Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-03-31
The sharpest Trick Yet.

'S 'heh PSSs 1Sss
Mr.. Phil. F. Chapel who has recently
returned from business trip to Texas,
related to us an instance Of sharp prac-
tice on the part of a trio of thieves,
which we think is entitled to pre-emin-
ence in the line. Immediately over one
of the banks in Dallas is the telegraph
office, and few days ago two of the op-
orators applied for their discharge, re-
ceived it, and left town. On the follow
ing day a well dressed, business-appear-
ing man appeared at the bank with q
check for $4,000 on well known New
York banking house and desired it CASH
ed. He brought with him numerous let
ters of recommendation from parties with
whom the bank had business transactions
and,so far as surface indications went
everything was all right. But $4,000
was considerable sum to pay out, even
on the very best documents of recommen-
dation, and the bank officers hesitated,
wavered, and finally declined to cash the
check. But the stranger was very i'm
Fortunate.
Gentlemen" said he, 81 came to
Texas to invest this money in cotton. 1t
is necessary that this check should be
paid or l shall begreatly inconvenienced.
Suppose you telegraph to New York to
this banking house ? Ask them about
me ! will pay all expenses"
Nothing could be more plausible than
this; nothing seemed more honest So
a dispatch was sent asking about the
stranger and the check, and in short
time came the answer, to the effect that
it was all right, and the Dallas Bank
would confer favor on the New York
firm by accommodating their cotton spec
ulating friend and cashing the check.
Still the bank officers were not satisfied,
and the dispatch to New York was du-
plicated. Again the answer was of
similar tenor, only probably . little
more emphasis was added to it. This
was satisfactory and the check was duly
paid.
1t seems to be the practice of opera
tors to go over their days work at night
briefly, by asking the different points to
which dispatches have been sent, wheth-
er they have been received or not. On
enquiring of the New York operator
whether dispatches Is and IA had been
received, a negative answer was returned.
No dispatches had come to hand, and
consequently no dispatches could have
been sent. It was evident that the bank
had been swindled, but how There
was the mystery. The dispatches had
been regularly received, they had come
from somewhere, but where from could
not be known. The cotton speculator
had disappeared with the funds, and the
bank officials were at their wits ends.
In day or two the mystery was solv-
ed.
The two telegraph operators referred
to had gone few miles out of Dallas,
taken possession of an old shanty by the
roadside, attached a battery to the wires
and taken the dispatches intended for
New York off. They had then sent pre-
arranged answers. The three were con-
federates, and the operators knew about
the time the bogus speculator would en-
ter the bank, and when to attach their
instruments. 1t was an adroit scheme
and successfully carried out. The bank
has no clue to the swindlers, but has
learned valuable lesson, and paid a
high price for tuition.-Jeferson City
Tribune