The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-06-25
TRICKS ON TRAVELLERS.
How Conhding Strangers nrc Taken
in and Done for I'm New, york city.


How Connding Strangers aro Taken
in and Done for I'm New York city.
A confidence man tells hows stran- |
gers are taken in New York ap follows ;
Having all things ready" he says, Eve
go on our graft We always go to one OF
thefrst-class hotels, and we neyerplck up
the wrong man. There is no trouble in
telling strangers from city men. 1t isn't
because they stare at the store win
dows and signs, for lots of city men do
that nor is it always their dress, for
sometimes the countryman swaggers
along in the latest style. But there is
always something about him he can't
disguise which says he's o stranger,
and it's almost as certain that he shows
whether he's got money or not.
Now suppose you and 1 are on the
graft. Nobody, though, sees us speak
to each other or in any way recognize
one another, but for all of that each OF
us keeps sharp watch op the other.
Maybe. we'll hang around an hour or
} two without finding a sucker. Some
times we don't find one at all. If we do
find him give you signal you under
stand to watch sharp. then keep my
J eye on the sucker until he goes into the
street. / step briskly up in front OF
!, him as if I had just turned up, and
hold out my hand with great cordiality,
, 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 Zanesville?' I say all this so
quickly that the sucker hasn't chance
to open his mouth until get through.
Even then he isn't usually very fast
about it. You see I'm person of gen.
tlemanly appearance and address, and
> the sucker don't know at first exactly
what to make of it all. When he does
i recover from his astonishment of course
? he says his name isn't Smith. General
ly, he is very stiff about it, and says
, very grandly - Sir, you are mistaken; l
| am not DIR. Smith, Sir
s "Then comes the finest pointin our lit
5 tie game. It used to be that the sucker
would always follow this up by giving
l his name and place of residence, but
lately it has to be wormed out of them
z in most cases. If he don't give it, why
L say: Really, I beg your pardon,
sir; would have sworn you were DIR.
t Smith; never saw such a striking re-
/ semblance in my life. Now, really, sir,
> if it's not asking too much, I would like
to know your name, so that I may tell
e DR.. Smith, the next time see him, who
4 his double is This always fe etches the
t sucker. He gets friendly all at once,
/ and says: Certainly, sir. 1 am Mr..
Thomas Brown, of Brownsville, Texas,
r or whatever it may be. That's all we
v want to know. I beg pardon, and turn
e away while he goes off, and, in Il min
q me and DR.. Smith. Now, you have been
: standing near all the time, and heard
i. him give his name, or, if you didn't,
e you push against me by accident like,
n and throw it at you in soft whisper
It without attracting any attention from
b the bystanders. Then you go off in an
: ordinary way. If the sucker has gone
c up street, you go down half a block or
y so and then cross over. You've taken
it particular notice of his features and
= dress, SO that you can't mistake your
Q man. AS you go down, you look at q
IS list of national banks you always carry
e in your pocket, and get the name of the
If President or Cashier of a bank in the
5 town. When you get on the other side
= of the street you walk up briskly, keep.
ing your eyes sharp all the time. You
pass him, and when you get about hall
block above him you cross over and
walk down street and meet him. When
you come up to him you stop all of 6
&c sudden then you seize him by the
rs hand, which you shake like an ole
$, friend and say why, my dear Brown
le I'm delighted to see you. How are al
ic the folks in Brownsville p You mus
* be particular about the last, for it's thai
= which always gets the sucker. But
. you mustn't give him a chance to speal
:. yet; for you see he don't know yor
p le how could he, when he never set eye:
~ on you beforehand you say: Nov
ne that's too bad see you don't know
nd me. Why, am Jones, nephew o.
nd Ephraim Jones, Cashier of the nationa
o. bank in your town. Don't you remem
j. Der when [ was at your place? L wal
al a youngster then but 1 remember yor
nd perfectly All this goes to make yor
ad solid with the sucker; if you are tn,
Of nephew of Bank Cashier you must b'
tv somebody, and if you have carried hin
s1 e1 in your mind so long you must be
- clever fellow. But he is forced to sa,
om that he don't remember you, and yol
Az 40 think it's too bad that he should hav'
~ forgotten you SO entirely. But yol
ey are determined he shan't do it again
he for now you've met him once NOR
er you'll give him cause to remember you
ire which you are pretty sure to do, bu
of not in the way he thinks. You ask hin
ty, to take drink, and ten to one he doe
ng it, for these suckers are nearly Away
ng ready to drink at somebody elses ex
he pense. If he goes into the BARRON
Mt, with you your graft is easy after that
to if he don't you propose cigar, and j
he dou't smoke you insist it's lunch
TO- time, and you drag him off with you
"a Wherever you take him you OPEN o.
~ ~ him at once. You do all the talking
we for it won't do to give him a chance
us except to answer questions, SO that yo
'n- may have the office as to his business
ed family, friends, and all that, so that i
he little time you know almost as muc
will about him and the place where he live
as he does himself. Then you get
talking about yourself, and you alway
is make it appear that you've been wor
he derful lucky fellow, and very soon til
are man has so much confidence in 20
do, that you can easily rope him into an
ear little game you have, and his money
he yours.