The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-06-24
"Banco'-Hoyv Fools and Their Money
Part C0mpnny.

Part Company.
When my friend, the pick.pocket,
darinEa late Interview, had narrated
his experishcesin that line OF business.
wHteaA contributor of the New York
Times. he next entertained me with an
account of his doings in what he called
the "bunker" business:
just now it is the most popular de.
vice for aeecing the stranger who ven.
lures into the metropolis. and the un.
suspecting can be best warned by Civ.
ing the story. as nearly as. possible, in
the pick pockets own words.
lyon zee, SIR" he began, cit is n
good deal safer aud more profitable
than picking pockets. r. you are col
lared'-l mean arrested, sir-you are
suro to get off with something light,
bnt tho chances nEe ten to one against
your being 'collared.' The sucker
stands in with you, rs it were, and is
almost certain not to 'squeal' is,
not to complain to the police. In this
way its like the panel game, which is
the meanest as it is the safest kind of
robbery. Then banco pays big pro-
tits. It don't take big mob ex.
planned to you u bit ago that by mob
we mean my number of men working
Job together. There is only the
dealer, the 'steerer' and his pal These
three. with the sucker. make q quiet
little party OF four, and the sucker is
skinned for the equal benefit OF the
other three. Why do VIC call the fell
lows we swindle suckers? Really, l
don't know, unless it Is because they
are SO much like the fab Of that name,
which swallows any bait that CONES
along. Wa need sort Of an Office iu
playing this game, but its not expen j.
sive. for dingy back room, in side
street. that can be got for S25 per
month, is better than big apartments
on Broadway. Then We want a few
old drawings of the Havana lottery,
two sets OF dice, aud modernts sun.
ply OF money. say 500 or $500. Hav-
ing all these things fixed, we 60 on
our graft We always go to one of
the first class hotels to lay for suckers,
and We never pick up the wrong man
l never did. aud don't believe any of
my pals ever did. There is no trou.
BILE in telling strangers from city men.
1t isn't because they stare ut the store
windows and signs, for lots OF oity
men do that; nor is it always their
dress. for sometimes the countryman
swaggers along III the lutest style
But there is always something about
him he can't disguise Which says he's u
stranger, aud it's almost rs certain that
he shows whether hes got money or
not. Sometimes we pick up sucker
who's broke, but it isn't often.
'WeIl, as I was saying, the big
hotels are our plant Now, suppose
you and l are on the graft Nobody,
though, secs US speak to each other,
or IN any way recognize one another,
but for all that, each of US keeps q
sharp watch on the other. Maybe
we'll hang around an honr or two,
without finding sucker. Sometimes
we don't find one at all. II we do find
him. l give you the office, that il, l
give you signal you understand to
watch sharp. then keep my eye on
the sucker until he goes into the
street. I step briskly up in front OF
him as if I had just turned up, and
hold out my hand with great oordiality,
saying: MY dear DR.. Smith, I'm de.
lighted to see you. When did You
come to town? How did You leave all
the folks in Zinesville? I say oil this
40 quickly that the sucker hasn't q
chance to open hia mouth until I ee,
through. Even then. he isn't uaualiy
very fast about it. You see I'm per.
son OF gentlem"nly appearance and
address. and the sucker don't know a,
arst exactly what to make of it all.
When he does recover from his usto
nlshment, of course, he says his name
isn't Smith. Generally, he is very
stlf about it. and says very grandly
Sir, you are IN ,tuken; I am not Dr..
Smith, sir Then comes the fines,
point in our little gume 1t used to
be that the sncker would always follow
this up by giving his name and place
Of residence, but lately they've got
cursed 'hy.' md it has to be wormed
out Of them in most cases. II he don.
give it, why, 1 say: Really. l beg
your pardon. sir; I would have sworn
you were DR.. Smith; I uever saw such
striking resernblunca in my i,fo
Now. really, air. if It's not asking too
much. would like to know your name,
30 tha. | muy tell DR.. Sm,tn. the next
time | see him. who his double rs
Thls always fetches tho sucker. He
gets friendly ail ut once and says
Certainly. sir. am Mr. Thomas
Brown, Of Brownsville, Texas, on
whatever il may bo. rhut's all we
want to know. 1 beg pardon ot the
sucker. and turn away while be goes