Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-01-25
"A Shrewd Scheme for Getting
q Pair Of Boots.

John De Bots, who arrived in the
city from Indianapolis few days
ago, and engaged room at the
Grand Central hotel, has become the
hero of one of the most outlantlish
confidence games that has probably
ever been played at the expense Of
any class Of business men Of the
city since the railroad rates from
Chicago were reduced. After hiring
the room in question, he reviewed
his image in mirror and saw that
his personal appearance would be
much more imposing if he possess
ed new pair of morocco-tipped,
box-toed calf-skin boots. After de-
termining that he could not procure
the coveted boots without mon5y,
in strange city among strangers,
where he had no credit, he finally
determined to carry out a plan
which, Il it proved successful, would
enable him to procure the brogans
free of charge. He accordingly call
ed Mt Mr.. Lonergan's boot and shoe
establishment on Eleventh and Mar
ket streets, and ordered pair of the
finest boots the house could furnish,
| which he directed to be finished and
sent to him G. 0. D., at his room at
the Grand Central. After making
his contract with Mr.. Ionergan he
visited another establishment on
Olive street, near the Turf exchange
and duplicated the order, requesting
however, that the second pair Of
boots be sent to his room on the
same day half an hour later.
On the day upon which the boots
were to be delivered, De Bots went
to his room and awaited the arrival
I Of the man with the boots. Prompt
ly at the hour agreed upon Mr.. Lon
ergan, the Market street merchant,
put in an appearance. De Bots tri-
ed on the boots and then complain
cd that the one designed for the
loft foot was tight and needed
stretching. The merchant left the
| right boot in the room while he
| went back to his establishment with
the left one for the purpose of
stretching it. While he was gone
the Olive street merchant put in an
appearance for the purpose of deliv-
ering the boots he had made. After
De Bots had tried on this pair he
claimed that the right boot WAS
tight and needed stretching. The
Olive street merchant, who happen.
ed to be MS accommodating as the
market street man, left the left boot
of his pairin the room while he
posted off to his store to stretch the
, right one. While both merchants
were absent on their stretching eS
petitions, De Bots quietly picked uI
. the right boot which the market
street man had left in the room and
, the left boot which the Olive stree
, man had left, put them on and mys
:eriously disappeared from the hotel
Shortly afterwards the Market stree
merchant and the Olive street mer
chant met each other in front of tli'
, door Of De Bots vacated room. Oh,
! had right boot in his hand and TIN
| other a left, although both were eyi
, IDENTITY badly left. They were, o
course, bewiidered, as neither knew
: of the contract the other had entcrc,
into with De Bots. After they ha'
both explained, both saw plaini.
@ through the ,rich and agreed to keel
: the Joke to themselves. While D
: Bots sped away on some out-boun'
D train for Indianapolis, wearing tw,
fancy boots on his feet, made b,
Y two of the hest slloemakers in tn
c city, according to the most approve
+ patterns, the two shoemakers stun
f. out of the hotel, each carrying
e boot under his arm, one right an
h the other a left. IS. Louis Repubiica,