Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-26
BUNKO MEMS WORK.
The Perfect Harmony OF Their Sys.
TEN OF Eintrapping the
+ Unwary.
T.Durandal'sn New York Letter.

Last night an incident occurred which
showed the perfect harmony with which
bunko men work [ was walking past
French's hotel, and looked particularly at a
little bunko man whom have known by sight
for three or four years He was a natty little
fellow, with hard face and bow-legs and
keen exI'.'.s ion of the eye. His back was tO
the Sidewalk as he talked to another man
just III iton5 of me was roughly-clad fel.
low, VINO looked as though he might have come
from the upper part of New Y ork state. He
wore rusty boots, a long black coat and
cotton gloves. He was wandering along,
staring about him and running into every
third man he met, but he had got twenty OF
thirty feet beyond French's hotel when one
of the bunko men touched the little handy
legged fellow with his cane and indicated the
countryrlan with turn of his eyes The lit
tie bunko man was off like a shot. A moment
later he was along side the countryman just
as the latter stopped to admire the Brooklyn
bridge. He stumbled against him acct
dentally, raised his hat, assumed genial
smile and begged his pardon I was just
moving up to hear what the little fellow was
saying to the stranger when three men
crowded themselves in front of me and began
to talk excitedly. l stepped to one side, and
they, apparently with involuntary accord,
moved the same way. l tried to get around
them on the other side, when once more they
swayed over and inpeded my progress with
out apparently intending to do so. Mean
while the little bunko man and his victim
had got half q block ahead. For q moment
was annoyed, but, on looking at the three
closely, discovered that they were members
of the downtown gang, But they played
their parts perfectly It was impossible to
accuse them of any design Of impeding my
way, and when touched one of them on the
shoulder and asked him to let me pass he
jumped aside with the utmost courtesy and
raised his hat, with an Apologize smile.
thought now would catch up with the little
bunko man and his victim, but | had not
gone fifty feet when another Of the gang,
whom I also knew by sight, stepped up to
me with a courteous and polite bow, and
asked me for light. He held an unlighted
cigar in his hand, and, taking my cigar, he
fumbled with it, putting his own till he was
red in the face, but he could not get light.
Meanwhile 1 tried to get away, but couldn't,
as he was apparently unable to light
his own cigar, and I did not want
to leave mine with him. Finally
he laughed with great good humor, pulled
his cigar out Of his mouth, and showed me
that he had not bitten off the end This he
did very deliberately, and, after getting
light, offered me fresh cigar, which he
hoped wouh recompense me for the delay. I
refused it and went on. By this time the
bandy-legged bunko man was walking back
again, and the countryman had gone on,
closely followed by the "steerer."
Although knew from the start that these
bunko men were working in the interest Of
their pal, who was ahead with the victim,
yet so cleverly did they impede my way that
it was impossible for me to find any fault
with them. The incident shows how well
tie men work together.