Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-04-24
CATCHING GUDGEONS.
Horse Sharpers and the Way
They Swindle.
How the Game Is Worked upon Un-
soPhistleated Countrymen-Cunning
Fellows who seldom Suffer
Punishment.

r f IN. Y. Hcraldl
There Is probably no swindling scheme
carried on with greater success in this city
than that OF the horse sharper. Like tho
bunro-stcerer, he selects the countryman
for his victim; unlike him, be does nut
ssekOut his prey, but wdfts until It falls
into the trap set for it voluntarily. The
bait used is the newspaper advertisement,
nicely worded and run in among a number
OF genuine bargains in horsehesh. The
animals are invariably described as sound,
kind and gentle. In order to throw thu
countryman or his guard and dispel any
suspicion he may have of fraud, the
sharper has a variety of reasons to give
why the sale should be made. At ona
time II is "a widow who viii sell q fine
horse cheap, on account of the death Of
her husband;" at another, az A yoyrr,g man
whose father has recently died will dis
pose OF irst-class horse at reasonable
price" ..... ..f-. f...
The sharper then retires to his place of
business and keeps a lookout for the
gudgeon, who turns up soon afterward.
! These syindlers are well known in the po-
lice courts, for now and again they dupe
some farmer who has good deal of fl ,ht
about him and an intense dislike of their
method OF doing business. As soon as he
discovers their game he rushes around to
tho nearest police station and lodges a
complaint againt them. As a rule the
horse sharp is a quick Witted fellow. Not
once in half a dozen times does he place
himself within the power OF the law. The
Police Justice knows that the man is a
swindler, but the fraud has been so skill
fully managed as TO leave a Ioophole
through which the scamp can escape.
1t follows, therefore, that the same
sharpers are arraigned at short intervals
throu yhout the year on the sama kind of
charges and almost invariably escape pun
ishment. IL the Police Justice holds them
/ for trial they are able to give bail. Il is
seldom that the trial takes place, because
when the commitment papers reach the
District Attorne 5 Office il is seen that
there is not sufficient evidence to warrant
an indictment by the G and Jury.
There is. however, one satisfactory feat
ure about the arraignment OF these men in
the police courts. They generally get
frightened at the prospect of serving a
couple OF years in prison, and If the Mag
tstrate speaks severely to them and paints
the court room black enough they five times
outof SIX, express their willingness TO re-
turn part or even the whole amount OF the
money to the victim, who stuifs it in his
pocket, pulls his hat over his eyes and takes
the first train home, where Tor weeks after
ward he regales the village gossips with his
adventure in the wicked N ltrop0lis.
The sharpers have a picket who hangs
about the stables Of reput,ble horse dealers
aud steers countrylncn into the district
where none but broken -vinded s:ea.ls are
to be found. There are about hali dozen
streets where the stables OF the horse
sharpers are located. In each of these
stables worthless horses are kept waiting
for buyers.
Farmer Greod. OF vayhack, L. l., sees
th advertisement in ols of the New York
papers, and thinks that the widows cheap
fine horse is just what will su him. lie
go"s 10 the s,abla OF the shGr>cr, and finds
a horse bedded TO his knees in straw and
well blanketed. The proprietor informs
hirl that the price is 500, bus that the
horse is worth at least 500. Farmer Green
says that the price is too high at either f =
ure aud goes away. lie has not proceeded
far when he is accosts1 by two strangers
who inquire IL he has purchased tie horse.
Simple Farmer Green says that he has not,
because the price was TOO high. Thereup-
ON the strangers. with charming confidence
in the man from Wayback, tell him that
they wanted to buy the same horse, but
that they could not, as they were known to
the proprietor as horsemen. They hand
Farmer Green SO % 60 back and secure
the horse, agreeing to take the animal or
bis hands and allow him the $40 for his
trouble. Good. simple minded old Green
tries this on with the proprietor, but istold
he can not secure the horse for smaller
deposit than sl00, and concludes to risk
thatamount for the SO, which will pay all
his expenses to and from the city. He ac,
cordingly pays out 800 $40 Of the strang--
ers' and 80 OF his own on account to Sc
cure the horse. When he returns to the
spot where he let the strangers they are
nowhere to be seen. He makes back to the
stable. but the proprietor will no. give him
back his s9O,-f Indignant Farmer Green re-
fuses Point blank to pay the remaining
500. The smiling proprietor keeps his
S5p. Farmer Green returns 20 Wayback
SsO out and without the widows fine horse.
Squire Brown, Of saugerties, attends a
sale ut n reputable horse dealer's I'M New
York, and does not hna what he wants.
While be is hesitating as 20 what to do he
Is accosted by a man who offers to show
him a stable where be can get good horses.
The Squire accompanies him 10 a stable
and Is introduced to a third party, who ap-
pears 20 be in charge This man exhibits
four good looking horses, and Brown paws
$40 down for them after he is assured that
the animals are sound, kind and gentle.
Brown asks FOR reference and the propri.
etor refers bin TO Tom Collins, a Cortland
street furritnre dealer tin his niind) who
he says can be found at that moment Ia a
stable in the Bowsry. Brown goes thee.
and, sure enough, meets Collins. who
speaks OF the proprietor In the highest
terms That Is enough for Squire Brown.
He buys the horses and a set Of double
harness besides. As they are con-
cluding the bargain q well dressed
stranger enters and announces that
he has come 10 pay foe the horse
his friend selected the day before. He ex.
plains that he and his friend are horse
dealers. Thepropfietor Is overcome at the
information and says; my dear friend, I /,
am sorry, but can not let You have the
horse. It was let me by my father and in
his will he forbade me T. sell it to horse
dealer. He wanted some private person 20
have it who woald treat II kindly"
The proprietor then retfres, and the
stranger explhins how distressed he Is be-
cause he can not buy the horse. The Squire
thereupon has al idea he ,rsks the dis
tressed stranger why he does not get some
one to buy the hose for him and turn IL
over q him afterward. The stranger Is
delighted az. tAe su--=estion. ne riaps the