The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-09-23
BEATING THE SHARPERS.
Grand Army Men Who Were Too ShrewC
for the Bunko Chaps.


Notwithstanding the popular news
paper fiction of sharpers meeting green
strangers and getting hoist by their own
petard. says the San Francisco Chronicle,
the fact is that when an expert conf
dence man puts his tentacles upon a
sucker" something usually comes be-
fore he lets go. The encampment have
has furnished few bona fide exceptions
to the rule that are worthy of chronic
ling. The low fares and the presence
of SO vast a number of strangers here
of course drawn a great number of
sharks to San Francisco. This class is
distinct from pickpOckets and thieves.
1t is formed of confidence operators,
pure and simple, prepared to yictimize
the Grand Army of the Republic stran-
gers at anything from bunko to monte.
Some of them come from Chicago, some
from St. Louis, and there are two or
three faces on the street that are famil-
lar to Inspector Byrnes and his detec-
tiyes at New York. One of the metro
politan outfit" was lamenting his lack
of luck to a party of friends in kearny
street sporting resort.
II had been reading up army history
for about a month";" he said, land was
we'll posted on the leading battles. You
see / wanted to be able to talk to the
veterans, but it turned out that it got
me into pretty tight fix. l got ac-
quainted with an old fellow Yesterday
and found out that he had been in the
battle of Gettysburg. wanted to draw
him into a poker game, and to make
myself solid said: Why, was in that
fight, too
.'Is that SOP" he said. You amt
G. A. r. are you?"
"'No,' answered; Il don't care to
join for private reasons
so you were at Gettysburg? the old
fellow went on. What division, now,
did you belong TOP
To Sickles''
"'Yes, yes-why, belonged to that,
too. Where were you the night after
the first days tighting?
81 slept in barn on Culp's HILL l
answered, cautiously, for felt was
getting into deep water.
NO he exclaimed. What kind of
a looking barn was it?'
"'Well,' | said, at random, sas near
as l remember it was small, single
story building, with one side partly
blown out
".No! was there straw-rack in it?"
81 don't know said, desperately;
i believe there was
"'You don't say SOP he replied, and
the managers busted?'
".Yes; think so.'
"'Was there another fellow in there
with you?'
Il think there was.' 1 said, like
blamed fool, not knowing what was
coming.
You scoundrel, you. yelled the old
man, that was me. Give me back my
wallet
What wallet?'
90, you know well enoughi The
blasted thief that slept with me that
night stole my wallet and 5000 in green
backs I've been looking for him now
for twenty-five years. / thought l
knowed YOU when you came upr
1T took some of the hardest talking
l ever did in my life to get rid of him.
l don't want any more Grand Army in
mine"
Another story is told in the Oregon
headquarters. 1t seems that a couple of
smooth-tongued gentry fastened on to
one of the veterans and proposed to 90
out anu SEE Tic UO"A- ne stSIccu, DuL,
before starting he excused himself a
minute, and stated on coming back that
he had left his money with a friend for
safe keeping and only taken along
few dollars. 1hey told him it was all
right if he knew where he could find his
friend when he wanted him. He said
he did, and the party started out The
two confidence men spent $40 apiece
entertaining the victim, and then pro-
posed that he look up his friend, get his
cash and play poker.
Il can't get it from him tonight"
said the veteran.
why, l thought you knew where to
find him." protested one of the sharps'
so l do," said the veteran, but it
happened he's the same friend on whose
account I'm wearing this badge
mean Uncle Sam. You see, for precau-
ton, put my money in an envelope be-
fore l started. addressed it to myself,
and dropped it in the letter box. No,
gentlemen, can't get any tonight"
The confidence men went off and
wept.