Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-24
rp1Ana,s g GOO GONE.
The Man with the Treasure Bag NO
Crank, but a Swindler.


The Man with the Treasure Bag Not
Crank, but a Swindler.
Marcello Triaca, an Italian restaurant
keeper, corner of Light and Camden
streets, says the Baltimore San of the 21st
inst, was the victim yesterday of one of
the neatest pieces of trickery, fraud and
deception which has been practiced in
Baltimore for a long time, by which he
was relieved of $1,000 in hard cash, and
the rOgues, for there were two Of them,
played their game so nicely and made
their escape so adroitly that Triaca has
but very slim chance of ever seeing
their faces or his money again.
About O'Clock yesterday afternoon the
Italian. pale and excited. hurried into the
office of the Marshal of Police, and after
much questioning and with many efforts
to calm the excited man by the Marshal
the following account of his despoiling
was drawn from him:
About two months ago an Italian just
from California came to his place on
Light street and spent several DAYS there,
becoming we'll acquainted with Ir1aca
and his family. This man, whom Triaca
described as a large Italian, and whose
name he was too excited to remember,
left here to return to California, as he
said. On Monday he reappeared at I'll
aca's, spoke of bringing his family on, got
Triaca to assist him in hunting house
to live in, and took Triaca with him TO be
present while he deposited in bank $1,000.
While looking for a house together yester-
day they met another Italian who carried
well-filied satchel. which, when opened,
seemed to be full of money, gold and notes.
The man appeared to be demented, so Tri-
AGA thought, at the time. The crank be-
came very communicative in crazy, dis
Ointed style of talking. He told them
that he had come here from Colorado,
where he and brother had been making
heaps of money for years. The brother
was dead and had left all his money to the
crank, who had it all amounting to be-
tween $4,000 and $40,000) in his satchel.
He was on his way to Chicago, where he
had sister living. He tossed his money
about, handling the bars of gold and pack
ages of $50 gold pieces as carelessly as if
it was so much iron.
The big Italian whispered to Triaca it
would only be friendly act to take this
crazy fellow countryman home and keep
him from losing or being robbed OF all that
wealth. The suggestion was acted upon.
The big man suggested that it would in
spire confidence in them on the crank's
part if they showed him they had plenty OF
money, and he would the more easily al
low his money to be taken care OF. Acting
on this hint Triaca went to several banks
IN which he had accounts and drew out in
all $4,000, the big Italian also drawing
out his $500 deposit. Then the crank
said he must 90 at once to Chicago. They
all started for Charles street depot to see
him off. But his money was an encum-
brance, he said, and if his new found
friends would only take it, put the money
with theirs and keep it for him he would
be much obliged. Upon this the big ltal-
ian handed the crank his roll of bills,
| Triaca following suit, and the crank
| stuffed the money in his satchel as care
| lessly as if 1t were old paper or shavings.
| He handed the satchel, bursting with all
this money, to his friend, but in moment
| took it back and got out 5000 in notes,
saying that would serve him till his
return from Chicago. Triaca hur-
ried away to put the satchel
in place Of safety. At home, he opened
it to find nothing but worthless
paper and bars of iron foot long
rolled tight in paper, at the ends of which
the sly cheat had put one or two $40 gold
| pieces. But not even a single gold piece
was left He had by some sleight-Of-hand
manipulation taken every dollar of the
money out, either when he pretended to
| stuff Triaca's in the satchel or when he
| got out the 5000 for travelling expenses.
| He had even accepted Triaca's gold watch
| and chain and rings at the last moment,
remarking that they were for keepsakes.
| OF course the two men were cOntederates
and accomplished cheats, who work with
| considerable money in hand to deceive the
over-cOnfiding. Nothing has been seen or
| heard of them