The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-11-26
THE sssAwDUsT GAME"
How the Swindle Is Practiced Through
Which Davis Met His Death.


The ..boodle" or sawdrist game by
which Davis enticed Holland from
Texas is form of swindling which is
carried on extensively by two or three
sporting" men in this city. As it re-
quires q very considerable sum OF
money to successfully play the game,
there are very few ''crooks" engaged
in it. The Doodle swindlers all make
their headquarters in New York City.
The nsodus operGadt of the game is
as follows: The swindler secures a
copy of mercantile directory and Sc
lects the names of country merchants
and others in small cities and towns
whose financial standing is quoted
at from 81. 900 to $4,000. A circular
is then addressed to the intended VIC
tim as follows:
NEW YoRK,-.-DEAR SIR: You will
probably be surprised as to the manner i'll
which secured your name and address, but
my confidential agent, who was in your part
of the country short time since, sent me
your address, and informed Inc that he
thought you would pc very good man TO
do business with. My business is not eX-
actly 3 legitimate one, but the green arti-
cies deal In are very safe and profitable to
handle. Do you understand? can not be
very plain until know you mean business
L
twenties. They were printed from plates
which were stolen from the treasury de-
partment and are really bona fide except
ing the signatures. only ask one favor
with me do me no harm. Ii you decide to
transact business with me write me at once,
and will send terms and sample.
Yours,
If the "boodler" receives a favora-
BILE reply to the circular. he at once in
closes a sample, which is . good new
United States one-dollar bill cut in two,
in the following letter:
DEAR SIR: Inclosed find sample of bills.
My terms are two hundred of the bills for
$1OO, and so on in the same ratio. can not
deal In sums of less than $500. If you are
coming on answer this at once, and will
direct you to the hotel you are to stop at
and have one ON Of my agents gents to meet you
If the sucker" thinks he can pass
such good money in that district and
make considerable profit he answers
without delay, and the swindler then
hotel, also telling him not to make any
acquaintances in the city and to be-
ware of bunko-steerers and confidence
men. Upon the greenhorn's arrival at
the hotel one of the "boodler's" steer
office. There he is shown packages
of new United States treasury notes of
all denominations, and to make him
doubly sure that they are genuine the
swindler tells him to take five or ten
dollar bill and go out with his agent TO
see if he can spend it. OF course any
storekeeper changes the bill. which
makes the sucker" more anxious to
get his pockets full of them. But the
"boodfer" doesn't let him have the
notes then and there; it might be dan
gerous. So he puts up whatever
amount the victim wants 10 buy into
neat package and puts it into small
satchel, and informs the ''buyer'' that
he viii express the satchel to his home,
and he will have the money when he
arrives there.
This is generallv satisfactory. and
while on their way 0'S of the Office tho
satchel is ''rung" or changed by a con-
federate, he taking the one with tho
money in it and giving the ''steerer,"
who always carries the bag to the ex-
press office, one with slips of paper in
it The satchel is expressed by the
'.steerer" in the countryman's pres
ence. and the latter is hurried away
from the city. If the victim insists
upon taking the satchel, his money is
refunded. Whom he arrives at his
home he finds the satchel full of
paper instead of money, and often
writes to the ..boodler," who some
times makes him believe that the bag
was opened on the road, and occasion
ally one victim is roped in twice.
Thousands of dollars have been made
reach of the law, as the "victim" who
would buy counterfeit money is gen.
orally a bigger knave than the "bood-
Herald.