New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-26
PERSONS EASILY CHEATED.
FRAUDS IN MOCK AUCTION SALES.

the shape u the auction cigar shops. IN the auctions
OF Peter Funk oroide watches articles %; Jew
elry played prominent part, but cigars arc me
principal articles used There nre. Indeed, irregular
furniture auctions and crooked sales OF syerwaici
hut cigars relied upon by tic shTed operator
Tor his business. The way whch these auctions are
conducted IL simple store II hired in some irequened
part OF the city, the place filed with cigars, and red
nag hung out. Then regularly licensed auctioneer
Il hired 70 lend hls name and occasional presence AL
that Is row needed i seller" and a settler ~;
couple of "apPers secured and al is ready for bus
mess These men not picked az random but are
persons who have made their business for years Ire
settler is generally old OF respectable appear
ance who looks good and phanthropc that It seems
almost wicked 10 corrupt his Innocence by selling him
cigars and Is forced 10 the conclusion that he u
buying them for prohigste grandson. one OF bis
functions Is to give dignity the sale and day after day
this aged humhug stands around the store heamng Sc
renely the most neariOus proceedings The seller
anyone IN whom good pair Of lungs take the place OF
conscience. Many OF these teers suctoneers who
have had their ce revoked for fraud AL being ready
and few persons hayn2 struggled into the store the
ball opened by the seller who Offers lot OF ten OF
dozen boxes Of cigars or sale. One Of the campers
who disporting himself the crowd begins to bid and
OF his fellows joins him IN the exhaIating exercise
Finally honest bid Il made. the settler comes IN
with bid and the cigars Knocked down 10 him Tor
small sum- The "cappers have by this time elected
their victim; and a. another 0t OF red for sale they
place themselves one on each side OF him ana uuA
him. making r-maIks TO the great sacrifice al
which the cigars being sold II the intended '.'uh
is vcrdaut be is induced by these remarks 10 bid ana
before he realizes It the cigars knocked down 10 MN
When he GOES 10 take lis purchase lie is informed max
all cigars are sold by tie box and Il ne has bid = rs ne
supposed for the lot he IS requested 20 hand over so
or - the II be demIrs, even the most
vcrlaut win sometimes DO. there Is considerable o"d
ti. The part or the seller, who j. nczor"Hr lh'h
mp steps the benevolent old -'tucr,' Who 'aJ - "
you don't want all these ccar- v take t"t Of them
The result generally Is that the victim. upon whom ID
begins TO dawn that be has beer sold an the same time ~
the cgr- is glad 90 get any price and -o pay his
SO and takes away lF1 boxes of the worst specimens OF
uatl-ss that 90 ever entered rhe heart oi man TO dignity
by the name and form OF cigars. The simp---lin""a
old settler the tmc passes over he counter As
share of the bin and orders t ,rs set aside os BIN.
70 is needless 20 say ,aat be Aa- passed the same lo
over tie counter .n similar numerous times
before 4ad the cigars Set aside for hin WEI soon be
offered for sale again. Sometimes capper VIII ap-
proach 4 man snglehauacd and eudeayor 20 got HIM
to make bid. offering as an udgcomeut 90 .akc hlt The
cgars In some of these cigar auctions prctrucc Of
honesty is made uy hav.al sign sag az Al c.sarA sold
by The box posted n the place would oe least likely
20 look for 10 Then when victim objects be Is shown
the sign aud s..euced Il 30, convinced
The cigars sold no these auctions ot the West
kind. They are always done up IN bundles thoneh
they are fin boxes and arc decorated frequently with tin
foil or red paper bands The boxes are adorned With
gauIy pictures, and the mark, are either fictitious or
limitations Of some we-luovu brands. The cigars are
tred s city or it vicinity for the especial
purpose which they put and are known - aus
ton cigars. To appreciate fully what they 10 IL
necessary 70 attempt 90 smoke imagination pales
before the reality The clpp.r nearly AZ known
10 the police as bad czeus. one OF The most notorious
Is Zcno Buruuan. who time aEo was sent 90 prison
Tor completely in furniture auction frauds. Burnham Was
wont % appear at furniture sales wearing long light
ulster and silk hat. with bis .onc white mou5tarhe
cuIied up the ends He per-oua,ed Colonel Delaney
Kane whose furniture 10 pretended being sold
A term Of imprisonment convinced Durham that Dee did
not resemble Colonel strongly after ALL and on
his return 10 CITY went into the safer business OF
acting a. "cspper' 10 auction cigar sales The nuc-
zion cigar traffic has gained such proportions and The
operators have become bold that u is 40 longer the
spasmodc effort OF some gang OF thieves make liy
Ing but a reg ar and w--orgauized business in which
there Is much capital invested capitalist. he i
ca He'd hacker" generally has severa stores in ar
engaged In TIE business Albert Kraemcr auction
Ger hose license has been re7oted for irand Com
plaiut- urain7t places owned by him have been FIRE
iueu,lv made but all temps To bring him o Justice
L. Ti new P-uaI code howe ger II is Thought viii
reach him. The success OF these PEOPLE IN ev"dn4 Tho
i1v, has rendered them lu-o,ent that Tony Auer
VINO often acts as auct.0necr % auction cigar sales,
recently mad the audaciy To- WAX into The MAY ots once
aud reIuars 70 the Mayors clerk:
Good Coz morning, 'Fcturned Mr. White
don't thua shall stay tie business much longer
I am loVklu- Iof = polk. e.. once
Yes have NOT run my di.tr..t for nothing. And
think The office shall have VIII not be very Jar from
here either" $500
Auer is a warm supporter ~ John Kelly. and 10 Is
though. !. expecting the Office or Mayors Marshal as
reward for his IN tho late elections. Last May
H. r. Clifford running An auction cigar store IN a.
tou-st. There were many complaints made at the
Fourth Precinct police station by persons |ho n.d been
swindlcd at efforts place, but the Complainant were
luath 10 press their charges behe t'tLc to Hsdu rs
the victims Of swtndlinS operation tln4Hy tapi1.L
lyman placed policeman id iruAl o! Lhr sIu.e Nl93
warned all persons about 10 enter taat the pFge9ded
auction was san gan .,,,.J t.tus,I .jti
traffic at tnat place Va. Almost sI"I"u. fHru VIII
virtuoIs iudi mation clifford procured temporary IN
junction against -r-t ~ - i i7iI, ,yh rnt
made permanent but the affair caused Captain lyman
. snould not have been surprised. said he 70
TRIBrNE reporter while speaking 81 tue aiair recently
me from Interfering with his business While me pro
ceedings were going on was IAtHAleu 10 me w III
1o1G % Sort6 40 much year To- n lie bothered
So much that finally, AN sorry 10 say lost my ten-
The method employed by Captain lyman however
A., n,e Fo,rth Precinct AucuOnecrs whose licenses
b1v hcep taken away for fraud ana VINO are known 10
have since Decn engaged IN the auction cigar business
Albert Kracmcr Kratmrr i especially wei known IA
this business. The following auconeers no" licensed
have lent their 10 sales Of which complaints have
been made Mayors office by people who said they
tad been ~wnd ed: Myrr F-as Henry teltman SanIel
g. Keller John r. Lewis AdolpA Newman. Joan /
O'Conner Isaac Russsk aud simon hosenLhal. HaeT
ag,ln.t which complaints have been made are, or re
Gently Uerrf0r tho auction -nr seldom stays long
~, cia rl.c-iu progress al No. ls6 Bowory, No 80
Green,riicb-st Wcst-st. near Dey, Nos. 20, G93
and 20 Broadway, No. $50 Canal IT. ana 40 I-o 30"
cry. ...., -.. 81. .,.- ,i,-.-
slop in West-st near Dey IN front u the store was
hung ont red dag bearing the inscription tuSSAs
auction sale TIM, day" Inside the place was ann anu
dusty and general odor ut decay seemed 7" per auC
everything except the bright labels az the cigar boxes
which were piled up counter and On shelves tdfA ~
T. few -cedy looking persons W. Iy ~ the
A about seventeen years old Wa- sthhdIle ~ tne
counter trying his hes, not 10 cry. The seller vas eah
ing over the counter and him Na+ pie ot cigar
boxes. The boy had evidently o'tn cadehC
dom aIIn sail be The rcp0rttf en-