Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-09-12

the existence of that small but acute
army of swindlers who go by the name
of confidence men. There are recruits to
the army who desert after a short SER
vice, simply because they have made
their point. The temporary impecuni-
osity which impelled them to duplicity
! to raise the wind has been tided over
with the help derived by devious
methods, and the slight bunting of
moral perceptions is soon forgotten.
Probably the field is never cleaned
again. There are some, however, who
descend to the confidence business and
make Il systematic affair of it. The
higher class of rogues, who adopt this
species of craft are elegant of dress, in
sinuating and polished in manner, and
gifted with the perceptive qualities
which enable them to "read right
through man." Relying on his brass,
| his good clOthe. and his oily CANNON,
through the world, living on the fat of
| the land at the expense of his too-con-
fiding victims, whose check-books or
pocketbooks are at his service. Some
time he "strikes a snag" and goes to
prison and fingers there awhile inglori-
ously, but when his time is up he starts
out anew and selects a new field ofoper-
att i)ns. There are various ways in which
the confidence game is worked. AS an
| instance: James Porter, a merchant
| from Oshkosh, comes into town to buy
goods. RE exhausts the newspapers
and the photograph albums at the hotel
and goes out to take a little walk to
break the monotony. A well-dressed,
smiling individual steps up to MIN, and
with most agreeable bow, addresses
him by name, much to Porter's astonish-
ment. The stranger remarks: 6 see [
| have the best of you. You don't know
me any more. I'm Dixon's son (or
nephew, as the swindler prefers). I've
been away from home some years. He
then enters into some particulars con-
cerning 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 a bill.
! Will Mr.. Dixon be kind enough to honor
| it Mr.. Dixon discovers that he has
no money, but whips out a check on
some bank for an amount IN excess of
the claim. The "dun" does not hap
pen 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 rules of the house are
! G.. O. d. Dixon becomes embarrassed
and either appeals to Porter direct or so
works upon his sympathies by his en-
barrassment that the latter compassion
ately demands to know what the amount
of the claim is, and, being told. forks it
over, taking Di1on's bis. check us secur-
ity. The third party, having got his
pay, vanishCs. Dixon and Porter con-
tinue their walk and soon Dixon finds
some specious excuse for deserting Por-
ter, who discovers in quick time that
the check given him is worthless.
Another 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 thou
sand pardons and steps briskly away.
The chances are very strong that Porter,
before he has gone a block, will be
addressed as Porter by another we'll
dressed, smiling youth, who will ask
how Oshkosh is coming on, and unC cr
the genial influence of soft soap will be
in the flood tide of conversation with u
rogue who does not know him from q
side of sole leather. By-and-bye he will
be subjected to the bill dodge or exposed
to a fresh peril from the handsome gen
tleman at his side. That parsonage will
remark. after some conversation about
business prospects at Oshkosh: by
the way, Just remember that I've got a
circular from a firm there informing me
hat I've drawn prize in a 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 see
how much | have drawn" The coun-
try merchant accompanies his new ac-
quaintance to a dingy room, and the
money-generally bogus, by the way
is paid over. A suggestion is made that
further investment be made. Thetwo
are then conducted into back room, and
the first thing the countryman knows his
avarice gets the bestof his prudence, and
he finds himself betting at "skin faro
or losing his $50 or 800 at "bunko. y
He has simply been duped, through the
persistence of his new friend, who is one
of those side-shoots from the confidence
tree-a "bunko sharper"
The lower order of confidence sharp
ers are to be found around some of the
! !
: newly arrived rustics by the freight-bill
t dodge. Having seized upon a country
man, sharper No. | takes him up the
street to show him purchase he has
; made. A confederate appears and de
} mands his money for hauling the goods
to the freight depot No. protests thai
he hasn't it, and produces handful o
what looks to the inexperienced country
: man like gold coin. The g freight man
will not take that, and the countrymaI
: is appealed to and hands over his casl
and receives the coin-which is bogus
8 by the way, and known to the initiated
: as spiel marks. The sharper disappear
: on the promise to be back in a few min
D utes to redeem the coin, and the coun
n tryman is left to discover that he i
e swindled. When he complains at th
: depot he i3 taken to the police station
4 looks over the album of rogues there
+ finds the likeness Of the man who ha
duped him, and, after several weeks
has the pleasure of appearing agains
him, amid the grins of the station audi
/. ence. detectives, reporters, etc., none AZ
# preciating the joke better apparentl
: than the prisoner himself-illustratin
e the truism that "the pleasure is as gres
d in being cheated as to cheat!"
n In April, 1876 q woman named Mr.
3 Elizabeth Dash, an ill-favored creature
70 conducted successfully short, but ver
m remunerative, career as confidence OF
lie orator among people uptown. She rel
D. resented to some of her victims that sl
se was German baroness and had draw
r. the capital prize in the Havana lotter
j. To some she put the amount at Sl3,OO
If and to one gudgeon she expanded it in
w S85. 600! She said it was necessary
n. engage a lawyer to secure her prize, al
he she offered her dupes heavy share