Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-12-01
THE BOX TRICK.
.OW the GreenhOrns are Robbed
of Their Money.

Chicago Tribune.i
Considerable amusement was created
on the corner OF Dearborn and Monroe
streets yesterday afternoon by the an
tics of a young man, who wore an air
of oyerconfdence and great grief, as
well as a butternut suit and big boots.
he stood on the corner and poured
forth his woes, at the same time clutch
ing frantically at FIVE little cardboard
boxes, into which he peeped from time
to time aud then uttered prolonged
walls Of agony.
Naturally a crowd soon gathered,
and when an inquisitive spectator
asked him to disclose the cause of his
grief he did so amid great sobs. 1t
appears that he had been taken in
and done for to the tune Of five dol.
lars on the Prize money ~pasteboard
box game" This is a simple little
game, yet wonderfully successful in
catching ~greenhorns. An individual
stands upon a street corner and pro-
claims to the crowd, which soon
gathers, that he is great bonanza y
that he is literally rolling in wealth.
and is seeking an outlet for 1t In order
to benefit suffering humanity, and the
way he does it is this: He gets a lot
Of little pasteboard boxes, generally
seven in number, and in one he inserts
a small piece of cancelled revenue
stamp that resembles a greenback.
The other boxes are empty.
The prepared box he places among
the rest, and hen he holds up to The
startled and surprised gaze Of he
lookers-on a ten dollar bill, and,
though not intrusting il far from his
grasp, he gives them all q chance to
see that it is genuine. "See,p says
the orator, you OBSERVE before me
these seven little boxes. Now, gen
tlemen, they are all empty, but
aud he suits the word by the action
VI shall take n Of them, and in il ]
shall place this $40 bill. | then, gen
tlemen, place the box back with the
remainder'-and does so-"and mix
them all up so; and now, gentlemen.
where once there were seven empty
boxes there are but six empty boxes
and one that contains Uncle Samuel
note for SO"
He then proceeds to state that he
will allow any gentleman to take his
pick Of the seven boxes and select Eve
and II he gets the one containing the
$40 bill he may keep it, and all he has
to pay for his five chances out Of
seven is a S. bill.
Now, this game takes remarkably
well among the gullible. As a mat.
ter Of fact, the $40 bill is good. but as
another matter Of fact, Il never goes
into one Of the boxes. A slight-oi.
hand movement places the bill up the
operators sleeve and then By MIXING
up the boxes he manages TO omen
slightly the one containing the can,
celed revenue stamp, so that a piece
Oft was exposed, and the desired in.
yestor in the pasteboards observes Il,
thinks that the operator neglected n
close the box effectively and that the
showing is unbeknown to him, and
that here Is the grand chance 10 tcoin
a flyer. He accordingly rakes around
his clothing, produces an original Ave.
and, handing it to the operator, takes
his five boxes, opens them all and
finds that one contains The cancelled
stamps; the other four are blanks. OF
course a series Of blanks would be
proper to giyee til expressions Of tbe
dqged party in full but he has him.
self only 10 blame for his loss.