The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1879-10-29

them to dupllclty to raise the
wind has been tided over with
the help derived by devious meth
DDS. and the slight bunting of
moral perceptions is soon forgot
ten. Probably the field is never
CLEANED again. There are some,
however, who descend to the con-
fdonce busines, as the captain did,
and make systematic affair of it..
The higher class Of rogues, who
adopt this species Of craft, are ele-
giant of dress, insinuating and pol
ished in manner, and gifted with
the perceptive qualities which en-
| able them to tread right through
a man." Relying on his brass,
his good clothes and his oily gam
| mon, the confidence man slides
gracefully through the world, liv-
ing on the fat Of the land at the
expense of his too-confding vic
Tins, whose check books or pocket.
books are at his service. Some
times be ''strilzes a snag" and goes
to prison and fingers there awhile
ingioriously, but when his time is
up he starts out anew and selects
a new field Of operation. There
are various ways in which the
confidence game is worked. AS
an instance: James Porter, a
merchant from Oshkosh, comes in
to town to buy goods. He ex-
hausts the newspapers and the
photograph albums at the hotel
and goes out doors to take a little
walk to break the monotony. A
well-dressed, smiling Individual
steps up to him, and with a most
agreeable bow, addressed him by
name, much to Porter's astonish-
ment. The stranger remarks II
see have the best you. You
don't know me any more. I'm
Dixon's son Cor nephew, as the
swindler prcfers:1 I've been away
from homo some years" He
then enters into some PARTICULARS
concerning his own prosperity and
soon gets into the confidence of
his new friend. The walk is pro.
longed. After awhile another man
steps up, taps Dixon's son on tho
shoulder and presents bill. Will
Mr.. Dixon be kind enough to hon.
or it? Mr.. Dixon discovers that
he has no money, but whips out q
check on some bank for an amount
in excess the claim. The "dun"
docs not happen to have any
change and demands his money
because the 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 G. 0. D. Dixon be-
comes embarrassed, and either ap-
peals to Porter direct or so works
upon his sympathies by his en-
barrassment that the latter COM
passionately demands to know
what the amount Of the claim is,
aud, being told, forks it over,
taking Dixon's big check as Sc
curity. The third party. having
got his pay, vanishes. Dixon and
Porter continue their walk and
soon Dixon finds some specious
excuse for deserving Porter, who
discovers in quick time that the
check given him is worthless.
Instances have been known
where a "moral agriculturalist,"
who had youth, good looks and a
ready tongue at bis command bad
victimized a porter out of $500 by
this ruse. Occasionally he is q
rural scapegoat, who really knows
his victim, but in nine cases out of
ten the assumption ofacquaintance
is false, and he is a total stranger.
He has travelled, however, perhaps
on some other dupe's money, and be-
ing gifted with keen powers of OBJ
servation, has stored away in his
mind for fortune contingencies a
mass of information concerning
the status of business men. Anoth-
or variety Of this dodge is thus
carried out: Porter is addressed
as Thompson, of Peoria. He turns
TO the speaker, and very likely,
volunteers the information that
he is not Thompson, Of Peoria,
but Porter, of Oshkosh. The one
who has spoken to him begs q
thousand pardons and steps brisk
ly away. The chances are very
strong that Porter, before he has
L1 i q