St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-07-14

an engagement to meet his companion
at 9.45 the next morning and go to the
bank, get the check cashed, and then
Gown the town. AS he stepped into
cab the ''crook" called and paid for,
he said, feeling in his pockets, ''By the
way, some one in the last place must
have picked my pocket of that $40 bin.
Lend me 80 till the morning, as |
haven't cent in my pocket" Ger
tainly, here it is. Remember, 9.45 to-
morrow, or rather to-day, sharp. Good
night" Mr.. Andrews has not yet
shown up. He has probably returned
to New Orleans where, under his own
name, he runs a very popular and we'll
paying faro bank.
Not long since Il man, loosely put to-
gether and wearing clothes that did
not fit him particularly well so that he
looked like Il well-tO-dO farmer, was
sauntering down the Bowery when he
was accOsted by man wlrO claimed to
know him well and treated to Il drink
for old acquaintance sake. Then Il
visit was proposed to one of the many
side e-shows, where a gambling estab-
lishment is the "r;IiSOn d6tre." Both
men joined in game known as the
''envelOpe game and the cOuntryman
won. some 81. The dealer thought he
had encouraged him sufficiently and
began to win back from him. The
supposed cOuntIyman stopped playing
and pOcketed what was left of his win
nings. The proprietor tried to per
suade him to continue playing, and he
finally consented, saying: Il guess |
will, but we will adjourn to police
l,,r,t 81
as to give the superintendent and com
missioners a chance" Then throwing
open his coat, he showed his creden-
| tials as Il central Office detective and
took the implements of the game as
well as the dealer, the proprietor and
the "capper' to the statiOn-hOuse.
A we'll known club man in this city
was approached by one of these opera
tors on Fourth avenue on Twenty-siXth
street, one morning as he got off a
street-car. "My name is not Johnson"
said the intended victim, and then ad-
ded, Its Thompson, and | don't come
from Flushing, l.. l., but from Kings
ton, Ulster county, n. Y" The opera
tor of course begged his pardon and
departed. But as the gentleman from
up ''the river" neared the fountain i'll
the centre of Madison square on his
way to his club, confidence man No. ,,
partner of No. | met him and said {:
"Well, Thompson, upon my soul Pm
glad to see YOU HOw's all the folks
up in Kingston p "They're all pOoty
well. HOw's your folks ?" "Good,
thank you what's the news up in u
ster county ?" "Well, there amt much
news 'cept I've been gettin' married
lately and here a deep blush and a
genial smile spread over the elderly
gentleman's face. ''YOu don't mean it !;
who did you marry ?'' Little Katy /;
You know she lived two houses below
the hot" "Why, certainly | knew
her lived just below the hotel. SO
you married little Katy ?" ADO you
know my little Katy, my little girl,
my dear little wife ?" said the intend
ed prey, as though delighted at meet
ing some one who knew his beloved
Katy. Then encircling the operator
with his arms, and getting a grip with
his right hand on his left wrist, be be-
gan to hug the slim figure of the
"crook" with the vigOr of polar bear,
at the same time eXpectOrating min
iature Niagara of tobacco juice over
the expanse of shirt bosom displayed
by the lOw-cut vest of the swindler,
scraping, in paroXysm of delight, his
muddy and heavy shoes down the ire
proachably y-clad shins of his new-found
friend, and landing on his neatly-shOd
feet with the weight of an elephant.
t, Finally the operator was turned over
to the tender mercies of park police
man.
r Reporters are sometimes tried by this
class of rogue, but seldom with success.
= An amusing incident of an "Operator's'
mistake happened some time ago, but
is still remembered and spoken of III
: Park row. Every newspaper has re-
porter detailed at police headquarters
in Mulberry street these men live i'll
} the neighbOrhOOd and have their Offices
just opposite the head quarters build
) ing. One of them, who has been there
, for different papers for the last ~
: years, gets up every morning about
IL o'clock, goes to the Metropolitan
hotel for his breakfast and walks as
/ far as Canal street for exercise. The
morning in question he was accosted
by what he at first supposed was some
one of his many queer friends whose
! name he could not remember, though
|
after little conversation was asked how
l long he had been i'll the city. The re-
| porter remembered instantly that h,
: had seen the man in the Tombs police
e court charged with swindling a cOun
tryman, and knew him to be one of til,
most expert operators III the business
II got in yesterday morning." he re
piled, ''and it's the first time Pve eve
been here. Big place, amt it ?" The
customary invitation to drink was Civ
= Ell and accepted and il bar-room sought
: "What will you have ~ asked the op
orator. '.Well, don't know hold OF
yes, | do; if | can think of the name
e | was off with friend of mine las
$ night and he ordered something
champ mp-champagne he called it. II
have some of that" SO a bottle wa
ordered, and another followed, afte
. which the operator asked the repOrte
: if he played cards. Eyes, do" wa
= the reply; 81 play 'old sledge' down t.
the store most every night with tn,
boys and beat the life out of 'em." So
they adjourned to a house in Yves
. Third street, where, after three NOR
bottles of wine, cards were produced
: But Just as they were about to sit dOwl
u the reporter remembered very i'm
:, pOrtant engagement he had with tn
= friend he was with the night before
u u 'I'll be right back, he explained. 'T'l
go with you" said the operator, afrai'
to lose his game. "All right com
n on. I'd like to make you acquainted
y with my friend, and he may join yol
e in the game" They went up Thir'
= = street to Broadway arm in arm, to til,
n intense delight of the policeman at tn
:, corner, down that thoroughfare t.
y Bleecker street, and east througI
uI,1.I-,.,. 4;II IL, .,,,.; - . . NT,,II..,,.