Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-10-16
SHARES FOR The UNWARY.

MAN STINDLED OUT OF $600-A LES
SON FOR TRAVELLERS.
&C., sc. &c.
On Monday Of last week Mr.. Joseph M.
Fowlkes, a well-knoWn and respectable
farmer of Amelia county, arrived in Rich
mond On business and stopped at the St.
Charles Hotel. During Tuesday and Wed
nesday he attended to the matters that
brought him there, and was frequently up
on the streets. On Wednesday while walk
ing along Main street he was accosted by
plain-looking person, apparently coun-
tryman, who addressed linn as Captain
Fowlkes, and asked him t e name Of the
street. Mr.. Fowlkes replied that it was
Main street, whereupon the countryman
asked him where Thirteenth street was.
He answered that he did not know the
cross streets. The man seemed to be ac-
quainted with Mr. Fowlkes, for he in
uuired of him the health of his neighbors
by name, and in other ways gave evidence
of knowing the people of Amelia. The
'Dispatch'' says:
Inc man, dLLei tdlhiIlS lung eilouSu H1Cil
Mr.. Fowlkes to introduce himself, told
him lie had Just received a letter from his
| brother conveying the information that
| ticket which he held. and which he eXhlO-
| tied. had drawn So 900 Ill the lottery. This
! ticket the fellow said he was anxious to
! have cashed here, but as he was afraid he
| might net be fairly dealt with, requested
| MI. Fowlkes to accompany him. In the
kindness of his heart, and with the pur-
pose of doing his supposed countyman some
| service. MI. FoWlkes consented to do as he
! had been asked.
J The TWO started off together, and passed
! from Main street up Twelfth to the Capitol
| Square gate. There they asked colored
man where Thirteenth street Was, and
were told to go down Franklin street one
square. They went on i'll the direction
| given. conversing together, the stranger
meanwhile adroitly iulling all suspicious
of the honesty Of his purpose and the real
ity Of his lottery ticket business. AT tie
coner Of Thirteenth and Franklin streets
| the man with the lottery ticket stopped AID
looked around, put some questions to pass
ers-by as to the locality, and finally came
to the conclusion that the place he was
seeking was on the second story OF the
| house at the southwest corner OF Franklin
and Thirteenth streets.
They went up the steps and entered Il
room which Mr.. FoWlkes Says looked like
| very much like an insurance Oh bankers
office. The man showed his ticket, and
asked if he could get the money there, and
was answered atfrmatively. There was no
SIGN of recognition between the ticket
| holder and two OF three other men present,
| and had there been it is more than likely
| MI. FoWlkes would never have noticed 1T,
for he was then well satisfied that the man
he had so accidentally met was all he rep
resented himself to be.
The ticket was exhibited to a man at the
table. After rigidly scrutinizing it he said
it was all right, and Was
GOOD FOR $500.
The owner Of the ticket was surprised as
well as shocked "Why,' said he, my
| brother wrote me that it would draw 49,
0UO. y .fThat may he, but it is good only
$780, The ticket-holder- though consid-
| erably crest fallen and disappointed, agreed
TO accept the $500. Then the banker gave
ticket another scrutiny. ''Why;" ne eN-
claimed, II thought this was whole tick
ct. It is only the eighth OF ticket. You
are entitled to but $780,"
The unfortunate ticket-holder at this
informagies4 was alm"st ready to faint
He wanted to tnlac counsel OF Nh FoWikes.
but that gentleman to1u him he knew moth
ING in the world about such nh.ttars. never
invested that way himseif, and was not
qualified to ;s.xi5e no N it m 9gse e'iSS
Of snItstt ltf lsUi 4 g., li9s %, oO6 and had been
rudely cast down to $500. and who was
| willing TO take SSO0if he could get no more,
saw his property deprecated in value to
$780, But he resolved to get that shadow
ere the substance faded altogether, and SO
threw down the ticket, and two fifty dol
lar bills were passed over to hin by the
dexterous hands Of the cashier.
After paying the 500 the lottery agent
remarked that he owed the man 81 more.
But he hadn't that change. Hepulled out
a drawer and displayed
HEAPS OF GREENBACKs,
but no one-dollar bills. AS the change was
not to be obtained the lottery agent offer
ed ticket for that amount instead. After
some quibbing it was accepted. The ticket
| bore a lucky number, and Mr.. FoWlkes' s
friend drew $40 and two more tickets
Then his friend was swollen with graft
tude. He gushed out, MY FRIEND" adj
| dressing Mr.. FoWlkes, take one of these"
Mr.. FoWldes declined. The other insisted.
Mr.. FoWikes stated that it was not his
practice to bet. ''Oh, "he responded, ''tfs
| is not betting: this lottery is authorized by
law" Mr.. Fowlkes suggested that there
were no lotteries authorized by law in Viz
gnia. He readily replied, This is the
Kentucky lottery" But still MI Fowlkes
resisted temptation. Then the fellow de
clared that he was too deeply indebted to
him for showing him the way, &C.. that he
would draw the two tickets and divide the
| proceeds. This he did, and he won $50
! and more tickets Then there WAS another
venture, and he drew $40 and more tick
| cts.
| Again was Mr.. Fowlkes urged to try his
/ Inc Ia Ura tn1 q xuiD
| teen or twenty thousand dollars; that
! there were no blanks; that the lowest num-
Der was eight; that if he won all 50 we'll
! and so good: if he lost. the money already
won would offset it. Piled with all sorts
| Of arguments. deceived in all manner of
! ways. blinded by the successes of the other
| fellow, he consented. No doubt he saw in
anticipation himself made rich through
| this authorized lottery" As a matter Of
| form he was required to put up 500 1t
| was only a matter of form: the law re
quuired it-perhaps foolishly, but still the
law required it, and the law must be obey
ed. Nh. F"wlkeS had only about 500 about
him, and had to step down to Halvie 4
Jones'S to get the balance. He quickly re-
turned, and the $50 was placed on the ia
bic. There was Tor moment a lingering
of the tickets the cashier then opened
his drawer; then quickly said, You have
LOST; then
SWEPT THE $50 INTO HIS DRAWER,
and the thing was done.
Mr.. Fowlkes, astonished at what had
occurred, insisted on having his money re-
turned. He was ordered cut of the house
He looked around him for his friend He
was gone. Whether he had vanished into
thin air, gone. up the chimney, or sunk
through the floor, he could not tell But
he was gone. That was certain. Mr. |
Fowlkes, at last realizing the situation,
trayed, deceived, swindled, and outraged, |
left the house and SOUGHT counsel of his |