Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-01-29

$3.50; I'll give you $3.50 for il
myself So the proprietor ad-
vanced $75 to his unfortunate
countryman, who joyfully de-
parted. Williams followed, af-
ter making an appointment for
the purchase Of the watch. Then
the proprietor found his bargain
to be an oroide watch worth
from $3 to So"
The veteran Superintendent
Walling was figuring up his
weekly list of arrests when the
reporter entered. "There are
five hundred professional swim
ldlers in this city," was the first
bit of Information that dropped
from the official lips; "cultnred,
gfib-tongued rascals most of
them, and as cunning as the
detectives themselves"
sHave you attempted, Super
intendent, to classify these men
or to obtain Legislative enact
ments agains. their deeds?"
'No, for it would be useless.
Swindling is unknown to the
criminal code. There is nothing
applicable to it but the penalties
against larceny and obtaining
money under false pretense. As
for classification, we know them
severally by the names of con-
fidence men, bogus employ
ment agents, skin furniture auc-
tioneers,' 'emigrant swindlers,'
'black-mail OPERATORS 'bogus
piano Dealers 'sawdust men,,
and small colony Of swindlers
who get a precarious livelihood
through advertising in daily
newspapers. see that the Star
has been attacking the special
notices fends in a right lively
manner. 1t is right aud | hope
it will not rest until the entire
fraternity is exposed"
"Will you enlighten the pub
lie about bogus employment
'agents?"
"There are two grades of
these swindlers-one aiming at
big stakes, and the other re-
naming content with extortions
of So and less. An instance
Of the former kind was brought
TO my attention the other day
by a well-dressed young man
who had been yictimized. He
complained that an advertise
ment asking for good penman
who could deposit $1OO as a
guaranty oflaithlulness, was in
serted in a morning paper, and
led to his replying to it in per-
son. He entdeed a business of
fee where a bald-headed man,
with a benevolent aspect, sat at
a desk, immersed in account
books and papers. Bald-head-
ed gent rises, shakes the hand OF
the newcomer and inquiries as
to his qualifications for becom-
ing confidential book-keeper.
Finding every thing satisfacto-
ry, he offers $12 per week sa!a-
ry, giving the young man at the
same time the usual gag about
ultimately taking him into part
nership. The latter event is
made contingent on sustained
good behavior, and the bald
headed gent alludes severely to
the way in which he has before
been victimized by scaVgraces.
Young man reiterates his relia-
biIity, &C., but the benevolent
party will not be appeased un-
til 500 is deposited simply as
aguaranty.' The money is Civ
ell, and all appointment made to
begin work the following day.
Following day finds the young
man at appointed place, but be-
nevolent party has fled. Singu-
Iarly enough we have never
been able to send anybody to
prison for this method of swim
ding. 1t has been repeated
hundreds of times, yet no Mag
istrate can hold the arrested
persons. Our defective crimi-
nal statutes must be blamed, not
the police.
"rhe second class Of bogus
employers finds victims among
the needy Of both sexes. They
demand fees of a few dollars,
then send their customers to
partner in the scheme, who is so
very sorry, you know, but just
this morning filed the place.
Finally the party is tired out
by waiting"
"You mentioned piano SWIM
dIers a moment ago. Have you
had any official dealings with
them?"
"Oh, yes, more than the pub
lie is aware of. Complaints are
pouring in here every day, but
it is only semi-occasionally that
we can lay hands on them.
When a man buys a piano and
pays for it the law supposes
that he knows what he is about.
I No action of false pretenses
would lie where the transaction
is an open instance of barter
and trade. Well, the game is to