Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-04-15
DEMING DEVILTRY.
A Good Town to Keep Away From-How
Strangers are Taken In and Done For-The
Criminal Glass in the Arcsrdant.


Star, writing from Deming, the
junction town Of the two railroads,
furnishes the following informal
which may serve as a timely hint
to persons going there:
On arrival at the depot the sta
tious Are fairly filled with men Of
various grades and standing SEEM
ingly, the majority being dressed
in the ordinary working clothes of
miners or workmen, while others
are very stylishly clothed. The re.
markable features Of the crowd are
anability and general attention to
the wants of travellers, which is
soon manifested, and the accOmo.
dutiveness of these
sIMPLELooKING SONS OF TOLL,
Displayed In various ways, partic.
ularly If the passenger has got more
baggage than he can carry con.
venlently himself; they will lug
and help and cause one to feel sort
of kindly towards them. A con.
versation generally results, which
ends in an invitation to partake of
refreshments or cigar. The un-
suspecting obliged one naturally
accepts the proposed kindness from
not wishing to offend the person
who has assisted him without com.
pensation. A tent where only the
best Is kept by friend happens
generally to be close at hand, ere
the invitation is extended. On en-
tering, besides u smart bsrkeeper,
a sleepy-looking fellow, :.
A STRANGER, OF COURSE,
Will be found lounging on chair.
The cig-r, or drinks, are about be.
ing called for, (either, be it known,
are strongly drugged,) when O jolly
looking fellow, dressed like hun.
ter, walks in and up to the counter
and says, In a simple, earnest man.
ner, "NOw, see here, Tim, l have
just sold mine for SIS, S,OOO," ut the
same time pulling out q wallet we'll
filled with greenbacks, ami throw.
ing down a S5 bill, "now let this be
my treat" A well-understood
bantering dispute begins, and 1t is
finally agreed to settle 1t
BY THROWING DICE.
A bet is now innocentIy intro
duced and the stranger is invited
to join. The result is always the
same, a gold watch and a sum of
money are usually lost, and not in.
frequently the stranger gets pretty
roughly handled. These games are
Of daily and nightly occurrence,
and the crimes that.are thus per.
petrated by these professional viii
lains and biacklegs are always laid
upon the shoulders OF the cowboy.
There are several gambling heIls
here, with
PRETTY WAITER GIRLS,
Saloons, lodging-houses, some very
good stocks of general merchandise,
a large number of bachelors tents,
and very liberal amount of dust.
To cOunteract the lawless acts of
these cut-throats and thieves there
are certainly some men here, who
have not forfeited the higher in.
stincts Of their natures, that give
the warning word to strangers
whom they see are apt to fall into
the meshes of the nets spread for
them by these scoundrels.
A RATHER DISTRESSING CASE
OF "knocking-down," as It is
termed, occurred the other evening.
The train had just arrived, and a
passenger, quite young man,
stepped out on the platform and
well-dressed man stepped up and
pretended he was going on with
the train, remarking at the same
time that he had just sold a pretty
large bill of liquor to the boys oppo-
site. Wouldn't he join him In u
smile? The young man said he
did not drink, but would take "A
cigar. The Identical hunter dropped
in at this juDcture, and the result
of it all was the loss of q splendid
gold watch and chain and locket
with his fathers and mothers like.
ness, besides large sum of money.
Tonight friday passenger
left the Southern Pacific sleeping
car to take drink, entering the
first saloon he came to. He got his
drink;
THE CROWD STOOD HIM UP,
relieving him Of $l4O, a watch, etc.
He scaped with his life, just In
time to catch the A. T. 8. F. and
went on his way rejoicing, q wiser
though a less happy man.