Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-03
THE IMMIGRANTS.
The Nefarlous Tricks Practlced
Upon Them.
How the Innocent New Corners are Taken
in and Done For - 0utrages
Around Castle Garden.

fifty cents was recently charged an iihtiii-
grant, in q grocery at the battery, for q
loaf OF bread and pound OF sausage. A
runner who took the innocent customer to
the place shared with the swindling shop
keeper the profits of the extortionate
charge. Thirty dollars was not long since
peid by second immigrant, freshly over,
in grocery near THE former one, for few
small parcels OF crackers, cheese and other
articles of food. While the immigrant
counted out the money, which was nearly
all he had, the runner who had inveilged
him into the place stole two bills from his
pocket book.
You can have no idea," remarked re.
putable business man. whose Office is at the
Battery, chow these poor and honest
Immigrants are Swindled
by the runners, grocers and hotel-keepers.
To my personal knowledge three OF the
immigrant runners are professional swim
dlers. They not only prey upon these
guileless people in New York, but fre-
Guently take the same train with them
and follow them out in the country. Often
they return with large sums OF money.
How il has been obtained you may vague.
ly surmise One Of them has been con-
victed Of frauds for which he ought to
have got fifteen years in the penitentiary
at least. All are regularly licensed, dress
well and look respectable. Occasionally
one is "broken," but you may soon see him
at his neiarious work of swindling again,
restored through corruptpolitical influence.
"A common trick with the runners is to
get a lot Of excited and hurried immigrants,
on the point of taking a train for the West,
into an immigrant grocery, tell them that
there is not single station between New
York and Chicago, distance OF 600 miles,
and adjure them to buy enough
Food for Weeks Journey.
They do so. The shopkeeper gives them
short weights, goods for the most part
sorthless, and charge them unheard OF
prices. Lard cheese they sell to them for
is and 20 cents apound. Sausage made out
Of refuse meat, unwholesome and untit TO
eat, they often charge them 81 pound for:
Ioaves OF stale bread bought by the barrel
at bakeries for four cents apiece they sell
to them at twenty-five cents apiece, and
sometimes more Much Of this stuff the
immigrants are obliged to throw out OF the
car windows rs UNBEATABLE. They use the
hard, dry bread only
"The hotel keepers inveigle immigrant
families who have no money into their tav'
erns, and on one preteXt and another, keep
them, giving them almost nothing TO eat
untilitheir bill amounts 10 n sum sufficient
to enable them to seize their baggage. Then
they turn them adrift. to be sent, perhaps
| as paupers to Wards Island.
ATrIck IN Played
on the German immigrants by all thsse
people in the counting OF money. fot IN
Stance, they say to the Immigrant thai
| the price of some article, or the
amount OF some bill, is dollar, or 50 many
| dollars. The immigrant does not know VIVA
a dollar is and inquiries They answer ina
| a dollar is one hundred cents. Now In
| German money IL takes four hundred cent:
to make dollar, so that one hundred cent;
in their money is really but twenty five
cents of ours. The German immigrant pays
| one hundred cents in our money, Ignorant
| ly supposng that he is counting out but
tauarter in doing so. Thus the grocel
4 eoinstimes sell loaf bread for quarter
| ard kks hundred cents OF our money In
! psfment Cor it. The runners have
if unoosen lying 10 q Pine Art.
Ihhsr kslp,ew r know only, of truth
ifsrl hoo1S1H hthe old country
oSs n1 I - ,'ss; s;s :;
diamond pin, e
luded to above WIN
was disguised by Ger
suit Of clothes. The seenin
ed at the shopkecper and dre~<
| side.
you're new man." said the grocef.
"Yes; just got my license to-day, Ho'
much per cent will you give?"
"Forty per cent. on all above the regula
profit"
u want Gity per cant"
Il can't do it,
"rll take him TO another store ther
That's the regular profit"
1--WE pay the old men that. But II W
make a good thing Of him, I'll do it,"
Then followed n series Of attempts at In
timidation and virtual robbery on the par
OF the runner and shop-kseper, OF whic
the alleged immigrant was 10 be the VII
tim. He was cajoled, threatened and lie
to, but all to no purpose. he renamed
strangely stupid that nothing couid
done with him.
81 will try TO 'fi1' him." said the "rur
ner," as he at length left with the "imm
grant" ,
II shall only give you twenty-five p'
cent. hereafter. said the grocer.
Al the lunch stand in Castle Garden, the
sell cigars for five cents apiece 70 ths imm
Grants, which a Mulberry street Italia
wonId blush TO dispose Of at two for cen
and which IL oughs 10 be a misdemeanor
selI. The petty officials around tie Gard,
treat the inImigrsutSss :, they were cattl
. |