Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-11-06
MEXICO MISSOURI THURSDAY, NOVEMBER g. 1884
The Trustfu, Bunle Man.

The Trustfns Bunko Man.
From the New York Times.
The boss crook sighed as he poured
q gill of brandy from agilded decan-
ter into crystal chaliee that rested
upon q little table in the Hoffman
House. "Yes," he said, II was
played for sucker once, but hate
to tell about it. You ought not to
ask man to give himself away.
Well, since you insist, I'll try to
hide the pain it gives me and tell you
tale that will make you weep for
the per6dy Of mankind. A mean
trick, was it? Well, should rather
say it was. Why Nero would have
blushed if he had ever done anything
half as mean. 1t was SO mean that
doubt il I'd have had the heart to
do it myself.
at was like this. ] was coming
down Broadway one evening in the
Fall, about two years ago, when l
! was engaged in leading out-of-town
gentlemen against bunko. That
don't pay now. The newspapers
have exposed the thing SO often that
the worst yalioo from Michigan
knows the game, and Is soon as you
say anything about being the nephew
of the President Of his bank he gets
scared and calls the police. In those
days it was running pretty well,
though, and, as 1 was saying, | was
coming down Broadway with my
side partner, Tony Goodheart. Tony
was the Hyest man in the profesh to
size up duffer and do the prelimi-
naries. He looked SO green that any
body could tell in a minute to look
at him that he wasn't up to anything
crooked. Why, he had the most va
cant, innocent face man ever wore,
and he was embarrassed so easily and
blushed so much that everybody
|pitied him. But talk about cheek !!
He had the hardest nerve you ever
read about. 1 believe he'll have the
face at the judgement Day to calmly
walk over and take bis place with the
sheep, and then make a big kick if
they say he's made a mistake. Well
was telling how we came down
Broadway, and there. in the doorway
of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, stood a
young fellow that I put down for the
most blooming sucker l had come
across in many day. He was just
ripe enough to be picked, and Tony
and I nudged each other as soon as
we put eyes on him. I sized him up
right away for dude from St. Louis
or Milwaukee or Buffalo, who had
come down to see the city and
brought enough money to have a
good time. He had smooth, round,
pleasant face, was dressed very
, nicely, and leaned against the hotel
pillar as if he was just triAe lone
, some, and we knew he'd be right
glad to find an old friend to show
, him about this city.
"Well, I went over and sat down
on bench in the Park, and Tony
walked by the hotel. AS he passed
? the young fellow he glanced at him.
gave start. looked again, and recog-
nized him.
, 'Hullo, old man. he says rush.
ing up, and selling his hand in the
: regulation way. How are you
What are you doing down here:
Why didn't you let me know you
were coming?"
e THE young man looked at him
, very hard while Tony still kept
shaking his hand and inquiring about
+, his mother and his sisters. and ther
!; he said, Really, you've made mis-
take. I don't recollect ever seeing
you before.
ssYou never saw a man so embar.
0 rassed and distressed in your life a
e Tony was. could see him blusf
clear across Broadway.
!, :" 4 beg a thousand pardons,' h
q said, but it's q most extraordinary
b resemblance. Why, even now
could almost swear that you were m,
!. old college friend, Henderson, O
Chicago, at Princeton, if I hadn'
heard your voice.
ssThe young man fell right int
: the trap as beautifully as anybod.
could wish.
g It's very complimentary t.
! your friend Henderson, I'm sure h
Y said but I'm a very different man
a NY name is Thomas, and l com
;. from Cleveland
;, " That's singular, too said Tony
more embarrassed than ever. 'fr
y sure you'll excuse my asking th
r, question, but it isn't Thomas Thon
'e as, is it? My sister met young ger
It tleman of that name in Clevelan
J. last Summer. and she's been talkin
about him ever since. Is 1t possibl
that you are Thomas Thomas?'
u Under the circumstances, return
ed the young man politely, i al
ID very sorry that am not Thoms
Thomas. My name is Isaac Thomas
/; Then Tony begged his pardo
D. again, blushed great deal more, an
walked on acros, the Fifth avenr
crossing, and I came along and No
him at Twenty-second street. He
a the easiest sucker I ever worked