Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-10
CHECKING THE CROOKS
A "Olapp" Of Thunder Which
Has Startled the Conf
dOnOO Men,
A Successful Experiment Tried
on the Sioux City Train.


used to put n atop to tho oonfidor o,
amcs which have been no numerous
In and about tho Union Pacific depot
aud on the outgoing and Incoming
railway trains, Tho city has had n
policeman btalionod tboro to look out
for tho crooks, but littlo good has ro.
suited Tho depot railway policemen
uoem TO do llttlo either In this dlroc
ton, tholr attention bolng Rivon more
to performing tho duties Of hotol
directories aud railway guides, answor.
ing quotations. and pointing out trains,
buildings and streets,
Tho traiumon havo boon given by
law tho power Of policemen, but they
seldom or mover usc IL, at loast In RI.
gard to conf lenoo mon. Thoso
crooks, or most Of thom, arc known TO
tho o%tlicors aud to tho tralnmep, and
somo OF tho unsuspoctlng passengors
got acp lnlntcd with Thorn too, aud to
tholr be- row, but mono OF tho officials
seem d,nposod TO do anything to check
tho plunderiug, unless some Victim
spucaly TOO Justify whom Nn arrest aud
discharge OF tho crooks follows az n
slckly sort Of satisfaction.
IL has boon moro than oroc limited
that aomc Of tho trainmcn stand In
with the crooks, or at least overlook
their presence and willy ways, and II 10
natural TO supposc that they do not
thus allow tho robbery 10 go ON with.
out q confederation. II has boon
known In some oaaos, however, that
where no confederation was given
conductors and tralnmen have been
terrified into keeping still, tho crooks
threatening to cause them trouble, or
make them lose thcir po%sitions.
Tho plan has been tried Of prevent
Ing this systematic and continued rob.
berry Of tho travelling public by
p~ostipg up plaoards bidding tho peo,
Pile "bewarc Of confidence men and
pick-pockcts." This does little good,
M meat Of the inuoccnts have a sort
Of instructive idea that q confidence
man Ia 40 awful n creature that he can
DO told at q glance, that he must have
tho face Of a rogue, and a brand of
his ,atanic majcsty, &C that when q
we'll drcsscd, pleasant gentleman bc'
gins conversation with them, they
cannot Imagine for an instant, that
no Ia one Of thcse horrtd confidence
mon, aud they are thrown completely
of their guard.
Tho Sioux City trsins has been one
Of those mcst thoroughly and con.
atantly worked ny the confidence men
and sharpers, The train has usually
a large number VI graugers bound
for Dakota, most of them veil
provided with meaus, and with little
experience with sharpcrs, These
meeting fellows who had more OK
perience than money speedily change
their money for experience, There
have been co many turned on this
train, that the company has tried q
new experiment, aud this far It has
worked most satisfactorily,
Conductor Clapp, who takes out
the train every evening, just before
the train starts steps into every Gal
and glves the passengers = abort, prae.
ucal address, notpsrhspss s eloquent .,
one Of lngersoll's lectures, but ansver
Ing much more satisfactorily tho Ques
ton, What shall We do 10 he savedT'
he warns them not 90 have any
money transactions ~ n Mind with
any strangers, AMI that II any one ap
prosehes them ON financial matters,
VI tries 60 touch their sympsthies on
account I the body Of come
dead relative, W In any
game or device seeks 10 SCI
them - pay OF lend any money, 10 in
form him Al one aud set his advice Ii
the matter before giving up a penny
he alsc tells them that they are no.
~ Ne thrown SS their guard because
IT the genteel appearance and smooth
talk which are ~sharAsteIisties Of CON
6Senee men,
Ths little speech, repeated In eASs
Ssr Just ~ the train ststts out, hSI
had lite desired effect Tae Cxpert.
mont has been tried now for
month, ana What Vas once q tis'
Geld for the shsreers ~ browse in !
nov deserted by them,
The results # the experiment thu
far indicate that the railway EN-
ployss can, Il they set about it. {
much - stop this system ot roe
hety, Il they DO not put sn entire etc
- &C.
Let the other roads try the san
method, saS, Il necessary, have ora
tore tor sSnSostorA Sat, in 81
event pat men Ia tbs; position w
have gut ana hNaesty enough t. ,Ea
|, the crooks,
NJ A ~ - 2