The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-06
CONEID ENCE " ES.
An Old Story Over Acknowledging BuSis-
Grs with tho same Bait--A Few Instances
In IllustrstiNh.

lfIOm tnc Gnlauclpna llneSl
There are various ways in which the
confidence game is worked. AS nl,
instance: James Porter, merchant
from Oshkosh, comes into town to buy
goods. lie cxllausts tho newspapers
and the photograph albums at the
; hotel and goes out doors TO take q
little walk 10 break the monotony. A
well-dresscd, smiling individual steps
up to him, and with II most agreeable
bow, addresses him by name, much to
Portcr's astonishmcnt. The stranger
remarks: "I sec I have the best of
you. You don't know nc any more.
Pm Dixon's son Cor nephew, as the
swindlcr prclcrs). Pvc been away
from home some years." lie then
cntcrs into some particulars concern
ing his own prosperity and soon gets
into the confidence of his new friend.
The walk is prolonged. After awhile
another man steps up, taps Dixon's son
on the shoulder and presents q bill.
| Will MIR. Dixon be kind cnoung to
honor it? Mr.. Dixon discovers that
he has no money, but whips out q
check on some bank for an amount in
excess of the claim. The "dun" does
, not happen to have any change and de-
mands his money because tic train or
the boat on which the imaginary goods
have been shipped has Steam up and
is ready to depart and the terms of the
house are &. O. ID. Dixon becomes
embarrassed and either appeals to Por-
ter direct or SO works upon his synlpu-
| thy by his embarrassment that the lat
ter compassionatcly demands to know
what the amount OF the claim is, and,
being told, forks it over, taking Dix
on's big check as security. The third
party, having got Ills pay, vanishcs.
Dixon and Porter continues their walk
and soon Dixon finds some spccious
excuse for dcscrting Porter, who dis
covers in quick time that tho check
given him is worthless.
Instances have been known where q
"Moral Agriculturist," who had youth,
good looks anda ready tongue at his
command, had victimizcd a porter out
of $500 by this ruSc. Occasionally he
is rural scapeg0at, who really knows
his victim, but in nine cases out Of ton
the assumption Of acquaintance is
false, and he is total stranger. lie
has travelled, however, perhaps on
some other dupc's money, and, being
gifted with keen powers OF ob$crva-
tlon, has stored away in his mind for
future contingencies 4 mass Of infDr-
nation concerning the status Of busi-
ness mon. Another variety of this
dodge is thus carried out: Porter is
addressed as Thompson, of Pee ria.
lie turns to the speaker, and, very
likely, volunteers the Information that
he is not Thompson, Of Pcolil, but
Porter, of Oshkosh. The one who has
spoken to him bcgs thousand pardons
and steps brisllr away. The chances
arc very strong that Porter, before he
has gone block, will be addressed as
Porter by another wcll-tlrcssrd, smi- |
ling youth, will be asked how Oshkosh !
is coming on, and under the genial in-
fl lcncc o. soft soap will be in the food
tide OF conversation with a rogue who
docs not know him from side Of sole
leather. By and by he will be sub |
jcctcd to the bill dodge or exposed to !
lrcsh peril rom the handsome gentle !
man at his side. That parsonage will
remark, alter some conversation, about
business prospects at Oshkosh: 'sBy !
the way, remember that J'vc got a !
circular from Il firm there Informing
me That Eve drawn prize in q lottery. !
NOW, don't believe in such things, !
but as I've got the ticket and the notice :
with me, suppose We go around and
Just sec ffow much | have drawn"
The country merchant accompanies his !
new acquaintance to Il ttingv room, |
and the moncy-gcncrally bogus, bv |
the way-.is pnid over. X suggestion
IS made that Il further investment be !
made. The two are then conducted
into back room, and the first thing
the countryman knows his avaricc GETS
the best Of his prudence, and lie finds
himself betting ut "skin faro" or los
ing his 500 or $lO0 ut "bumko." He
has simply been dupcd, through the
assistance Of his new friend, who is
one Of those sidc-shoots from the con-
ildehcc trcc---"a bunko sharper"
SOME NOTABLE CASES.
The lower order of confidence sharp
crs are to be found around some Of the
railroad dcpots where they vfctimiZc
newly-arrived rustics by the freight
bill dodge. Ilaying seized upon
countryman, sharper No. l takes him
up the street to show him n purchase
he has made. A confederate appears
aud demands his money for hauling
the goods to the freight depot. No. /
protests that he hasn't it, and produces
handful of what looks to the incxpc.
ricnced countryman like gold coin.
The "trcight man. will not take that,
and the countryman is appealed to and
hands over his cash and receives the
coin--which is bogus, by the way-and
known to the initiated as spiel marks.
The sharper disappears on the promise
to be back in few moments to- redeem
the coin, and the countrynan is left TO
discover that he is swindlcd. When
nc complains at the depot he is taken
to the central station, looks over the
album of rogucs there, finds the like
ness OF the man who has dnpcd linn,
and, after several weeks, has the plcas-
ure of appearing against him, amid
the grins of the central audience, de-
tcctivcs, reporters, etc, none apprc.
eating the joke better apparently than
the prisoner himsclC--.iilitstratins the
truism that "thc pleasure isas great in
ohHNfnI n To