Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-22
THE LATEST SIYIyDLE.
How Couple of Sharpers and n Boy Man.
aged 10 Gather the Chink.
detroit Free PressI

"S'" W
detroit Free PressI
al these new-fashiOned detectives. VIII,
are afraid 10 stir out alone and always "
in pairs, like mules, were TO devote a
much time and ability TO detecting erin,
as they do to hiding ii from the knOwledg,
OF reporters and the public, they'd come
much nearer earning their salaries thar
they do now" remarked eX-Detcctiy,
SOmeryille with considerable asperity.
Why this murmur, William"
" II the people don't pay policemen tC
protect them from crime and criminals
then don't know what they do pay them
fCr!"
You seem to be telling this story back.
wards, William. suppose, instead OF 90
ing at 1t crab-faShion. You commence at the
beginning so that | can catch on. What
have the detectives been hiding now"
AS neat swindling game as | have
heard Of in long time. Two men and a
10y have been playing it here for about a
month. But they're not here now. They
left here the other day just ahead OF the Do
lice"
"What was their pet racket"
"Something new, reckon. They stand
around the big stores 10 see who traded
there. Pretty soon some big lady would
drive mp in her carriage, and out would
rush clerk barehealCd 10 sec what she
Nanted-pcrhaps the proprietor himself.
mat would give IL away that she was 4
big and desirable customer. When she
drove away the boy followed her carriage
until he learned where she lived, her name
and all about her. The next morning the
boy would go to the proprietor OF the
store and hand him note prlTporting to
be written by the lady, stating that her
husband was out OF the city, and she was
IN urgent need OF $50, s7j, or 300. Would
Mr.. - be so kind as 10 loan ii 10 her for
few days until her husband returned?
And the merchant couldn't get the
safe-door open quick enough. In an hour
or two they would rope in every man with
whom the lady traded. The next day they
would follow some other lady around shop
ping. and then racket those whom she pa
tronlzed. l know one man who didn't
happen 10 have the money in the store, and
he actually went out and borrowed 80 for
the boy. Now, the detective department
has known all about this for A long time.
and could have broken it up In five min.
utes by simply warning the public, but not
areportcr has heard OF 1t vet, And these
sharpers have been taking in hundred, OF
dollars day. 60 into any OF tn csc big
dry-goods stores or groceries, and. il they
tell the truth, they'll tell you that they were
caught for a hundred or two"
well, should think that the detectives
could have spotted that boy without much
trouble"
"Of course. Regular picnic lob. A man
with the brains OF a giinea-pIe ought IN
have worked up that Job in about n day.
easy; but he. he no h0!" and William
laughed sarcastically. 1.-THE two smart EI-
licks who were detailed for the work made
q res uiar ehump mess OF It. II had a two.
year-old 10y who c0udn's do better than
they did I'd bury him face-downwards -
ana William laughed sardonlcally.
These fellows got onto the boy all right
and when be went into a store and strrcS
The proprietor For a hundred, rushed in and
eoliared him and took him OF down IN
headquarters. II they bad let the how oct
The money they wouldn't have had 10 foI.
low HIM more than block or two before
The two men would have Joined him. and
hey could have collared the whole Gang
Jut the moment the men saw that the how
mas nabbed they lii out. When these 0v
detectives got the boy 10 the lock.un and |
ISesiioncd him, he told them that the two
men were from Chicago, and were board |
ng up on ives, Elizabeth street, and away
hey went up there to get 'em.
"Tbe lady OF the house said she puessed
hey were in their room. ior they came in
short time previously and she hadn't
card them go ont. The door Of the room
ias locked, and no one opened it whom
he detectives raped, so they burst IL open
nd found two canes standing in the cor.
err. The birds bad skipped. snd after
eeping the boy day or two they let him
o too.
=" Since then those detectives have been
,aking in their boots lest some reporter
lould find II out and write 'em up. II
,u put that In the Free Press there'll be
any storekeeptr who, when he reads bis
spr, will whistle very low. cuss a little
himself, and tell his book keeper TO mark
at item OF 500 against Mrs. So-and-so OF
books and charge It TO profit and loss"
HoraGOrd,a A ef0 eseS~s.s..s~