A Sophisticated Horse Theft Takes Place In 18th Century Virginia.

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An early Richmond, Virginia, Superior Court of Chancery, ca. 1790s, 2pp. 8vo., on laid paper, being a document addressed to Judge Creed Taylor in which Robert Prunty, gives his account of how two men who committed a fraud against him by illegitimately swapping a horse with him. Apparently, poor Mr. Prunty, while on an overnight stay, was duped into trading horses by two unscrupulous men; one on the run from the law, while the other who was not, perpetrated the fraud. When the case ace to trial, in Bedford County, Va., there were numerous "insufficiencies, imperfections and falsehoods" made against him during the court case. Trying to right a wrong, Prunty's court document, reads, in part: "…the answer of Robert Prunty to a bill of injury…against him in your humble court by a certain George Bozzel…to the many insufficiencies…and falsehoods in [Bozzel's] bill contained, for answer thereto…three years ago last January the claimant happened at the house of a certain Owen Hunt of the county of Franklin where he tarried all night…shortly after…[Bozzel] and a certain James Davis both residents of the county of Bedford…requested to stay all night which was granted…in the course of the night, the complainant proposed to your Respondent [Prunty] to swap horses, urging that his horse was unable to perform the journey…to the county of [?] your respondent refused to swap…in the morning the complainant again proposed a swap which…[was] consented to and did actually swap…this horse your respondent got of Bozzel ran away to Bedford County and was sold under an execution against the said James Davis…[Prunty] declares that at the time he swapped horses…he had never seen the said James Davis…[and] further states that he verily believes the plaintiff was making his escape out of the county at the time he was arrested by the sheriff, knowing that he had practiced a fraud on your respondent and dreaded the consequences of lawsuit. Your respondent further states that he verily believes the horse swapped to him by the complainant was…the real & bonafide property of [Davis]……your respondent prays to have the benefit of his judgement…dismissed with his cost…". Folds, with some soiling, else VG

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