Virginia Free Press

From the New York Herald

Jeremy Diddling.—On the 17th of September last a fashionable young man arrived here from Baltimore, and took lodgings at one of our principal Hotels. "What name shall I put down?" asked the obsequious bar-keeper, bowing to the gentleman with a ring on his fourth finger dazzling to look upon.—"Frederick Augustus Howard, of Howard Place," was the reply.

Accordingly, the bar-keeper put the name down at length, and ordered the waiter—"John take Mr. Howard's baggage to No. 38." John the waiter did so.

Mr. Frederick Augustus Howard of Howard Place, entered his apartments, arranged his drapery and made his appearance at dinner with quite a distingue air. He drank the best of wines—talked on the finest sentiments; was extremely orderly and well bred—but now and then he would be seen at nights leaving his hotel with several suspicious looking characters.

In a few days Frederick Augustus Howard of Howard Place, entered the fashionable store of a fashionable merchant tailor in Broadway. He ordered a suit of the best the store could furnish. "I say, Mr. So-and-so, you will positively have those articles sent to my Hotel, No. 38, on Friday next at four o'clock. I am—eh—engaged—eh—to dine out—eh—on that day eh."

The tradesman glanced his eyes from stem to stern: "Certainly sir, they will be there at the hour."

The clothes accordingly came—the bill was punctually paid, and Frederick Augustus, Howard, of Howard Place, dined out that day by particular invitation at a small rum hole up town.

In a few days Mr. Frederick Augustus Howard of Howard Place, introduced a friend of his, who also wanted a new suit, and the day after two other friends on the same purpose.

"Mr. So-and-so," said he, 'these gentlemen are all my particular friends, and they are all as good as the bank— Send the articles to my apartments, and they will be paid for."

The tradesman did so. The bill was $121 67. Frederick Augustus Howard was in his apartment when the suits arrived. "Young man," said he to the clerk, "you can leave those suits and bills here till to-morrow the gentlemen are all out just now—call again to-morrow."

With this assurance from Frederick Augustus Howard of Howard Place, the merchant tailor was satisfied. He had been honestly paid by Howard himself, and he had suspected no dishonesty from the associates of such a gentlemanly man. But alas! appearances don't always indicate the real state of facts. On sending to the Hotel next day, Frederic Augustus Howard of Howard Place, was not to be found. He had departed that morning at the urgent request of a relative in Philadelphia, who was on his death bed, and who intended to make him heir to all his wealth, if it could be found. Not a cent has the tailor got of his $121 67—nor will he ever get any.

This is a true story. It is even true of hundreds of cases. No class of men is perhaps more the prey of fashionable swindlers, cheats and blacklegs, than the merchant tailors. They are bled in all quarters—in all weathers, and at all seasons. Probably at a fair calculation, one third of the fashionable articles sold by tailors in their line to apparently fashionable young men, are dead loss. The systems of depredation are as various as ingenuity and originality can invent. There is no end to the ingenuity exercised by these scoundrels to obtain the property of honest tradesmen. Coats, pantaloons, vests, boots, hats—every thing is welcome to these harpies that they can lay their hands upon.

We wish some spirited tailor would get down from his bench and let slip a couple of the police officers upon the flock. This is the season of general depredation, and we want a signal example as a terror to evil doers. Justice Hodgson, Justice Lownds, and the whole establishment are quite ready.