The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-07-25
TAKEN IN BY A TALKER.
A Street Vendor Who Had a
Number of Oriode Watches
to Pawn.

For the past two weeks Sedalians have
had an opportunity Of forming the ac-
quaintance of an itinerant vendor of street
goods, who, throughout the day and even
ing, held forth on the southwest corner of
Second and Ohio streets, where he auction
ed of his goods. His name is unknown,
but it matters but little. He was re-
markably slick talker, and when attending
to his business, did so with a vim, reaping
quite rich harvest.
Among the goods owned by him were a
number Of oriOde watches, which. to the
uninitiated, resembled gold. The stranger
spOrted one of these tlme-pieces himself,
but did so with
AN OBJECT IN VIEW,
as the sequel will show. Every evening
after closing out business he would 60 out
with the boys and have time, as it were,
and this, too, was part Of the programme
he had arranged.
During the past week he played
his little game on several
parties in this vicinity, his plan being
as follows: Getting out with crowd, he
would play the drunken dodge, and then
remark, casually, that he was about down
to bed rock, financially, and would like to
procure loan of $40 or SIS ON his watch,
at the same time producing the oriode
time-piece. Those who knew nothing re-
with avidity, and he generally secured a
worth barely 81. This was
PLAYED ON MORE THAN ONE PARTY
while the slick young man was here, but
the climax Was capped Friday night.
At that time he had made all his ar
rangements to leave Sedalia, and was at
the depot, seemingly in semi-drunken
condition. When the east-bOund train ar
rived he approached one of the cOmpany's
employees and got off the old racket, the
consequence OF which was he soon had an
other $40 bill for a. 81 watch. He repre-
sented that he was going to st. Louis, and
obtained the address of the party to whom
the watch was given, saying he would re-
deem it when he reached that city and
would pay a good rate of interest for the
USE OF THE MONEY.
This all seemed fair enough, but just be-
fore the train started out a friend OF the
railway man, who had witnessed the
transaction, examined the watch and
merely remarked: Gall the fools are not
dead yet you have been nicely taken in"
Instantly the railroader "tumbled," and as
the train was then pulling out, he COM
menced looking for the party who had
pawned the super" He found him, but
the slick stranger was up to snuff, so jump
ed from the coach when it was near the
Lanline street crossing The bell cord
was pulled by the duped railroader, and he
at once made for the platform, when he
saw his man endeavOring to
CLIMB UP THE BANK.
The railroader now thoroughly angered,
drew his revolver and fired four shots at
the fleeing man, which caused him to halt,
and he was taken into custody.
Here be again displayed his shrewdness,
for he merely remarked: "You might have
known the watch was stolen, or / would
never have let it gone for So" This re-
mark threw the railroader completely of
the scent. He thought the watch was sure
enough gold, 50 determined to hold on to
what he considered . 6rst-claB bargain.
The street talker was willing, and so the
matter dropped, the train pulling out with
both the parties interested.
As to how the matter Was arranged
when the train reached st. Louis,
the RAzoo knows not The
chances are, however, that the man of
street wares gave the railroader the slip,
and it will be many day before the latter
will advance so note on any kind of q
time-piece. There are three parties here
who are anxiously waiting for their sup
posed victim to call around and redeem
his 81 watches.