The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-03-10
THE SHARES OF SIN.
How the Unwary arc Enticed into the Traps.
--A Communicative "Gcntieman of the
Cloth" Tells of the seductive Games OF
his Ilk,

Cloth" Tells of the Seductive Games of
his Ilk,
A reporter of the Sunday Courier
CHANGED to meet member of the craft
who are deep in the ways that are dark
and the tricks that are vain. The "gen-
tleman of the cloth" was in commune
cative mood, and in an hour the scribe
was fully informed in the peculiar prac-
tees of the gentry of his ilk. The plans
to defraud the susceptible are as varied
as they are shrewd. Confidence opera
tors are known as "grafters" and "crooks,"
while the appellations applied to their
victims, are "gillies, "guys," "chumps,"
"marks, and the inelegant title ''sucl1-
ers." Nearly every operator employs
one or more confederates, who are called
"cappers." The "glove racket" as it is
denominated, is clever game, and one
well calculated to catch the glllible. A
"grafter" strikes up an acquaintance
with a stranger, and walks along the
street with him. The "capper" goes a.
head of the two and drops a kid glove
ON the walk. The operator picks it up,
and to the astonishm7nt of the stranger,
finds an elegant-looking ring in it. The
'grafter" tells the "suckel" that there
will probably be reward offered for the
ring of 10 or 10 dollars. He is going
away, and cannot wait for the reward.
the ring? OF course he will. Ten
chances to one the victim resolves to
keep the ring and never return it to the
the owner. The ring is made of silver
and plated with gold, 50 it can be tested.
1t is plain, usually with initials inside,
and weighs 10 or II pennvweights
Perhaps the stranger will take the ring
to iewelry store or pawnshop and try
to sell it. If he does he will discover
that he has been duped.
The icon racket" is usually big
operation. The operator will be stand
in depot, conversing with his victim,
when the confederate, pretending to be
hotel porter, will walk up and say to
him, "Your wife is waiting for You at
the house, your baggage is packed and
ready to take to the train. Here is your
bill. 1t is for 60 dollars" This opera
tor appeals to his victim, "Won't you
kindly loan me the amount OF this bill
and hold this draft for 800 dollars as
security until 1 can find friend to OBJ
tain the money? | expected to meet a
gentleman here who would cash this
draft. As | am stranger in the city, il
would he impossible to find any banl;
that would accept it," The stranger
feels secure, and the 60 dollars is paid
over to the ''porter." The two disap-
pear, and the victim is left to whistle
for the amount of his loan.
The pockethooll dodge is generally
highly profitable. The capper drops Il
well-flled pocketbook and the operator
who is going along with his victim picks
it up. The contents in reality are sim.
ply slips of paper cut the right size
with few good bills on the top and bot
tom. One dollar bills with the 900" ol
$500 cllt from revenue stamps and past
I ed nearly over the real figures are used
The gillie will think there are 1O,0O(
dollars III the pocketbook. The opera
tor says, II am Thompson's son OF Buf
falo and have not time to stop for the
reward. You give me 100 dollars ant
take the pocketbook. You will get 5OC
or 900 dollars. The gudgeon will bite
at the tempting bait without hesitancy
and will pay over the sum asked, think
ing to himself, Il will keep all tn,
money and not try to find the owne
at all" He will at once leave the opeT
ator to seek some secluded spot to coun
over the money. When he discover
the trick his only satisfaction is til,
thought that he has had experience.
The ''envelope snap" is a dodge play
ed at agricultural fairs. The sharpe
stands in carriage or occupies posi-
ton on y platform. In his hands h,
holds two envelopes with one end o
each open. He places dollar bill il
one and says, "Who will give me TIVE
dollars for a choice y The money i
sticking out in plain view, and read,
taker is found He places 10 dolla
= bill i'll another envelope, and asks, "Wh
will give five dollars for the choice?"
buyer quickly seizes the evelope. ''Now
he cries, II will give YOU an opportunit
to obtain a 100 dollar bill for half it
price. This is preliminary to my busi
ness, and take this means of advertis
ing myself" A slit is cut in the bac
of the envelope, and the bill, which
folded lengthwise, is run through thi
and seized by the fingers. A "gillie
pays his 80 dollars and takes the envel
ope. The bill is left in the operator
fingers, and he, by a deft movement
seems to pull it from the other envelope
saying as he does so, "This time yo
chose the wrong envelope" The SHARP
er has made 36 dollars clear.
The "bounce" is a game that show
"what fools these mortals be-" Tn
operator gets up in his wagon at fai
on1 criaS aT am bnra nc fba ooan+ r
DR.. Montgomerys Tightening extractor
and have new method of advertising
Instead of covering the dead walls {
your town and filling your newspaper
with startling announcements, 1 civ
away money to the people. Now wi
distribute twenty dollar bills anon
these boxes and sell you the extractC
for dollars box" The operator prc
tends to be selling soap in boxes. II
places pieces of revenue stamps in th
large number of boxes with the enc
sticking out. The stamps look ik
money, and easily deceive the gapin
crowds. The boxes are covered wit
figured gilt paper On the boxes col
tanning the money the diamonds poil
one way, and those containing I'll
stamps the other. The ones in whic
the money has been placed are CAREFUL
selected from the others, and the "gi
lies" are allowed to pay 3 dollars apieC
for worthless revenue stamps. Befol
the sale begins the buyers are told thu
they must not open the boxes until Il
sale is concluded. The operator know
that they will open the boxes as soon I