Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-09
EVENING STAR.
THE BALL AND BOMB GAME:
Showing how the Texan Farmer was Swi,
died,

| a died. -.
| In our edition of Saturday we noticed the
commitment of one Gelpi on q charge of hav-
| Ing been concerned in financial operation by
which Texan farmer named Caruthers was
swindled out of S625. The case deserves
something more than a passing notice, for
while the arts of the swindlers were extremely
discreditable to human nature, the innocent
verdancy of the Texan farmer was q refresh
| ing oasis in a desert of rascality.
We shall give the Texans story. as be de-
tailed it before the Recorder, as nearly in his
own words as possible.
| "fou see," observed Mr.. Caruthers, "I
live over in Grayson county, Texas, and have
been to tennessee te get some niggers When
got back to Orleans I thought I'd stop
awhile, for I've been sickly Of late and did mt
feel able to travel farther. Besides, wanted
to buy some groceries and other things On
Friday last, feeling little better, I went
down to the steamboat landin' to INQUIRE
the price Ct freights and passages, and see
about things generally. When got on the
wharf [ saw very kind, genteel looking
| man sittin' on some corn sacks, so passed
the time day, and feelin' kind o'tired sat
| down too.
"The stranger asked me which way I was
goin, and told him was goin' aboard to
see the captain about passage to Texas
| He says, it's no use goin' for the captain
| Is ashore, up to the agents. was aboard
myself just now, says he, to see about a pas
sage: =. -
al then asked him if he was goin' to Tex as
and he says, yes, says he, I'm goin' over
there 10 buy location to set up big tan
merry. sE .#
| "And so We talked on for while about
Texas and things that way, and be began to
| tell me about new bomb that he had invent
cd that he expected to get patent for, and
| make fortin out on it. He said the bomb
| was filled with new kind of combustible,
| and went off itself by percussion and would
make tremendous slaughter among the enc
my" Great laughter, in which the Recorder
| joined
CATER he was done tellin' about the bomb,
he asked if would mt walk up to the agents
to see about the passage, and said would
SO we walked up and passed by the buildin'
just over there, ltbe City HalD and he says to
| me-that's the Union Bank I've got check
on that bank for 81 800, but L can't draw the
| money to-day for its Good Friday, and the
Catholics here are so superstitious that they
shut up the banks on Good Fridays and won I
| do anything.
81 told him it did seem strange that people
would be so superstitious, and he said he
hoped that people would, by and by, get their
| eyes open to sacred things ana do better and
1 agreed with him
| " Alter while We came to q little dark
| sort OF house, at the corner Of two streets
with screen inside of the door, We went
| in and there was man behind a little eoun-
ter, where there werc two barrels and some
| black bottles
"The man that was with me asked if the
| agent was in, and the man behind the counter
| (the prisoner at the BARI called a boy from a
| little place In the back part of the room cur
tanned of, and tcld him to 90 and call the
| agent.
"Well, the boy went out and soon after
| wards returned and said the agent would be
| there IN five minutes. l thought that the
place was rather shabby one for the agent
| OF big steamship lines to keep his Office in, but
! as didn't know much about the WAYS of city
life didn't say anything.
In few minutes the man who called him.
self the agent, came in, and seemed as free,
| and pleasant, and polite as can be. He had
| little black ball in his hand, and says he to
the stranger met on the levee, says he old
fellow, You have been inventing a bomb, but
I've got ball here that'Il puzzle you Then
| he laid the ball down on the counter and
says he, there's a secret about that ball; it can
| be opened, but there isn't one in fifty thou
| sand that could do it..
"O pshaw says the bomb man.
"The ball man then said he wanted to stem
| out for moment, and while he was gone tie
| bomb man took up the ball, and, after exam
inin' it for while, he says, see how to ope %
this ball, and he took his knife and gave it a
| little tap, and out started little piece like
| thimble, which, 1 We heard since, is called the
| little joker. Oh says he, here is little piece
OF paper, and so he took the little piece OF pa.
per out, and had good laugh Now, says he,
We III get the drinks out of the agent when he
comes in, for he'll bet the paper in the ball,
| and we'll bet it isn't l told him 1 didn't
| drink anything, but he said we'll have some
| fun anyhow.
We'll, when the agent came in they got
toll in ha han
| didn't say nothin' for fear of gettin' into trou
BILE, though felt like tellin' the agent that
the paper had been taken out At last the
bet ran up to thOusan' dollar, and the bomb
man threw down his check and asked for
| change. The ball man, however, made some
objection, and the bomb man say to me, quite
| familiar-like sold fellow, can't you let's
have an advance on this check till the bank
opens tomorrow
l thought it was all right, and as had
had good deal of trouble takin' care of NV
gold, says yes-for ID sooner have the check
| than the money. because it was easier to take
care of [Laughter.l And SO gave him what
what money l had, which was S625, and be
gim me the check for security.
{" Then the ball was opened out came the
little joker, and 10 and behold, there was a
piece of paper in it.
The bomb man looked surprised, but the
agent gathered up the stakes, placed the
money and the little joker in his pocket, and
put.
"The bomb man then wanted to take the
check, but says, no; must keep that for
my security. He, however, started out with
1T, and began to cry, and said that half of tie
check belonged to bis mother, and asked me if
l wouldn't bear half Of the loss. told him
no-that had nothing to do with the bettin';
didn't understand it, and could mt bear the
loss. wasn't that kind of a man.
"Well, he made a very bad mouth, but at
last he went back with me to the place where
the bet was made, and L agreed to loose $50,
and he wrote an order on the back Of the
check for the bank to pay me the balance
And so we parted.
AFTER that L went to the merchant where 1
was buying my things and showed him the |
check, but he pronounced it fraud, and said |
had been swindled. l then went and showed |
him the place where the swindle was done, |