Mr. RUSSELL,
THIS day came Ezekiel Kingsbury, jun., of Dedham, with a Load of Hay to be weighed, which was accordingly done. After it was weighed, he drove it off round Mr. Greenleaf's corner, where he ſtopped. Mr. Jonathan Traſk, truckman, wanted to purchaſe a load of hay—went and tried to bargain with him for it, and as he was going towards the hay, he perceived a man raiſe his head on the top of the load, by the name of Draper, of ſaid town. He accordingly came to me and told me of it. I went in purſuit of Kingſbury, and overtook him juſt before he got to the Granary, and ordered him back to the ſcales to have his load weighed again, which weighed one hundred and an half leſs that it did before.—The ſeveral printers are requeſted to inſert the above, to prevent further impoſitions on the publick.
HOPESTILL FOSTER, Hay-weigher.
Boſton, Dec. 15, 1789.
It seems to have been the fashion in "old times" with people who had articles stolen from them to advertise in the papers, requesting the thief or thieves to make restitution. Probably this was the surest method of recovery, in the absence of the detective system. Joseph Tyler in the "Boston Gazette," Nov. 21, 1761, is inclined to be sarcastic, and Samuel Brazer, of Worcester, in 1802, is witty, but modest. As to stealing psalm-books, no one would dream of doing such a thing in these days. Our modern thieves are not interested in devotional books; they prefer "yellow-covered literature."
Joſeph Tyler deſires the Perſon
that borrowed his Surtout to return it, if it is not worn out.
1767.