Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-18
A BUNKO MAN PARIS
How pc of Tweed's Henchmen Works
the Game-YOung Tweed Ruined.


A letter from Paris, France, to the New
York Times says: ''The 'bunkO' man has
made his appearance in the French capt.
tai. TO a partial extent only has his
game been a success as yet. The prOba-
bilities are that it VIII never be so sue
cessful method of swindling as it has
been in New York. The Paris police
haven't that feeling of triendliness to-
ward these disciples of Hungry joe that,
specifically at least seems to exist be-
tween them and the police of New York
city. Encouraged, presume, by the sue
cess they have met with in working vsi-
tors to your side of the Atlantic from va
rious European countries, notably in
the case of the now shOrt-haired
and wholly unpicturesque esthetic
Oscar Wilde, two expert bunkO
men came here fresh from New YOrlSsuc-
cesses. Their game was, directly, Eng
lishmen, incidentally, Frenchmen and
the credulouS OF any nationality. Two
young Englishmen with Il superfluous
amount of money and a very limited
amount of brains became easy victims to
the wiles of these sharpers. Both of them
did what was to be expected of them.
They complained to the police, or 'squeal-
ed as you very eXpreSSiVely term such
performance. The success of their game
was duly chrOnicled i'm the DaiIn Nelrs
of news in the English language here. 1t
cost one of these young Englishmen 4,000f
to learn the mysteries attaching to the
latest importation from America. The
other escaped with a loss of about one
half that amount. The police of Paris
being more vigilant than are the mem
bers of the Broadway squad, and the laws
being much more promptly and rigidly
enforced, the bunkO men temporarily
ceased operations. But they have begun
again, reinforced in numbers and conf
dent of their ability to Outwit the authori-
ties.
''The particular interest attaching to
the arrival of these men here. so far as
New Workers are concerned, is that 1t
brings to the front the once notorious
Billy Cook. He will be remembered as
one of the followers of the late Boss
Tweed. Two indictments for forgery re-
pose i'll the pigeOn-hOles Of the District
Attorneys office i'll your city unless they
have been disposed of with ether waste
paper. Cook was brought into prominence
by his connection with Tweed in the bal
lot box stutiing in the Sixth ward he Ope-
rating, it was said. under the direction
and control of Police Justice Joseph
Bowling and Tweed himself. So useful
were his services that Tweed made him
Deputy superintendent of Repairs and
Supplies in the Board of Public
Works, which enabled him to per-
petrate frauds which are pOpu-
larly supposed to have Melted him
S250000. That sum, or con-
siderable amount of it, he brought with
him to this city. With it he entered what
isknOwn as "the betting ring He was
but moderately successful, however, and
his talents for the past few years have
been devoted to tieecing Americans. His
plan has been to form the acquaintance of
American strangers in Il strange land,
and, on the pretense Of making their visit
to Paris pleaSanter, introducing them to
the American Club. This is in reality
but gambling-h0use conducted ON the
most approved American plan. Short
cards, cold decks, cOncave and convex
cards, and the sanded-back decks for faro
are the appliances. The American once
introduced, his plucking is matter of but
very short time. Cooks profit comes
from division of the spoils with the eX-
pert gamblers who run the club.
'Of late Cook has been brought into no.
toriety among those who know of him by
the fact that his wife has separated from
him for the second time. He married an
actress named Moore, a beautiful woman,
with many personal and mental attrac-
tiOns. This second separation occurred
but short time ago, and some people are
inVidiOus enough to say that it has grown
out Ol lne ldcl lldI COOK 5 nGaNy losses III
his gambling operations of late and his
dssoute habits have made him a less
agreeable and desirable companion than
he was when his money was more plenti-
full. In order to recOup his fallen fortunes
Cook is reported to have imported the
bunkO men to this city, and is now geuer-
ally accredited with being their hacker
He must be in great financial straits when
he resorts to this dangerous method for
w hack nd tic nj
to be eXtrayagant wife.
"Our portion of the American colony
attribute the downfall of young Tweed to
Billy Cooks influence. Tweed is now the
inmate of an insane asylum in the city,
and 1t is currently reported that his men,
tai arrangement is of such a character as
to preclude the possibility of his recov-
cry. Coming here with a considerable
amount OF money, young Tweed is now so
reduced financially that he is yeritable
pauper. He was quite intimate with
Cook, and under his tutelage was intro
duced to the mysteries of horse racing.
gambling on the bOurse and to the various
games of cards used to relieve Young
Americans and Englshmen who have
more money than brains of their super
fluous cash. Cook is supposed to have
fastened himself on young Tweed after
the fashion of a leech, and to have OBJ
tanned from him the greater portion of his
money. At all events Tweed's money is
gone and Cook had plenty when he had
young Tweed as his protege. The COM
plete downfall of Cook is deemed GER
tainty at not far distant day, now that
he has fallen back on the gamblers last
resOrt-bunkO. His fall would not be
greatly regretted among the Frenchmen,
Englishmen and Americans here who
count themselves among his Victims