The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-04-17
HE TRIED THE WRONG MAN.
Two Confidence Men Meet and Enjoy .
Ride in a Railroad Train.

Ride in a Railroad Train.
A tall, red-haired young man with an
innocent face and a black necktie sal
alone in a car seat on one of the swift
flying trains of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road bound for Washington. He had
just begun to read q copy of the Chris
tian Advocate when a benevolent-look-
ing middle-aged man entered and sal
down beside him. For an hour the
young man read his paper, and the old
man watched the telegraph poles go by.
Becoming tired of this amusement the
stranger fisheda half dozen little pill
boxes out of a deep pocket in his over
coat and placed them in his lap. The
young man put away his paper and eyed
his neighbor, who pulling out a roll
of bills from his vest pocket, selected a
note and placed it in one of the pill
boxes.
do you suppose you could select the
box containing the bill 2" he asked Of
the young man with q smile, and a
look that seemed to say, Il ct us be
sociable."
Don't think I could" laconically
replied the latter pulling his NOUS
tache.
The stranger himself picked out the
box, took out the bill and put a $40
note in it's place. This time, however,
a corner of the bill was left sticking
out after the cover had been put on the
box.
"Now do you think you could pick it
out? ?" he said, showing his teeth.
zoe course l could, replied the young
man.
"Well, if you will give me a dollar, ]
let you try"
ooh, no, / wouldn't do that. You're
not sharp at all. You've left a corner
of that bill sticking out of the box so
any fool could pick it out"
"Why, of course" said the sharper,
apparently confused by the discovery.
".How could / make such q blunder ?"
Thereupon he took out the $40 bill and
put in it's place a bright, new $40 note.
The corner of the bill stuck out as be-
fore, but the man pretended not to
notice it.
"Now will you try it2. he continued,
after wiping his forehead with a red
handkerchief. Give me a dollar and
take your pick you've got q chance
to make $40 in clean money"
The young mans face did not show
the least animation at this declaration.
If there was the beginning of a smile
hidden under his moustache it did not
reveal itself when he answered:
"You are a stranger to me. I don't
want to take $40 out of you it wouldn't
be gentlemanly in me to do so. III we
were old friends the case would be diff
ferent. But / see plainly you are not
used to the wicked ways of this world.
You are not sharp. You have left the
corner of that $40 note sticking out Of
the cover just as You did the other.
You ought to go and work on a farm
awhile, you ought"
The perspiration poured from the
sharper's forehead. He had caught a
Tartar, and had had a hard time of il
too. The red-headed young man took
the boxes out of his neighbours hand,
and, after returning the $40 note, said
Perhaps you would like to try your
hand at picking out the lucky box?
I'll put this $50 bill in this one and q
$40 note in this box. Give me $5 and
you shall try your luck"
The man reluctantly paid over the
money, and after the young man had
shaken up the boxes In his hat, took up
one from which the green corner of q
note appeared. When he had pulled of
the cover he found it contained only a
piece of a revenue stamp. His face fell
at the discovery.
"Try iG again." said his tormenter.
He tried it again, but with no better
luck.
"Take the lot,n laughed the young
man, pouring them into his neigh
bors' lap.
The swindler opened every box, but
cot a sign Of q bill appeared.
Here are the bills safe in my pock-
81" said the bright young fellow, pro-
lucing the notes from his vest pocket
and shaking them in his neighbours face.
"The next time you want to try your
game on o stranger, don't pick out q
nan who is In the same business as
yourself. L ltaln
The red -haired youth was an expert
Confidence man from Frisco.