The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-09-27
A Confidence Mans Sketch of his Operations

am ashamed to confess that l ! have been a
thief. 1t is humiliatinS TO reflect mat, at an
earlier period Of my career, l should at any
time have so far forgotten myself rs to have
been guilty of petty larceny from the person.
It is sad to remember, moreover, that, TINS
being nv third mistake of that nature, l was
condemned for it to five years penal serFl-
tude. Doubly humiliating it was when, a1ter
being liberated on q ticket-of-leaVe 1or good
conduct, l discovered how many professions
were opened to me of 4 far more lucrative
character than my former calling, ana alto
gether beyond the reach of the law,
1t occurred to me that with a sinai! capital
saw fifteen pounds-I might be able in 4 short
time to realize almost an independence for one
in nv position, by very simple means, ana
quite honestly-that is to say, when viewed
in connection with some successful business
operations In the highest walks OF commerce
which have come within my notice.
Accordingly, on my release l went 10 an
| ACQUAINTANCE of mine-a paWnbroker Win
| whom Ihad formerly done business III announcer
| Way-and stated my intention OF turning over
| n new leaf. l limited it was possible he might
have in his possession a number OF VallaDle
| articles, such rs watches, rings, ana so 1ortn,
which, for certain reasons, 1T would be mad
| yisable 10 offer for sale; but for which he
might, nevertheless, be glad to 1lnd Il market.
Singularly enough, he had. l proftered my
services TO assist in disposing OF these articles
for the very reasonable commission OF five per
cent. My oyertures being accepted, l re-
ouested my friend to make me out pawn
tickets for all the t%rinkets, priced at their full
~yalue-1hirty pounds. Having done so, he
then entrusted the tickets TO my charge, ana
handed me in advance the commission OF
thirty shillings.
With a portion of this money l paid 1or lhe
following advertisement in q daily paper:
* POUNDS STERLING WANTED
IL FOR TEN DAYS BY a p prof $50 ihe s secon.
modation. aud property deposited worth douoie
the amount. ADDRESS, &c.
From about twenty replies l selected one
with q country post mark, ana In leIhale nahu-
writing. After some correspondence Will tni s
lody-a lodping-house keeper In q seaside
town-she was prevailed upon TO advance the
money on my terms, which were-ltem, my
acceptance at ten days 1or tWenty-tnfe
hounds. Item, the deposit OF the pawn Tick
cts for thirty pounds worm OF valuable Jew
elry.
When the acceptance became due l was UNI
ayoidably called out of town on important
business, and did not return for some days-in
act not until the estilnable matron, finding
the acceptance ishonored, had endeaTored to
recover her money by redeemlng some OF the
pledges. She had taken out goods to the
amount of ten pounds, but considering they
were not worth the money, refused to redeem
any more. The pawnbroker, however, knew
as well'as I did that the tickets, being actually
in circulation, would be sure to come back
again some day, and to result in his getting
rid of the property ut a very good profit. This
in course of time actually occurred, for the
worthy lady, on discovering that the goods
were pledged for more than they were worth,
WAS quite sharp enough to dispose OF the tick
cts one by one for n small premium among her
continually changing constituency of dodgers.
BY this means she partially ~recuperated the
amount she had lost, and carried out my truly.
fraternal principle of sharing our losses as
well as our joys and sorrows among our
brethren in the world. Agonizing reflection
to a we'll. balanced mind like mine, II cost her
four pounds fifteen. would have made mo-
ney by it .e
During the hours of my retirement from the
busy scenes of life tat the expense OF my coun-
tryI l had possessed ample opportunities for
rejecting on the ineStimable blessings Of q
free press to an enlightened community. l
now proceed to embody the result OF those re-
Elections.
l first of all made friends, at some trouble
and not a little expense Tor liquor, win a
porter in the employ of Messrs. Danton q
Birch, the celebrated auctioneers, and UNI
mately succeeded on prevailing on that porter,
for Il handsome consideration, to take charge
of some letters that would be addressed TO me,
but to "his care" at his masters office. l
impressed upon his mind the necessity OF
watchfulness, lest any of these letters should
miscarry into his employers hands.
Having thus secured one of the most re-
spectacle addresses in London, | next pur-
chased ten pounds worth of postage stamps,
and then sent the subjoined advertisement to
three daily newspapers, directing it to be in
serted every other day-three in each paper
only:
THE ADVERTISER BEING IN THE
l. enjoyment OF AGooD THING IS willing to- i'm
part It 10 a select number OF subscribers. This is
bona tide. Send thirteen postage stamps and a
directed envelope to I'M !" Esq, care OF III.
W. at Me.srs. Danton s Birchrs, Moon street,
City.
This sort of advertisement being rather a
stale artiice in itself, I depended for its sue
cess, trst, on the unimpeachable respectability
OF The address; and next, on the manner In
winch l intended to work it.
AT the end of the week my nine advertise
ments had brought me one hundred and
eighty-fou replies. Each reply contained the
addressed envelope and thirteen postage
stamps. If you think I stole the postage
stamps, and bolted, you wrong me-you en-
tireiy mistake the Christening influence Of
incubation and retirement on a just and sensi-
tive mind. What l did was this In each Of
the directed envelopes L folded up the thirteen
stamps / had received, together aoith thirteen
more, IN a neat piece of paper containing these
words and figures:
Sec Geneses Kill. 81.
Imagine the surprise and curiosity Of my
one hundred and eighty-four clients when,