The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-03-10

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The operator in the match trick which
is usually played at fairs and horse trots
cries "who will give me dollars apiece
for III ese matches?" "Cappers" buy the
matches and he inquiries "are You satis-
fed?" They reply eyes" and he gives
them 3 dollars apiece back for the
matches. He then sells several matches
at dollars apiece and buys them back
at dollars, BY this time the ''gillies"
are interested and they buy at dollars.
care you satisfied" asks the operator.
eyes" "Well, so am If and off he
drives leaving the investors with nothing
but matches for their money.
The ring dodge is old, but victims are
easily found. The operator says to his
victim "my mother is dying and have
no mouey to go to her, will you buy this
ring of me 1t cost 15 dollars, will
sell it for 5 dollars" The ring bears
some initials or date inside and the buy
er thinks that this fact is an indication
of genuineness. The ring is silver
plated with gold and costs 4S cents.
A firm that manufactures gambling
apparatus sells roll of what appears to
be genuine bills amounting to 1000 OF
! 5000 dollars. The operator goes to a
hotel and after registering counts the
money in the presence of the clerk OF
proprietor and putting it in an envelope
asks that it shall be placed in the safe.
! The operator borrows % or 80 dollars
two or three times and departs leaving
the roll, costing 10 dollars, in the safe.
While not new "pawn ticket" is never
theless successful. The sharper has a
number of pawn tickets printed. He
fills these out, for instance, for diamond
ring valued at $50 dollars, upon which
40 dollars has been secured. The ring
is to be redeemed in thirty days. The
operator tells the victim that he cannot
obtain money to pay thei advance, and
rather than lose the ring he will sell the
pawn ticket for 25 dollars. A dozen
tickets may be sold before the fraud is
detected. In some instances the "crook"
actually puts up his watch and sells
number of counterfeit tickets on it.
Pawnbrokers are sometimes defraud-
ed The sharper shows the ''uncle" a
ring with genuine stone i'll it, and asks
him how much he will advance on it.
The pawnbroker tests it and names the
sum. The operator Indignantly refuses
and turns to go out. In turning he sub
stitutes an imitation ring. Apparently
changing his mind, he comes back and
reluctantly accepts the sum offered by
the pawnbroker. The ''uncle" subse-
quentlv finds out that he has been de-
frauded.
Mechanical lodges are not infrequent.
The "capper'' approaches the operator
who is walking along with the victim
and says, "NIister, will you oblige me
with a chew of tobacco?" The operator
has exhibited the box to the ''gillie" and
showed him that it is trick box which
could only be opened by those who
knew how it worked. He also explained
the manner of opening it to the victim
The "capper" tries in vain to open it
and the victim laughs. The "capper,"
if exasperated, eyclaims, 'I'll bet you
) dollars that you can't open it i'll 10
seconds" The victim accepts the bet
and the money is put up. The victims
laugh is turned to look of despair
when he presses upon the box and it
does not open. He loses his money, and
when the 10 seconds are up the operator
shows him that he did not press hard
enough on the end.
A ''grafter' shows his victim a trick
knife. BY pushing in spring the blade
cannot he opened. The capper comes
up and asks to take the knife to sharpen
Il pencil He tugs at the blade and af-
ter apparently breaking his nail, says,
"No one can open this knife" "MIy
friend cam replies TIE operator. "Yes,
assents the victim. I'll bet you 10 dol
lars you can't" The victim takes the
bet. In the meantime the capper has
showed the blade back into a slot, and
the victim after pushing the spring is
surprised to find that the blade remains
fast.
A cute little trick is played with tol
= or ball. If it is top the spindle cal
= be pulled out and piece of white papel
is seen inside. The capper is playing
} with the top when the operator comes
along with his victim and picks it up. He
takes out the bit of paper, and with {
2 wink to the victim asks, "What is insid,
this top?"
} "a piece of paper"
2 "There is nothing inside"
"Yes there is"
= "Askmv friend; he knows there isnot.
e 'No, there is nothing inside, remarks
I the victim.
: II II pet YOU % uOlltIS lleTe Is.
t The victim seeing an opportunit,
5 to make 3 dollars, as he supposes
e laws down dollars and of course lose
it. The bottom of the top comes on
: and reveals another piece of paper hid
7 den inside which the ''capper" shows.
: Penny monte is played with three cop
e per cents pounded into concave form
f 4 small ball of paper is placed unde
n one of them and the pennies are move
0 about. The victim bets that he can tel
$ under which one the ball of paper is
V The fact is, the operator carries the bal
+ constantly under a long finger nail.
o Corks play part in the trickery. Th
\ one playing the game lays two corks VI
?, on flat surface or table and moves theI
' about under tin boxes The trick is
5 guess under which box both corks are
i Finally the operator in his manipulf
) tions knocks one of the corks severa
k feet away apparently without noticing
IS himself. "Under which box are bot
IS corks 2" he asks. "Under NEITHER" rt
p plies the victim. A bet is made tina
l. there are two corks under one box. Th
S "gillie" accepts and sure enough theI
t, are two corks. The operator slippe
=, under another cork that he carried in h
Il fingers when he knocked the first ava,
: A top octagonal in shape and numbe
ed upon its fiat sides can be made to sto
s at high or low number by pushing th
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