and furnishing him with d^c( nt clothing, it was with much difficulty I could prevail on him to leave the jail. How- ever, he finally took one of his family in one hand, and a pair of scissors in the oth.ir, iind with much effort we got lim up into one of the Jury Rooms, when Judge .Mi- nheau rend his Pardon lo him, and explained all the circumetances which united to produce it, to which, as usual, he gid 1 ''V' » i:- elop^d (h«d new id m O'lt rve 01- »?• I is fa* irnii.g. Toili. a id mi" oh ne, to ill.^d ^c( nt to*v- ..».)r, Mi- ld to a. id jmed Id .ID HENRY MORE SMITH. :» i two Indictments pen'Hng apainst him in the County of York. He took no notico 0/ what was said, but talked and danced about the room, told the Judt^e he looked iike n tairbr, an»i a!>ked hi.n to ^ive hirn his shoe-string:. His Pardo'i lyin^ on tha tabic, he catifrht hold of it, and before it could he recovered from him, he clipped off th'-; seal with the scissors; he said he wanted the ship that was on it to carry him away vith his family. He tore the collar of his coat, and cut it in pieces with the *6\e done with him, I returned him again into prison, when he said to us that for our usiug him so kindlv, he:. would, for one shil- ling, shew us all his performance with his family. Upcn which Judge Alicheau gave him halt a dollar, and told hiiri to return a quarter dollar change, and then he would have more than a shilling. He took it, and said it was a nice piece of mone}', and put it in his pocket, but the Judge could not make him understand the meaning of change. He thfn performed the exhibition in fine style, but when we were leaving him ho seemed out of humor with Judge Pickett, and told him that he had thrown stones at him, that he would burn his house, and that this place would be in flameo before morning. He could make a fire in half an hour, and wanted a fire, and would have a fire, and 1 should see that he could make fire. Upon which we left him, without apprehending any thing from his threats more than usufil. But the next day. the 29t.h, when entering the jail for the purpone of preparing for hie removal, I perceived that there was much smoke in the hall, which I supposed had come from the Jailor's room, but he said that no smoke had been caused that mornin?, but that it proceeded from the prison door. I immediately oprsned the door, and founl Smith sitting quit**^ unconcerned before a fire which he had made with the chips of his carved work, and other materials. He observed to me that fire was very comfortable, that he had not seen any before for a long time, that be had made the fire with his own hands, and that he could make it again in ten minutes: that he could not do without one. I iin- medintely extinguished the fire, and shut him up in the sufltocaiing smoke, which di<< not seem to give him the lesast inconvenience. The account of his haviH;r made th*^.- fire had excited the fears of the neighbors, who came in to see the fe;i', I ordsred him to put his family into his hox immediately: he t'lok no notice of my orders. I hastily took down one of them, and laid it in his box, at which he seemed pWased, and said he would put them all in that box, and began to take thnm down very ac- tively, observing that he did not want assistance from any one, but leave him with the light, and he would have feliera all ready in half an hour. We left him with the candle, aud returning in about an hour, found him walking the floor, and every thinfr he had packed up in the box very neatly. It was remarkable to see with what skill and ingpnuity he had packed them up. I gave him a pair of new shoei, and with the box on his shoulders, he marched oft" to the boat 1 had prepared for his couvpyaoce, and with three men in the boit we set out with him for the city of Saint Ji)hii. On the way he told the jailer, if he w.^uld give him but one dollar he would toai;h hinj the way to make fire on any occasion. Receiviug no reply from the jailer, he com- menced preaching, praying, and siu'iing hymns, and "omeiimes acting as if cnizy, fJur- ing tne pussage down. We made no stop by the way, and reached Saint Jithn about 8 o'clock in the evening. On his perceiving the moon as she mnde her appearance between two clouds, h' said that he irui.vide him his supper, while I would call upon ilii' Sheriff to know what would be done w th him for the night, and how he would b* difjsosed of in the morning. I understood from the Sheriff" ihat there wug no vessel lo sail for the States before some tlayn, and therefore made up my mind th it I should send him to Nova Scolin. When I returned to the j, y other " Thi» to the d with 'Yes." itlv by More e had Nova nown con- m- n on n on # -^\i . ' f shore during the time she remained thore. He employed himself while on board en-i graving a number of email articles, some of which he made presents of to young ladif^^ who chanoed to comn on boord. He V as next seen at Portland, by a gentleman who had known bim at Kingston ; nothing, however, transpired here concerning him, only that he wns travelling with considerable weight of baggnge through the State of Mnine, which gave rise to the following ludicrous story, ^vliich I saw published at Eastport, •>! a Mysterioua Stranger iravelling in a stage. One cold and stormy night, the bar-room of a hotel was filled with sturdy farmers surrounding a cheerful fire, and discussing the afi'airs of Pta*f I'ver a mug of flip. The n ght having been tremendouslv stormy and wet, the winl whistling ail round the house, and making every door and window rattle, the Ian lord expressed n.uch (ear for the safety «f the stage-coach; but suddcbl/ the tou;iJ of a distant stage-horn announced the approach of the coach and removed the landlord's anxii'ty. He replenished the fire, that the approaching travellers migl't have a" warm a retreat as possible from ttie unusual inclemencv of the night. Scum time passed, and yet the expected coach did not come up. The landlord's fears got up anew, and with an expression of concern he put the question around, " Did not some of you hear a horn P" and added, " I have expected the stage a long time, and I thought that a few minuies ago I heard the horn near at hand ; but 1 fear that someibing has hajipened in the gale that has caused it to be thus belated." *' I thought I heard the stage-hnrn some time ago," answered the arcii yftung farmer Hopkins ; •' but then you must know that ghosts and witches are very busy on such nights as this, and what kind of pranks they may cut up we cannot t*^ll. Y>u know the old adage, — " Busy as the devil in a gale of wind." Now who knows but they may tiave — * Here he was interrupted by the sudden opening of the doer, accom- panied by a violent gust of wind »nd the dashinsr of rain, when in rushed, from the fury of the storm, drenched with wet from head to foot, a tall stranger dressed in a fur cap and shagay great coat. Protn an impulse of politeness and restiect, not Hnminglod w th f V ar, all arose on his entrance, — the expression, "The devil in a gale of wind," rushing upon their minds with a signification to which a profound silence gave expressive utterance. The stranger noticed iheir reservf^d yet voluntary respect with a sliifht i.od, and proceeded to disencumber himself of his wet clothes and warm his fingers by the fire. By this time the driver entered, bearing the baggage of hit passenger. "The worst storm I was ever troubled with, blowing riglii in my teeth, and 1 guess the gentleman there found it the same." Here a low whisper endued between the diver and t^e landlord, from which an unconnected word or phrase dropped upon the ear of tt i inmates. "Don't know, — came in the, — as rich as a mine," me lime, though I know nut how l"Dg. Nay, ? shall stay at any price you please -but remember, I must have my rooioa to my- self, and they must not be entered without my leave ; and whatever I do, oo ques- tions to be asked. Do >nu consent to these terms?'' "I do, sir," replied the landlord, "and you shall not have i;au8»? to complain of your treatment" "Very well,' rejoined the stranger, "then the agreement is completed. You may go now." " Yes, sir," returned the landlord ; " but what m»y I call your nam*, sir ? e "Beware, you have broken the bargain already," replied the atransirer. I forjjiv you for this once only; now ask no more questions, or you will certainly drive me from your house." After this, the land'ord returned to bis bar-room, from which the merry farmers had not yet withdrawn, hut were endesvoring to penetrate the mysiery that hnng around the stranger. " Well, landlord," said the arch Hopkins, f' •% .1 42 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF *' what An you make him out to be ?" " That ig a question I dare hardlj- answer. He is a ffentleman, for he does not grudge his money." " I would not think he should," replied Hopkins, t^haking his head mystsriouKly. " And why not ? ' ex- claiinod severnl of the company. •Av.juatnH I thought," returned Hopkin*'. with another stiake of the head and fcignificnnt look nt the landlord. " What, in th^s name of all that's silly, is the matter with you, Hopkins?" exclaimed the landlord. " What on earth can you know P" "I know what I know," was his reply. •' Ua- ther doubtful, that,'' rejoined the landlord. "You doubt it," returned Hopkins, rather warmly; "then I will tell you what I think him to be, and wh'it I know him to be: he is nothing more or less than a pirate, and you wi'l all h' mur iered in your beds, Smith, (which was the landlord's name,) you and your whole family, before morning. Now what think yoii of your guest?" All the company stood aghast, and stared at each other in silence for some tiaie, until the landlord again ventured to interrupt the silence by asking Hopkins, "How do you know all that?" Hopkins answered, inrniher a ailly manner, "I guessed at it." which did away with the effect produced by bin previous assertionfl ; and the landlord, dismisning his fears, rxclaimerf, " As long as he pays well, be he man or devil, he shall stay here." "A praiseworthy conclusion," pn»ceeded from a voice at the back part of the rnnrn, and at that instant the mysterious stranger stood before tliem. All started to their feet, seized their Hats, and waited to ssk no questions, nor make additional comments, but went home and t.ld their wiven of Smith's guest, and Hop- kins' opinion of his character. Every woman fastened her door that night with suapicioMs care, and the mysterious stranger, and the delinea'ion of his real charac- ter by Hopkins, became a subject of general conversation and comment through- out the village, and gradually bfcame the received opinion among all the seitlTrd ; so that they set down the mysleriou-i stranger lor what Ilcpkins guesst'd liim to be, and concluded that the articles which composed his baggage could not have been obtained honestly. The stranger, finding how the conversation turned upon him, did not think, it prudent to protract his stay in this place, and proceeding to Boston in tho coach, was never known from that time by th« name of Maitland. He reached Boston about the 1st of November, where it was supposed he must have, in some way, disposed of much of his treasures. From thence he proceeded for New York, on the 7th November arrived ai New Haven in the Boston stage coach, by the way of New London, with a large trunk full of clothing, a small portable desk, and money in his pockets. He was dressed in a handsotne frock coat, with breeches, and a pair of top boots, and remained at the steamhoat hotel several days. While he remained here, he always eat his meals alone, and preferred being alone in differ- ent parts of the ' itel at different times, every part of which he had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with, while he remained wailing for the arrival of the Bteam.er fro'" New York. The hotel was then kept by Mr. Henry Butler : and, as it afterwards appeared, the traveller found his way. by means of keys, into Mr. Butler's desk an" side- boards, as well as every part of the house. He left, New Hiven in the stf'amboat at 5, A. M., on the 10th November. 1815. After his departure from New Hav» n, Mr. Butior's servants discovered that their whole quantity of eilver spoons, to the num- ber of four or five dozen, which had been carefully put aivay in a side-board, was missing, and not to be found on the premises; and it was found, upon further search by Mr. Butler, that a watch and several ether articles, with money from the desk, had sympathetically decamped with the spoons. Mr. Butler imagined that the theft must be chargeable on some lodarer in the hotel, and immodiatelv fixed his suspicions upon Smith, whose appearance and movements about the house furnished symptoms too strong to pass unnoticed. Mr. Butler, without loss of time, set out for New York, and nrriving there befure the boat that carried his adventurer, he furnished himself with proper authority, and hoarded the boat, in tlt# Stream. After Mr Butler had made some enquiries of Capt. Bunker, who could not identify the traveller among all his passengers, iSmith made \m appenrance from «ome pan of the engine room and was immediately ordered by Mr. Butler to open ^ t ■^■% HENRY MORE SMITH. 4> answer, think he nt ? ' ex- [iris. with , in thn landlord. . •• Ra- fiopkins, , I know nur iered le family, nv' stood )rd Again 11 that ?" way with n'lufi his hall stay t part of em. All nor make and Hop- ight with I oharac- through- tUrd; BO im to be, ave been think it (} coach, Koston Ime way, ork, on way of |sk. and reeches, While differ- rtunity of the Ipeared, side- Iboat at •n, Mr. num- |il, was Mirlher from lugined I lately It the tt l08« led his ]in th« lid not from open his trunk, with which he complied unhesitatingly; but thB trunk did not disclose thr> expected booty. Jhere waa, however, in thn trunk a very neat portable writing,' deskfftvhicb he refused to open, and Mr. Butl(>r could not find out how it wa-< fastened. However, he cnll<^d for an axe to split it open, upon which Smith said •' I will show yon," and, touching a spring, the lid flew open. The desk contained a set. of neat ent?raving tools, with old silver rings snd jewelry, amonjist which Mr. Butler p»>rceivfcd a small ear-ring, which he supposed to bolontj to a young lady that had slept in his house, and laid h^r ear-rings on a stand at the head of her bed, which were missing the next morning. After her departure one of the rings were found at the door of the hotel. Uoon the evidence of this single ear-ring, he was Arrested and put into the Bridewell in the City of New York. The keeper of W^^ the Bridewell at that time was Archimial Allen, an old friend of mine, and a man of respectable character. On my visit to New York afterwards, I called on Mr. Allen, and enquired the particulars concerning W. H. Newman, {for this was the name he had assumed then) while m his custody. He informed me that when he was put in he behaved tor tome time very well; thst he offered him a book ; but h8 could neither read nor write a word. Ho soon began to complain of being sick from confinement, raised blood, and seemed so ill that s doctor attended him, hut could not tell what was the matter with him. However, he kept up the farce of being ill until he was removed from Bridewell to New Haven, there to take his trial at the Supreme Court in January. * His change of situation had tho efTeot, as it would seem, of restoring his healih, which brought along with it that disphy of his ingenuity which the peculi- arity of his new situation seemed to call f )rth. During the period of his coTifine- ment at New Haven, he amused himself by carving two images — one repres^enting himself, and the other Butler, in ihfi attitude of fighting. And so mechaitically had he adjusted thid production of his genius, that he wouM actually cnuse them to fight, and make the image representing himself knock down that of Ijutler, to the wonder and iimusementof many that came to see him. By his insinuating manner and cap- tivating address, he not only drow forth the sympathies of those who came to visit L him, but even gained so far upon their credulitv, as to induce a belief that he was f innocent of the crime with which he was cliarged, . The lapse of a few days, however, made impressions of a verj diflferent nature; ^ N the January Court term drew nigh, at which our prisoner was to receive his trial, but on the very eve of his trial, and after the ('ourt had been sy some meanp manarjed to open or remove, bo that that he oould open the door at pleasure, ai>d fix toe padlocks a^inin so senious- ly, that it could not be detected from their appearance. O.i the night of the I'Jth January, at the usual time of feeding the prisoners, Newman availing himself of these adjustments, opened his door, came out, and replacing the locks, took his stand b> hind the door of the partition, which, when open, would conceal him from observation. The prisoners in the other apartments received their supply first, and the instant when tt)e servant was proceeding from their door to go and bring Newman's supper, he stepped through the partition door, which had been first -' *: n H THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF opened nnd not shut afrain, and followed the lerrant softly through the hull to the front aonr, and walked away undiscovered ! Whea the servant returned with hit supper ta the wicket, she called him, but receiving no answer, placed bi« s' door, and to his utter astoniAhment, found both locks broken and the prison emptv. The keeper made known the matter to the Sheriff, and on the 13th, the dny subsequent to his escape, the full >wing Notice was inserted in the Connecticut Journal : — " Beware of a Villian ! — One of the most accomplished villians that disffraees our countrr, broke from the Jail in this City on Friday evening last, between the hoiiTH of five and six o'clock, and succeeded in making his eocape. The fellow calls him«elf Newman, and was buund over for iri«l at the silling of the next Supreme Court, on the charge of burtilary, having robbed the house of Mr. Butler, of plate, moue},&.c. He is supposed to be an Englishman, and is undoubtedly a most pro- touiui adopt in the aris of knavery and deception. He speaks the hnglish and French languages fluently, and can play off the air of a genteel Frenchman with the most imposing gravity. He is of middhng stature, slander and acitve, and app« ars to possess an astonishing variety of genius. He 1:4 sick or well, grave or gay, silent or loquacious; and can fence, box, light, run, sing, dance, ]ilay, whistle or talk, as occasion suits. He amused himself while in prison, by making and managing a Pupoet Show, which he p>^rformt'd apparently with such means an to excito the wonder of the credulouf, having a piece of an old horse-shoe, whetted on the wall of his duiigeon, as the only instrument of his meo anism, and Complaininif only of the scarcity of timber to complete his group. He had the address, by an irrec*iHtable flow of good humor and cheerfulness, to make some believe that he wan quite an innocent and harmless man; and excited e>mpathy enough in those who had the curiosity to see him, to obtam several gratificaiiono which pri)>oners do not usually enjuy : yet the depth of his cunning was evinced in accomplish- ing his means of escape, which he eflTected by saw:ng a hole in the prison door, which is several inches thick, so neatly, that the block cou d be taken out and replnced without sny marks of violence. Through this hole he couhi thrust his arm, and by wrenching off strong padh'cks, and shoving bark the bolts, at the hour of supper, when the person who waited on the prisoners was giving them their food, found a free passage ^to the hall of the Counting House, and thence to the atreet." ,.■.-. «......, n., ,j. ■ The saw which he used in cutting the door of the prison, is supposed to have been one which he stole on board the Hteamboat Fulton, on hi^ passage from New York to New naven, and so ar'fully did he conceal the saw, thougii repeatedly searched both before and after his confinement, at the suggestion of Capt. Bunker, that he retain- ed it about hU person until by its means he effected his escape. About the time that Newman made his elopement, Mr. Bu ler happened to be in New York, and on his return by land, he met Nt'wman travelling leisurely along, a few miles distant from the city. Mr. Butler readily recognized him, snd immediate- ly in-tituted a pursuit, but he baffled his attempt to apprehend tiim aad ra de his re- treat into the woods Upon this Mr. Butler engaged a party of men, with does and fire-arms, to ferret him out if po!>sible, but he had vigilance and artsuflScient to elude 'ill their efforts to take t im. The next moining after the chase, he made his appearance nt a certiin house, whe e he found the table placed for the family breakfast, and without invitation or cereoiony, sat down at the table and began to eat. While he was eating, lie observ- ed to the family, that he would not lei. them take him yesterday — referring to his 'f,^l HENRY MORE SMITH. « ill to the with hia ! s£\>per to wait ised till )|»er, the had not ; of him. his utter per made • escape, diKgf races wRen the How calls Supreme of plate, mnst pro- glifth and man with itve, and grave or y, thistle tking and anH BR to hetted on mplaininsr I8S, by an that he in those )ri>ioners jomplish- on door, out and trust his at the lem their e to the iTebeen lYork to led both retain- be In Ions;, a jediate- hiB re- \si and ;ient to house, Ition or tbserv- Ito hia . V ^ t ^ I k I . !> pursuers. •' Was it you they were after ?" enquired some of the family. " Yea, but I would not Irttthem find me." " How came you from New HavenP" was nt'xt en- quirH. *' I staid a Kreat while," he r«plied, *• but. theydiJ not find anything a«nin8t hie< only that a young woman pretended to say that I had an ear-ring of her's, wiiioh belonged to my wife, which was not worth waiting lor, and sa I came away." Here however, hw was apprt-hunded, and sent again to Bridewell ; but wh«n ho ciime th-sre, he denied being the man. and had so altered his appaarance and drps:;, that no one knew liim, until Mr. Allen, the keeper of the prison at New Hiven, carao and Jre- cognised him. He took him in charge ac the Bridewell, and returned wisiblfl that he was my oi.d friend, Smith. The Capt'tin asked ino if I had a wi'ih to liberate him. I reuH^'d, my olgect was to ascertain whe- ther he were a prison-T 1 had in my custody more than twelve momha, and that if he were, he would know me iminudiately : but would not profess to know me. Accord- ingly, when he was brought into my presfnce in the Captain's room, be maintained a peritct indifference, and took no notice of me whatever. I said to him, " ^«ewman, wha have you b«-cn doing that has Iroughi you here? " Nothing," said he, " I had an ear-ring with me that belonged to my wife, and a young lady claimed it and swore it belonged to her, and I had no friend to speik in favor of me and thev sent me to prison." I then a^ked him whether he had ever seen me before. He looked earn«(>tly upon me and said, *' I do not know but I have seen you at New Haven, there were many men at CJourt." " Where did you come from ?" His reply was, ••1 came from t/anada." »♦ What countryman aie you .'" "A Prenchin«n, born in France." He had been in London and Liverpool, but never at Brighton. " Was you ever at Kingston, Now Brunswick?" He answered, •' No, he did not know wh^re that was," with a countenance at< unmoved as if he had spoken in ail the con- fidence of truth. ti«- appealed rather more fleshy than when at Kingston ; but still remained the same subtle, mysterious being. I understood that he was the first that had ever efifected an exemptinu from labour in that prison by or on any pretence whatever. He k^pt himself clean and decent, and among the wretched victims who were daily brought from the horrid pit in chuins and fetters to their daily labor of making nailri, William Newman appeared quite a distinguished character. Su obtuse wad he that he could not be taught to utake a nail, and yet so ingenious was he, that he made a Jew's harp to the greatest perfection, without being discovered at work, and without ita being known until he was playing on it. It was in the city of Mew Haven that the author published the first edition of these Memoirs, being aware that here, where his character and unprecedented actions were perfectly known throughout the country, the publication of his doings at Kingston, and his career throughout the Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia would not only be de^ and acceptable, but would also be received with less scrupulousness, when I* as it were, in contact with facta of a similar na- ture publicly known and ' While these papers <^ing prepared for the press, a gentleman from Wash- ington, Major McDan i his return from Boston, boarded some time in the same house with me, ttiat of Mr. Joseph Nichols, and having heard some details from me of his unprecedented character and actions in New Brunswick, and haying also become acquainted with the facta relating to his imprisonment and escape, Ice, in that place, could not repress his curiosity in going to see him, and requested ma to accompany him at hia own expense. He observed that it would be a high gratification to him, on his return to Washington, than he would not only have one of my books with him, but would also be able to aay that be had personally seen the Sheriff from New Brunawiok that had written the book, and had seen the remarkable character in the prison of Newgate that had constituted the aub- jeet of tbe book, and also the prison in New Haven fiom which he escsped. Ac- eordingly we set out for New Cfaie, and my friend bad the aatisfaction of seeing the noted Henry More Smith, now William Newman. On our leaving him, I said to -t 7' I > I ■"K HBNItY MORE SMITH. of Cttpt. answered ut \fi had urthor en- If acknow- ■c, that he 1 to much I, and thai like a top, :h:it he had Thi« was fie Captniii riain whe- i that, if he . Accord- aintained a ' Newman, le. •• I had ned it an him, "Mow, Smith, if you have anything you wish to communicate to ynur wife, I W)U let iuT know it" Hu looked ut me and said, '* Hir, are you going to ih** Jer- seygrv •• Why do you think your wife i« there?" "I hope bo; 1 left her there," wast^iii reply, and that with us much firmness and seeming earneatneaa an if he bad never lit-»t>re seen myloce. After I had left him und returned to N«?w Haven, and i'urui-iit'd tlie printer with itiis additional sketch, and had the Memoirs completed, one ot thebooki) wis nh*4wn to him, which hn perused with much attention and re- plied with aeeu-.ing indifference that there never was such a character in existence, but thai Home (fentlemun trnvelliiiK in the United States had run short of money, and had invented that book to defray his expense-* ! Immediately after he had road tlie Memoirs of his ownuparulleled life anri actions, and pio aunced the whole a fiction, as if to outdo ai.ylhing before related of him, or attribmed to him, he added the following remarkable feat to the list, already so full, of hid Aiiij;ular and unprecedented acl.ions. In the presence of a numb».>r of young person:*, and when ihere was a fiio fire burning on the henrth, he affected to be sud- denly Aeiz>d wiili a violent convulsive fit, failing down on t!ie floor and bounding and wiilliing about as it' in the mont a^oniz ng sufferings. And what constituted the wonder of thisi matiterpiece of affectation was, that in his spasmodic contoriiona bis feet came in contact with the Are, und were literally beginning to b»» roasted, without (lis appearing to feel any pnin from the burning. This circumstance cnn- flrroed the belief in the bystanders that the fit was a reality; and he did not miss his aim in shewing off his Hpnsinodio attack which was indeed done to the life. He was constquenily exempted from hard labor, and was permitted to employ himself in any trifling! occupation be choosie, or in making Jew's harps, pen-knive>«, knives of various descriptions, and rings, in the mechanism of which he displayed much original talent and characteristic ingenuity. Many persons, from mere curiosity, purchased from him several articles of his handiwork. From among the rest may bv instancnd the case of two young men, who very much admired his small pen-keives, and pro- posed purchasing two of them on condition ot his engraving his name on the handles of them. He immediately engraved, with perfect neatness, "Henry Moro Smith," on one side of one of them, •• William Newman," on the other side, and on ihe oi her knife he engraved, "Mysterious Stranger." These knives were kept by tbeir owners as a curiosity, and many personal were much gratified by seeing them. One of them was some time after brought to Kingston, und I myself had the gratifi* cation of seeing the name of luy old domestic engraved on the handle. Under ihe indulgent treatment he received in New Gat*», he became perfectly re- •onciled to his situation, manifesting no desire to leave it. "Contentment,^' ha said, " is the|brigtite8t jewel in thia life, «nd I was never moie contented in my life." Consequently he never attempted any means of escape. After the period ot his imprisonment was up, and he had received his discharge, he hit with the keeper of the prison a hignly finishod p cket knife, of moderate size, the handle of which contained a watch, complete in all its parts, keeping time regu* larly. And what exciied much wonder in reference to this ingenious and singularly cunoU'« pitce ot mechanism, was the fact that he had never been lound at work on any part of the watch or knife, and yet there was no doubt on the minds of those who 3HW it, that it was in reality the production of his own genius, and the work of his own hands. For this information! was indebted to a gentleman named Osborne, who resided in the neighborhood, and who stated that he had seen the watch and knife himself, and that it was regarded by all as a most woniierful piece of ingenuity. He iett Simsbury decently apparalled, with some money in his pocket, and inpoa- aeaaion of some articles of his own handiwork. He directed bis course eastward, and waa seen in Boston; but for some short time nothing paiticular or striking was beard of him. The first thing concerning him, that arrested public attention, was pub- lithed in the Boston Bulletin, and which came ander iny own eye : *- Beware of pickpockets I A stage coach destined for this city, and full of passengers, a few evenings since, when one of the passengers rang the bell, anf' d out to the driver to stop his horses, aa his pocket had been picked of a large aum ot money since he ... :i'iiiw I fc 1111^1111' 48 THE MYSTERIOUS DOINGS OF entered the coach ; and at the same tiinc requested the driver would not let any of the pnaBensern get out of the coach, it beini dark, until he, the aforcHaid passenefer, should bring a Ugh', in order to have a general search. This cnugjd a generr' feel- ing of pockets among the passengers, when another passenger cried out th>i>. his pocket book had also been etol* n. The driver did as he was directed until the gentleman who first spoke should Ituva lime to hav^^ procured a lamp, but whether he found it or not remained quite tincertKm. But no doubt he found the l>ght he intended should answer his purpoNe, as he did not make his aptienrance in any other light. However, the pasfienj>er who really lost bib pocket book, which, al- though 't did not contain but a small amount of money, thinks he shall herenfter andi rs and wh.'.t is meant when a man in a stage coach calls out thief, and that he will prefer darkness rather than light, if ever such an evil joke is offered to be played with him again." As he was continually chmging his tianae, as well as hix place, it was impossible always to identify his person, especially as few persona in the United Slates were personally acquainted with liim. The dif^ ulty of recognizing biin was not a little increased aluo by the circumstances of hi., continually changin/urse in disguise through the States of Con- necticut and New York, assuming different characters, and committing many rob- beries undiscovered and even unsuspected for a length of time, and afterwards made his appearance in Upper Canada, in the character of a gentleman merchnnt from New Brunswick, with a large quantity of smuegleJ goods from New York, which he said waii coming on after him in wagons. These, he said, he intended to dispose of on vtry moderate terms, so as tn suit purchasers. Here he called upon my brother, Augustus Bates, Deputy Postmaster, at Welling* ton Square, head of Ltike Ontario, and informed the family that he was well ac> quainied with Sheriff Bates, ut Kingston, and that he called to let them know that he and his family were well. He regretted very much that he hud not found Mr. Bates at home, and stated that he was upon urgent and important business, and could not tarry with them for the uight, but would leave a letter for biio. This he accord- ing'y did, properly addretiscd, nnd m good handwriting; but when it was opened, and its contents examined, no one in the place could make out the name of the writer, or read any part of the letter! It appeared to have been written in the characters of some foreign langua^^e, but it c mid not be decyphered. This was another of his characteristic eccentficities, but his intention in it could net be well und'^rstood. He did not appear to make himself particularly known to the family, nor to culti- vate any further acquaintance with the(n, but proceeded thence to the prinoipal boarding house in the town, and engaged enterttinments for himself and thirteen other persons, who, he said, were engtged in bringing on his waggons, loadt^d with bis Biniigtjled goods. Having thus fix^dupon a residence forhimse'f and his gang of waggoners, he then called upon ail the principal merchants in the town, oi\ pre- tence of entering into contracts for storing large packages of goods, and promising to give great bargains to purchasers on their arrival, und in some instances actually received money aa earnest '>n some packages of saleable goods, for the sale of which I t f I feel- ellinff- rell ac» >tv that id Mr. could iccord- jpened, of the lin the lis was ^e well I (sulti- jnoipal Mrtebn rith 1 gang pre- mising [ualty rhich 9^ u M HENRY MORESMirH. 49 he eiitereJ into contracts. It may be remarked, by the way, that he wrote also iu sin uuktiown and unintelh'pible hantl, to th^ celebrated (!apt.'l3rant, the same as he had written to Mr. Bates, but with what view was equally mysterious and unacoount- abie. Notwitlistanding his genteel and respectable apiJearance, there was a singularly in hie manner and conduct which, wit!' all liis tact and experience, he could not alto- gether conceal ; and hence arose some euspicions as to the reality of his preten- sions. These suspicions received confirmation, and were soon matured into the reality of his being a ■ 50 THE MYSTEUrOUS I)OIN(J8 OF I I fro'n the nature (tf the climate, W's p;ene'-ally believed woul ? terwiiriHte hin career. The partii"iili»rs of this advenuiie I received in ihe city of New York in 1827, wh?re 1 lonk. much pains to oittnin all possible information ci has, for a few weeks past, under the name of Henry Bond, been rnnnin? up a bill, nnd running down the fare, at the Franklin House, was, this Hfternoon, arrestpd at the establishment, on the ungentie- mnnly charere of pillaging thp trunks of lodgr Since his snjourn a variety of articles had disappeared from the chambers of the Hotel; and amongst the rest, about two hundred dollars from the trunk of (me gentleman. " No one, however, had ihoujjht of eu'^pecting the French gentleman, who was. also a lodger, until this morning, when, unfortunately for him, his face was recog- niZ'd by a gfntleman who kn^w him to have been in the State Prison at Balti- timore. However, on searching him. which he readily complied with, no' one cent ot' tho money could be found either upon his baegage or his person; but in lieu thereof, they found him possessed of a large number of small keys, thrrmcrh which, no doubt, he found means of disposing of any surplusage of circulating medium ; whereupon his quarters were changed to Bridewell, until the ensuing, term of General Sessions." Here he remained in confinement until the period of his trial came round, when, for want of sufficient evidence to commit him to the State l*>ison, he was thence discha'ged, and the next account we hear of him, brings him before our view under the name of Henry Preston, arrested in the act of attempting to rob the Nr)rthern Mail Coach, as will appear by the following article, extracted from, the " Tim- s :" " Police Office, Monday, Feb. '22nd, 183J.— Just as this office was closing on Saturday evening, a ver\ geriilemanly looking man, decently dressed, calling himself Henry Pre-t.m, was brought up in the custody of the driver and guard of the Norih^n Mail Stage, who charged him with an a'tempt to rob the mail. The accu- sers testified that within a chort distance of Potkskill. they discovered the prisoner about a hundred yards ahead of the stagr, iind on appr aching nearer, they saw him jui.'ip over a fence, evilently to avoid l^)ticl^ Thi.-!. of course, excited their sus- picion, nnd they kept an eye to the mail, which was deposited in the boot. "In the course of a short time, the guard discovered the rat nibbling at the bait and desiring the driver not to stop the speed of the horses, he quietly let himself down, and found the prisoner nctivel/ employed, loosening the sirup which confines the Mall Bag! He was instantly arrested, placed in the carriage, and carried to. town free of expense. "Having nothing to offer in extenuation of his offence, Mr. Henry Preston waa. committed to Bridnwell until Monday for further investigation. i >s HEXHV MOKK SMITH. 51 on iself the Con- ner him US- bait ines to Iwaa i •' Police Office, Monday Morning. — This moininw, H»^nry Prtston. committed i for attempting to rob ihe Norihern Mail, was broun'ht up befoie the silting Magis- trates! when the Hiijh Sheriff of Orange County uppeareo and demanded llie priso'!- cr, « New York as soon as poshibb-." By order of the Judges, the prisoner wns delivered over to the Sheriff of Orango County, to be recognized there tor his trial fnr the offence with which he was or gi- nallv chartred. at the Uf.xt General Session «[ the bupreme Court But before the lime canif round, he had, as nn m-ist former occasions, contrived to make his escape, and directed his courj^e towards upper Canada ! Of the pMrticu'ar manner of his escape, and his adventures on his way through to Canada, we can state nothing with certainty; but like all his previous movements, we may liazard tue cor^jeclu^e, that they were such as would do the usual honour to liis wretrh' d profession, let, with nil his tact, he could not always escape the bands o*' jusiicf; find h<^nce hi-> cnnrse is not nufreijuently interrupted, and his progress impeded by tii? misfortunes of the prison. It is owing to this circumstance that we are onabled to kee:> pace with him in Upper Canada, where we find him confined in Ihe Jail <>f Toronto, under the charge of burglary. For this inf)rtnation, the wrifr is indebted lo his brother, Mr. AUGUSTUS Rates, residing in Upper Canada, from his letter, dated 4th August, 1835, we make the fol- lowing e:itract. which will point out the circumstances which have guided us in endeavoring to follow up the hisiory of the Mystkrious Stranger to the present time : — *• Dear Brothkr.— I now sit down to acknowledge the receipt of a number of your le ters, especially your last by Mr. Samuel Xichols, in which you mentioned that you were wri'ing a new edition of ' More Smith.' I have to request that you will 8U(ntaii)ed the desired information as to the particular fato of the pri- fionc-, and the manner in which he was dispo.sed of, until tlio iSih of Sep' ember last (1836). By a letter from Mr. Augu.slus P>ntes, bparing this d'lte, it would appear that the prisoner had not been exi^cuted but had been sentenced lo one year's confinenriCut in the Peiiitentiiry. We mak^' the fell iwing extract : " I give jou all the in'orma ion (hat [ can obtain respectiner the prisoner enquired after. The Jailer, who is also the Deputy Sheriff, that had him in chaige, says he could learn nothing from him ; said he called his name Smith, that ho was fifty-five years old, but denies that he was ev r in Jvingston, Ne^Bruns»ick. The Jailor had one of your books, and showed it to him, hut he denied any knowledge of it, and would not give any sntisf^action to the enqui-ies he mnde oi' hiiu. .V> THE MVSTKKiOUS DOINGS OF HENRY MOKE tJMITH. "The Sheriff savs h<; believes the person to b^• the saiKe Mystotious Strangor : thit he was condemned nnd iientenced to the Penitpntiary i'or one year. His fririr; was bLirglarv." It would h:ive aff'trdod the writer of these Momoirs groat sitisfuclion, and nn doubt an < qual satisfaction to the lea 'er, had it beon in his power to have paid t v! • «*in to Up[)er Canadi, that he ni jjlit ho able to .state from his own ceMain and per.x-onal knowlcdj^e of the prisoner at Toronto, that he was, indeed, the t!eL''-3amo noted in- dividual ihat was in hi.s custody twonty-two ypar.s ai^o, and >v|)o;n ho had the ijratifi- eation -.if sft injif and recofrnizing sub.sequcntly at ttie Siinsiitiry Wines, where tir played off his affected fits with such art and consequent a(ivantn<,re. lint although it is not in the writer's power to close up his Memoir witW so import' ant and valuable a discovery — yet, keeping :n view the characteristic features r.( the man — his prntessed ignorance of Kngston, in New Brunswick —his denial of ever having seen the first edition of the Memoirs, and the care which he took to keep himself enveloped in mystery, by utterly deciinng !;> give any saiisf'ictory informa- tion concerning himself ; all these circnm'stanres united, form a comhination of fea- tures so marked, as to carry conviction to the min.l of the reader who hn-j traee^i hirn through this narrative, that he is no other than -.he same mysterious Henry More Smith. rhere ia another feature in the prisoner at Toronto that seems strangely cor- roborative of whet wn are desirous properly to establish ; that is. his age. He ac- knowledges to be fifty-five years of aj;e ; and aUhoUi^h this v/ould make him S( nic- 'wliat older than his real age, yet it fixesi this point — that the prisoner at Toronto ig well advanced in years, and so must the subject of our Memoirs he also. From information which we have obtained, it -Cfms that he has undergone his trial, and was committed to the renit^'ntiary for a year's confinement. Whether he found any means of effecting an exemption from labor in the Penitentiary and then reconciling himself to his confinement, or whether he accomplished one of his ingeni- ous dep'rtures, wc are unahle to determitie. One tiling, however, ia highly pr-ba- b'e — that he is again going up and down in the tarlh, in the practics of his hoary- headed villa. ny, except, a I'ower from on Hioh ha-; directed the arrow uf con\ictirin to his heart ; tor no inferior impulse would he CJipihIe of giving a ncnv direction to tne liie and actions of a man whose habits of iniquity have been ripened into maturi- ty, and obtained an immovable ascendancy by the practice of so many succes.-ivu- years. It must be acknowledged that there is an unprecedented denree of cleverness in all his adventures, which casts a kind of illusive and momentary covering' over the real character of his actions, and would seem to engage an interest in his favor, (and this is an error to which the human mind seems ren^arkably pre disposed when vice presents itself before us in all its cleverness), yet who can read his miserab'e career without feeling pained at the melancholy jjicture of depravity it presents? Who would nave supposed that after his condemnaticm and sentence at Kingston, and his lif'^, by an art of human mercy, given into his hands again, he would not have hasten- ed to his wife, and with tears of compunction mingletl with those of joy, cast himself Ufion her neck, and resolved, by a course of future rectitude ami honesty, to make lier as happy as his previous disgraceful atid sinful career had made her miserable. Hut ah I no. His release was followed by no such effects, llendeted unsuscepti- ble of evey natural and tender impression, and yet under tiie full dominion of the god of this world, he abandoned the inmate of h s bosom, and set out single-handed in the fresh pursuit of crime. There is, however, one redeeming feature which stands out among the general deformities of his character. In all the adventures which the history of hi9 course presents to our view, we are*not called upon to witness any acts of violence and blood; and it is perhaps owing to the absence of this rejiulsive trait of character, that we do not behold himself in a more relentlesg light. Til. U8 Stranger ; year, llis -lion, and nn ve paid t vi- and porsonal 10 noted in- l the t»rufifi- 'S, wh.jie tn' "'■> so imporf- il'ires rif the nial of ever Dok lo k(>ep Dry informn- alion of fea- ►< trace i him Tenry i\Iore anijely cor- ?e. He ao- Toronto ig leriTone his Vhethor he y and then iH ingeni" hly pivba- his hoary- con\ictlon rectton to to ma!,uri. succesr-ivi.' ness in all er the real Ivor, (and ivhen vice 3'e career s? Who n, and his ve hasten- 9t himself to make lerable. siiscepti- n of the e-handf.'fi genernl |i») course lence and Iharacler, *^'rz>'^' f. I] OB PRINTER, ■ No. 4 MAllKK/r STHKKT, ST. J o"»^isr, isr, s. 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