The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-29
CONFIDENCE EXTRAORDINARY.

HOW John" AND JOSEPH SUCCESSFULLY
PLAYED AN OLD TRICK ON PEANUT AND
APPLE vENDER.
Once again the old-time confidence operation Of
changing sackfull of lead pipe into satchel Of
gold has been successfully tried This time
Michael veroni has been the victim. He keeps
Of the Bowery and Houston street, and the following
is the story he narrated to the Central Office off,
Gals :-veroni is a much trusted by his coun-
trymen and many of them have made him custodian
Of their savings. Eighteen hundred dollars which
he had received from organ grinders. stand keepers
and the like. he deposited in the Dry Dock Savings
Bank. WITH $500 which he himself had ac-
cumulated by patient industry and saving
disposition Some time since Veroni met
friend who is known to the Italian
habitus Of the Fourteenth ward John" aud this
gentleman in time brought him into correspondence
with another foreigner. who generally called
Joseph. This Joseph. so veroni AYERS, was an ac-
complished rascal. First. the story runs,
he gained veroni's confidence by representing
himself to be neghbor of his in ITALY, and then he
set to deceiying him about his connections in this
country, which he claimed of highly
respectable and opulent ancestry. One day
he appeared in q new suit, and with a
great show of hilarity announced that his
father dead; that he was Californian of great
wealth, and that he had left him all his fortune
Veroni naturally interested in his friend
sion to fortune, and he lent eager ear to
what he had to relate. The result was that
he became convinced Of the Others elevation in the
social world and showed q disposition to befriend
him. Joseph said he had fallen heir to
estate which he wished to convert into
money, and. to further his purpose he
proposed to Veroni that the latter should draw his
money from the bank and loan him it, while he
would leave as security in his hands bag of
gold he had received from his defunct progeni-
tor. Veroni agreed to this, but stipulated that
he should accompany the other to Canada
and visit the abode of the deceased relative where
the will to be read and the to the estate
recognized. Yesterday afternoon he met Joseph
and "John,'' who had in their possession weighty
looking valisc, which, they said, contained
the gold that to remain in Veronis hands
as an evidence good faith. The trio together
to saloon in the Bowery, where they sat for time
RECALLING themselves with liquor. There the exchange
was made, Vcroni handing over the $4,000 and
ceiving in return the bag of precious
metal After sitting a while over their cups
one suggested TO Veroni that he should go
home and put his gold out of the reach of thieves.
To this proposition he acccded and off he started with
the valisc, which he carried along the streets
with the utmost and the tendcrest solicit
tude. Avaricous thoughts began to crowd upon him.
and at last anxious to estimate his wealth. he set
the bag down and opened it. No gold there.
The yellow CLEAN he expected to was supplantcd
metal heap of leaden pipe all he veroni
amazed and went back to the Bowery saloon. But
John" and Joseph were there longer. Both
of them had flown. In this dilemma Veroni thought
IL prudent TO notify Superintendent WallIng of what
bnItr cd nj he a so.