The Arizona champion., 1886-09-11
HEATING THE STARTERS.
Comrades Who Were Too shrewd for the
 Bunco Mon.

petard, the fact is that when an expert confidence man puts his tendencies upon "sucker," something unusual comes before he lets go. The En- campment here has furnished a few bona-hde exceptions to the rule that are worthy of chroniclins. The low fares and the presence of so vast number of strangers have, of course, drawn a great number of sharks to San Francisco. This class is distinct from pickpockets and thieves. It IS formed from confidence operators, pure and simple, prepared to fleece the Grand Army of the Republic at anything from bunco to monte. Some of them come from Chicago, some from St. Louis, and there are two or three faces on the street that are familiar to Inspector Byrnes and his detectives at New York. One of the metropolitan "outh," was lamenting his lack of luck to party of friends in a Kearney street sporting resort last evening.
 "I had been reading up army his- tory for about a month," he sad, "and was we'll posted on the leading battles. You see l wanted to be able to talk to the veterans, but it turned out that 1t got me into pretty tight fix. l got acquainted with an old fellow yesterday and found out that he had been in the battle of Gettys- burg. 1 wanted to draw him lnto a poker game, and to make myself soll,i said: Why, l was in tha, fight. too.'
 'Is that SOP he said. You aint G. A. R. man, are you3'
 'No,' I answered, I don't care to join for private reasons
 50 you were at Gettysburg3' the old fellow went on. What division, now, did you belong to3'
 'Sickles's.'
 "Yes. yes-why,I belonged to that too. Where were you the night after the first days hghting3'
 "I slept in barn oa Culp's Hill, Answered, cautiously, for felt l was getting into deep water.
 'Nol' he exclaimed. 'What kind ofa looking barn was it1'
 'Well,' l said at ransom. 'as near as l remember it was small, single-story building, with one side partly blown out
 "'Nol Was there astraw.rick m it?'
 "I don't know, l said, desperately, T believe there was.
 You don't say he replied; and the manager bus:eds
 "'Yes; think so.'
 "Was there another fellow in there with you1'
 "T think there was, said, like a blame fool, not knowing what was coming
 You scoundrel, you!' yelled the old man, "that was me! Give me back my wallet!'
 What wallet?'
 "Oh, you know we'll enough! The blasted thief that slept with me that night stole my wallet and S2oo in greenb-cks. I've been looking for him now for 25 years. thought I knowed you when you come ur.'
 1t took me some of the hardest talking ever did in my life to get rid of him. don't want any more Grand Army in mine."
 Another story Is told in the Oregon headquarters. It seems that couple of smooth faced gentry fastened on to one ot the veterans, and prop ,sed 10 go out and see the town. He agreed, but before starting ne excused himself minute, and stated on com ing back that he had left ms money with friend for sale keeping, and only taken along a few dollars. They told, him 1t was all right if he knew where he could find his friend when he wanted him. He sad he did, aud the party started out. The two con- hGence men spent about SIo ap,ece entertaining the victim, and then pro. posed that he look up his friend, gel his cash, and play poker.
 "I can't get il from him tonight, said the veteran.
 "Why, thought you knew where 10 find him." protested one of the sharps.
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