Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Story
June 4, 1772
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
A fraudulent German nobleman and his footman deceive a watchmaker near Utrecht by sealing two gold watches in a box as earnest, then swapping it with an identical box containing stones while the shopkeeper is distracted.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
The following new Instance of Sharping, which was practised a few Days ago near Utrecht, may be a useful Caution to Shopkeepers, &c.
A Person, under the Character of a German Nobleman, attended by his Footman, went to a Watchmaker's Shop. Having examined and bargained for two Gold Watches, he gave the Watchmaker Earnest for them, telling him he had not Cash enough about him to pay the Whole, but that he should leave them till he sent the rest of the Money; and, to prevent their being changed in his Absence, he desired his Servant to give him a little Box out of his Pocket, into which he put them, sealed it with his own Seal, and gave it to the Watchmaker to put by.
He then desired to see some other Watches, and while the Watchmaker was engaged in showing them the Footman conveyed another Box, exactly the same, and sealed in the same Manner, into the Place of the One in which the Watches were put, and which still lay on the Counter, after which they went away.
Some Time after the Watchmaker began to be uneasy, finding no One coming for the Box; and venturing at length to open it, found therein, to his great Mortification, two Stones.
A Person, under the Character of a German Nobleman, attended by his Footman, went to a Watchmaker's Shop. Having examined and bargained for two Gold Watches, he gave the Watchmaker Earnest for them, telling him he had not Cash enough about him to pay the Whole, but that he should leave them till he sent the rest of the Money; and, to prevent their being changed in his Absence, he desired his Servant to give him a little Box out of his Pocket, into which he put them, sealed it with his own Seal, and gave it to the Watchmaker to put by.
He then desired to see some other Watches, and while the Watchmaker was engaged in showing them the Footman conveyed another Box, exactly the same, and sealed in the same Manner, into the Place of the One in which the Watches were put, and which still lay on the Counter, after which they went away.
Some Time after the Watchmaker began to be uneasy, finding no One coming for the Box; and venturing at length to open it, found therein, to his great Mortification, two Stones.
What sub-type of article is it?
Crime Story
Deception Fraud
What themes does it cover?
Deception
Crime Punishment
What keywords are associated?
Sharping Scam
Watchmaker Fraud
Box Swap
German Nobleman
Earnest Money
What entities or persons were involved?
German Nobleman
Footman
Watchmaker
Where did it happen?
Near Utrecht
Story Details
Key Persons
German Nobleman
Footman
Watchmaker
Location
Near Utrecht
Event Date
A Few Days Ago
Story Details
A fake German nobleman and footman trick a watchmaker by placing two gold watches in a sealed box as earnest money, then swapping it with an identical box containing stones while distracting him with other watches.