The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-02-18
TRICKS OF ROGUES.
Unwnry.

Some of the Newest Devices for Filching the
Unwary.
According TO confession made by rail
road conductor in Chicago the other day, per.
sons of his calling pocket good deal of
money by rascality, as indicated in what fol-
lows: Members of the Legislature, State Off.
GERS and others, holding annual passes, con-
stantly violate the mot transferable" rule.
The conductor studies faces and sees to 1t that
every real pass holder shall be known at sight
Rascally conductors keep books with descrlp
tons of the men jotted down. The statesman
lends his pass to Tom, Dick and Harry. AS
an example," SAID the conductor who confess
ed, zone day last month man handed me II
q Senator's pass. | went on through the train,
and when l returned to his seat | noticed that
he was Hurried. An easy victim, thought,
Now said l, you are not Senator -; here
is his description (and pulling out my book
read Senator -, tall, dark hair, 40, annual
IO197O. The man who was little and red-head
ed trembled all over. | could see that he
wouldn't have the thing get out for hundred
dollars. He tried to smile but looked de-
termined Then he began to enter into long
explanation of how Senator - had pressed
the pass upon him and wound up by handing
me twenty dollar bill to pay his fare. When
| told HIM that | would have trouble to get
the note changed he smiled and SAID, Never
mind SO | kept the whole bill" The con.
ductor was caught by a detective OF the com.
pany in the way described. BY that and other
tricks he made $4,000 during his connection
with the road
"The patent wagon.tongue man" has been
having things pretty much his own way
among the Missouri farmers. He is of genteel
appearance and pleasing address. He drives
up to a farmers house and during his taIk
with the farmer lets him know what a big
business he Is doing with a certain wagon
tongue patent. He is on his way home, and
as he may not be back In that county the
farmer can have the right tor the county for
$3.50. If the farmer should want 1t he may
lust write In few days the swindler's con
federate happens along He has learned thai
the farmer has the right of the county for The
patent wagOn.tongue, and as he made big
thing out of 1t IN Nebraska, he wants to hay
the right of the county for $500. He pays $40
down to bind the bargain. The farmer AT
once writes to No. 1, sending snote for $3.50,
He never hears of either of the men again,
but his note comes up for collection IN a
neighboring town all the same.
A Philadelphia visitor in San Francisco
was walking along quiet street OF residences
about two weeks ago, when he observed a
seedy looking youth stop eagerly and pick a
shining object from the pavement. What a
lucky find!" exclaimed the youth, turning to
the Phlladelphian shes $50, isn't she ~
The latter eyed the object and saw that ii was
a gold nugget pin, similar to small nuggets
frequently carried by miners and others on the
Pacific coast "lt's a windfall to me, for Pm
dead broke continued the youth, an run
right down town and sell her" what do
you want for it," asked the unsuspecIng vic
tim, who thought he had chance to turn an
honest penny. II am so hard up believe l'll
take SO" The hoodlum got his $40 and the
Philadelphia, as he afterwards discovered, got
his penny's worth of brass The dodge Is SAID
to be the most troublesome on that coast.
This is about the way man YictimlZed the
Jackson County Bank at Jackson, Mich,
week or so ago He was gentlemanly III APP
pearance and as he entered the bank looked rs
though he wouldn't stoop to any kind OF wrong
doing. He drew check for 5000 from "a
check book of New YORK bank. When ne
asked the banker to forward the check for
him and collect it, the banker innocenty
agreed to comply. In few days the bank re-
ceived from New York draft for the amount.
Then the stranger, calling to get his money,
asked that the draft be cashed. The request
was granted. After the swlnder had disap-
peared the Jackson bank officers discovered
that there was no such bank in existence as the
one mentioned in the check. The confidence
man had q confederate in New York who had
received the check and sent the Graft.
Shortly after the heads of the houses alon
a street on Champion Hill, London, had gol.
to their business one day recently, m"n
planted Photographic apparatus in a con
spIcuous place 1t was bright morning. In
a few moments the groups OF women, children
and babies on the steps were charming. The
views, as the artist assured his sttcrs, were
perfect; the charge levied for each view was
low ana cheerfully paid, and the clever scamp
left Champion Hills after actually registering
ali his customers and promising to bring the
photographs on day named. No photo
graphs were delivered of course; indeed, the
scamp knew nothing about photography The
policeman whose duty 1t is to look after the
lambs in that part of the metropolis not only
failed to suspect a cheat, but during the per
Torrance took his stand by the side OF a favor
lite houscmald SO that his handsome face might
| light up the picture.
A few days ago well dressed man entered
the establishment of a prominent pen manu-
facturer in New York and purchased half u
dozen gold pens. He gave as his residence a
New Jersey town, and not having a sufficient
sum of money to liquldatc the bill left pawn
ticket puporting to I've a r'"Ige for $500
watch as colaHrtl until IAo following day.
The stranger f.AIng to return, the pen man
visited the pawnbroker named on the tickets
face and learned that it was a clever forgery.
There is young man now travelling around
in Eastern Texas who vaccinates negroes with
beeswaX He charges 81 for the work, and
rerresentlng that he was appOinted by the